PSYCHOMANIA (1972)
Label: Arrow Video
Region Code: A
Rating: Unrated
Duration: 90 Minutes
Audio: English LPCM Mono 1.0 with Optional English Subtitles
Video: 1080p HD Widescreen (1.66:1)
Director: Don Sharp
Cast: George Sanders, Beryl Reed, Nicky Henson, Mary Larkin, Roy Holder, Robert Hardy
Synopsis: The United States gave motorcycle-mad cinemagoers Easy Rider, The Wild One and The Wild Angels. The United Kingdom gave them Psychomania, the tale of zombie bikers run amok is southern England. The Living Dead are a delinquent biker gang, fond of causing havoc on British roadways and making out in graveyards. Gang leader Tom (Nicky Henson) also has a Satanist for a mother, and when he discovers the secret of immortality, the name of his motley crew takes on a more literal meaning... Directed by Hammer veteran Don Sharp (The Kiss of the Vampire, The Devil-Ship Pirates) and co-starring Beryl Reid (Dr. Phibes Rises Again) and George Sanders (Village of the Damned), Psychomania is a wonderfully offbeat gem, outlandish and eccentric in equal measure.
Psychomania (1972) is a wild ride of culty 70's biker exploitation, a weird mash-up of the the zombie and biker movies of the day with a nice smattering of the occult thrown in, because why not, right? Tom (Nicky Henson, Witchfinder General) is the leader of a UK biker gang known as The Living Dead, they have cool names like Hatchet, Gash, Chopped Meat and Hinky and their helmets are adorned with awesome skull and bones designs which are way cool. The ginger-haired cutie Abby (Mary Larkin) Tom's lover, but she has some competition within the gang from the sexy biker chic Jane (Anne Michele, House of Whipcord) who always seems to be at Tom's side, causing some lovers-friction in the group.
Tom's mother Mrs. Latham (Beryl Reid, Dr. Phibes Rises Again) dabbles in the occult, performing spiritual seances alongside her mysterious butler Shadwell (George Sanders, Mr. Freeze of the 60's Batman TV series). It's through his mum that Tom discovers the secret of immortality, that if he commits suicide believing 100% that he will return, not only be resurrected, but he will also become invulnerable to injury, a sort of suicide pact with the devil. Of course, it's only a short time before the resurrection obsessed Tom rides straight off a bridge and into the river and his corpse washes up onshore a short distance away.
At his funeral Tom is buried a bit strangely, no coffin for this bad ass biker, nope. He's buried upright straddling his favorite Triumph motorcycle, dressed in his leathers and helmet, which makes for a great resurrection scenario. You hear the motorcycle rev it's engine and then he bursts forth from the ground like a bat out of Hell. Reuniting with his gang Tom informs them of the diabolical resurrection info and most of the others are only too eager to make the suicide pact with Satan in order to earn their immortality. Some are successful, but a few lack the required faith and just end up dead, not the desired undead status. Soon we have a squad of undead bikers raising Holy Hell on the street, impervious to harm they seem unstoppable, but when you make a deal with the Devil surely things are never quite as they appear, right?.
Psychomania (1972) might come up a bit short in terms of nudity, blood and guts, but this Eurocult classic does have some great atmosphere which is accentuated by John Cameron's acid-tinged guitar score, which is awesome. For a low budget cheapie it also boasts some decent cinematography from cameraman Ted Moore (Goldfinger, Clash of the Titans), particularly the haunting slow-mo opening shots of the bikers in a foggy graveyard, it sets a macabre and silly sort of tone. We also have some nice direction from Don Sharp (Curse of the Fly, Witchcraft)and plenty action-packed motorcycle stunt work. It really does come together quite nicely, making for an entertaining watch, even if I wished it were amped up with more gore and sleaze.
Sadly, veteran actor George Sanders committed suicide shortly after filming ended, leaving behind a succinct suicide note which read "Dear World, I am leaving because I am bored. I feel I have lived long enough. I am leaving you with your worries in this sweet cesspool. Good luck.". It's rumored that he saw a rough cut of the film in Spain shortly before killing himself, no word on if that contributed to his decision to kill himself, but it makes for a good story.
