October 8

#4 out of 13

A few months ago, I came across a film called Dementia 13, which interested me. I wanted to save it for the October 13, so I emailed myself the name of the film to remember it.

I added it to the list for The October 13 and chose to watch it tonight. As the opening credits were running, I spotted something that I did not know. This film was written and directed by Francis Ford Coppola. In fact, this was Coppola’s feature film debut. It was intended to be a low-budget film similar to Psycho, and the film would be produced by Roger Corman. I did not know about Coppola’s involvement at the time I emailed myself, but it was a welcome addition.

According to IMDB, “Ax murders follow a heart attack at an Irish castle full of mourners.” This is a fairly simplistic synopsis of the film, which had some decent and unexpected twists in it. The ending was predictable as I kept waiting for a bigger surprise to happen. One that never did arrive.

The film had some good ambiance. It was creepy and filmed well int he style of a gothic horror. You could certainly see what Coppola may have in his future with the directing of this film.

Actors appearing in the film included William Campbell, Luana Anders, Mary Mitchel, Bart Patton, Patrick Magee, Eithne Dunne, Karl Schanzer, and Derry O’Donovan.

You could tell this film was older and not as cleanly preserved as some other 1960s film, but it was still a decent watch, and I am glad to have seen the historic first film directed by an all-timer.