frenzy n : state of violent mental agitation [syn: craze, delirium, fury, hysteria] [also: frenzied]

Frenzy \Fren"zy\, n.; pl. Frenzies. [OE. frenesie, fransey, F. fr['e]n['e]sie, L. phrenesis, fr. Gr. ? for ? disease of the mind, phrenitis, fr. ? mind. Cf. Frantic, Phrenitis.] Any violent agitation of the mind approaching to distraction; violent and temporary derangement of the mental faculties; madness; rage. All else is towering frenzy and distraction. --Addison. The poet's eye in a fine frenzy rolling. --Shak. Syn: Insanity; lunacy; madness; derangment; alienation; aberration; delirium. See Insanity.

Frenzy \Fren"zy\, a. Mad; frantic. [R.] They thought that some frenzy distemper had got into his head. --Bunyan.

Frenzy \Fren"zy\, v. t. To affect with frenzy; to drive to madness [R.] ``Frenzying anguish.'' --Southey.

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Frenzy is a 1972 thriller film directed by Alfred Hitchcock, and is the penultimate feature film of his extensive career. The film is based upon the novel Goodbye Piccadilly, Farewell Leicester Square by Arthur La Bern, and was adapted for the screen by Anthony Shaffer. La Bern later expressed his dissatisfaction with Shaffer's adaptation. The film stars Jon Finch, Alec McCowen and Barry Foster and features Billie Whitelaw, Anna Massey, Barbara Leigh-Hunt, Bernard Cribbins and Vivien Merchant. The original music score was composed by Ron Goodwin.

Frenzy was Hitchcock's second film to earn an R-rating in the United States. (The first was Psycho.) The film was screened at the 1972 Cannes Film Festival, but wasn't entered into the main competition.

The film has become well known for a couple of grisly key scenes. The rape and murder of Brenda (Barbara Leigh-Hunt) makes use of numerous short edits in a similar fashion to the Janet Leigh shower scene in Psycho, and this serves to heighten the images of violence and horror.

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