The
Man Who Haunted Himself (1970)
Stalked by fear and terror - night and day!
Director
Basil Dearden
Writer Basil Dearden & Anthony Armstrong
Starring Roger Moore, Hildegarde Neil, Alastair McKenzie,
Hugh Mackenzie, Kevork Malikyan, Thorley Waters, Anton Rodgers.
Review by Noel Baily
What WOULD you do if it happened to you?
Long before Moore's incarnation as 007, this is arguably near
the top of Moore's filmography. After Harold Pelham has a
near-death experience following an auto accident, he makes
what appears to be a stoic recovery. It is only with the passage
of time that he begins to notice subtle occurrences that don't
seem to dovetail with his own personality. Either he is losing
his mind or there is something remarkably rotten in the state
of Denmark. Friends and business acquaintances swear they
have interacted with him, moments BEFORE he arrives at work...his
wife notices a radical change in him and ultimately the inescapable
truth presents itself - he has a doppelganger!
Call it far-fetched..It’s about the
only weak point in the flick. Moore is just brilliant as he
unravels in the face of his doppelganger's one-upmanship.
The final scenes where he confronts his "twin" are
riveting and should silence the tidal wave of critics who
insist Moore could never act!
A
few years ago it was rumoured that the film was to be re-made
in New Zealand (Peter Jackson?) as DOPPELGANGER, with no less
a personage than Travolta in the lead, and he would certainly
do the role justice. Since then, heard nothing (could it be
a mistaken report about Face Off?).
This
flick is well worth your effort finding somewhere, even on
video.
|
