Seizure is a 1974 Canadian-American horror film directed by Oliver Stone (The Hand), who also co-wrote the screenplay with Edward Mann (The Mutations; Blind Man’s Bluff; Island of Terror). It was promoted as Seizure! and is also known as Queen of Evil.
The film had a very limited release theatrically in the United States by Cinerama Releasing Corporation, playing on New York’s 42nd Street in 1974.
In 1991 Stone commented: “You have to stretch to like it. It wasn’t great. I felt back then the same as I do now, that I always wanted to direct, and the horror genre was easier to break in with.”
Main cast:
Jonathan Frid (Dark Shadows), Martine Beswick (From a Whisper to a Scream; Dr. Jekyll and Sister Hyde; Prehistoric Women), Hervé Villechaize (Malatesta’s Carnival of Blood), Henry Judd Baker, Troy Donahue (Shock ‘Em Dead; The Chilling; Monster on the Campus), Mary Woronov (The House of the Devil; Night of the Comet; Eating Raoul).
Plot:
Over a weekend, horror writer Edmund Blackstone (Jonathan Frid) sees his recurring nightmare come to chilling life as one by one, his friends and family are killed by three villains, led by Martine Beswick as the Queen of Evil, Hervé Villechaize as Spider and Henry Judd Baker as Jackal…
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Reviews:
‘Seizure gives the impression, not unlike the scenario fictionalised in the film Loaded (1994), of a group of actors gathering at a big old house for a weekend, under the influence of some substances, having made up whatever came into their heads and filming whatever occurred.’ Moria
“There’s much to appreciate in Seizure, including the surreal, avant garde feel of the piece as a whole. There are moments that are downright kinky, and there’s even an Alice in Wonderland quality to the brutality and humour of the picture. But it’s all kind of half- thought-out, and poorly executed.” John Kenneth Muir, Horror Films of the 1970s
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‘Seizure‘s main problem is that is flogs the “Is it real? Is it a dream?” ambiguity to death. What Stone obviously hadn’t realized at the time was that a horror film audience is willing to suspend their disbelief when it comes to watching crazed ventriloquist dwarves and disfigured executioners.’ Canuxploitation
“Inexpertly made on a low budget – you can see shadows of cameras in some scenes – the film has aged poorly, but like so many of Stone’s works, its excesses … are perversely enjoyable. The cast handles the bizarre material rather well, particularly Frid.” Mike Mayo, The Horror Show Guide
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“As schlocky as Seizure is, it still shows a certain style that can charitably be called seminal Stone. Its archetypes of evil would show up later in a more subtle form – Tom Berenger as the amoral lieutenant in Platoon (1986), Michael Douglas as the unscrupulous trader of Wall Street (1987), the murderous Mickey in Natural Born Killers (1994).” Nigel Honeybone, HorrorNews.net
“It’s hard to tell what we’re supposed to take seriously. Unexplained ghosts come out of nowhere. The twist endings are no fun. But something about this combination of Hour of the Wolf and Last House on the Left keeps you watching.” David Elroy Goldweber, Claws & Saucers
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“The script appears to be straining to say something about the creative imagination, but exactly what never emerges from the indifferently muddle which is distinguished only by Frid’s performance.” The Aurum Film Encyclopedia: Horror
“Flashy but disjointed and ultimately unsatisfying.” John Elliot, Elliot’s Guide to Films on Video
Cast and characters:
- Jonathan Frid as Edmund Blackstone
- Martine Beswick as Queen of Evil
- Joseph Sirola as Charlie
- Hervé Villechaize as Spider
- Christina Pickles as Nicole Blackstone
- Troy Donahue as Mark Frost
- Mary Woronov as Mikki Hughes
- Richard Cox as Gerald
- Henry Judd Baker as Jackal
- Alexis Kirk as Arris
Filming locations:
Quebec, Canada
