Dementia 13 (1963)

Author: Brett H.
Submitted by: Brett H.   Date : 2011-05-17 00:24
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Written and directed by: Francis Ford Coppola
Starring: Luana Anders, William Campbell, Eithne Dunne, Peter Read & Patrick Magee



Reviewed by: Brett H.






“Castle Haloran is a bit perplexing. A very strange place, really. Old and musty, the kind of place you’d expect a ghost to like to wander around in.”


Having been involved with some of the premiere films of all time, I’ve always wanted to check out the first legitimate feature debut of Francis Ford Coppola. Made with leftover dollars from a Roger Corman cheapie (which gives us a pretty good idea of its budget), Dementia 13 has until now been only available on public domain versions that likely wouldn’t do the film justice. There are certain, sillier b-flicks, The Devil Bat for instance, that don’t necessarily require quality transfers to enjoy, and it’s true that at times the washed out, speckled prints add a distinguishable charm that nostalgic horror fans have both lamented and cherished throughout the years. After enjoying White Zombie considerably in a shoddy Platinum set’s print (I’ve referred to the film as the best 65 some odd cents I’ve ever spent), I figured perhaps the last chunk of gold in the pan left unseen in my adventures of the stingy kind may well be Dementia 13. Thanks to Virgil Films, my public domain double feature with The Killer Shrews will remain in its shrinkwrap as Dementia 13 hits Blu-ray… yes, Blu-ray with a newly restored, widescreen transfer!

Coming to grips with the untimely death of youngest daughter/sibling Kathleen has taken a serious mental toll on the entire Haloran family. Unable to move on with their lives thanks to their broken-hearted mother’s (Eithne Dunne) obsession with her lost little angel, the brothers are constantly having to face the same terrible memories that have plagued them for almost a decade. Making certain to keep Kathleen alive even once she herself can no longer do so, the matriarch has designated in her will to have a big chunk of funds being donated to charity in Kathleen’s name. This doesn’t bode well with Louise (Luana Anders), the gold-digging wife of John Haloran (Peter Read) who has been informed that she won’t be in the will at all if he dies before his mother. Sure enough, ol’ John throws a heart attack before being dumped in the river by the greedy woman who then plans to integrate herself into the nutty family and keep John’s death a secret so she may still get a piece of the pie.

Francis Ford Coppola shows directorial stability from the get-go, though no one could possibly have predicted the unknown who made this Psycho derivation would go onto direct some of the biggest epics in history, not to mention play a pivotal role in preserving many works of art. Dementia 13 is a psychotic, noirish slasher with a rushed screenplay that broke a lot of violence barriers back in 1963. If not for the stomach churning Blood Feast preceding it by a couple months, the chilling, gory axe murders may have been seen as more impacting. Refreshing for a film that’d be just another one of hundreds if not for the now-iconic name attached to it, Dementia 13 is nonetheless a good example of a public domain horror film that just doesn’t sit right when shoved on DVDs alongside crud like The Devil’s Hand. Luckily, it won’t be in that category any longer with the Blu-ray release.

The Halorans aren’t outright deranged (each member has their moments, of course), but the film’s tone is very mysterious, unnerving and disturbing. The walls of their castle stand amidst decades, perhaps centuries of instability and unshakable memories. Not just from the drowning death of Kathleen at such a tender age, but from other memories passed on, like when one brother’s room is in a lonely, far-off part of the castle just shy of the spot where a family member once broke his neck. The family is so depressed and mentally stunned that it almost makes the viewer believe that the walls have never seen a happy day. They have; flashbacks to Kathleen when she was alive are pleasing since the viewer knows just how much these people all cared about her. Juxtaposed against their madness with a creepy-childlike score, what we interpret as happy memories reveal something more sinister. Coppola’s excellent direction in scenes forerunning to the modern slasher are perhaps the film’s greatest accomplishments. The axe murders are pretty brutal and the at times pastel black and white photography renders them all the more effective. They’re not on Carp’s Halloween level, but they’re not too far down.

If you want to experience Dementia 13, there is no better way than the HD Cinema Classics Blu-ray/DVD combo. Available at a budget-friendly price tag, the 16 x 9 video quality is good with all major and minor scratches and blemishes cleared out in the restoration process, but the film’s focus is very soft and concealing, so the extra definition doesn’t stick out like it has in other films. Audio is iffy at best, being showcased in similar 5.1 and 2.0 tracks. A trailer, before/after restoration demo and a nifty little postcard round out the package. It’s unfortunate that Coppola didn’t have more time to smooth out the rough edges in Dementia 13’s script, it is a genuinely engaging and weird, well-photographed little horror film. At the price point of around $10, even those that have it on a public domain disc should look into checking it out in widescreen. Go a little crazy and embrace the Dementia... Rent it!



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