The quality of this movie can be summed up in two words, "Wanna Root?" This is the phrase that can be heard over and over in the restaurant scene where Slick meets Wheeler. It's in the background noise, which is obviously about 8 seconds worth of noise being looped over and over. Ah, What to say about this film? On every technical level, Psycho From Texas is a total failure. The editing is horrendous, you can see scratches in the film. The acting is equally bad. At some points continuity is non-existent. Despite all of this, I enjoyed Psycho From Texas on a comedic level. It tries really hard to be scary and shocking, but ends up laughable. If you can find a copy of it somewhere, rent it. Rent it just to hear Slick squeal in the chase scene near the end. Rent it to hear Wheeler say, "No! You listen here, old man!" You can probably rent it for a buck, if you can find it at all.
23 Reviews
KFC as his last meal.
thenodradioshow30 December 2019
Movie feels like its 3 hours long but only runs under an hour and a half. Nothing happens and when it does it takes FOREVER to! I give this movie this, it has the longest foot chase scene in the history of movies!! For Grindhouse and VHS collectors its worth seeing once.
Location Location Location........
itiscool-114 November 2007
License plate on the car and the main actor are from Texas. Where is this taken place? Nobody says anything about that, in a town, and in no time in the middle of nowhere with a run down refinery. My Grandfather was the Bank President and Mr. Phillips best friend. His role was short and sweet to the point and I believe he acted as himself with no lines. He was just like, think about this, and added logic reasons, he should have been asked in the meantime why weeler cashed a check with no I.D. from someone else's account. Sound was what can I say, horrible, chase scene was miles long, so still trying to figure out where they were! I could tell though that the courthouse in El Dorado was noticeable in South Arkansas. More porn on this movie than movies of that nature nowadays. It's alright if your bored! I watched it only for the 2 or 3 minute scene my Grandfather played as the best friend to Mr. Phillips.
Not very good, but interesting (kinda)
lazarillo3 February 2008
This is one of those 70's movies I appreciate not because it's good, or even because it's "so bad it's good", but because it's so far out of the generally accepted cinematic universe that it's hard to believe it was ever made at all. The Southern-fried plot involves a kidnapping masterminded by the greedy son-in-law of a rich oil baron (which naturally goes completely awry). The hired goon he gets to do this "Wheeler, the titular "Psycho from Texas", is a completely unlikeable and physically unattractive sociopath, who the filmmakers for some reason try to turn into some kind of tragic, sympathetic anti-hero by showing flashbacks of him as a grubby little kid watching his prostitute mother service male clients while a strangely touching country music song plays on the soundtrack.
The most famous scene by far in this movie though is where "Wheeler" makes a barmaid, played by a very young Linnae Quigley, take off all her clothes and dance for him him while he pours beer over her head (then for the coup de grace he makes her dry hump the corpse of a man he has just killed). This scene actually gave me a new appreciation for Quigley who I had previously known only as a 1980's "scream queen", where she always adopted this intentional bad-acting schtick, (which I assumed covered up a total lack of talent) in countless "horror" movies that in turn used her and other half-naked "scream queens" to cover up the fact that they were completely worthless dreck. Quigley looks really good here despite (certainly not because of)the degrading nature of the scene, but what is REALLY impressive, even in such a small role as this, is her acting. I don't want to make outlandish claims that she deserved an Academy-award nomination or anything, but how many Academy-award nominated actresses would have had the guts to do something like this? And how many of her fellow "scream queens" could have possibly pulled it off?
This movie is not very good, but it is kind of interesting.
The most famous scene by far in this movie though is where "Wheeler" makes a barmaid, played by a very young Linnae Quigley, take off all her clothes and dance for him him while he pours beer over her head (then for the coup de grace he makes her dry hump the corpse of a man he has just killed). This scene actually gave me a new appreciation for Quigley who I had previously known only as a 1980's "scream queen", where she always adopted this intentional bad-acting schtick, (which I assumed covered up a total lack of talent) in countless "horror" movies that in turn used her and other half-naked "scream queens" to cover up the fact that they were completely worthless dreck. Quigley looks really good here despite (certainly not because of)the degrading nature of the scene, but what is REALLY impressive, even in such a small role as this, is her acting. I don't want to make outlandish claims that she deserved an Academy-award nomination or anything, but how many Academy-award nominated actresses would have had the guts to do something like this? And how many of her fellow "scream queens" could have possibly pulled it off?
