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With: Jenny Wright, Clayton Rohner, Randall William Cook, Stephanie Hodge, Michelle Jordan, Vance Valencia, Mary Baldwin, Murray Rubin, Steven Memel, Rafael Nazario, Bob Frank, Bruce Wagner
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Written by: David Chaskin
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Directed by: Tibor Takács
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MPAA Rating: R
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Running Time: 89
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Date: 04/07/1989
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Stark Reading Mad
By Jeffrey M. Anderson
The Hungarian-born filmmaker Tibor Takács had some moderate success with the dumb horror film The Gate (1987). Thankfully, before he made the inevitable sequel, he took time out for this infinitely better movie, the moody, creative chiller, I, Madman (sometimes called Hardcover). Beautiful Virginia Clayton (Jenny Wright) works at a used bookshop in Los Angeles. She has become fascinated by a book called Much of Madness, More of Sin, by Malcolm Brand. She wants to read Brand's only other published book, I, Madman. She searches the store for it and fails, only to find that it has been mysteriously delivered to her doorstep.
As she reads, the world of the book and real life begin to intermingle. Virginia appears in evening gowns as part of the story. But murders begin to happen in real life as well, and Virginia's cop boyfriend, Richard (Clayton Rohner), is having a hard time believing her. FX artist Randall William Cook plays the killer who slices off body parts for himself to wear, but the real star of the movie is its atmosphere, especially the dingy bookshop, and Virginia's couch, where she curls up reading amidst spooky noises.
I saw this movie on VHS a long time ago, and I was thrilled to be able to see it again on Kino Lorber's 2025 Blu-ray. It includes a commentary track by the director and Cook, a visual essay, featurette with various interviews, behind-the-scenes footage, and a trailer. I had been hoping Wright might show up for an interview, but she left the movie business back in the 1990s, never to be heard from again.
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