The Sorcerers (1967)

I have always championed this film, partly because it was always so underrated and also because of the wonderful and poignant performance from Boris Karloff very near the end of his amazing career. Watching it again in crystal clear Blu-ray, it struck me it was a little too clear. I remember the film being bold and violent with daring suggestions as to what really excites people but I was surprised to find it quite so grubby this time around. Karloff is masterful, even if he has to spend half the movie on the floor (partly because of actual walking difficulty by this time). Ian Ogilvy is perfect as the young man who becomes the vehicle for the elderly couples violent fantasies. Well, those of the wife, anyway, played all too well by Catherine Lacey who is really scary here and possible candidate for scariest woman in a horror film? The grubbiness even extends to the naming of the antique shop, ostensibly run by Ogilvy, as The Glory Hole! Michael Reeves would make Witchfinder General the following year but this is just as good as the more famous film and even more uncomfortable to watch.

Yes indeed, the Swinging Sixties were sexy, years before life-threatening STDs, political correctness and exploitative commercialism ruined it all. And pop music was great too, before it was compromised by self-indulgent overproduction and that same rampant commercialism.Ian Ogilvy (much cooler than David Hemmings as a prematurely jaded hipster) and the luscious Euro-babe Elizabeth Ercy make appealing leads, and get to strip down to their undies for a furtive swim that is simultaneously erotic and innocent, like Weissmuller and O'Sullivan before them. She also gets to wear a knockout peekaboo mesh outfit later on. A teenage Susan George shows off her bedroom eyes and flashes her yellow panties to great effect in the film's most effective thrill scene. And pouty-lipped Sally Sheridan (mom of Nicolette) coolly lip-syncs to a great garage tune (actually sung by a wonderfully brassy Toni Daly), with the low-angle camera appreciating how she sports her clingy chiffon mini-dress. Check out all those turned-on necking couples in the background. (By the way, I think Karloff is in the film, too.) It all brings to mind Mimsy Farmer's outrageously provocative LSD-fuelled dance in "Riot on Sunset Strip", Jane Asher's sultry seductiveness in "Deep End", and all those whacked-out Sergio Martino giallos.

Psychedelia, the Generation Gap, Mind Control, Serial Killer, and London's Swinging Sixties are Some of the Many Elements Explored in this Low-Budget, Artsy Film. One of Only a Few Directed by the Talented Michael Reeves Before His Accidental Overdose at the Age of 25.Boris Karloff was One of those Iconic Actors Willing to Work Until the Very End Like Lionel Barrymore and Vincent Price. He, a True Professional, Always Did What He Could with the Material and was Happy to Contribute as Well as Take Directorial Orders. This One, Along with Targets (1968) and The Raven (1963) were the Best of His Geezer Period.The Film is an Intense and Always Engaging Story of a Bored Young Adult, Ian Ogilvy in a Very Good Performance, Accepting an Invitation to "Experiment" with, Not LSD, but Electronic Hypnosis Brought On by Light and Sound Vibrations. The Scene When He is "Dosed" is a Window Into the Psychedelic Experience of Melting Colors and Wild Images.Katherine Lacy as Karloff's Insane Wife Adds Some Creepy Stuff as She Controls the "Patient". This is a Deep Movie Beneath the Surface and Provides More Philosophy and Intelligence than the Standard Horror/Sci-Fi Stuff of the Era. It is Not Only Literally Cerebral but Violent and Nasty and the Movie has an Ominous Tone that is Disturbing.A Must See for Fans of Cult Movies, the Sixties, Horror/Sci-Fi, and B-Movies. This Could be Called and Experimental Film and Fits Right In to the Changing Face of Cinema Starting in the Mid-Sixties.

There will be inevitable comparisons to The Sorcerers and Witchfinder General(from the same director), from personal opinion Witchfinder General is the better film, technically and dramatically but The Sorcerers is the more entertaining one, Witchfinder is very shocking even now(easy to see why it was banned at the time) and while both have great atmosphere The Sorcerers a little more so. The Sorcerers is not the perfect film, but you don't really expect that, the first 10 minutes did come across as gaudy and trashy which will put put anybody off, while Estelle's descent into madness could have taken longer to develop and been less abrupt and the script-while mostly solid- can have a tendency to be turgid and overly silly. The Sorcerers is decently shot and the evocation of the 60s hippie era is effective and accurate. There is a great soundtrack, and the atmosphere is both fun and creepy. The story can have some dull spots but has a good sense of terror, suspense and thrills. Michael Reeves, who died tragically far too early, directs assuredly, while the acting is good by all. Ian Ogilvy, Victor Henry and Susan George hardly disgrace themselves in support, but they are outshone by both Boris Karloff and especially Catherine Lacey. Karloff is very dignified, menacing and adroit, even when not as active and towards the end of his career he still has what made him a good actor in the first place. Lacey overdoes it a tad at times but that doesn't matter at all when she is such fun to watch and is as scary as she is. In conclusion, atmospheric and entertaining, the first 10 minutes are a turn-off but if you stay with it you'll find a film, even with its imperfections, that is much better than it's given credit for. 7/10 Bethany Cox