This movie is not very good, but it is kind of interesting.
Back when ugly guys would get the lead role
udar5525 October 2007
True to its title, this film does feature a psycho from Texas. Wheeler (John King III) rolls into a small town in order to help out in the kidnapping of a local oil businessman. He accomplishes his task early on and then spends the rest of the running time trying to get the money. He fails. This is a curious regional flick. It seems to have a message (child abuse makes people bad) but loses all that in the sleazy aspects and Southern justice. The film's highlight/lowlight has Wheeler pouring a pitcher of beer over a totally nude barmaid (Linnea Quigley in her first role) he is harassing. There is also one of the longest footchases in the history of cinema. It starts at like 52 minutes in and doesn't resolve itself (other scenes cut in) until a half hour later. If anything, it is worth seeing for John King III, who looks like a young, deranged Dick Van Patten with long hair.
i could dance to this!
mr_facehead8 January 2006
This film is so bad, i did not believe what i was seeing. i paid £1 for this, and if you are someone who doesn't find bad films funny, you would probably want your money back, as it is not even worth 1p. fortunately, i do find bad films funny, and i would be happy to pay £10 for this. An average day, ordinary man, is in a bar, and he starts talking to the barman. in the middle of the conversation, he has a flashback, where his mum shouts at him, this is accompanied by some music, that sounds like a narrator, singing his lines. Note: the flash back was not triggered by nothing whatsoever, he just had a flash back. the flash backs happen in random places every now and then. that is the worst thing ever! dance! the acting is amazing. weeler is supposed to be some crazy psychopath, but he just looks like some dick doing random stuff, and having flashbacks. and best actor in the film. (he only kills one person) the plot is very loose. throughout the film, this one man is chasing another man, at one point the man being chased, gets tired, and lays down. this allows the other man to catch up. however he is also tired, and lays on top of the man he is chasing, he then gets away. the chase music, is intense, but sometimes, they run out of intense music, and put in some spare music, which makes it sound like a chase from a comedy film. my favorite bit, is dance! weeler goes into this place, and hits a man with a bottle, which actually has no sound, usually you can hear the glass smashing, but not in this film. then, he pours himself a drink, which he barley drinks any of, most of it goes over a woman's head, whilst he is telling her to dance. the word dance is used about a million times. he says dance over and over again. then walks out. at the end, a sheriff drives along, gets out of his car, and shoots weeler. end. as bad as the story, acting, directing, music, and sound is, the editing is also terrible. in one part, it cuts to the next scene, and then you see a brief second of the last scene, i cant believe they left that like that. i could go on forever telling you about this, one day, they should release it on DVD, and let me do commentary for it. when i see bad films, i think, thats the worst thing ever. but no. this film really is, you have to trust me, no matter how bad other films are, they cant be as bad as the butcher.
ha ha, evil + hate = killer.
the mask on the box isn't in the film.
ha ha, evil + hate = killer.
the mask on the box isn't in the film.
Worthless.
BrettErikJohnson10 August 2002
I'll keep this short because this movie is so awful I don't want to waste time writing too much about it. The acting in '70s pornos is better than what you'll find here. All of the characters are beyond ignorant so you don't care what happens to any of them.
A couple of things I learned: Watching your mother have sex will traumatize you to the point of changing your hair color from a very light blond to dark brown. Also, in the '70s you evidently didn't need any ID to cash a check in a bank.
This movie is mean-spirited and exploitive. Poor Linnea Quigley had to dance around naked and have beer poured on her. I only wish I had the power to destroy every copy of this dumb film. 1/10
A couple of things I learned: Watching your mother have sex will traumatize you to the point of changing your hair color from a very light blond to dark brown. Also, in the '70s you evidently didn't need any ID to cash a check in a bank.
