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Back in the early 60s, filmmaker Francis Ford Coppola was taking his first steps as a director, and after directing two "Nudie Cuties" (his very first two works), he began working with legendary producer Roger Corman as an assistant in several tasks such as dialog director, actor and finally working in the sound department of Corman's 1963 film, "The Young Racers". It was while filming this movie in Ireland when Coppola finally convinced Corman to allow him to make his first "legitimate" film: "Dementia 13", a low-budget horror film using the same locations and most of the cast of Corman's movie. Impressed by the script that Coppola and writer Jack Hill devised, gave Coppola free reign over the film and went back to the America, leaving all set for the debut of a man who would become one of the most important directors of the 70s and 80s.

Louise Haloran (Luana Anders) has a problem, her husband John (Peter Read) has died and therefore legally she is unable to claim any inheritance if John's mother dies. In order to retain her part in the testament, Louise decides to make everyone believe that John is still alive and pretending he was sent to New york to work, making him unable to accompany her to the family annual Memorial service they do for John's younger sister Kathleen in Ireland. at her arrival, everything seems to work out fine at first, but John's older brother Richard (WIlliam Campbell) begins to suspect that something is wrong. However, soon this becomes Louise' lesser problem, as something bigger and morbid seems to be going on inside the dark corridors of Harlan's Castle.

"Dementia 13" was written mostly by Coppola in a few days, but after Corman allowed them to continue with the project, Jack Hill helped Coppola to finish the script. The story is basically a mixture of traditional Gothic horror with elements of the slasher sub-genre that was in its early stages during those years ("Dementia 13" shows a lot of influence from Hitchcock's "Psycho"), and while it is indeed a bit messy and contrived at first sight, it does deliver an interesting mystery and good doses of suspense. It's not the most original movie ever (not even for its time), but it's very noticeable that Coppola was not going for the easy route of showing shocks ("lots of sex and violence" as he supposedly promised to Corman) and actually attempts to built a thrilling story of intrigues and madness.

While the plot may not be the film greatest strength, the direction by Coppola is surprisingly very good for a debut as he shows a raw display of the talent that would take him to the top in the future years. Giving a great use to the Irish castle that serves as location to the film, Coppola creates a nice atmosphere of dread and well, dementia, that fills the film with ominous power and gives it a personality of its own. Despite his limited resources (even for Corman's standards), he manages to come up with some good (although sparse) special effects that look impressive when one considers the shoestring budget he had to work with. Of course, "Dementia 13" is not really a great or remarkable film, but it's very good for a first time director and it's also really obvious that this is where Coppola learned many things about his craft.

Overall the cast does an effective job and manage to carry the film without too many problems. Luana Anders as Louise Harlan was probably at the top of her game and really shows that she is more than a pretty face. William Campbell as Richard Haloran is also excellent in his performance, although a little over the top at times. The film's best performances are given by Eithne Dunne and Patrick Magee, who as the unstable Lady Haloran and her Doctor respectively, give the film a dignity and a class uncommon in other similar movies. Magee is easily the highlight of the film, as he transforms what otherwise would be a two-dimensional character into a full fledged character with his charm and enormous talent.

This movie is a quite good example of how the cinema was evolving in the 60s, as the style and overall tone feel very fresh and young; however, those expecting to see another of Coppola's masterpieces in "Dementia 13" will be sorely disappointed. The movie's biggest problem is the somewhat messy script, that not only feels a bit too derivative from "Psycho" in some moments, but it also can become confusing and tedious at times. Fortunately, the cast does a very good job (considering the limitations) in solving this and along with Coppola's original direction literally save the movie from being a failure.