Audio/Video: The original negative for Psychomania (1972) were considered lost forever, the 2013 DVD from Severin Films was sourced it from a surviving uncut 35mm print, and at the time, all things considered, it was a strong presentation. However, the Arrow Blu-ray is a 2K restoration from the preservation negatives, and the HD image looks astounding when compared to the old Severin release. The grain field is impressive, colors are vibrant and noticeably brighter, the details are sharper with more depth and clarity that I would have ever hoped for from this movie, this is wonderful. Noteworthy, I do believe this is the same HD transfer as the region B BFI release. Arrow's disc includes a lossless LPCM 1.0 Mono audio track that handles the audio chores nicely, and without the occasional hiss and pops that were present on the Severin disc. A highlight is the acid-tinged guitar score from John Cameron (Jack the Ripper)and the roar of the revving motorcycle engine, it sounds great.
The disc features all the extras from the Severin DVD except for the five minute introduction from former Fangoria editor Chris Alexander. This includes the making of doc Return Of The Living Dead (20 min) with interviews from actors Nicky Henson, Mary Larkin, Denis Gilmore, Roy Holder and Rocky Taylor. All participants seem a bit surprised that anyone remembers this obscure zombie biker film, each offering a glimpse into making the film with kind recollections of director Don Sharp and veteran actor George sanders who committed suicide shortly after filming ended. There's also an interview with the composer of the score John Cameron, plus a six-minute interview with folk singer Harvey Andrews who speaks about performing the tune "Riding Free" in the film only to be replaced by an actor who lip-synced the song, noting that he finger-picked his guitar while the actor is clearly strumming.
Arrow have also licensed a few of the extras from BFI Flipside who released a DVD/BD combo of their own in the UK last year, from that we get a 2-minute video of the restoration from the original 35mm black and white separation masters, there's also a 14-minute interview from 2016 with star Nicky Henson, the star talks about working on the British stage but picking up some extras cash on the side in b-movies, which he preferred to working on TV, not expecting that these low rent b-movies would end up on TV and home video years later. He also speaks about his stuntman ending up in the hospital three separate times, his aversion watching stunts being performed, the great stunt work done for the film, and remembering George Saunders, relaying the legend that after Saunders saw an early print of the film he went back to his hotel and killed himself. Also carried over from the BFI release is an interview with Derek Harris, the current owner of Lewis Leathers, who supplied the film’s costumes showing off some vintage biker-clothing used in the movie. The last of the extras is a theatrical trailer for the movie N HD.
We were only send a "check disc" for review sans any packaging, but retail copies of this one also include a reversible sleeve featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by the Twins of Evil, plus a collector’s booklet containing writing by Vic Pratt, William Fowler and Andrew Roberts.
Special Features:
- 2K restoration from preservation negatives
- High Definition (1080p) and Standard Definition DVD presentations
- Original 1.0 mono audio (uncompressed on the Blu-ray)
- Optional English subtitles for the deaf and hard-of-hearing
- Brand-new interview with star Nicky Henson (14 min) HD
- Return of the Living Dead (25 min) HD - An archive featurette containing interviews actors Henson, Mary Larkin, Denis Gilmore, Roy Holder and Rocky Taylor
- Sound of Psychomania (9 min) - An archive interview with composer John Cameron
- Riding Free (6 min) HD - An archive interview with ‘Riding Free’ singer Harvey Andrews
- Hell for Leather (8 min) HD - brand-new featurette on the company who supplied the film’s costumes
- Remastering Psychomania, a look at the film’s restoration from the original 35mm black and white separation masters (2 min) HD
- Theatrical Trailer (3 min) HD
- Reversible sleeve featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by the Twins of Evil
- FIRST PRESSING ONLY: Collector’s booklet containing writing by Vic Pratt, William Fowler and Andrew Roberts
Psychomania (1972) is a fun 70's slice of Eurocult, a definite product of it's time and while I think the absence of nudity and gore might turn off a few of the not-so adventurous types, it is weird slice of 70s fun well-worth a watch. 3/5
NARCOPOLIS (2015)
Label: Scream Factory
Region Code: A
Duration: 96 Minutes
Rating: Unrated
Audio: English DTS-HD MA 5.1 with Optional English Subtitles
Video: 1080p HD Widescreen (2.35:1)
Director: Justin Trefgarne
Cast: Elodie Yung, Harry Lloyd, James Callis, Jonathan Pryce, Louis Trefgarne, Molly Gaisford, Adam Sims, Cosima Shaw, Elliot Cowan, Nicky Henson, Robert Bathurst, Rufus Wright
Synopsis: In 2024, the manufacture and consumption of drugs has been legalized. Drecks are an elite unit created by an over-stretched police force to keep the black market dealers off the streets and the licensed drug companies rich. When dreck and former addict Frank Grieves is called to investigate an unidentifiable corpse, he makes a connection to the biggest and most powerful drug producer of them all: The Ambro Company. But Ambro has friends in high places and as his corrupt superiors turn on him, Grieves finds himself cut loose by the law and separated from the people he loves. The only way to clear his name is to find the identity of the dead body and its connection to Ambro. But not even Grieves is ready for what the future has in store.
