The Psychotronic Film Society of Savannah shows obscure and/or underappreciated films from around the world every Wednesday at the Sentient Bean. Whether extremely well-made or “so bad they’re good,” their selections are always rare, unique and memorable.

This long-forgotten B&W murder mystery was made and released outside of the studio system by the legendary indie filmmaker Del Tenney (who was the man behind such doozies as I EAT YOUR SKIN and THE HORROR OF PARTY BEACH – but please don’t hold that against him!

It’s an early and above-average entry into the nascent “slasher” genre that was heavily inspired by Alfred Hitchcock’s PSYCHO (which was made and released made just two short years before this “lost” gem), and interestingly enough, VIOLENT MIDNIGHT actually pre-dates the Italian “Giallo” movement (meaning murder films in which the crimes are committed by a gloved, masked killer whose identity is unknown to the audience), which many horror movies fans will no doubt find surprising.

Refreshingly, for a film made on such a low budget, it easily overcomes that limitation and emerges as a delightfully wicked thriller.

In fact, the movie stars a rather amazing cast of stage and screen actors who’d go on to much greater things, including Sylvia Miles (WALL STREET, MIDNIGHT COWBOY, HEAT, SEX & THE CITY), James Farentino (THE FINAL COUNTDOWN, JESUS OF NAZARETH, Rod Serling’s NIGHT GALLERY) and Dick Van Patten (ARRESTED DEVELOPMENT, EIGHT IS ENOUGH, WESTWORLD, KOLCHAK: THE NIGHT STALKER)!

The Plot: A Korean War vet-turned-painter becomes the prime suspect in the brutal stabbing death of his model. Did he kill her to end their relationship? Or, did her ex-boyfriend murder her out of jealousy? Or, could it have been a peeping tom with mysterious ties to the woman?

Dig this intense scene:

A cool, jazzy score, inventive camera-work, sturdy performances and an unexpected plot twist are the hallmarks of this unfairly overlooked feature.

Seating begins at 7:30pm for Mature Audiences.

See you there?