This movie is mean-spirited and exploitive. Poor Linnea Quigley had to dance around naked and have beer poured on her. I only wish I had the power to destroy every copy of this dumb film. 1/10
probably the Worst Film ever made (technically)
slippyskills29 December 2005
Yes there are other films that may be more boring than this, but it is so awful it's really unbelievable. I found it on video in blockbuster and thought it looked like a cool possibly gory movie. i waited for it to get late and watched it by myself in the dark at about 3 in the morning as i like to get scared. But boy howdy was i let down. The mask on the front of the video box is not even in the film and it was not even remotely scary. I paid £1 pound for this. the editing is amazing, one of the scenes ends and we then see a second of that scene again (mistake). I can't believe the editors left it like this. they probably could not be bothered as they new this would not change how the film went down. Also there is a long pointless chase for about half an hour, the music randomly plays and has no relevance to whats on screen, wheeler says dance about 100 times and does some well weird stuff which makes no sense. It seems funny how the director never made another film, hmm. Also if u look on the credits one of the cast has the directors surname so they may have been related to him - pointing out the low budgetness of this film. The director is also the producer and sheriff who kills wheeler for no reason. this film is a classic and i do not think there is a worse film out there. don't just take my word for it, i asked my brother what he thought of it and this is his response: "Don't ever think you have seen anything even close to the worst film ever, unless you have seen the butcher".
p.s. the title is so miss leading. the only killing we see is not done by the films 'killer' and we only see two other dead people which he supposedly killed anyway.
turdomatic - also look for that actress that also stars in zombiegeddon - ha ha
p.s. the title is so miss leading. the only killing we see is not done by the films 'killer' and we only see two other dead people which he supposedly killed anyway.
turdomatic - also look for that actress that also stars in zombiegeddon - ha ha
Yawn!
Tikkin10 June 2006
I must admit, it was mainly the cover art for this that made me buy it. The one with the mask on the front with the title "The Butcher". Sadly the film is another yawn-fest. I can't think of any reason to recommend this film, it's not even good on a 'so bad it's good' level because it's too boring. As you may have heard it has a chase scene that seems to go on forever. Also there's some pathetic "boing" noises scattered throughout. I was getting sick of it so eventually I switched the tape off. The film was apparently made in the mid 70's and this really shows.
Don't waste your time on this, the only good thing about it is the cover, if you can find the VHS version titled "The Butcher".
Don't waste your time on this, the only good thing about it is the cover, if you can find the VHS version titled "The Butcher".
A jewel of vintage Southern American Kitch
shaell23 June 2007
This film is UNIQUE. Its so bad yet soooo good. Its rich with wondrous little moments found in no other film. And it has an authentic southern American quality that Hollywood often fails to capture. The vintage 70's south is crystallized perfectly in all its glory. This film is just plain fun for anyone with a discerning eye for tongue in cheek audacity. The characters are sharply contrasted against each other - very colorful, very animated, and the bad acting seems to do them a service. The main character, Wheeler, is the funniest/creepiest psycho ever. I mean, this guy is chock full of insecurity issues and they bleed right through the screen. If I ever met a guy this socially inept in real life I'd run away in a fit of giggle terror.
Psycho from Texas
Scarecrow-8828 November 2009
Warning: Spoilers
Wheeler(King III)is to help Slick(Tommy Lamey)kidnap a retired wealthy businessman, a known fixture in his community, in the hopes of getting a ransom.
Phillips(Herschel Mays)is a retired oil man who meets Wheeler, both exchanging positive interaction with each other. Wheeler, at this point(..the meet up twice, with Phillips treating Wheeler to a pop and coffee, kind gestures from a kind man)doesn't know Phillips is the man he is to kidnap.
I don't know where they got this kid at but he's an adorable Dennis the Menace clone and his reactions towards slutty mama's sex with a john is priceless! You see the film establishes that the reason, the major contributing factor, for Wheeler's psychosis derives from watching his mama sleep with guys! His views of older men and women is skewed to say the least.
