[BD Review] ‘The Sorcerers’ is a Forgotten Classic

Movies
Posted by David Harley on November 08, 2012 @ 2:20pm
Category: Movies / Reviews

Review by Steve Urena

Have you ever wondered what it would be like to occupy the brain of another human being and feel the thoughts, emotions, and senses, of that person? Would you make that person do things you have always wanted to do without any consequences? If so then The Sorcerers is a horror movie that would definitely pique your curiosity. Starring the legendary Boris Karloff, The Sorcerers dives into the subject of hypnotism and the animalistic nature that comes out of people that have access to great power.

The movie begins with a first look at the washed up and disgraced hypnotist Marcus Monserrat (Karloff). Monserrat and his elderly wife Estelle (Catherine Lacey) live in London and have seen better days. Both are ailing physically and are living their final days in poverty. The couple is uninterested with life as they have lost their willingness to live. The couple makes small talk with one another, but it is evident that they are bored. Monserrat makes one last ditch effort to save the marriage and their lives by creating a machine that places both Marcus and Estelle into the brain of an also bored to death youngster Mike Roscoe (Ian Oglevy).

Once the couple is linked to Mike, they get to feel his every thought, feeling, and sensation. It becomes like a drug to the couple who get to relive their youth through Mike. Shortly thereafter, they learn that with great concentration, they can also control Mike and his every move as well. This leads to the thrills being even bigger. They force Mike to speed on his motorcycle at breakneck speeds and get him to kill another human being. Once the kill is completed, Estelle gets a taste for murder and begins to go on a spree of her own. Marcus tries to stop her but is thwarted by his significant other. The spree continues and Estelle becomes a true force to be reckoned with, killing young girls in Mike’s life. Marcus finally gets a hold of the mental link and ends the movie by making Mike crash his car, ending the movie and the murderous rampage of Estelle.

This movie is another forgotten classic and should be seen by horror aficionados and Boris Karloff fans. Catherine Lacey’s role as Estelle is awesome and she does a great job of portraying her role as a power hungry wife with nothing to lose. The themes of voyeurism, isolation, and the true nature of people is an excellent way to tell this story. I recommend this movie to others and hope people take the time to look for it and check it out.