In this dystopian sci-fi thriller we have a future-cop, which are known as Drecks, tehy work in the service of the all-powerful Ambro company, one of a handful of billion-dollar companies The Drecks keep the illegal street drugs out of the hands of consumers, and keep them buying the legal stuff. When called to the scene of a possible suicide Dreck Frank Grieves uncovers some oddities about the fresh corpse, for one it is not identifiable, nor are the drugs in the body, which is strange. Not only are all drugs legal in this version of the future but every human has been tagged and easily identifiable by a simple scan using some future-tech gizmo.
Grieves is told the case is closed and does not warrant any further investigation by his superiors, which raises his hackles. Unable to just cannot let go of it he re visits the site of the crime where he comes across a young woman named Eve (Elodie Yung) who says she has come from the future. Not sure he believes her Grieves none the less smells something rotten and hides her away from his superiors, who more and more seem to be working for the Ambro company, which is headed by the sinister Todd Ambro (James Callis), whose legal-drugs are mass marketed ad nauseum throughout the film.
Grieves enlists the help of an underground tech-guru named Yuri (Jonathan Pryce) who examines Eva's wrist-watch, what he finds further complicates Grieves investigation into the suicide, causing the other Dreck's to turn against him. at the same time his already unstable home-life begins to further crumble around him, with his wife and young son losing faith in him as he continues to spiral down the rabbit hole of conspiracy and time travel.
The movie reaches far and does a lot on a small budget, the world building is more hinted at than seen onscreen, they're reaching for Blade Runner but we're only getting Looper or 12 Monkeys, which is fine, I love both those movies, and I think they both handled time-travel exceptionally well, and I think Narcopolis does well for itself within the constraints of what they could fund. The keep the sci-fi rooted in the realm of the near-future, there's not an overwhelming amount of advanced tech, which is advanced but not too advanced for its own good.
What drives the film is the performance of Elliot Cowan in the role of Grieves, a former junkie with some issues, and that of his young son (Louis Trefgarne) and his suffering estranged wife (Molly Gaisford). After that the hard-boiled police procedural element is strong, I think the weakest part of the film is that the Ambro conspiracy part of it begins to fizzle and the time-travel elements are under sorely developed. The movie has style to spare though, a very attractively shot movie that both delivers some sci-fi gloss and dystopian grit, it makes for a nice combination.
Special Features:
- Audio Commentary by writer/Director Justin Trefgarne
- Behind-the-Scenes (17 Mins) HD
- Deleted scene (4 Mins) HD
- Theatrical Trailer (2 Mins)
I didn't love this one, I enjoyed it though, a dystopian science-fiction thriller with some true grit and strong performances, and coming from a first-time director, this is pretty grand. Not exactly sure what more I wanted from it, but there was something missing. I think needed it to explore the legalization of drugs more within the context of the movie, and for the time-travel part of it to mean more to story. Not to put anyone off the movie, this is worth a watch and then some, I just feel it could have been something more special, as it is it's a good watch. 3/5
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PSYCHOMANIA (1972)
Label: Severin Films
Region Code: 0 NTSC
Rating: Unrated
Duration: 90 Minutes
Audio: English Dolby Digital Mono
Video: 16:9 Widescreen (1.78:1)
Director: Don Sharp
Cast: George Sanders, Beryl Reed, Nicky Henson, Mary Larkin, Roy Holder, Robert Hardy
Synopsis: The cult classic known as ‘the greatest British zombie biker movie ever made’ returns with the ultimate full-throttle restoration: Nicky Henson (Witchfinder General), Beryl Reid (The Beast In The Cellar) and Oscar® winner George Sanders (All About Eve, Village Of The Damned) star in this beloved ‘70s mind-blower about a motorcycle gang who burst from their graves to crush a world of psychedelic hippie pleasures under the wheels of black leather occult mayhem. You’ve got to believe it’s come back: Psychomania – from veteran horror director Don Sharp (Kiss Of The Vampire), the blacklisted Hollywood screenwriters of Horror Express, and featuring some of the wildest cycle stunts of the decade – has now been restored from the only uncut 35mm print in existence and packed with new Bonus Features produced exclusively for this edition.