I don't know where they dug up John King III, but he's quite a character. Pudgy, with a mop of hair, King III(..we'll such say that he's not the most snappy dresser) isn't exactly the most imposing presence, but his unspectacular look actually makes him a rather interesting psychopath. His scene with Phillips(..after smashing his glasses for kicks!)teasing the "old man" by working around his face with a pocket knife, talking about what he might do to his daughter, is a riot(..it takes place as Slick is driving Wheeler's Dodge to his cabin where they plan to keep Phillips). Slick sure doesn't expect to have such a deranged partner, and Wheeler gets so worked up sometimes, he can't help but torment Phillips, for whom he has contempt for. Wheeler's a confident, cocky bastard, and King III provides the character with a swagger. He's so repulsive, Wheeler spends time with Phillips' daughter stopping "by for a visit" he so claims, but it's more or less just for his own sick amusement. What Phillips' daughter, Connie(Candy Dee)doesn't realize is that her fiancé is the slime who has masterminded this whole scenario.
The rural Arkansas setting sure gives the movie a Southern flavor(..there's a deadness in the open spaces, rail road tracks, and abandoned buildings which line the fields and roads, barb-wire fences, cattle grazing) and mood. But, I won't pretend it's handsomely made, which would be false, but it's lack of quality results in a cheap feel which suits the material. And, just wait until you get a load of the extensive chase(..it's quite a marathon!) where Slick must pursue Phillips, who breaks away once Wheeler has left to call to confirm the kidnapping, through fields and forest(..even coming across some pigs!)..both are so exhausted at the end, neither can barely move! While all this is going on, Wheeler is goofing off, stopping by to attempt to score some weed, pick up some Kentucky Fried Chicken, and a bar to pour beer over a teenage(..and buck naked) Linnea Quigley(..he humiliates her because she reminds him of his abusive mommy!). Not to worry, the film features a SECOND(!)foot race as a police deputy chases after Steve(Reed Johnson), the one responsible for the whole kidnap plot(..it ends inside a factory).
This would undoubtedly fall under the "hickploitation trash" category..Rob Zombie would love this one. Country music is the score of choice featured throughout, adding to the sleazy atmosphere of the whole movie. Regarding Quigley, the camera lingers on her doused naked body for long periods as she sobs in embarrassment..I didn't know how to respond to this scene as I had conflicting feelings, as I'm sure others will as well. Wheeler's unflattering fate, appropriate for such a disgusting cretin, is shot in slow motion(..with flashbacks of mama kicking her boy on the ground!)fittingly closing the film.
Phillips(Herschel Mays)is a retired oil man who meets Wheeler, both exchanging positive interaction with each other. Wheeler, at this point(..the meet up twice, with Phillips treating Wheeler to a pop and coffee, kind gestures from a kind man)doesn't know Phillips is the man he is to kidnap.
I don't know where they got this kid at but he's an adorable Dennis the Menace clone and his reactions towards slutty mama's sex with a john is priceless! You see the film establishes that the reason, the major contributing factor, for Wheeler's psychosis derives from watching his mama sleep with guys! His views of older men and women is skewed to say the least.
I don't know where they dug up John King III, but he's quite a character. Pudgy, with a mop of hair, King III(..we'll such say that he's not the most snappy dresser) isn't exactly the most imposing presence, but his unspectacular look actually makes him a rather interesting psychopath. His scene with Phillips(..after smashing his glasses for kicks!)teasing the "old man" by working around his face with a pocket knife, talking about what he might do to his daughter, is a riot(..it takes place as Slick is driving Wheeler's Dodge to his cabin where they plan to keep Phillips). Slick sure doesn't expect to have such a deranged partner, and Wheeler gets so worked up sometimes, he can't help but torment Phillips, for whom he has contempt for. Wheeler's a confident, cocky bastard, and King III provides the character with a swagger. He's so repulsive, Wheeler spends time with Phillips' daughter stopping "by for a visit" he so claims, but it's more or less just for his own sick amusement. What Phillips' daughter, Connie(Candy Dee)doesn't realize is that her fiancé is the slime who has masterminded this whole scenario.
