William Lustig directs Joe Spinell, Caroline Munro and Abigail Clayton in this horror about a New Yorker who likes to scalp the women he kills and staple his trophies to mannequins.  

Sleazy yet solid low budget schlock. I’d say it wants to be a character study, à la Peeping Tom, yet the “character” of Joe Spinell’s killer flips from deranged loner to sweaty suitor with no obvious explanation or believability. That’s not to dismiss the lead’s spirited turn but the film really comes alive in tense stalk sequences and the Savini gore. And in all honesty that’s why we bought a ticket in the first place.

6