I would imagine that every actor fantasizes about having that role that is perfect for them that will allow them to cement their place in cinematic (and hopefully pop culture) history. Many actors strive for this but few actually achieve it. It is interesting when you start to think of performers and the roles that define them. For example, Rutger Hauer will always be Roy Batty to me, P.J. Soles will always be Riff Randall, and Gunnar Hansen will always be Leatherface. In The Sadist, Arch Hall Jr. completely owns the role of Charlie Tibbs and his portrayal is so convincing that I cannot imagine him any other way. I suppose for some actors this could be a curse but it must be pretty cool for someone who switched careers to become a pilot over 40 years ago still being talked about today. Although cult movie aficionados are quite familiar with Hall's association with this role, it is a shame that the movie has not achieved a more prominent place in the genre as it is a pretty cool flick.

The characters of Charlie Tibbs and his female companion Judy Bradshaw (Marilyn Manning) are loosely based on the real-life killers Charles Starkweather and Caril Ann Fugate. The couple went on a killing spree in 1958 and their story also influenced Natural Born Killers and Badlands. In The Sadist, we get a real-time depiction of what it may have been like to run into the thrill killers when a trio of schoolteachers have car trouble and pull into a rundown service station to seek help. Tibbs and Bradshaw soon appear and terrorize them at gunpoint while forcing one of the teachers to repair the vehicle so they can make their getaway. Tibbs looks like a mental patient who traded in his straitjacket for some denim and has a secret desire to be in a rockabilly band. He has perfectly slicked hair that shows a James Dean-influence and a creepy, giddy laugh that echoes his enthusiasm for being a sociopath. Bradshaw is like a trailer-trash Megan Fox who looks good but doesn't do much other than hang off of Tibbs like a desperate sloth clinging to an unstable branch.

I had no expectations on how this movie would play out other than that Hall's performance is quite legendary. That is true as I have already mentioned but the other main attraction of the movie is the cinematography from Vilmos Zsigmond (as William Zsigmond) that reminds me of some of Russ Meyer's finest moment like Faster Pussycat Kill! Kill! and Lorna. This beautiful black and white photography, in what looks like the California desert, brings this flick from a simple b-movie and gives it a lot more credibility. The way the film is shot increases the tension as the camera lingers on the stress that shows in the faces of the victims as their situation gradually gets worse and the violence in Hall's eyes during the climax (in extreme close-ups that reminded me of the monster in the crate in Creepshow). Zsigmond also shot Satan's Sadists and his involvement has a similar effect. He went on to more well-known movies such as Deliverance, The Deer Hunter, and Close Encounters of the Third Kind (for which he won as Oscar).

It is too bad when effective movies like this are overlooked. Sure, Hall hams up the performance a bit but the overall effect is a tense experience as the character is a totally unpredictable time bomb who is threatening in the fact that he is enjoying himself so much and later, is driven by rage. The tension is amped up as the other actors play it very straight and serious and recognize the threat in that they cannot reason with him. The three victims are played by relatively inexperienced actors including Helen Hovey, who is Hall's cousin. I knew I would like this movie but I had no idea that it would be as suspenseful and engaging as it turned out. Hall quit acting shortly after this movie and he looked at this role as his attempt to become a serious actor rather than a teen idol. (Josh Pasnak, 11/8/09)

Directed By: James Landis.
Written By: James Landis.

Starring: Arch Hall Jr., Richard Alden, Marilyn Manning, Helen Hovey.

Picture Ratio: 1.66:1 Widescreen.

Picture Quality: There have been a number of releases of this film and this is the definitive one to date. The anamorphic print has been upgraded from the previous versions.

Extras: First up, we get a 12 minute interview with Hall where he reflects on his career. Trailers for The Choppers, Eegah, Wild Guitar, and The Sadist are included in this segment. Next, we get an Arch Hall video songbook that is a nicely edited compilation of his musical performances in his movies. Finally, Johnny Legend reflects on Hall and The Sadist and talks about how he got the film released. This brief featurette includes a clip of Legend performing a song called "Night of the Sadist" in a club.

Visit Raunchy Tonk for more info.