Demons of the Mind (1971)

Hammer's Most Terrifying Film !

By Desertdude6  Oct 15, 2001

As stylish, intelligent, and luridly fun as any other work from Hammer Films, Peter Sykes' 'Demons of the Mind' stands alone as a genuinely terrifying entry in the celebrated two decade horror cycle. Full credit for this must be given to screenwrit...er Christopher Wicking, author of AIP/Amicus' muddled yet equally unsettling 'Scream and Scream Again!'. In this claustrophobic and disturbingly psychological tale, Baron Zorn (played well by Robert Hardy) imprisons his teenaged son & daughter (Shane Bryant and Yvone Mitchell), believing them to be possesed, as he did his late wife. The estimable Patrick Magee co-stars as an early model psychotherapist, trying to save the Baron from his own seeping possesions before tragedy strikes again. Though short on physical action, the gripping paranoia of the Baron, the despair of the prisoner children, and the entire production's empty and unlit design combine to produce a film not easily watched alone nor easily forgotten afterwards. A latter day Hammer triumph that stands the test of time. Read more Less