Psychomania

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Psychomania

Theatrical release poster
Directed by Don Sharp
Produced by Andrew Donally
Written by Arnaud d'Usseau
Julian Zimet
Starring George Sanders
Nicky Henson
Mary Larkin
Ann Michelle
Roy Holder
Music by John Cameron
Cinematography Ted Moore
Editing by Richard Best
Release dates 1973
Running time 95 min.
Country United Kingdom
Language English

Psychomania (1973) is a British horror film and cult film starring Nicky Henson as a devil-worshipping gang leader, Beryl Reid as his mother, George Sanders as her butler, and Robert Hardy as the detective in charge of bringing them in.

Frequently revisited by nostalgic modern audiences for scenes filmed in the (now demolished and rebuilt) Hepworth Way shopping centre and Wellington Close housing block in Walton-on-Thames, Surrey,[1] it is also more obscurely known as Death Wheelers Are... Psycho Maniacs in Australia and The Death Wheelers in the United States.

Plot

Tom Latham enjoys riding his motorcycle with his girlfriend and loves his mother, but he is no ordinary fellow. He is an amiable teen psychopath, clearly modeled on Alex of A Clockwork Orange fame. Like Alex, he has an unusual pet (a toad) and a distinctive catch phrase, "hello, little green friend."

Tom is the leader of a violent teen gang, who ride motorcycles, dabble in black magic and call themselves "The Living Dead". In a similar vein, his mother and her sinister butler get their kicks out of holding séances in their home. With her help (and following in his father's footsteps), Tom makes a pact with the devil to return from the dead. One by one, he and his fellow bikers commit suicide with the goal of returning as one of the "undead". Not all succeed, but the ones who do return gather together at a secret place called "The Seven Witches" (a circle of standing stones), after which they continue to terrorize the locals.

This was one of the last films of George Sanders, who committed suicide soon after its completion.

Soundtrack

The film's soundtrack by John Cameron was released on LP and CD in 2003 by Trunk Records.[2][3]

Two of Cameron's pieces from the score—"Witch Hunt (Title Theme from the Film Psychomania)" and "Living Dead (Theme from the Film Psychomania)"— were released in 1973 as a 7" single on the Jam label, using the artist name "Frog." This Frog record was reissued in 2011 by Spoke Records as a limited edition vinyl 7".[4]

Cast

References

  1. ↑ http://psychomania.bondle.co.uk/
  2. ↑ http://www.amazon.co.uk/Psychomania-Frog/dp/B00009EFVF/ref=sr_1_1?s=music&ie=UTF8&qid=1390087836&sr=1-1&keywords=psychomania+soundtrack
  3. ↑ http://www.trunkrecords.com/turntable/psychomania.shtml
  4. ↑ http://www.spokerecords.co.uk/releases_spk1202_frog.html

External links

Films directed by Don Sharp
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