Psychomania's a wild ride of culty 70's exploitation, a weird mash-up of the the zombie and biker movies of the day with a nice smattering of the occult thrown in, because why not, right? Tom (Nicky Henson, Witchfinder General) is the leader of a UK biker gang known as The living Dead, they have cool names like Hatchet, Gash, Chopped Meat and Hinky plus they're adorned in awesome skull and bones helmets and pretty much ride around and terrorize the populace of the surrounding area, the ginger-haired cutie Abby (Mary Larkin) is his lover, but she has some competition within the gang, the sexy biker chic Jane (Anne Michele, House of Whipchord) who always seems to be at Tom's side.
Tom's mother Mrs. Latham (Beryl Reid, Dr. Phibes Rises Again) dabbles in the occult and seances alongside her mysterious butler Shadwell (George Sanders, Mr. Freeze of the 60's Batman TV series). It's through his mum that he discovers that if he commits suicide believing 100% that he will return, not only be resurrected but he will also become invulnerable to injury, it's a suicide pact with the devil. Of course, it's only a short time before Tom rides straight off a bridge and into the river, his corpse washes up onshore a short distance away.
At his funeral Tom is buried a bit strangely, no coffin for this guy, nope. He's buried upright straddling his motorcycle dressed in his leathers and helmet, which makes for a great resurrection scenario. You hear the motorcycle rev it's engine and then he bursts forth from the ground like a bat out of Hell. Reuniting with his gang most of the others are only too eager to make the suicide pact with Satan in order to earn immortality. Some are successful, but some lack the faith and just end up dead, not the desired undead status. Soon we have a squad of undead bikers raising Holy Hell on the street, impervious to harm they seem unstoppable but when you make a deal with the Devil surely things are never quite as they appear at the start.
Psychomania (1972) might come up a bit short in terms of nudity and blood and guts but this Eurocult classic does have some great atmosphere which is accentuated by John Cameron's acid-tinged guitar score. For a low budget cheapo it boasts some decent cinematography from Ted Moore (Goldfinger, Clash of the Titans), particularly the haunting opening shots of the bikers in a foggy graveyard, it's very effective at setting a macabre tone. We also have some decent direction from Don Sharp (Curse of the Fly, Witchcraft)and some action-packed motorcycle stunt work, it really does makes for an entertaining watch with the hi-speed chase scenarios and pursuits, even if I wished it were ramped up with gore and sleaze. .
Fans of 70's Eurocult and schlock cinema take note, this one's a winner. Sadly, veteran actor George Sanders committed suicide shortly after filming ended, leaving behind a succinct suicide note which read "Dear World, I am leaving because I am bored. I feel I have lived long enough. I am leaving you with your worries in this sweet cesspool. Good luck.". It's rumored he saw a rough cut of the film in Spain shortly before killing himself, no word on if that contributed to his decision to kill himself.
DVD: Severin Films present Psychomania (1972) on DVD in anamorphic widescreen (1.85:1), since the original negative is considered forever lost they sourced it from a surviving uncut 35mm print. All things considered it's a strong presentation with solid colors and a nice layer of film grain. The print is a bit worn with minor print damage but they are rather insignificant and shouldn't detract from your enjoyment. The English Dolby Digital Mono audio sounds fine with only minor snap, crackle and hiss. The dialogue comes through clean, audio effects and the acid-tinged guitar score from John Cameron sound fine.
This UK cult classic gets some sweet Severin produced extras beginning with the making-of doc
Return Of The Living Dead (20:25) with interviews with from actors Nicky Henson, Mary Larkin, Denis Gilmore, Roy Holder and Rocky Taylor. All participants seem a bit surprised that anyone remembers this obscure zombie biker film, each offering a glimpse into making the film with kind recollections of director Don Sharp and veteran actor George sanders who committed suicide shortly after filming ended. There's also an interview with the composer of the score John Cameron with the Sound Of Psychomania (9:06) featurette, a nice interview with Cameron on composing the enjoyable acid-rock score. An interview with folk singer Harvey Andrews who speaks about performing the tune "Riding Free" in the film only to be replaced by an actor who lip-synced the song, noting that he finger-picked his guitar the actor is strumming, I never even noticed. There's also an appreciative Introduction by Fangoria Editor in Chief Chris Alexander (5:30) and the Original Theatrical Trailer (2:49).
