- Actors: Boris Karloff, Catherine Lacey, Elizabeth Ercy, Ian Ogilvy, Victor Henry
- Directors: Michael Reeves
- Writers: Michael Reeves, John Burke, Tom Baker
- Producers: Michael Reeves, Arnold L. Miller, Patrick Curtis, Tony Tenser
- Format: PAL
- Region: Region 2 (This DVD may not be viewable outside Europe. Read more about DVD formats.)
- Number of discs: 1
- Classification: 15
- Studio: Prism Leisure Corporation
- DVD Release Date: 6 Dec 2004
- Run Time: 87 minutes
- Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
- ASIN: B0000AM776
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 62,446 in Film & TV (See Top 100 in Film & TV)
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Reviews
Amazon.co.uk Review
The Sorcerers, the second film directed by the lost "wunderkind" of British cinema Michael Reeves, may not have the scope and visceral impact of his masterpiece, Witchfinder General (1968), but there's enough fierce originality here to show what a tragic loss it was when he died from a drugs overdose aged only 24. The film also shows the effective use he made of minimal resources, working here on a derisory budget of less than £50,000--of which £11,000 went to the film's sole "named" star, Boris Karloff.
Karloff plays an elderly scientist living with his devoted wife in shabby poverty in London, dreaming of the brilliant breakthrough in hypnotic technique that will restore him to fame and fortune. Seeking a guinea-pig, he hits on Mike, a disaffected young man-about-town (Ian Ogilvy, who starred in all three of Reeves' films). But the technique has an unlooked-for side effect--not only can he and his wife make Mike do their bidding, they can vicariously experience everything that he feels. At which point, it turns out that the wife has urges and desires that her husband never suspected.
Karloff, then almost at the end of his long career, brings a melancholy dignity to his role; but the revelation is the veteran actress Catherine Lacey as the seemingly sweet old lady, turning terrifyingly avid and venomous as she realises her power. The portrayal of Swinging London, with its mini-skirted dollybirds thronging nightclubs where the strongest stimulant seems to be Coke rather than coke, has an almost touching innocence, but Reeves invests it with a dream-like quality, extending it into scenes of violent death in labyrinthine dark alleys. By this stage, some ten years after it started, the British horror cycle was winding down in lazy self-parody. Reeves had the exceptional talent and vision to revive it, had he only lived.
On the DVD: The Sorcerers DVD has original trailers for both this film and Witchfinder General (both woefully clumsy); filmographies for Reeves, Karloff and Ogilvy; an "image gallery" (a grab-bag of posters, stills and lobby cards); detailed written production notes by horror-movie expert Kim Newman; and an excellent 25-minute documentary on Reeves, "Blood Beast", dating from 1999. The transfer is letterboxed full-width, with acceptable sound. --Philip Kemp
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
12 of 12 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD
Whilst features of this DVD are basic the film itself is great. In one of very few color films that Boris Karloff stars in he is a hypnotist who develops a way of experiencing the sensations of his patients. However his wife gets obsessive and gains more and more control of one of the "guinea pigs" in the trial run of the experiment and leads to the downfall of all three involved. This is a must watch film because it has a gripping storyline and a lot going on at the sidelines. A very good performance from Karloff.
9 of 9 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD
This was the second film of shooting star director Michael Reeve. Not as stylish or deft as Witchfinder General ( also staring Ian Ogilvy), it has a very interested premise, though hurt by inferior film quality. Karloff, in one of his final performances, gives an excellent portrayal of an ageing scientist that ruined his reputation with his advanced ideas. Now living in poverty with his wife, they are barely getting by.
He picks up Ogilvy, out look for kicks, and brainwashes him so he now is the tool of the two elderly people. Boris is working to achieve a mind-sharing, so older people can enjoy travelling and do all the things they could not. His wife is bitter by their years of poverty, and sees this as a chance to get things she could before and talks Karloff into using Ogilvy to steal a mink stole. What she finds in the mind sharing is more exhilarating. She drinks in the power of being able to do anything she wants. As her control grows, she pushing Ogilvy into killing, just to feel the rush. Only Karloff can stop her.
It is a well acted, interesting premise, worth collecting for Karloff fans, Ogilvy fans or fans of the short works of Michael Reeves.
7 of 8 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD|Amazon Verified Purchase
"The Sorcerers" is the tale of an elderley couple who construct a machine by which they can access the sensations of younger people, and through controlling their victim, relive their youth. They seduce a young man back to their home and through him begin to experiment with an ever-darkening range of activities.
This is top stuff, worthy of an Avengers or Man From UNCLE scenario. The acting is excellent, of a way higher standard than you'll get in a modern horror, with the elderly wife particularly good as she becomes seduced by an almost demonic lust for macabre thrills.
Made in the '60s, the whole backdrop (and its music) is excellent too, with many scenes set in a mod club where the victim (Ian Ogilvy, later "The Saint") hangs out with his friends looking for new experiences and highs.
A thoroughly recommended piece of '60s horror, with a nice tight story, an atmospheric background and good acting.
This is top stuff, worthy of an Avengers or Man From UNCLE scenario. The acting is excellent, of a way higher standard than you'll get in a modern horror, with the elderly wife particularly good as she becomes seduced by an almost demonic lust for macabre thrills.
Made in the '60s, the whole backdrop (and its music) is excellent too, with many scenes set in a mod club where the victim (Ian Ogilvy, later "The Saint") hangs out with his friends looking for new experiences and highs.
A thoroughly recommended piece of '60s horror, with a nice tight story, an atmospheric background and good acting.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
the sorcerers
this version is in Italian with no subtitles. great performances from all ~ especially an elderly Mr. Karloff.
Published 19 months ago by Mr. D. Perrin
Reeves 60's psycho horror
Michael Reeves 2nd feature film (after "Revenge of the blood beast" and prior to "Witchfinder general", his last) is a good one. Read more
Published 22 months ago by jimbob
Food for thought indeed!!
A somewhat late movie in the career of Boris Karloff, and so it's really actress Catherine Lacey (best-remembered for her role as the heroic Nun in 'The Lady Vanishes' - 1938)... Read more
Published on 11 April 2010 by FAMOUS NAME
Security and Contamination
The Sorcerers was Michael Reeves's second film, but his first for Tony Tenser's Tigon productions. Popularly classed as a horror film, it transcends the barriers of such a... Read more
Published on 27 Oct 2008 by Princes Spider
Karloff + Michael Reeves = One Fascinating Low Budget film..
I first saw this movie at a drive-in back in 1971 along with several other features which I don't recall. Read more
Published on 8 Aug 2006 by Chip Kaufmann
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