Psychomania

Fans of the 1973 British cult classic "Psychomania" AKA the "Death Wheelers" can definitely throw away their worn out VHS tapes and Bootleg DVD's. Thanks to Severin films "Psychomania" has now been completely restored from the only uncut 35mm print believed to be in existence and filled with numerous bonus features produced exclusively for this special full throttle DVD edition. The video transfer still suffers from some minor speckling and debris here and there but it's the best I've ever seen this film look. The colors are sharp and vibrant and the sound is really clear. Psychomania is a brilliant mix of Horror, thriller, and action. Psychomania is considered to be the most bizarre biker movie ever made featuring some of the wildest cycle stunts ever created on film and it certainly doesn't disappoint.

A gang of leather clad bikers who call themselves "The Living Dead" terrorize the residents from their small town. The motorcycle gang is lead by Tom Latham, the son of a wealthy family with a strong belief in the occult and Toad worship. After Tom learns of the secret of immortality from his mother he makes an agreement with the devil. Tom realizes if he kills himself firmly believing he will come back; he will survive his ordeal, gain eternal life and become indestructible. Does Tom have the guts to kill himself to see if he can come back? Will the rest of the gang follow their fearless leader and commit suicide one after the other for a chance at immortality? You'll have to buy your own copy to see how it ends.

The Cast:
Nicky Henson ... Tom Latham
Mary Larkin ... Abby Holman
Ann Michelle ... Jane Pettibone
Roy Holder ... Bertram
Denis Gilmore ... Hatchet
Miles Greenwood ... Chopped Meat
Peter Whitting ... Gash
Rocky Taylor ... Hinky
George Sanders ... Shadwell
Beryl Reid ... Mrs. Latham
Robert Hardy ... Chief Inspector Hesseltine

Bonus Features Include:
* Return Of The Living Dead: Interviews with stars Nicky Henson, Mary Larkin, Denis Gilmore, Roy Holder and Rocky Taylor
* Sound Of Psychomania: Interview with Soundtrack composer John Cameron
* Riding Free: Interview with Riding Free singer Harvey Andrews
* Introduction by Fangoria Editor in Chief Chris Alexander
* Original Theatrical Trailer

Color
1.78:1 Anamorphic 16x9
90 Mins
Dolby Digital Mono 2.0
Region 0 NTSC

Psychomania is a remarkable little film. Defying easy categorization, it lingers in the memory. Truly creepy and disturbing, with genuinely evil characters who do some really awful things, it still has a poignant quality to it. Viewers today go to a movie knowing what to expect, and generally get it. That's not a good thing.
The premise is simple, and the kind of unbelievable thing that we all know isn't true, but we certainly cannot test for ourselves. If you kill yourself, firmly believing that you will return - you will. That's it. And once you come back, nothing can harm you. The bikers live out their counterculture fantasies, which are revealed (though not in a heavy-handed manner) to really be more about selfishness and arrogance than true "hippy" beliefs.
It sounds campy and maybe it is, but it is played absolutely straight, and it does deliver real chills. There are points where the viewer just can't belive that the violence will escalate - and it does.
In this film, there are no "good guys." The conservative, old money evil beings (are they immortal? We are never sure) are just more realistic than the youth gang evil. They know that the kids just can't be allowed to run amuck. Even the "good girl" is more than wlling to be an accessory to murder. She just has her limits, that's all.
I love this film because it genuinely surprised me. Its fantasy plot was made to seem almost credible - at least for an hour and a half. It took itself seriously, a quality which has almost disappeared in today's climate of horror/fantasy films making fun of themselves before the audience has a chance to. And it's quirky: the music, including a cool original song, the actors, the surreal alternation between fog-shrouded stonehenge imagery and modern biker stuff, all of it combines to create one of the oddest and most satisfying horror films of its decade. Check it out and don't prejudge!

When PSYCHOMANIA first appeared in 1972, most critics and moviegoers didn't know what to make of it. Horror film? Biker movie? Black comedy? Even the title doesn't make any sense. It turns out to be a combination of all three plus a little bit more. Having recently watched it again after many years, I was struck by how darkly comic the whole movie is but played with a completely straight face as only the British can do. If the Coen Brothers had been British, this is the movie they would have started out with instead of BLOOD SIMPLE. While occasionally hampered by its low budget, PSYCHOMANIA makes up for it with a mordantly funny script (like a Brit version of HEATHERS) and solid performances from its young British cast. Also on hand are old pros Beryl Reid and George Sanders (in his last film appearance) as the family butler who is more than he seems. Hammer veteran Don Sharp directs it all with a sure hand while the cinematography and the editing are memorable.

The plot involves a motorcycle gang of bored young people called The Living Dead who get the opportunity to become just that. It seems that if you commit suicide really believing that you'll come back, then you do and you're immortal. Of course they need help from the Devil and some occult rituals involving toads. The surreal scene where the bike leader sees his life in reverse through a magic mirror in a room with no doors is a highlight. The script misses no opportunity to cast a jaded eye on teenage suicide, occult worship, meaningless violence and a lack of respect for authority while the biker scenes provides the audience with cheap thrills a-plenty. The ending is a real stunner. Not a movie for everyone and definitely not your average horror film which it was wrongly marketed as. This new release from Severin Films is outstanding and makes the film look better than it probably did on its original release. The 2010 interviews with stars Nicky Henson and Mary Larkin are a real hoot.