when Joyce is stumbling through the cold streets of new york, the camera veers off to the left and it shows a bunch of people in suits talking. the shot pauses, and then zooms in a couple times, but not enough to see who the guy really is. Is this supposed to be Frank, suggesting that the masked intruder was not him? What an irritating closing shot.
Just keep telling yourself...its only a poodle...it's only a poodle!share
Wow. Six years later and I'm your first response. You poor thing. Oh well, better late than never. I watched the movie for the first time last night and felt the same way about the ambiguous ending, that it's frustrating. It looks like Frank in the business suit but the shot never comes in to full focus. This may have been the director's way of letting the viewer ponder whether or not it all occurred in Joyce's head. I had a hunch that's how he'd conclude it. Then again, this film has yet to be released on DVD. If that were to happen then there may be a more pristine print and that last shot would be easier to see.
If you've seen Repulsion, it has an almost identical plot and ending. I won't say Deranged was a better film, but it's certainly more watchable. Repulsion, while an effective look at a woman being swallowed in to the mouth of madness, is still quite dull. Veronica Hart's performance in Deranged is intense to say the least. She's a great actress. It made me wonder why she chose instead to do porn. Hmmm...to each their own. I hope this helped.