Psychomania (1973)

User Rating:

5.4/10   

Director:

Don Sharp

Writers:

Julian Zimet (writer)
Arnaud d'Usseau (writer)

Release Date:

January 1974 (USA)

Genre:

Horror

Tagline:

Ride with the Living Dead!

Plot:

A Gang of young people call themselves the Living Dead. They terrorise the population from their small town...

Plot Keywords:

One Word Title | Biker Gang | Back From The Dead | Mass Suicide | Biker

Cast

Nicky Henson	...	Tom Latham
Mary Larkin	...	Abby Holman
Ann Michelle	...	Jane Pettibone
Roy Holder	...	Bertram
Denis Gilmore	...	Hatchet
Miles Greenwood	...	Chopped Meat
Peter Whitting	...	Gash
Rocky Taylor	...	Hinky
Robert Hardy	...	Chief Inspector Hesseltine
Patrick Holt	...	Sergeant
Alan Bennion	...	Constable
John Levene	...	Constable
Beryl Reid	...	Mrs. Latham
George Sanders	...	Shadwell
Jacki Webb	...	Mother

Also Known As:

Death Wheelers Are... Psycho Maniacs (Australia) (video box title)
The Death Wheelers (USA)
The Frog
The Living Dead

Runtime:

95 min

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Australia:M | UK:X | USA:PG

Filming Locations:

Shepperton Studios, Shepperton, Surrey, England, UK

Company:

Benmar Productions

Trivia:

Future long-serving "EastEnders" (1985) cast-member June Brown (Dot Cotton/Branning) can be seen in the non-speaking role of the grieving Mrs Pettibone at her daughter's funeral service.

Goofs:

Anachronisms: One of the chase scenes where the bikes are followed around a road, pre 1959 road markings are seen. While it is possible older style UK road markings were still in existence in 1972, they would not have been on main roads. This probably confirms that the road used was a test track for motor vehicles rather than national highways.

Quotes:

Chief Inspector Hesseltine: From the look of those skidmarks, something must have forced him over. Did you get anything out of the witnesses?
Sergeant: Yes sir. Exactly the same story from all of them. Two motorcyclists jabbing at his tyre with a knife.
Chief Inspector Hesseltine: Any identification?
Sergeant: Yeah, The Living Dead again.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Dellamorte Dellamore (1994)

Soundtrack:

Riding Free

maturing like an old wine

For years after its release, this movie was considered as juvenile, sensationalist trash. It was also 'allegedly' one of the reasons the veteran actor George Sanders made the ultimate career move - after his involvement with the film. However with today's young directors pre-occupied with concrete, drugs and misery, this old film now looks quite stylish and appears to be maturing like a cheerful old wine.