'Pyx' overpowers viewer's belief

By Donna Chernin

The film, "The Pyx," must be in possession of supernatural. demonic powers capable of bewitching a viewer into ́utter submission.

Although no means arresting from the standpoint of plot, dialogue or even acting, the film cast a compelling spell over its audi-

ence.

How else may one explain the interest that this relatively dull and unsuspenseful movie manages to sustain for a lengthy 111 minutes?

Basically, "The Pyx" recounts in flashback the suicide or murder of a hooker, played with sexy finesse by Karen Black. As two detectives, Christopher Plummer and Donald Pilon, attempt to piece together the last few days of her hapless life.

However, the evidence they so meticulously gather is glaringly apparent to the audience all along.

For example, it takes them quite a while to determine that the call girl was

somehow involved

in

a

black mass, a fact which

they might have figured out immediately from the upside down cross found on her dead body.

Worse than that, the detectives seem unable to somehow prevent or even predict several other murders that follow the death of the call girl. The reasons for these brutal killings are never made clear, nor is it explained for what evil purpose the cult lusts for the presence of Miss Black.

It's fairly easy to guess. however, that their group interests are sexual when one, after all, considers the victim's profession.

Miss Black portrays a call girl who disdains her occupation. Nor is she content with addiction to drugs. Life is anything but gleeful for her as relations with the madame of her brothel have become quite strained.

The only respite for her seems to be the few moments of relaxation and privacy she finds in her own special apartment with her

devoted boy friend Jimmy, a homosexual. That is, until the Pyx call for an appointment. Then life goes from bad to worse.

Miss Black manages in nearly all her films, this one not excepted, to invest a fetching, injured and vulnerable quality into her sex kitten roles. Here she even demonstrates considerable vocal talents, with a melodic, yearning song she sings and composed.

For the most part, however, the film's music is quite ominous. It seems to evoke. images of babies crying, mice dying and Satan conspiring. Not too pleasant.