"Dementia 13" has gained a good reputation over the years, and while most of it is probably due to Coppola's later success as a director, it's hard to deny that there is real raw talent in the making of the film. Personally, I think that the best way to appreciate this early Coppola movie is to go without expectations and be willing to enjoy the ride. A very good, albeit flawed, horror movie. 6/10

1st watched 5/31/2003 - 6 out of 10(Dir-Francis Coppola): Good whodunit/horror flick with twists around every corner and old-style scary movie feel. This is the first effort from Francis "Ford" Coppola with probably a shoestring budget with producer Roger Corman also involved. What is done well in this movie is the storytelling and the use of sound/music to keep you on the edge-of-your-seat. For 1963, this movie probably was rather shocking because of it's realisticly violent scenes but the core of the movie is the good story. Coppola shows here that his career in film will be promising and it has been. Good for collectors and for just people who like good horror/mystery movies.

A woman's husband dies of a heart attack shortly before they are to visit his family. She dumps his body into a lake and tells the family that he was called away on business, while she schemes to ensure she collects his inheritance. Her scheming is cut short, however, by the appearance of an ax-wielding killer out for blood.

Of note today as being Francis Ford Coppola's feature film debut, or at least his first credited one. Because it's from a director as accomplished as Coppola, there seems to be more thought put into analyzing Dementia 13 than is necessary. It is exactly what it appears to be: an early slasher film made on a shoestring budget and produced by the master of the cheapie, Roger Corman. It's not a bad movie. It's a little slow at times and the script doesn't always make sense, but it's a perfectly serviceable movie of its type. It has some style that one could point to as a sign of Coppola's yet-to-emerge talent. It also provided the line about "an American girl raised on promises" that was cribbed by Tom Petty for his song "American Girl," which I thought was a neat bit of trivia.

Dementia 13 is Francis Ford Coppola's first flick, his directorial debut. Yeah, that's right. The man that brought you Apocalypse Now and The Godfather worked first in horror. And worked well I might add. Under the producing eye of Roger Corman, this is one of the earlier additions to the slasher genre, and it's not bad. A few flaws keep this one from being a black and white masterpiece. My biggest peeve with the film is the fact that it's not real hard to see who the killer is. They should have done a better job of masking his face. There are a few priceless scenes though. The radio being tossed into the water, and the muffling of the music is quite cool. I love the part where the killer is dragging the girl's body by the wrist, it's rather wicked. It also has perhaps one of the earliest decapitations. Patrick Magee is fabulous as the aristocratic doctor. This hard to find gem is worth looking for, especially for old school horror fans.

******SPOILERS****** Early 1960's collaboration of director Francis Ford Coppala and film producer Roger Corman of a horror story set in and around Ireland's Haloran Castle. The movie has really two stories that intersect each other halfway into the movie which sets off a series of brutal ax murders which for the time, the early 1960's, are as graphic as anything seen in films back in those days.

John Haloran, Peter Reed, dies of a sudden heart attack, which seemed self-induced, rowing a boat with his wife Louise, Luana Anders, on board one night. Getting nothing from John's estate if he dies before she does which was stated in John's will Louise frantically tries to hide John's body by throwing him overboard into the lake. Louise ties an anchor to his waist to keep John from floating to the surface and being discovered.

Back home Louise writes a letter attributing it to John stating that he's gone on an urgent business trip to New York and may not be back for some time. Louise then plans to talk John's emotionally unstable mother Lady Haloran, Eithne Dunne, into re-writing the will and include her in it with or without the survival of her husband. The next day John's older brother Richard, William Campball, is set to see his fiancée Kane, Mary Mitchel, who's arriving from the USA to meet Richard's family in Ireland. When Kane is picked up by Richard's younger brother William, Brent Patton, at the airport William tells Kane that tomorrow is the seventh anniversary of their 13 year-old sister Kathleen's, Barbara Downing, tragic death and the family is having it's annual ceremony to commemorate it.

Louise knowing how much Lady Haloran misses her beloved daughter Kathleen tries to manipulate her by trying to prove to her that she's somehow in touch with the dead Kathleen through communications with her from the "other side". This is to get her to like Louise, who Lady Haloran despises, and get her to change the will that she wrote up that left Louise out in the cold if her husband dies in terms of his inheritance. Trying to convince Lady Haloran that she's really in communication with her daughter Louise tries to stage an event by taking some toys from Kathleen's room and planting them at the bottom of the pound where she drowned seven years ago.Louise plans at the right moment to have the toys rise to the surface in Lady Haloran presence to prove, to Lady Haloran, that she's telling her the truth.

