DVD/Blu-ray: Psychomania

Fusing genres to come up with unique takes on familiar tropes can be risky. The unwieldy results may be an unappetising mess. Mother Riley Meets the Vampire, where Arthur Lucan and Bela Lugosi fought for space in an unfunny 1952 fusion of comedy and horror was dreadful. Then there was 1966’s unwatchable Ghost in the Invisible Bikini, which drew the line between beach movie froth and (once again) horror.

With its gang of leather-clad undead, Psychomania (1973), recast the biker film. Unlike many horror syntheses, it was deadly serious. With nothing played for laughs it was consequently one of the most bizarre products of Britain’s early Seventies film industry. It’s also hokum, but utterly gripping hokum.

It tells the story of Tom Latham (Nicky Henson) who leads a biker gang called The Living Dead. His mother (Beryl Reid) and her faithful servant Shadwell (George Sanders, in his final film before his suicide) seemingly never age. Tom discovers their secret: you have to believe that you will come back from the dead as you top yourself. Believe, and you will return. He tries it. It works, so most of his gang to do so too. There’s a frog as a familiar, mumbo jumbo quoted from an ancient tome, a séance, Satan, a mystical stone circle, vandalism, lots of roaring around on bikes and a fantastic score by former Donovan arranger John Cameron. Unwittingly – it must have been, as it was such a low-budget film – Psychomania was part of a tranche of British films incorporating the landscape as integral to their horror, such as Blood on Satan’s Claw and The Wicker Man. This, though, was a good deal cheesier.

The terrific Psychomania has been newly restored from masters found in a Spanish archive for its debut appearance on Blu-ray (as part of a dual-format package) and looks better than ever. A well-written booklet is complemented by loads of extras. Some are as per the American 2010 DVD release but new exclusives include an interview with Henson, optional sub-titles of trivia, a wonderful 1955 short of John Betjeman visiting Avebury, and a mind-blowing 1965 film on the London Reverend Bill Shergold and his club for bikers.

Watch the trailer for Psychomania