Julie (Marianna Hill) writes a Lonely Hearts column for a newspaper, and begins receiving strange, threatening letters employing cut-out letters from magazines. At the same time, other members of her therapy group are being sliced and diced by a scissors-wielding maniac. The suspects are numerous: Julie's husband (Craig Wasson of Body Double) is not happy with the fact that she is divorcing him; Julie's shrink (Klaus Kinski) is an unethical creep who is having sex with at least two of his patients, including Julie; the shrink's daughter, Alison (Donna Wilkes), is a neurotic who hates anyone who takes away her father's attention; and lonely Gilbert (Christopher Lloyd) is not only in the therapy group but also is the maintenance man at the newspaper. Shizoid does manage to work up some suspense as to the identity of the killer, and moves at a good pace. The kill scenes are moderately gruesome and not that inspired. Kinski gives a good performance and is given two sex scenes, which may or may not have been excruciating for the leading ladies. Donna Wilkes is effective as Alison, who enjoys dressing up as if she were in a piece of film noir. Joe Regalbuto, who later wound up on Murphy Brown, plays a cop. Christopher Lloyd is perfectly okay as Gilbert, but you wouldn't have imagined that he'd be in for major success with Taxi and the Back to the Future movies.
Verdict: Okay slasher flick. **1/2.
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