What Louise doesn't know, by reviving suppressed memories of Kathleen's death, is that she set off and put into motion the person who was responsible for it to commit a number of bloody ax murders with Louise being his first victim.

Despite a shoe string budget and a unknown cast "Dementia 13" is a pretty effective Horror/Mystery movie.The murderer is more or less reviled almost at the beginning of the film but in such a way to make you not realize it. In a good attempt of misdirection by Francis Ford Coppala the audience is made to look somewhere or at someone else in the movie which keeps you guessing who the killer is until the very end. Coppala's use of striking black and white photography as well as the effective use of sounds and shadows greatly adds to the suspense as well as creepiness of the movie.

In Ireland, the greedy American Louise (Luana Anders) is disappointed with the will of her mother-in-law Lady Haloran (Ethne Dunne) on the eve of Kathleen's seventh memorial ceremony. While rowing a small boat during the night in the pond of the Haloran Castle with Louise, John Haloran (Peter Read) has a fatal heart attack. Louise is aware that she will not receive the share of the inheritance if the death of John is discovered, so she dumps his body in the pond. Then she forges a farewell letter from John to his mother telling that he needs to go back to New York, and she separates some clothes in John's suitcase to simulate his travel. Louise succeeds to convince Lady Haloran and her sons Richard (William Campbell) and Billy (Bart Patton) about John's urgent business trip. Later she talks to Billy about the spooky old castle and Billy tells that the place is haunted by his sister Kathleen, who drowned in the pond many years ago driving his mother to the edge. On the next morning, Richard's American fiancée Kane (Mary Mitchel) arrives for the family's reunion and the Machiavellian Louise approaches to Lady Haloran showing sympathy for her feelings for Kathleen. During the night, Louise goes to Kathleen's bedroom and gets some toys; then she dives in the pond to prepare a prank to lure Lady Haloran. When she returns, she is attacked by a man with a machete and dies; when she is not found in the castle, the family believes she has traveled without saying goodbye. Later, Lady Haloran's doctor Justin Caleb (Patrick Magee) decides to investigate the small lake and the mystery about the Haloran Castle, disclosing a hidden secret in the dysfunctional family.

It is curious to see "Dementia 13" in 2009, and the greatest attraction is the name of the director and writer Francis Coppola (without the Ford) in one of his earliest works. Produced by Roger Corman, the King of the B-Movies (especially in the 60's), this black-and-white feature has an abrupt beginning without any previous development of characters or situation. Then the flawed and predictable story of dementia and family curse visibly follows the style of Alfred Hitchcock. I found in IMDb that the original title would be "Dementia"; however, it was added a "13" since there is a 1955 movie with the same title. My vote is five.

Title (Brazil): "Demência 13" ("Dementia 13")

Thrilling and nail-biting movie with eerie frames , tension, violence and amazing but predictable finale . From start to finish the dark atmosphere , sinister happenings , twists and turns are continuous . It deals with a peculiar family , whose anniversary of Kathleen Haloran's death is approaching , due to she died drowning in the pond on the family estate. Since then, her mummy has had a maniacal obsession with Kathleen's record , and considered the estate to a charity in Kathleen's name . This doesn't sit well with ambitious wife , Louise Haloran, who thinks her mother-in-law is nutty . Along the way, a killer on loose carries out an extreme slaughter . You Must Pass the "D-13" Test To Prepare You for the Horrifying Experience of Dementia 13. If You Fail the Test...You Will Be Asked to Leave the Theater! Pretense is not acceptable at Haloran Castle! Are you afraid of death by drowning? Have you ever attempted suicide? Have you ever thought of committing murder? A Brand New Concept in Motion Picture Shock! A Thrilling New Creation of Terror Thru Sight and Sound, Filmed Entirely in the Shock-Packed Process of Dementia 13!

