The medications prescribed to George are obviously important to him, as witness the two times he fumbles for and drops them during moments of stress. They are presumed, in all of the reviews I have read, to have been meant to cure his psychosis. Perhaps another view might be offered, one which takes into account the year in which the shoot took place (1980). This was shortly after the revelation in the United States that the CIA had, during previous decades, "tested" lysergic acid diethylamide (more commonly known by its acronym, LSD, or its nickname, "acid") and other chemical compounds reputed or designed to induce hallucinogenic states on unsuspecting individuals including mental patients. The question to which I played the role of George was, "Are his medications the cure for - or the cause of - his homicidal mania?" This ambiguity was suggested by Romano before the shooting even started, while he and I discussed the character as presented in the screenplay, and caught my imagination so powerfully that I tried very hard to embody it in my portrayal.
In my opinion, the ambiguity was reinforced by the desperation with which the doctor's apparent superior pushed him to "recover" George. Nowhere in the dialogue is the suggestion made that the cigar-smoking creep who called the doctor on the carpet had any connection with the hospital, much less that he was a medical person.
Just something to think about, since it would appear that the film developed its cult following whether or not the ambiguous nature of the chemicals was apparent.
In my opinion, the ambiguity was reinforced by the desperation with which the doctor's apparent superior pushed him to "recover" George. Nowhere in the dialogue is the suggestion made that the cigar-smoking creep who called the doctor on the carpet had any connection with the hospital, much less that he was a medical person.
Just something to think about, since it would appear that the film developed its cult following whether or not the ambiguous nature of the chemicals was apparent.