The rural Arkansas setting sure gives the movie a Southern flavor(..there's a deadness in the open spaces, rail road tracks, and abandoned buildings which line the fields and roads, barb-wire fences, cattle grazing) and mood. But, I won't pretend it's handsomely made, which would be false, but it's lack of quality results in a cheap feel which suits the material. And, just wait until you get a load of the extensive chase(..it's quite a marathon!) where Slick must pursue Phillips, who breaks away once Wheeler has left to call to confirm the kidnapping, through fields and forest(..even coming across some pigs!)..both are so exhausted at the end, neither can barely move! While all this is going on, Wheeler is goofing off, stopping by to attempt to score some weed, pick up some Kentucky Fried Chicken, and a bar to pour beer over a teenage(..and buck naked) Linnea Quigley(..he humiliates her because she reminds him of his abusive mommy!). Not to worry, the film features a SECOND(!)foot race as a police deputy chases after Steve(Reed Johnson), the one responsible for the whole kidnap plot(..it ends inside a factory).
This would undoubtedly fall under the "hickploitation trash" category..Rob Zombie would love this one. Country music is the score of choice featured throughout, adding to the sleazy atmosphere of the whole movie. Regarding Quigley, the camera lingers on her doused naked body for long periods as she sobs in embarrassment..I didn't know how to respond to this scene as I had conflicting feelings, as I'm sure others will as well. Wheeler's unflattering fate, appropriate for such a disgusting cretin, is shot in slow motion(..with flashbacks of mama kicking her boy on the ground!)fittingly closing the film.
a work of art
dunstan-330 August 1999
this film is a horror master piece.one can only admire the use of editing used to make a chase last so long and tence.the way the camera is used puts the likes of tony scott to shame.the acting is a bit wooden but is made up with genuanly scary one liners like `you aint seeing nothing`.this film needs to be released on dvd and dolby digital to get the full impact .it ranks up there with juvilian as a must see.
Your Brain WILL Explode
Mr Yakamoto20 April 2006
A powerhouse of terrible 80s cinema, you will have to re-examine your entire life after you see this film. Possible the finest example of how not to edit together a chase scene, and how to not make it less than 45 minutes long. The "psycho" comes off more like a cross between Slim Whitman and Barney Fife. Slick is definitely one of the greatest hillbilly roles ever attempted and is a finely crafted gem of character acting.
If you are a fan of absolutely terrible 80s cinema, this film is not to be missed!
Highly recommended.
If you are a fan of absolutely terrible 80s cinema, this film is not to be missed!
Highly recommended.
Pretty Good Son!
jason_9112 March 2001
Less of a video, more of an experience! Follow the adventures of Wheeler (John King III) and Slick (Tommey Lamey) as they plot to obtain filthy lucre from local oil baron Mr Phillips (Herschel Mays). Watching this film may make you laugh or cry, but most probably it will make you do both! Check out the over the top dialogue e.g. Slick telling Phillips "Nowwwwwww I got Your Asss" after the chase through the woods, the flashbacks to Wheelers childhood (complete with shoddy editing and booming noise!), and the legendary beer pouring over barmaid at the end. A must for all bad movie fans.
You aint seeing nothing
olyreed29 August 1999
Myself and friends first discovered this film about five years ago and have since enjoyed the film on a very comic level. The acting is bad, the characters non-descript and the editing pitiful, but with all this I have to agree that it is a work of comic genius. The extremely long chase between Slick and Mr Phillips is surely the longest in film history and Wheeler is as threatening as a lump of dead wood. The strange thing is there is a title song that appears to be written for the film which means that possibly all the budget went on this. I dont know if the film was cut for the UK release but there is nothing in this film that warrants an 18 rating. All I can say is check your car boot sales or local flea markets and try to pick up a copy of this film that will have you reciting the dialogue over and over again .