This Most Terrifying Screen Experience Of Your Life turns out to be an acceptable horror movie with chills , thrills , ghastly deeds and naive special effects and nowadays , considered to be an underground classic. An eerie thriller , set in a creepy castle , it's an early Coppola movie about the members of an Irish family who are being offed by an axe killer one by one . The classy plot about a criminally insane man executing a criminal spree with unexpected consequences , while scaring the people living in the isolated mansion . Terrifying and scary horror movie really influenced by Hammer Films , in which a serial killer causing chaos , destruction and a lot of killings . As the main question of the movie is : Which One Is The Killer?. It displays a confusing plot at times, dealing with non-sense murders and a wished inheritance .The spooky images are wide-ranging , including as follows : gory images , disfigured people , severed heads , slashing , beheading , among others . Not great , but well done terror thriller with mysterious events , some horrifying suspense and slick scene changes . Stars a nice cast giving nice interpretations , such as : William Campbell, Luana Anders, Mary Mitchel and Patrick Magee .

This film was produced in low budget by prolific Roger Corman , being compellingly made by one of the best filmmakers , Francis Ford Coppola , who wrote as well , along with Jack Hill , though it has some flaws and gaps . This director has made great films as "The Conversation", "Apocalypse Now" , "Outsiders", "Rumble Fish" , "Gardens of Stone", and of course "The Godfather" saga and that is deemed to be one of the best ones . A cult above average movie for fans of this great filmmaker Coppola . Essential and fundamental watching for Francis Ford Coppola enthusiasts and completists . Rating : Acceptable and passable 6/10.

After the sudden death of her husband, an American woman (Luana Anders) keeps it secret and tries to ingratiate herself to the matriarch at the family manor in Ireland in order to extort part of the inheritance. But there's a dark pall over the family after an accidental drowning seven years earlier, not to mention the specter of a psycho with an axe! William Campbell plays the strange brother and Mary Mitchel his fiancée.

Shot in B&W, "Dementia 13" (1963), aka "The Haunted and the Hunted," was the theatrical debut for writer/director Francis Ford Coppola after producer Roger Corman offered him to do a low-budget imitation of "Psycho" (1960) in Ireland with funds left over from his movie "The Young Racers," on which Coppola worked as a sound technician. Actually, this wasn't technically Coppola's first film as he did eleven days shooting of Corman's superior "The Terror" in Big Sur, California.

The story and setting are very different from "Psycho" and its sister English film "Horror Hotel" (aka "The City of the Dead"), which was produced/released at the same time as "Psycho," although it wasn't released in America until two years later. Nevertheless, "Dementia 13" is cut from the same B&W horror cloth and shares an infamous plot twist that originated with those two films. Like "Psycho," there's a psycho madman, although he prefers an axe to a butcher knife.

Unfortunately, "Dementia 13" isn't great like "Psycho" or formidable like "Horror Hotel," mainly because the story is sorta befuddling (like the two bodies of water that aren't properly differentiated), although most everything's explained at the end. There's a good gothic ambiance, but the bewildering storytelling prevents the flick from taking off. And Luana Anders, while okay, is second rate compared to the breathtaking Venetia Stevenson in "Horror Hotel" and Janet Leigh in "Psycho."

Corman wasn't happy with what Coppola brought home to California. He (rightly) insisted that certain scenes needed simplified and that more violence was necessary, to which Jack Hill was hired to shoot the additional poacher scenes. A useless prologue was also tacked on to beef-up the runtime, which wasn't featured on the version I watched. If you're familiar with Coppola's later work, like "Youth Without Youth" (2007) and "Twixt" (2011), you know that he has the tendency to overcomplicate scripts. That's the problem with "Dementia 13." Still, it definitely upped the slasher ante and influenced that particular horror genre.

The film runs 1 hour, 15 minutes and was shot in Ireland (Howth Castle, Howth, and Ardmore Studios in Bray). It was remade and improved in color in 2017.

