The Reincarnation of Peter Proud (1975)

They were obsessed with reincarnation in the seventies; so, it's no surprise that Max Ehrlich's 1974 book on the subject would be a bestseller and receive a movie adaptation the following year.  Michael Sarrazin stars, with Margot Kidder.

Supposedly, this is due for a remake and David Fincher was signed on to direct.  J. Lee Thompson, the man who directed this 1975 film also directed a couple Planet of the Apes sequels, Happy Birthday to Me, The Guns of Navarone, and 10 to Midnight.

Peter Proud (Michael Sarrazin) is a college professor who's been having strange dreams lately.

They involve flashes of images - faces and places he doesn't recognize.  They center around a mysterious woman (Margot Kidder) who's on a small boat.  A man with no clothes on tries to climb aboard and she hits him over the head with an oar.  He sinks to the bottom of the lake.

Peter talks about it with his colleague and lover, Nora (Cornelia Sharpe).

Peter has a nightmare - always about the same thing, that mysterious woman and the same buildings and houses.  Nora is worried about him.

Cornelia Sharpe provides a nice long, well-lit nude scene here.  She had a pretty good run in the seventies with a role in Serpico and lead in Open Season, then sort of faded out. 

 Peter goes to see a doctor about his condition and is referred to a sleep lab.

 But Peter's dreams don't register on the electroencephalograph. 

His doctor, Sam Goodman (Peter Hecht) tries an unconventional approach, hypnotizing him. 

Then, one night, Peter has a breakthrough.  He happens upon a show called "The Changing Face of America" and recognizes a building from his dreams.  He finds out that the building is in Massachusetts
.

After much searching, he finally finds the exact house in his dreams.

 There's a girl washing a red VW in the driveway; the camera lingers on her backside.

The girl is Suzy (Debralee Scott) who shows him around the house, providing him with even more clues.  I've always loved Debralee Scott - for some reason, she was a fixture on my seventies TV set, from Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman and Welcome Back, Kotter to just guest spots on the Love Boat and game shows. It seemed like she was everywhere, and then I understand she had a tragic (and mysterious) death.

At the local country club, Peter meets Ann Curtis (Jennifer O'Neill).  O'Neill was a longtime CoverGirl model.  She's been married a whopping nine times.

Peter develops a relationship with Ann and is introduced to her mother, Marcia (Margot Kidder).  

If I had a nickel for every time I saw a movie where there is a mystery solved via microfiche.... 

Peter starts to piece things together, and Marcia begins to suspect something unusual is going on.  Strange things happen such as when Marcia's mother, now senile and infirm, mistakes Peter for Marcia's late husband.

Ann comes home to find her mother splayed out drunk.  

Tension builds, as Marcia watches Peter as she comes to realize that he's her husband, Jeff, reincarnated. 

Marcia takes a bath and we see her flashbacks which tell the whole story of what happened that faithful night...

Jeff raped Marcia; afterwards she killed him

As Marcia thinks back, we're treated to a long nude shot of Margot Kidder.   

In the end, Peter reenacts the scene in the lake in hope of ending his connection with Jeff.  But Marcia shoots him instead.  THE END

I don't have much to say other than it's not very good.  I was interested for the first forty minutes or so, just enjoying the seventies vibe and casual story line.  But eventually my patience wore thin, the suspense didn't build, and the story got more and more contrived.  I certainly appreciated a couple nude scenes from Cornelia Sharpe and Margot Kidder, but otherwise was left looking at my watch and yawning.

★★★☆☆☆☆☆☆☆