When PSYCHOMANIA first appeared, 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.
The Capsule Critic 