GRADE: C

Being a film buff, and not exclusively a fan of the horror genre, I saw the average rating on imdb and expected a kitchy, amateurish farce-of-a-flick. What it turned out to be caught me absolutely off-guard. The only thing more terrifying than the film itself was the poor overall rating it received on imdb. This is a superb example of a psychological thriller, and certainly the most underrated and underappreciated film of this genre I have ever seen.

Dementia 13 is a fairly simple narrative on the surface, but underneath it is an interweaving story, each branch adding depth and mystery to the story and each branch being a carefully-planned twist of the senses.

My wife, being a huge fan of the genre, especially of films from the 60s, has already encouraged me to watch numerous other films similar in narrative feel, such as "The Innocents" based on The Turn of the Screw by Henry James or "The Haunting" based on the Shirley Jackson story. After seeing so many films, many of which were based on well-crafted stories by famous authors, it astounds me to think that A young Francis Coppola not only directed this superb film, but CONCEIVED it and WROTE it as well. The result reads just as well (and even better, in many cases) than many well-crafted novels, itself being a story of an utmost macabre and chilling nature... and the storytelling leaves little to be desired.

Francis Coppola, only 22 at the time, made this film with a miniscule budget of only $20,000 and an extremely rushed shooting schedule. It is no wonder Coppola blossomed into a well-respected, master craftsman of film. And the limited resources all but completely excuse any of the flaws in this film. Looking at the facts about the film and its maker surely must invoke jealously in any artist who realizes what true masters can accomplish at a young age.

Yes, it is true that Dementia 13 takes elements from Hitchcock's Psycho (among other Hitch films), including anticipatory tension, a finely dissonant score, and even several camera shots, but Coppola isn't just mimicking Hitchcock. He's manipulating the very essence of what makes Hitchcock frightening, while adding his own distinct style and flavor to the film.

And it IS genuinely frightening. It implies unspeakable things and it toys with one's mind as one watches it. And when the screen DOES show you something you've been anticipating, (partly in thanks to the demented film score,) expect to be surprised and expect your skin to tingle something fierce. The psychological angle with which Coppola approached Dementia 13 leaves one with the terrible sense that the human mind REALLY IS capable of this kind of demented horror... which, of course, makes the film all the more terrifying and satisfying.

This film is not merely an amateur's flailing attempt. It is the first masterpiece of a blooming genius.

The rating it has on imdb is appallingly low. I can't even begin to wonder what kinds of bad horror films are getting better ratings by people. Maybe more people just need to see this fairly obscure film before it will get its overdue appreciation. 9 out of 10

Francis Ford Coppola, a director who is one of those can go from a streak of great films (Godfather 1 & 2, The Conversation, and Apocalypse Now in the 70's) to a string of lacklusters (some of his 80's work), has his first film credit forty years ago under B-movie god Roger Corman. It tells of the basic elements of a horror story- murder, deception, fright, mystery, sadness, and enjoyment, in telling of a horror tale on an island. The debut writer/director doesn't show much off other than to please the matinee crowds at the time, but there is a certain style and pleasure that comes to watching this film, probably as one to goof on to be sure, but it shows signs of promise here and there. B-

Dementia 13 (AKA: The Haunted/The Hunted) is written and directed by Francis Ford Coppola. It stars William Campbell, Luana Anders, Patrick Magee and Bart Patton. Music is by Ronald Stein and cinematography by Charles Hannawalt.

A Roger Corman produced cheapie, made to give Coppola a leg up the ladder while utilising sets and cast members just used for Corman's The Young Racers, Dementia 13 has somehow gained a reputation as a cult classic. It isn't.

Coppola shows some nice touches at times, throwing in some eerie images (children's toys/underwater shenanigans) to a Gothic castle backdrop, and he is assured when it comes to a violent scene, but the script is laughable, the screenplay ludicrous and away from Magee the acting is weak. Add to that that the mystery element - the who is the mad axe murderer? - is hardly mysterious at all, and it's a pretty turgid movie. And this even after Corman had changes implemented once he viewed Coppola's finished cut, proclaiming it as near unreleasable and hiring Jack Hill to touch it up.

