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Dementia/Daughter of Horror
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Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1
Audience Rating: Unrated
Binding: DVD
EAN: 0738329018528
Format: Black & White, DVD-Video, NTSC
Label: Kino Video
Languages: English (Original Language),
Manufacturer: Kino Video
MPN: 1852
Number Of Items: 1
Publisher: Kino Video
Region Code: 1
Release Date: October 17, 2000
Running Time: 112 minutes
Studio: Kino Video
Theatrical Release Date: December 22, 1955
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Editorial Review:
Floating somewhere in the netherworld of B-movie exploitation and art house psychodrama, John Parker's ambitious dream film of a schizophrenic's nightmarish existence is nothing if not unique. For years only available in the altered version Daughter of Horror, this unique bit of Freudian horror has been something of a holy grail for cult film buffs. Kino has uncovered the original cut and restored it to near-pristine condition. Shot entirely without dialogue or narration and filled with suggestive violence and psychosexual imagery, it's like a skid row expressionist thriller following the nocturnal prowling of a young woman haunted by homicidal guilt. Parker can't quite match his lofty ambitions with gripping drama, but he makes up for it with sheer audacity, from home-life flashbacks staged among the gravestones of a misty cemetery to the creepy faceless crowds that follow our tortured heroine through the city. Imaginative sets and vivid effects belie its starvation budget and create a strikingly austere urban mindscape and the eerie score by composer George Antheil (with wordless vocals provided by Marni Nixon) sets an unnerving mood. Handsomely shot by William C. Thompson (Ed Wood's regular cinematographer--say what you will, Wood's pictures look good), it's like nothing else from the 1950s.
The DVD also features the alternate version Daughter of Horror, which was released to the drive-in and grind-house circuit and has narration by Ed McMahon. Only a few shots have been excised to please censors, but the cheesy narration delivered with affected doom transforms the entire tone of the piece. Also featured among the supplements is the essay "Dementia: A Case Study," a well-researched and informative production history supplemented by reproductions of original letters, contracts, and industry documents. --Sean Axmaker
Customer Reviews
Average Rating: 
Rating: - Flawed yet fascinating film; DVD has everything you need
Like others, I had read about this film for years, and seen the clips in The Blob, but never actually saw the whole movie until buying this DVD. It's such an anachronism, coming from the early 1950s, that it took a couple of viewings for me to be able to be objective about it. Compared to 99% of movies of its time it's quite avant-garde, from it's lurid content to its circular, dreamlike story structure, its complete lack of dialogue, expressionist use of photography and locations, Freudian symbolism, ... Read More
Rating: - Venice, California never looked so creepy!
I purchased the DVD of DEMENTIA expecting campy fun and came away genuinely moved. DEMENTIA is much more than a bargain-basement horror film; it has those elements to be sure, but it is also a legitimate heir to German Expressionism, from its Freudian psychological symbolism to the chiaroscuro lighting and the stylized gestures of the actors. The film has no dialogue, only sound effects and a music score--not unlike the soundtracks made for late silent-era films such as SUNRISE. The characters are nameless ... Read More
Rating: - Brilliant, surreal film noir
This film is one of the strongest works of dark, horror-tinged surrealist cinema you will ever see, done with a startlingly powerful night-time evocation of the seedy backstreets of Los Angeles. It is the artistic equal of Luis Bunuel, though due to its low-budget exploitation-film origins does not have the respect it immensely deserves. The low budget only serves to improve the disturbing, grimy quality of the desparate lives depicted in its stark story. I have watched this film repeatedly for its ambience ... Read More
Rating:  - Finally, After 45 Years!
After years of poor-condition 16mm prints and blotchy video copies, Kino Video's DEMENTIA/DAUGHTER OF HORROR disc delivers sharp image and sound, for a neglected oddity. DEMENTIA was made in the early 1950's by John Parker. Based on a strange dream experienced by his secretary, Parker tells the story of "the gamine," who wanders the streets of a nightmare town, haunted by fear and guilt. Murder and insanity stalk the back alleys of the surrealist cityscape. Although filmed on a low-budget, DEMENTIA ... Read More
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