This film is famous for being the directorial debut of Francis Ford Coppola, but it's more than that. No, really!The film starts when a greedy widow covers up her husband's death in order to get his share of his rich mother's inheritance. During the course of her scheme she visits her husband's relatives in the family's castle. There she learns of their dark past, and finds more than she bargains for!It sounds like a mystery, and, well, it is... but it's also a proto- slasher horror film, with gore that won't impress today's fans, but the gore isn't the point: The film owes much of its terror from its setting, its imagery, and surreal circumstances that have a tint of something otherworldly. From the sinister castle, with dark hallways, to the dead autumn plant life, daylight scenes that look like sunsets, and night scenes that are competently dark (a rarity at that time), the creepy music and some of the downright ghoulish scenes later on in the film, and you have a movie that looks scary without any unnecessary fog or smoke. The eerie music, crackling sound and even the contrasting tone on the grain of the film make it seem even more supernatural and horrifying at times. As a low-budget black and white film from this era, there are mistakes, to be sure (and a few are quite painfully obvious). But the expert camera work, scene layouts, creepy sets, more than make up for it.Now, I'm going to make some complaints, and they might sound harsh, but really, but really they're just minor nitpicks in what is a truly enjoyable film. First, you're going to see the murderer's identity from a million miles away. If it's not obvious to you in the first half hour, I would be surprised. Second, for a film that purports to take place in Ireland, there is a distinct dearth of Irish accents (and the ones that are there are not believable). Third, there are some technical flaws in the film, but outside of one painfully obvious errant boom mic they can be overlooked for the most part. Some of the actors are terrific (of particular note is Luana Anders as Louise, and Patrick Magee doing his usual sinister shtick as Dr. Caleb), but some of them are well... terrible (Mary Mitchell takes the role of the whiny, shrieking Kane, who is this film's innocent lamb, but still very unlikable). In some films these flaws would undo everything, but in this film they're just 'flavor.'In conclusion, if you like movies that can terrify you with what you don't see, as well as what you do, be sure to watch it!

The legend behind DEMENTIA 13 is well known among movie and horror film fans. Roger Corman tells Francis Ford Coppola, who was working for him at the time, that if he can make a movie in a week's time with funds left from his latest film and the location where another of his films was shooting (the week due to the contract with that location ending) he would give him a shot. Coppola jumps at the chance, makes this movie and the two have an argument of it being not quite what Corman wanted. Corman brings in Jack Hill for a few additional sequences and the end result is the movie, Coppola's first credited "legitimate" movie.The movie went on to play the drive-in circuit under several titles and later become a staple of horror host shows across the country, even more so when it became a public domain title. With their hold on most of their titles it's odd that AIP (American International Pictures) didn't hold on to this title as well. Because of this it has turned into another of those movies found in countless horror DVD packages using an almost always low quality print. That all changes with the release from The Film Detective of the movie on blu-ray. As with several titles I've now watched from the company they've done a great job of finding the optimal print and transferring it with loving care to offer perhaps the best edition of the film available.If you've never seen the film it begins with a gold digging wife named Louise whose husband John dies while rowing a boat near the family estate in Ireland. Rather than reveal his death and losing out on any chance of the family inheritance she dumps the body and rows ashore. She joins the family and tells them her husband had to go back to New York on business and thus begins a weekend that is unusual to say the least.Mother, Lady Haloran, is a patriarch who rules the roost. Each year she gathers together the other family members in a remembrance of the loss of her only daughter some years ago. Still grieving Kathleen her three sons all return and they repeat the funeral process always ending in her collapsing at graveside. This year things are a bit different though.To being with there is Louise, the wife with the intent of doing all she can to get in her mother-in-law's good graces and lay claim to her share of the inheritance to come. There is the youngest brother Billy, tormented by something that happened in the past that we aren't made privy to at first. Richard (William Campbell) is the oldest of the brothers, an artist with a fiery temper. And there is Kane, the young American fiancé of Richard who loves him with all her heart and is adapting to the ways of this less than normal family.As Louise sets about a plot to convince Lady Haloran that Kathleen is trying to contact her from the grave the rest of the family just tries to get through the weekend. When Lady Haloran collapses after thinking she's seen proof of Kathleen local doctor Justin Caleb (Patrick Magee) is called in to care for her. Justin has his suspicions that something is amiss but he's not quite sure what and stays the weekend as well. The film takes a Hitchcockian twist when our main protagonist is murdered by an axe wielding maniac, something Corman was going for when he handed Coppola the reigns on the picture. We're left to discover just who the killer is as another victim falls to the axe. Is it a brother, the fiancé, the doctor or the mother? For the budget being as low as it was this is a great horror flick with a ton of atmosphere. The use of black and white photography actually adds to the feeling here rather than damage it. The use of the pond where many of the strange occurrences take place is also well done with select images that will stick with you long after the film ends. I know some of these have remained with me from the time I was a child and saw the film one late night as shown by my local horror host of the time. While it may seem quaint to younger viewers today it was quite chilling at the time.As I stated earlier The Film Detective has done a great job with this release. Keeping in mind the vast number of prints of this film in circulation it is great to see a comprehensive edition made of the best quality prints possible and on blu-ray. Once more the company is less about extras and more about the actual film itself and for me that works fine. The best part is that we now have access to a decent edition of the film to be watched over and over again, preferably with the lights out.

"Dementia 13" is a nice little story a black and white gem of revenge and payback. This tale also involves themes of lust, greed, and nightmares for a 1960's film it's themes were full on the plate. Anyway after a woman's husband has a heart attack she still makes a trip to his family's Irish castle. And soon she learns from the family that this castle carries a deadly secret. As an axe killer runs amuck thru the castle killing one by one and this will come to light as being connected to the death of the family's youngest daughter! Also this was directed by the legendary Francis Ford Coppola one of his early and perhaps first works.

The movie is better than what some of the critics have to say about it. The film is definitely dark, creepy and demented. The morbidity is vivid in this overall dreary setting and story.Which one is the killer? This is the question on the film's poster. It's fun to play a guessing game when watching this movie. Hint: everyone is a bit off their rocker in this movie but there is only one killer. The flick is worth watching to find out the answer if you like mystery-horror stories.This is good "dark and stormy night" type of movie! You will not want to miss anything in this film so have everything ready before you start the film.8.5/10