It was always Corman's hope that the film would be a cheap Psycho knock off, and it is, and not a good one at that. Are there signs of great to come from the director? Yes, definitely. But that shouldn't be mistaken as worthy cinema. From blinking corpses to poorly lighted sequences, to kiddie gore effects and the uneven mess of a plot that unfolds once a key character exits the mid-point, the film shows itself as undeserving of the praise heaped on it by some. 5/10

When Alfred Hitchcock's Marion Crane (of "Psycho") stepped into the shower and met her fate, it kicked off a slew of stark, grisly chillers about nutcases, often wielding butcher knives or axes. This entry has the distinction of being one of Coppola's earliest directorial efforts and it is clearly influenced by Hitchcock, though without his budget or seasoned mastery. Anders plays a rather nagging wife who is visiting her husband's ancestral castle with him just in time to "celebrate" the anniversary of his kid sister's funeral. He, his two brothers and his mother gather annually to pay tribute to the little girl who was drowned on the premises years before. One brother (Campbell) is an angry sculptor with an American fiancee (Mitchel.) The other (Patton) is a gentle, sort of shy type. The mother (Dunne) can't get past the death of her daughter and faints on cue each year at the ceremony. Not long into the film, one death sets off a chain of events that unleashes a couple of other ones to where no one at the castle is safe and the audience is often not certain who the mad killer is (though veteran fans of horror/suspense shouldn't have that much trouble figuring it out.) The film is far from perfect, but given the unbelievable budgetary and filming restraints, it does manage to conjure up some creeps and story interest. The only part that really drags is the section involving an overly inquisitive doctor (Magee.) Otherwise, there is creativity in the filming of the deaths and a nice sense of atmosphere throughout (even if almost none of these Irish characters has anything resembling an accent!) There are slicker fright films out there, but this one wins points for accomplishing pretty much with precious little to work with.

Even the director of "The Godfather" and "Apocalypse Now" had to start somewhere and here you have it. This early Coppola, (he wrote it as well as directing), was produced by Roger Corman and was filmed in Ireland. Despite being a cheapo it's quite a smart little horror picture. The acting is mostly terrible despite the presence in the cast of those fine Irish actors Patrick Magee and Eithne Dunne. The leads, shipped from America, were William Campbell and Luana Anders though their names would hardly boost the films box-office appeal so it's left to a fledgling Coppola to jizz things up which he does quite effectively. The creepy black and white photography of Charles Hannawalt also helps.

As one of the few residents of Planet Earth who has not seen Francis Ford Coppola's "big" films ("The Godfather" trilogy, and "Apocalypse Now"), I don't have much of an opinion toward the guy. That being said, "Dementia 13," his 1963 debut, is certainly worthy of cult-classic status. While the story isn't really anything new (family gathered at isolated castle where a daughter drowned years ago; mother is dying; gold-digger looking to alter the will; ax murderer wandering in the shadows), it is handled quite well by young Coppola, who builds a genuinely creepy atmosphere of dread (imagine "Carnival of Souls" with gore) and manages to keep the somewhat predictable story interesting through some good performances (Patrick Magee, from "A Clockwork Orange" and Fulci's "The Black Cat," is always fun to watch). "Dementia 13" stands with other eerie classics of the early-'60s like "Carnival of Souls" and Curtis Harrington's "Night Tide" as a reminder of what can be achieved through things as simple as lighting, location, and story. The film also bears some uncanny similarities to the Gothic horrors of Mario Bava (old castles, dark corridors, carefully rationed violence) and the 'gialli' that flooded the Italian film market during the 1970s (Dario Argento's "Deep Red" contains the same fetish for childhood trauma and toys/dolls displayed here), not to mention John Carpenter's "Halloween," with Magee's psychiatrist acting as a forerunner to Donald Pleasance's obsessed Dr. Loomis. While "Dementia 13" may have the look of a forgettable low-budget film, there's really more going on than meets the eye--it's essential viewing for horror fans.