Special Features:
- Return Of The Living Dead: Interviews with stars Nicky Henson, Mary Larkin, Denis Gilmore, Roy Holder and Rocky Taylor (25:02)
- Sound Of Psychomania: Interview with Soundtrack composer John Cameron (9:06)
- Riding Free: Interview with Riding Free singer Harvey Andrews (6:25)
- Introduction by Fangoria Editor in Chief Chris Alexander (5:30)
- Original Theatrical Trailer (2:49)
Verdict: Psychomania (1972) is a fun 70's slice of Eurocult, a definite product of it's time and while I think the absence of nudity and gore might turn off a few of the not-so adventurous types, I would have loved more gore and sleaze but what we get is fun. I found it to be quite a howl with a terrific acid-rock score, a squad of undead bikers with neat skull and bones helmets terrorizing a small town, what's not to love? If you haven't seen Psychomania (1972) I think you're missing out! 3 Outta 5
Psychomania (1972) is a wild ride of culty 70's biker exploitation, a weird mash-up of the the zombie and biker movies of the day with a nice smattering of the occult thrown in, because why not, right? Tom (Nicky Henson, Witchfinder General) is the leader of a UK biker gang known as The Living Dead, they have cool names like Hatchet, Gash, Chopped Meat and Hinky and their helmets are adorned with awesome skull and bones designs which are way cool. The ginger-haired cutie Abby (Mary Larkin) Tom's lover, but she has some competition within the gang from the sexy biker chic Jane (Anne Michele, House of Whipcord) who always seems to be at Tom's side, causing some lovers-friction in the group.
At his funeral Tom is buried a bit strangely, no coffin for this bad ass biker, nope. He's buried upright straddling his favorite Triumph motorcycle, dressed in his leathers and helmet, which makes for a great resurrection scenario. You hear the motorcycle rev it's engine and then he bursts forth from the ground like a bat out of Hell. Reuniting with his gang Tom informs them of the diabolical resurrection info and most of the others are only too eager to make the suicide pact with Satan in order to earn their immortality. Some are successful, but a few lack the required faith and just end up dead, not the desired undead status. Soon we have a squad of undead bikers raising Holy Hell on the street, impervious to harm they seem unstoppable, but when you make a deal with the Devil surely things are never quite as they appear, right?.
Audio/Video: The original negative for Psychomania (1972) were considered lost forever, the 2013 DVD from Severin Films was sourced it from a surviving uncut 35mm print, and at the time, all things considered, it was a strong presentation. However, the Arrow Blu-ray is a 2K restoration from the preservation negatives, and the HD image looks astounding when compared to the old Severin release. The grain field is impressive, colors are vibrant and noticeably brighter, the details are sharper with more depth and clarity that I would have ever hoped for from this movie, this is wonderful. Noteworthy, I do believe this is the same HD transfer as the region B BFI release. Arrow's disc includes a lossless LPCM 1.0 Mono audio track that handles the audio chores nicely, and without the occasional hiss and pops that were present on the Severin disc. A highlight is the acid-tinged guitar score from John Cameron (Jack the Ripper)and the roar of the revving motorcycle engine, it sounds great. 
Arrow have also licensed a few of the extras from BFI Flipside who released a DVD/BD combo of their own in the UK last year, from that we get a 2-minute video of the restoration from the original 35mm black and white separation masters, there's also a 14-minute interview from 2016 with star Nicky Henson, the star talks about working on the British stage but picking up some extras cash on the side in b-movies, which he preferred to working on TV, not expecting that these low rent b-movies would end up on TV and home video years later. He also speaks about his stuntman ending up in the hospital three separate times, his aversion watching stunts being performed, the great stunt work done for the film, and remembering George Saunders, relaying the legend that after Saunders saw an early print of the film he went back to his hotel and killed himself. Also carried over from the BFI release is an interview with Derek Harris, the current owner of Lewis Leathers, who supplied the film’s costumes showing off some vintage biker-clothing used in the movie. The last of the extras is a theatrical trailer for the movie N HD. 
