Psychomania (1974)

Somewhere in the English countryside a nihilistic biker (Nicky Henson) decides to make the name of his violent motorcycle gang ("The Living Dead") more than just a slogan. With the help of his dear old mum (Beryl Reid), who just happens to be a frog-worshipping occultist, he dives to his death only to leap out of his grave (still astride his motorcycle) like a black leather bat out of hell. This is one young rebel who makes the dictum "Live hard, die young, and leave a good-looking corpse" a reality. Soon he's recruiting for his undead biker army. ("Oh man, what are we waiting for?!" exclaims a restless gang member before driving headlong into a truck.) This zombie version of The Wild Angels is less horror film than biker nightmare, and Don Sharp, a former Hammer horror director, doesn't quite know how to straddle the line. The obscure supernatural elements feel creaky next to the restless violence of the rebels without a pulse and their sadistic reign of terror. Though he revels in gallows humor (the gang's "extreme sports" suicide montage is ghoulishly hilarious), Sharp never lets it descend into camp--though at times perhaps he should have. It's an inventive if not altogether successful genre mix highlighted with a sardonic turn by George Sanders as a shady servant who seems completely bemused by the entire spectacle. --Sean Axmaker Amazon.com

Cult Classic...I must not be in a cult

I remember seeing this movie on TV back in the day. My sister had been trying to figure out what it was called, so I gave it to her on her birthday. I'm not sure if anybody stayed awake all the way through. It's very cheesy and very weird. I would love to see Mystery Science Theater commentate on it. May 9, 2008

Nicest old Triumphs I've ever seen in a movie

I bought this movie for 2 reasons. The main one is that I ride old Triumphs and any time I hear about a movie from the 60s or 70s with bikes in it, I always try to get a copy to see if there are any Triumphs. The other reason is because my boss told me that this movie has some excellent riding in it. I sell motorcycles for a living, so we're always talking bikes... what a find this was.

I didn't have super high hopes about this movie, because 1. it's called "Psychomania" which is cheesy at best, and 2. it's a motorcycle movie made in the early 70s - enough said. Nothing against these types of movies, but most of them have utterly miserable production value, the story is always the same for some reason, and the bikes in them are always ratty and junky looking.

Boy was I in for a surprise...

The bikes in this movie were all Triumphs and BSAs, and are some of the nicest ones I've ever seen outside the confines of a bike show. They aren't all chopped, bobbed, or otherwise junked up like the bikes in all the other movies from this era. That alone made this movie worth the purchase price.

In addition, the production quality was pretty decent, and although the storyline of the typical evil biker gang was in place, the twist of being able to come back from the dead if you just believe that you will was interesting. Not sure what all the frog imagery was about though. And I thought it was pretty hilarious that whenever they wreck their bikes and come back from the dead, their bikes are good as new also... haha when the guy rides through the brick wall and the bike has no damage, that's classic.

Anyway, buy this movie.

For under $10, this was a great purchase, and since the main reason I bought it was for the bikes, it certainly delivered. February 15, 2008

Warning: scene missing on Geneon DVD

The Geneon edition of this DVD is missing the seance scene. This scene introduces Shadwell and the mom and shows the mom's psychic ablilities, showing what she gets out of Shadwell's presence. So it's kind of important. (It also shows why she's sleeping in a chair.) It's only two or three minutes long, but it shouldn't be missing!!! December 12, 2007

Good goofy fun.

I've been looking for this movie for years. I remember some of the scenes of it very vividly. I remember how unintentionally funny it was. I'm very pleased with this one and would recommend it to anyone looking for an undead British Biker movie. November 30, 2007

Psychomania

This movie is a blast- 1970's motorcycle movie with a horror twist. Acadamy Award winner it isn't, but a lot of fun. One scene was an inspiration to the band Motorhead for their "Ace Of Spades" video (cemetery scene). A few friends and I saw this film in @1981 on a late-night local station and talked about it for years and I was very happy to get my hands on a few copies. Only one scene could I say was out of place (making the anti-hero main character look like the picked-on outcast) with a stupid song, but hey, what do you want for a 1970's English motorcycle horror "B" movie??? Buy it and enjoy! January 4, 2007

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