diaryofamadman

Simon Cordier is a proud man. He is a refined man. And as we begin this review, he is a dead man. Vincent Thriller Price is magistrate Simon Cordier, and as we open this film, we're at his funeral. Thereafter his friends and employees happen upon Simon's diary, and in it are the events that lead up to his death ( insert suspenseful music here).

When Cordier meets with an imprisoned murderer waiting for the guillotine , the murderer Louis Gerot ( Harvey Stephens) confesses to being possessed by an unseen spirit that feeds upon evil. It was the possessor that controls Gerot , glowing green eyes a la the Hulk and all, when he attacks Cordier. The effemanate Price surprises us all by not only fending off his attacker, but accidentally kills him.

Couple this taxing incident along with several mysterious happenings, and you get Cordier beginning to fear his own sanity. After Cordier has a face to invisible face meeting with the spectre whom first possessed Gerot ( and the subsequent death of his favorite bird) , it's off to the shrink , who suggests that Simon delve himself deep into his foregone hobby... sculpting. This is where things begin to get messy.

Simon , that suave son of a bitch , meets Odette Du Classe (Nancy Kovak) , wife of artist Paul DuClasse (Chris Warfield). Odette is a classy and beautyful woman who just happens to be an artistic poser who tickles Simon's fancy. When she is commisioned to pose for him , we find out that for Odette it's all about the money; as she falls for Cordier and subsequently leaves her artist / husband for him. Paul pitches a fit , the spirit gets jealous , and all hell breaks loose.

Cordier fights off the spirit's suggestions and misses his chance to eliminate Paul , but the spirit will have his/her/it's day. Possessed and green-eyed , ol' Simon hacks up Odette ( very unconvincingly, I might add) and frames Paul for the murder. We then learn that Pauls murder trial will be presided over by Cordier, and it would seem it's the Guillotine for Mr. DuClasse.

At this point the film sort of loses its way. Simon, even though it looks like Paul'll take the rap , tries to kill himself via revolver ( only to be thwarted by the evil spirit). Paul , who just lost his wife to not only Cordier but foul play , puts the moves on Jeanne D'Arville ( Elaine Devry) , the owner of the art gallery Paul works for ; whom up to this point has had very little to do with the story. Jeanne , most likely influenced by by Pauls liplock , takes up for him and attempts to prove that Cordier had something to do with the murder. Then , somehow, the film finds itsself again.

Simon gives D'Arville instructions and the diary of the title , and demands that the instructions be followed to the letter. With that out of the way , it's time for the final ( yet somewhat cheesy ) conflict with the spirit. We then find ourselves where we began , with the diary's reading. This film is not one of Price's best works , and it's more suspense than it is a horror film , but for such a small cast it's very effective. If you're not very familiar with Price's work and want to see what he's all about , this is not the flick to see ( see House of Wax or House on Haunted Hill). But if you're in the mood for an entertaining film that's a bit eerie yet not too heavy on the brain, check out Diary of a Madman.