Judging from the number of 1 votes and the bad reviews, this film doesn't seem to have a lot of fans. I'm not going to petition to get it released on DVD, but I think it's a decent psychological thriller even if it is predictable. I know Paul-Michael Glaser isn't proud of his performance here, but I don't think it's anything to be ashamed of. I wish he would have had more of a film career after "Starsky and Hutch."
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it only grossed 59 thousand dollars which was even poor in 1980!!
"come with me if you want to live"
I don't even remember it playing in theaters in 1980, but it had a presence on HBO.
I recently found it on VHS for 99 cents in the clearance bin of a video store, and I've watched it again. It's by no means a great or even a good movie, but anything that maintains my attention for 90 minutes isn't all bad.
Agreed, it's an unremarkable thriller...mediocre, perhaps, but not terrible. There are a few effective scenes...I thought the bathtub drowning was well-done, especially the little detail of indicating the moment of her death by showing her toes clenching and relaxing.
If "Phobia" had been directed by an unknown, it probably wouldn't be so poorly regarded...but audiences and critics had higher expectations from a director of John Huston's caliber.
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"Little do they know how little I know about the little there is to know." - Neddy Seagoon
Indeed, the John Huston factor appears to contribute greatly to people's revulsion of this film. Had this been by an unknown director, it could have had cult appeal to fans of B-grade thrillers.
I think the scenes of the patients being confronted with their phobias are quite suspenseful, though the "twist" is pretty obvious (especially to anyone who reads the video box first).