Linda Rodgers is gang-raped while tending to her horses at a boarding stable. Disturbed by the brutal attack, Linda's grip on reality becomes increasingly weakened, propelling her into a psychotic break in which she enacts bloody revenge.This lackluster and tacky "I Spit on Your Grave" knockoff seems to be striving to be a psychological character study, but the script, direction, and performances never really get it to that point. There is little in the way of narrative; the film inexplicably begins virtually in medias res as Linda is raped at a horse stable, and the remainder of the film feels like a series of stitched-together scenes that never propel the plot forward.Uninventive, dry camera-work leaves the film feeling visually bland, which is another major detraction; the least one could hope for is an at least mildly aesthetically pleasing film, but sadly that is not the case. The performances are far from great, although I don't think they are quite as bad as some may have suggested—by eighties low-budget horror standards, they are more or less average. Sallee Young plays the tortured protagonist and is on and off the mark, playing her psychosis scenes in an exaggerated childlike pose; in spite of its imperfections, her performance is weirdly disturbing. Porn star Harry Reems plays her unfaithful husband and is somewhat memorable, while a series of unknown actors play her thug rapists. The conclusion is considerably disturbing, though it also plods along at the same pace as the rest of the picture.Overall, "Demented" is a cheap and tacky effort, and an obvious attempt to capitalize on the rape-and-revenge popularity after "I Spit on Your Grave." It's a technical hodgepodge, marred by lazy cinematography and a weak, single-note script. That said, Young's performance is notably twisted, and the film does attain a dreary and disconcerting atmosphere. It's not a gem, but it's also not quite as terrible as some may lead you to believe. 4/10.

It has been some years since I saw it, but I have never forgotten it and have been searching for it ever since, without success. It had flaws, but then what movie doesn't? I don't much like the flash, noisy, special effects laden dross that gets churned out nowadays but nearly everybody loves it seems.I've seen many revenge movies, such as I Spit on your Grave, Last House on the Left and similar type movies, like House on the Edge of the Park and so many horror movies of that genre that most of them all blur in to one eventually, but this one stuck in my mind. I'm not sure why exactly, but the fact that it stands out above all the others I've seen shows it had something about it that made it just that bit different.I'm sure some would say maybe I just like bad movies, given most of the reviews here, but then how anyone can say House on the Edge of the Park is a good movie is quite beyond me, when in reality it has been mostly instantly forgettable for me, so much the same as so many others of that ilk was it.I really wish Demented would get a good DVD release. After all, so much utter rubbish does, so if a movie that some regard as rubbish gets put onto DVD, well then, that is just another 'rubbish' movie that has been given a DVD release! And some who may never have seen it, can do so, and many will appreciate and like it, I am sure.

I will start off by saying this film is not for everyone. Let's start with the ugly, and that is the acting. Although the main actress was a gorgeous woman her acting chops didn't seem to have the proper emotional punch it should have when it comes to dealing with such a horrific event. It would meander from a dazed ham handed joke about being raped to a child like squeaky 'I'm lonely and I don't want to hurt anymore' For the first half of the movie you wonder where its going because every scene seems strikingly the same as the last.UNTIL...AND HERE COME THE GOOD AND THE SPOILERS!!!!! She gets attacked by some punks one night in her home and really goes off the deep end. I mean its sadistic and cruel but so very pleasing to see some of this trash get whats coming to them. Like a mad scientist done in with their own creation, these jerks get mutilated one at a time! I mean its creepy and ugly, but for my money, I say 'hell yeah'. Really the last third of the film saves it for me because I really wasn't enjoying the monotony of the acting or the situations. I do not recommend this to anyone who has a weak stomach or DOES NOT HAVE a sick sense of irony.

**Possible Spoilers Ahead**You KNOW a film is bad when it's even beneath co-star Harry Reems, who appears here under a pseudonym.Our heroine, Linda, is gang-raped by four masked hoodlums. They go to the slammer and Linda goes to the sanitarium (or "sanatarium" as the filmmakers choose to spell it) before being released to the care of husband Harry Reems. He's usually out philandering so Linda has lots of time to hallucinate and imagine the rapists are in the house with her. This conveniently coincides with home invasions by four neighborhood youths out to terrorize her. She strikes back, many slow and talky reels of film later. The last half hour, for those who make it that far, features castration via piano wire as well as fun with a meat cleaver and a shotgun. Unfortunately you have to sit through some of the worst screen writing and most inane dialog in the meantime. To be blunt, the only reason I made it through was because Sallee Elyse is so well-stacked. It sure wasn't because of her whiny, high-pitched acting-- though in all fairness, she had plenty of help from a mis-director who allowed her to mispronounce other characters' names and alternately screech like a child and bleat like a sheep.If you must watch this mess, there's only one way to do it. Turn the sound off, watch the gang rape and then fast-forward to the final 30 minutes. Then trot out your copy of I SPIT ON YOUR GRAVE or LAST HOUSE ON THE LEFT--now THERE are a couple of "revenge" movies worthy of the name!