Dennis the Menace; - the prostate years!
Coventry10 September 2020
Dust off your banjo and open up a brand new bag of chewing tobacco, because this is one awesome slice of Southern Rednecksploitation! In this peculiar sub-genre, I haven't seen anything as fun since "Poor Pretty Eddie" and "The Night God Screamed", and it's more than a decade ago since I watched those.
"Psycho from Texas", which is a much more significant title than the official "Wheeler", is terribly bad but simultaneously awesome! That's a logic every fan of low-budget 70s exploitation can follow, and you know it! The movie kicks off with the titular psycho, Wheeler, arriving in a little hillbilly town on "business purposes". He and an accomplice, the even dumber Slick, must kidnap an elderly oil tycoon and hold him for a few days. But Wheeler also gets bored pretty quickly, so he leaves for an afternoon full of jolly activities in town, including harassing his victim's daughter, busting the testicles of a drug-dealing pool player, and terrorizing a blond barmaid. Meanwhile, (not so) Slick somehow lets the old man escape, and initiates the longest and most amateurish foot-chase through the backwoods in history.
Wheeler is definitely a nut-bag! Quite early in the film already, we witness him become an emotionless psychopath because his mother dresses him up and cuts his hair like Dennis the Menace. It might also be because she's an abusive prostitute, but I still think it's because of the Dennis the Menace resemblance. "Psycho from Texas" is literally chock-full of brilliantly inept moments, lines and plot-twists. There's the chase through the woods, but also the non-stop hysterically shrieking Afro-American housemaid, or the bluntly grim climax. Another dubious highlight is the appearance of B-horror queen Linnea Quigley in her very first role. She plays the barmaid whom Wheeler humiliates by making her dance naked and pouring beer over her. Quigley doesn't just seem extremely young, when you do the math, you can only establish she was still under-aged for her full-frontal nudity scenes.
"Psycho from Texas", which is a much more significant title than the official "Wheeler", is terribly bad but simultaneously awesome! That's a logic every fan of low-budget 70s exploitation can follow, and you know it! The movie kicks off with the titular psycho, Wheeler, arriving in a little hillbilly town on "business purposes". He and an accomplice, the even dumber Slick, must kidnap an elderly oil tycoon and hold him for a few days. But Wheeler also gets bored pretty quickly, so he leaves for an afternoon full of jolly activities in town, including harassing his victim's daughter, busting the testicles of a drug-dealing pool player, and terrorizing a blond barmaid. Meanwhile, (not so) Slick somehow lets the old man escape, and initiates the longest and most amateurish foot-chase through the backwoods in history.
Wheeler is definitely a nut-bag! Quite early in the film already, we witness him become an emotionless psychopath because his mother dresses him up and cuts his hair like Dennis the Menace. It might also be because she's an abusive prostitute, but I still think it's because of the Dennis the Menace resemblance. "Psycho from Texas" is literally chock-full of brilliantly inept moments, lines and plot-twists. There's the chase through the woods, but also the non-stop hysterically shrieking Afro-American housemaid, or the bluntly grim climax. Another dubious highlight is the appearance of B-horror queen Linnea Quigley in her very first role. She plays the barmaid whom Wheeler humiliates by making her dance naked and pouring beer over her. Quigley doesn't just seem extremely young, when you do the math, you can only establish she was still under-aged for her full-frontal nudity scenes.
Now I got your assssssss!
martinlizcairns19 February 2001
When I was watching this film for the first time, I was in tears of laughter as the opening credits were rolling up the screen, knowing full well what to expect. They say don't judge a book by its cover, but when I saw the cover for "The Butcher", I just knew there was a gem inside. Never before have I laughed so much. This film has become legendary at my school. John King III is a genius! Just how many times can Slick say: "Now I got your ayyass!"? Why also does Slick go "bing-bong-bing-bong-boinggg" when he drops the sacred "Wheeler's kniyfe"?
Keep up the good work!
Keep up the good work!
