Films dealing with the subject of voodoo usually leave me cold. This left me lukewarm. Set in New York, the story focuses on Joel Delaney (Perry King), the brother of Shirley MacLaine. Delaney has been picked up by the police for beating a man. Later, he is accused of murder. As the title states, Delaney is possessed by the spirit of a killer. There's no originality here, but there is some courage in the writing. The climax pushes the envelope -- the 70's envelope, anyway -- and is satisfying enough. There is a lot of slow moving mumbo-jumbo and the obligatory scene -- where psychics attempt to get in touch with the bad spirit -- is predictable. Shirley MacLaine is very good in the lead role, as is Perry King. The film edges towards an incest subplot and features a scene you wouldn't see in a studio film today -- a little boy dancing nude on a table. Director Waris Hussein came from TV, and it shows. The film is not big on cinematic compositions, looking more like a TV movie than one meant for the big screen. Lower your expectations and you might enjoy this relatively obscure item from the 70's.
