psychomania

Mixing the groovy counter-culture aesthetic of Easy Rider with the cheap thrills of a zombie movie doesn't even seem cinematically possible. But somehow Psychomania (1973) manages to make the combination work by bucking the conventional idea of the "undead" and adding a health dose of black humor besides.

Rich-boy rebel Tom Latham (Nicky Henson of Witchfinder General) leads a biker gang called The Living Dead, tearing around the countryside and generally pissing off Establishment-types like his mother (Beryl Reid), a famous spiritualist, and her curiously obtuse butler (George Sanders, who killed himself soon after production). Anxious to use his mother's supernatural knowledge for his own gain, Tom discovers the secret to life after death, returning from the grave with incredible strength and a huge chip on his shoulder. The rest of The Living Dead soon join up and these Death Wheelers (which also serves as an alternate title) hit the road.

Not quite zombies (no one is hungry for human flesh or slowly decomposing), the undead troublemakers proceed to use their newfound indestructibility to pester elderly motorists, tear up the local supermarket and vandalize private property. Pretty petty stuff, but the Living Dead are just out for a good time, with no more ambitious agenda than to stick it to "the man" at every opportunity. It's a laughable (often intentionally so) use of supernatural powers, perfectly in keeping with the shallow rebelliousness of the time.

Perhaps the then recent tragedy at Altamont explains why the gang's antics in Psychomania are relatively toothless (most murders are committed off screen with the most shocking bit involving a baby carriage) or simply a British sensibility that makes even the most ridiculous premise oddly endearing. Tom is an especially ironic figure, rebelling against a life of privilege, with no excuse for his bad attitude besides boredom. In that respect, Don Sharp's film has more in common with the Angry Young Man films of the British New Wave than it does with The Living Dead at Manchester Morgue.

But it's all the genre blending that makes Psychomania so much damn fun. After a rather tedious set-up providing clues about Tom's mysterious family history, the film rides full throttle into montage of hilarious suicide attempts as each member of the gang agrees to "pass over." The sequence is undoubtedly Psychomania's crowning achievement, but it goes along with some superb stunt driving and a quirky momentum that'll have you leaning into every curve. The finale relies on some wonky optical effects that seem out of place; but if you've come along for the ride this far, there's no getting off now!

Arrow Video gathers the best of Severin's old out-of-print DVD edition and makes it better, starting with a new hi-def transfer created from original 35mm black and white separation masters (the restoration process is detailed in the extras). There's still a healthy amount of natural grain to the image, but colors are beautifully intense. Most of the previous extras are ported over (Riding Free, an interview with singer Harvey Andrews, Sound of Psychomania, an interview with composer John Cameron and Return of the Living Dead, a featurette with comments from most of the cast) along with new perks like Hell for Leather, which focuses on the costumes, and a new interview with star Nicky Henson who has a wealth of good production stories. All that plus trailers, a reversible sleeve and liner notes.