Man on a Swing
1974
Laurel County
Frank Perry
True Crime Thriller
What’s it all about: A girl can’t buy a hibachi in the 70s without getting murdered in the parking lot. So police chief Cliff Robertson leaves his pregnant wife to do a lot of spray painting in the garage while he tracks down the killer with the help of a short-tempered psychic.
First Encounter: first viewing
Prostitute Index: nil
Death By: clairvoyance
Relics: diaphragm, “taking a leak,” volkswagen beetle
Hoops: a creepy note to the police spelled out in letter clippings
Heartthrob: Peter Masterson
Pass/Fails the Test of Time: Joel Gray
LoFi Magic: dry police / police wife humor, editing that moves the investigation along at a handsome clip
Makes me want to: solve the real murder of “The Girl on the Volkswagen Floor”
Candotti take: “He looks like a bronzed version of Simply Red”
Worth a watch/rewatch: Yes
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