This early Coppola movie was a surprise. I was expecting a haunted house story, but this is more along the lines of Psycho (hence the title?). The opening scene is simultaneously moody and comical and easily the most memorable part of the movie. The story here is pretty morbid, with a family gathering at their castle for the yearly memorial of their dead little sister. Louise (Luanna Anders) married into the family and could care less. She just wants to get written into the matriarch's will (oh, and get the matriarch offed!) so she can get her hands on some cash. Anders is perfect at playing cold and conniving and her nasty character is classic. The score is pretty effective in parts, but gets a little over-the-top and repetitive at times. The main problem with this film is it is way too short and ends very suddenly. It was filmed on a miniscule budget, apparently using the set of another movie during the hours it wasn't shooting, so that might have something to do with this. The first half is darkly amusing and atmospheric, but the second half is just violent post-Psycho exploitation with little payoff. My Rating: 6/10

Even though this film is considered quite bad it is still overrated... Perhaps this is because many film fans cannot comprehend that a director of Francis Ford Coppola's stature could produce such a rubbish film. No doubt if this film was made by an unknown person people would see it for what it truly is... a poor attempt to imitate Hithcock type suspense.

Set in Ireland, the film stays true to all the American stereotypical images of the country. So much so in fact that you half expect a Leprechaun to rush across the screen at any moment looking for a crock of gold. The doomed upper-class family all have distinct American/ English accents while the "normal" Irish have a country brogue and are portrayed as being rather dimwitted peasants... Apparently the O'Halloran clan went to school in America and then returned to Ireland, presumably because in the mind of Francis Ford Coppola, Ireland has no colleges or schools but just thatched cottages, bogs and castles inhabited by Anglo-Americans...

The story line is predictable, tedious, and unrealistic. Most people who watch it can immediately point out the killer the first time the character appears on screen and therefore for the remainder of the film they are simply left waiting for the inevitable unveiling. I have tried to watch this film in full on two occasions, but each time i have fallen into a deep sleep. My advice would be to avoid this film and take a look at another film also made by this director...its a relatively obscure film called the Godfather...it quite good.... This however is bile...

If the young Francis Ford Coppola had went on to have a career more like that of Ed Wood, Jr., instead of his actual career, this film would likely be universally regarded as the overwrought piece of crap that it is. I first saw this film as a college student, and regarded it as one of the most unintendedly hilarious "horror" films I ever saw (along with several of my friends). The viewer should be warned, however, that there are many long, dragging, boring bits in between the moments of unintended humor. The truly remarkable thing about this film is the way it shows the long, LONG progress Coppola made beyond this film later (The Godfather, Part III, nonwithstanding).

SYNOPSIS Classic horror film where past mistakes and mental illness come back to haunt the present, literally.

CONCEPT IN RELATION TO THE VIEWER Cinema history and not much else. A predictable tale of murder, retribution and mystery. When mental illness goes unchecked there can be deadly results.

PROS AND CONS I found this film in the public domain online and downloaded it. I had heard of it before, but never really knew what it was about. After the opening credits I was surprised to see that it was produced by Roger Corman and directed by Francis Ford Coppala (one of his very early films).

While the film starts out in an interesting manner, it quickly becomes a rather simplistic horror film that is straight forward and somewhat predictable. I suppose that this may have been an early attempt at a "thinking man's" horror film, but it is low budget and doesn't really hit its stride in the mental sense.

The acting in the film is a bit stiff and wooden and the dialog / screen writing is not really up to par. One interesting aspect of the film is the rather loud and clunky Foley work. The sound of footsteps and creaking doors is often times overpowering in some scenes and distracts from the action that is going on.

The two best performances in the film are turned in by the wife that drowns her husband in the opening scene and the family doctor that has a rather creepy edge to him. The rest of the cast is just going through the motions.

It is interesting to see where Francis Ford Coppola started, but needless to say, he could only have moved up from here. This might be good to watch on a dark stormy night with your teenage girlfriend, but hopefully you will end up necking on the couch before the final credits roll.