Musical sounds of the south
christiansings2u7 June 2006
This could easily be a cult classic for the south. to bad all those crappy changes were made from the original. young Weeler could have used some more clips. Those flash backs are part of the addition from the original. The face and horrific sound used is crap. I love the music on the juke box. All original music. Tommy as slick is brilliant. The chase scene is classic. The director is seen in the boat waving and giving no assistance as Wiiliam Phillaps runs for his life. I think most of all I love the original songs in the movie. Authentic southern radio sounds help capture the historical genius of an old 70's 16 mm film.
...now he's learned how to hate, to kill and to rape...
epeteet19 April 2007
I knew this one would be total garbage but it's cover is so hilarious i had to get it. I'm actually glad I did. while this sleazy cheapo is so far from being good it was actually kinda fun for laughs over a few cold ones. Actually to be honest this one about killed a whole case of brew. The beginning actually started off excellent with some really psychotic scenes of attempted mackin, a really funny flash back, and even some messed up nudity. There was also an insanely hilarious country tune. If that type of stuff would have kept up this could have easily earned an eight star rating. unfortunately it gets pretty boring quick. I was starting to get pretty burnt out on it but the madness picks back up towards the end with nudity, the sleaziest dance scene i've ever seen, and a funny ending. Recommended for fans of total 70's z-grade trash only! If you wanna watch a good piece of trash about a deranged psycho i'd definitely recommend MANIAC before this one.
hot damn! a real feast for the senses!
sir_knightrider_III21 June 2004
whew! i just finished this tour-de-force of a picture show! there is most definitely no character in the history of cinema who stands as grand as wheeler. he has more moxie than a fox in a rat trap! nothing can complete with this character who enjoys some kfc at a local tavern while forcing the waitress to put on an alluring strip show. in addition, the soundtrack or "wheeler's theme" is the tops! i didn't know whether to laugh or cry, but i was certainly glued to my davenport! oh, and his pilgrim hat is the benchmark in fashion...i only i could find the store where he got that....! in closing, this moving picture show was fraught with thrills and chills...i nearly wet my trousers!
Amazing Journey Into Anti-Film Making
valiumthousand17 December 2020
As others have pointed out, this is a pretty singular dive into an almost alternate universe of cinema.
Regional fare, with a strong and extremely nasty hicksploitation context, special kudos to Tommy Lamey as "Slick".
Others here have covered the plot and various "highlights" (chase scene, 'boinggggg' sound, 'wanna root?' and countless other experiences) quite well but I basically wrote this review to clear up a major misconception about Linnea Quigley's appearance. This film was made in 1975 but additional footage was shot in 1978 which included Quigley's infamous barroom sequence, which would place her age at 20, not 17 as some who thought she was in the 1975 edit have claimed.
Others here have covered the plot and various "highlights" (chase scene, 'boinggggg' sound, 'wanna root?' and countless other experiences) quite well but I basically wrote this review to clear up a major misconception about Linnea Quigley's appearance. This film was made in 1975 but additional footage was shot in 1978 which included Quigley's infamous barroom sequence, which would place her age at 20, not 17 as some who thought she was in the 1975 edit have claimed.
In-your-face nastiness only possible during the 70s
EyeAskance4 April 2004
Buoyantly grimy feature is a headless wallow in the cinema pigpen, but does have its iniquitous black heart in the right place. The meandering account of two hired criminals embroiled in a kidnapping scheme is merely a flimsy framework for the binding of several scenarios, each rife with senseless violence and gratuitous naturism of the female form. I have absolutely no problem with that, especially with a baby-faced Linnea Quigley in the mix, being doused with beer and forced to dance to twangy country tunes.
Our primary antagonist is a moon-faced Texas nutcase with a sick penchant for lustmord, a psychosis seeded in his childhood when he saw his mother in concupiscent action with some random Tom, Dick, or Harry. John King III gives his psychotic character the works in an over-the-top and pretty memorable performance, though the rest of the cast are merely commensurate(which is better than can usually be expected from this subjacent ambit of cinema)
5.5/10...unapologetically excessive, dog-eared 70s fun.
