"Demons of the Mind," a 1972 Hammer film, manages to capture some familiar strengths of that studio’s horror output – a striking Gothic atmosphere, serious storytelling, lovely women on screen, and solid production values. The character of Falkenberg, portrayed by Patrick Magee, draws inspiration from Franz Mesmer and his theories about "animal magnetism," which later became known as mesmerism. The film centers ar…

A history of instability seems to run within the family line. A disturbed nobleman confines his children to their ancestral home, worried they might develop a hereditary condition—madness! This is among Hammer Films’ most polarizing works; some consider it a Gothic horror piece with artistic qualities, while others dismiss it as self-important nonsense. What's clear is that it’s an imaginative and daring film, …