Episode 55 – George Sanders’ PSYCHOMANIA aka THE DEATH WHEELERS w/guest Laura Burkhalter
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Fade Out covers yet another person I didn’t know I knew, and introduces me to another quirky and bizarre film. Is it horror? Comedy? Both? All that really matters is, it’s an experience! The Living Dead were unique before they came back as the undead. Amiable Psychomaniacs who love easy listening guitar music, rabblerousing and homicide. Oh, and frogs. Can’t forget the frogs. Psychomania is now linked to The Maze and Ninja in the Killing Field for completely unexpected frogs.
I was surprised how much the movie avoided showing the Living Dead committing the murders, usually only showing us the aftermath. Except for running over a baby in its pram! Most of the onscreen deaths are the suicides the bikers commit in order to return as super zombies. I kinda wish the movie had gotten more into exactly how the resurrection works. Does becoming undead also come with a Wolverine (the superhero not the animal) like healing factor? Or does it work like Idle Hands where you come back in the condition you died in? That would be important to know. One guy dives out of a plane without any consideration as to whether or not he’d return as splattered red blob. Also, they can survive gun shots and stab wounds, but if they’re set on fire, do they live as a charred corpse for all eternity? Man would I love to see a remake that addressed those possibilities. Sort of like Death Becomes Her. Suddenly the biker gang is driving a lot slower and safer after they’ve had to duct tape their limbs back on.
Once again I’m grateful to this podcast for bringing another wildly different film to my attention.
As for oddly titled The Internecine Project, it’s an interesting political thriller starring James Coburn. He plays a recently appointed presidential advisor with a lot of skeletons in his closet. He arranges to have his network of spies and underlings kill each other off to keep his past from coming to light. It’s a solid bit of 70s paranoia, but you’re absolutely correct. The title has most likely kept most people from seeing it.
Thanks for listening Matt!
Unfortunately, PSYCHOMANIA does not really address such concerns of the recently deceased. And, yeah, if you have to kill yourself to be revived, why do it in the most painful way possible?
I want to see THE INTERNECINE PROJECT more than it really deserves, I’m sure. I do long for a time when movie studios expected that level of literacy from audiences, though.
I love love love George Sanders so this episode really resonated with me.
He has this ability to be both suave and sinister at the same time. Both grimy but ‘above it all’. It is just so perfectly shown in Rebecca where he is this oily but utterly charming but gross individual.
And as you say, he is able to use that persona in so many movies – Dorian Gray, the Stanwyck memory, even as Shere Khan. I just love it.
It got to the point that I have even tried to do a George Sanders imitation at times … without a lot of success!
I will never ever ever ever be as suave as George Sanders. But I can try to get closer …
Ack, forgot to say, The Falcon movies are played now and then on Saturday mornings on TCM. Definitely worth seeing! So fun!
I don’t think it’s the voice, Anj–I just don’t think you can muster the “God I hate all of humanity” look GS managed to displayed in virtually every movie he appeared in, even the ones where he was the hero! But maybe after a really log shift in the ER?
Thanks for listening!
Great episode! Not to make light of his unfortunate end, but it occurred to me through your discussion that George Sanders may be the Anti-Vincent Price. Both played urbane, sophisticated, droll, often snooty types, and very often with a sinister or outright villainous bent. But Price seemed to relish life with a twinkle in his eye in nearly every role, and Sanders seemed to have nothing but disdain for it.
Sanders would have been pitch-perfect as Lionel Twain in “Murder By Death”.
I just rented this movie this weekend, thanks to listening to this!
The Blu-Ray includes a couple of interviews with star Nicky Henson (along with several other cast members); at one point, Henson tells an anecdote about how the filmmakers decided to save money by not personalizing anyone’s chairs, but before Sanders arrived to film his scenes, they figured that he’d be insulted if his chair didn’t have his name on it, so they rushed to personalize it…but it wound up saying “George SAUNDERS”!
Regarding the name of his character, Shadwell, I’ve encountered that name only one other time: In the Grant Morrison/Steve Yeowell comic “Zenith,” one of the characters is Welsh super-hero Red Dragon, real name Siadwel Rhys (pronounced “Shadwell Reese”).
“Psychomania” also has little treat for fans of vintage Doctor Who: John Levene (“Sergeant Benton” from the Jon Pertwee and early Tom Baker years) appears as an ill-fated constable.