Demons of the Mind
| Demons of the Mind | |
|---|---|
 Theatrical release poster | |
| Directed by | Peter Sykes |
| Produced by |
Michael Carreras Frank Godwin |
| Written by | Christopher Wicking |
| Story by | Frank Godwin |
| Starring |
Gillian Hills Robert Hardy Patrick Magee Michael Hordern Shane Briant |
| Music by | Harry Robinson |
| Cinematography | Arthur Grant |
| Edited by | Chris Barnes |
Production company | |
| Distributed by |
Anglo-EMI Film Distributors MGM-EMI |
Release dates | 5 November 1972 |
Running time | 89 min. |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Language | English |
| Budget | £250,000[1] |
Demons of the Mind is a 1972 British horror film, directed by Peter Sykes and produced Anglo-EMI, Frank Godwin Productions and Hammer Film Productions. It was written by Christopher Wicking, based on a story by Frank Godwin. It was released on 5 November 1972.[2] The cast includes Gillian Hills (playing a role originally intended for Marianne Faithfull), Robert Hardy, Patrick Magee, Michael Hordern and Shane Briant.
Plot
A widower locks up his two children, afraid that they will go mad, as did his wife. He then invites a doctor of dubious reputation to supervise the young people's mental health. Meanwhile, in the vicinity of the house, grisly murders are happening.
Cast
- Robert Hardy as Zorn
- Shane Briant as Emil
- Gillian Hills as Elizabeth
- Yvonne Mitchell as Hilda
- Paul Jones as Carl Richter
- Patrick Magee as Falkenberg
- Kenneth J. Warren as Klaus
- Michael Hordern as Priest
- Robert Brown as Fischinger
- Virginia Wetherell as Inge
- Deirdre Costello as Magda
- Barry Stanton as Ernst
- Sidonie Bond as Zorn's Wife
- Thomas Heathcote as Coachman
- Sheila Raynor as Old crone
Background
The film's working title was Blood Will Have Blood.[2] Principal photography took place from 16 August to September 1971.[2]
Peter Sykes was hired after Hammer were impressed by his work on Venom. The movie was based on the life of Franz Mesmer.[1]
Critical reception
Time Out called the film "an exotic, Wildean horror story, visually as extravagant and tantalising as a decadent painting" that is "badly let down, though, by some grotesque overacting".[3] The Hammer Story: The Authorised History of Hammer Films wrote of the film: "oblique, ambitious and suffused with an air of primal dread, Demons of the Mind deserved better."[2]
References
- 1 2 Gilbert, Basil (July 1977). "Peter Sykes". Cinema Papers: 36.
- 1 2 3 4 Hearn & Barnes 2007, p. 155.
- ↑ Milne, Tom, ed. (1991). The Time Out Film Guide (Second ed.). Penguin Books. p. 167.
- Sources
- Hearn, Marcus; Barnes, Alan (September 2007). "Demons of the Mind". The Hammer Story: The Authorised History of Hammer Films (Limited ed.). Titan Books. ISBN 1 84576 185 5.