Our primary antagonist is a moon-faced Texas nutcase with a sick penchant for lustmord, a psychosis seeded in his childhood when he saw his mother in concupiscent action with some random Tom, Dick, or Harry. John King III gives his psychotic character the works in an over-the-top and pretty memorable performance, though the rest of the cast are merely commensurate(which is better than can usually be expected from this subjacent ambit of cinema)
5.5/10...unapologetically excessive, dog-eared 70s fun.
Deep South actioner for grindhouses
lor_20 January 2023
My review was written in October 1982 after a Times Square screening.
"Psycho from Texas" is a southern-fried action film, shot on a tiny budget in Louisiana in 1974. After going through various title changes including "Wheeler", "The Mama's Boy" and "The Hurting", picture emerges as a modest example of regional filmmaking, with amateurish direction and playing suitable for undiscriminating viewers.
Filmmaker Jim Feazell is apparently too easy-going to give the film the kind of oomph action audiences crave, so he settles for a leisurely tale of a stranger in town named Wheeler (John King III) who with a local partner Slick (Tommy Lamey) kidnaps a wealthy retired oilman Bill Phillips (Herschel Mays).
Picture's current title derives from Wheeler's battered childhood at the hands of his mothe (seen in crudely inserted flashbacks), which have made him a knife-wielding rapist-murderer of unsuspecting women. This subplot is confusingly unfolded parallel to the main kidnap story.
Duo's plans go awry when Phillips escapes from the incompetent Slick, cuing one of the longest (and silliest) foot-chases ever presented, as Slick runs after his prey through the bayous for the last half of the picture (mercifully intercutting to Wheeler's scenes elsewhere). Finale serves up "Southern justice" as the sheriff calmly blows Wheeler away to revenge the psycho's murder of his daughter.
Acting by local types (with thick accents) is generally incompetent, though lead actor John King III (who looks a bit like Chuck McCann) has a pleasant personality and maniacal laugh as the nasty anti-hero. Picture is not racist, but blacks are cast in subsidiary positions (a young boy who goes fishing with Phillips, servant roles), including Juanne Bruno as an old-fashioned maid who is briefly hilariously screaming her heart out and scurrying away on all fours when she finds a femme corpse in the pantry.
While tech credits are acceptable at this level, editing and scene construction are poor.
"Psycho from Texas" is a southern-fried action film, shot on a tiny budget in Louisiana in 1974. After going through various title changes including "Wheeler", "The Mama's Boy" and "The Hurting", picture emerges as a modest example of regional filmmaking, with amateurish direction and playing suitable for undiscriminating viewers.
Filmmaker Jim Feazell is apparently too easy-going to give the film the kind of oomph action audiences crave, so he settles for a leisurely tale of a stranger in town named Wheeler (John King III) who with a local partner Slick (Tommy Lamey) kidnaps a wealthy retired oilman Bill Phillips (Herschel Mays).
Picture's current title derives from Wheeler's battered childhood at the hands of his mothe (seen in crudely inserted flashbacks), which have made him a knife-wielding rapist-murderer of unsuspecting women. This subplot is confusingly unfolded parallel to the main kidnap story.
Duo's plans go awry when Phillips escapes from the incompetent Slick, cuing one of the longest (and silliest) foot-chases ever presented, as Slick runs after his prey through the bayous for the last half of the picture (mercifully intercutting to Wheeler's scenes elsewhere). Finale serves up "Southern justice" as the sheriff calmly blows Wheeler away to revenge the psycho's murder of his daughter.
Acting by local types (with thick accents) is generally incompetent, though lead actor John King III (who looks a bit like Chuck McCann) has a pleasant personality and maniacal laugh as the nasty anti-hero. Picture is not racist, but blacks are cast in subsidiary positions (a young boy who goes fishing with Phillips, servant roles), including Juanne Bruno as an old-fashioned maid who is briefly hilariously screaming her heart out and scurrying away on all fours when she finds a femme corpse in the pantry.
While tech credits are acceptable at this level, editing and scene construction are poor.
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