The Sorcerers is directed by Michael Reeves who also co-writes the screenplay with Tom Baker from an original idea written by John Burke. It stars Boris Karloff, Ian Ogilvy, Catherine Lacey, Victor Henry and Elizabeth Ercy. Music is by Paul Ferris and cinematography by Stanley A. Long.

When aged scientist Marcus Monserrat (Karloff) tries a new hypnosis machine on bored young man Mike Roscoe (Ogilvy),he and his wife find they can control his actions and experience what he is experiencing. Initially this breakthrough is a rewarding one, but Marcus' wife Estelle (Lacey) wants more and soon things start to get decidedly amoral.

Michael Reeves sadly died of an accidental drug overdose aged just 25, this having crafted the Cruel Britannia brilliance that was Witchfinder General. Prior to that he helmed The Sorcerers, an equally great production, a sci-fi horror fusion that pulses with a pessimistic tone. There's no great budget for the talented young director to work with, but it barely matters, in fact it benefits the film greatly, as the two elders (Karloff wonderful, Lacey magnificent) live vicariously through Roscoe's (Ogilvy fresh faced and perfectly exuding a bored man after further thrills) misadventures. But the kicker here is that it is Karloff's scientist who recognises things are going out of control, and it is he who strives to stop his obsessed wife from committing heinous acts.

Set to the backdrop of swinging sixties London, with mini skirts, Brit pop music and Norton motorbikes firm period reminders, The Sorcerers captures the zeitgeist of the time. Blending psychedelia with sci-fi and amoral horror with wistful yearnings, film comes out as an original piece of work. Thematically, as has been noted by the critics who have afforded this under seen classic some time, it says youth is wasted on the young while also planting us the film viewer in the metaphor chair. If Reeves was being caustic we will never know, sadly, but it does bear thinking about in light of how horror films, and their blood thirsty fans, would evolve come the millennium. Michael Reeves a visionary?

From Lacey bringing one of horror's forgotten monsters to life, to a no cop out ending of pure bleakness, The Sorcerers never lets up on gnawing away at the senses. An original film made by an original director, and deserving of more widespread exposure. 8/10

Prof. Marcus Monserrat (Boris Karloff) is a nice old hypnotist who has been working on a strange experiment. He's found a way to use his powers and some machinery that would allow someone to plug in to another person and experience what that person experiences. His idea is to use it to allow the elderly and infirmed to experience life. An example would be having a young person go on a wonderful vacation and the controller could stay home and have the same experience. However, there's a problem....his wife Estelle (Catherine Lacey). She is not such a nice and selfless person and she wants to use this machinery to control their subject to commit a theft and later have sex. And, she finds the thrill of this exhilarating. Will this be enough? And, if not, what's next? Plus, the Professor is very weak willed...and the further she goes, the more he allows himself to be pulled in with her...to a point. But is his will as strong as hers and just how far is she willing to take her subject?

I like this film because it has a lot to say about human nature...and the worst of it. Estelle turns out to be a truly vile individual...and it's entertaining to watch her. So, instead of a traditional monster, like you'd expect in many Karloff films, she's a supposedly normal person who does monstrous things. While the film glosses over it, it's also interesting because when she uses her subject to have sex, she is experiencing sex as a man with a woman...something rather risqué for the 1960s.

I also like the film because although the budget appears to be minimal, they make the most of it. Good writing, writing and direction can do a lot to make up for this shortcoming. Because of this, I was pleasantly surprised...especially quite a few of Karloff's later films (with a few exceptions, such as "Targets") were pretty bad.

There will be inevitable comparisons to The Sorcerers and Witchfinder General(from the same director),from personal opinion Witchfinder General is the better film, technically and dramatically but The Sorcerers is the more entertaining one, Witchfinder is very shocking even now(easy to see why it was banned at the time) and while both have great atmosphere The Sorcerers a little more so. The Sorcerers is not the perfect film, but you don't really expect that, the first 10 minutes did come across as gaudy and trashy which will put put anybody off, while Estelle's descent into madness could have taken longer to develop and been less abrupt and the script-while mostly solid- can have a tendency to be turgid and overly silly. The Sorcerers is decently shot and the evocation of the 60s hippie era is effective and accurate. There is a great soundtrack, and the atmosphere is both fun and creepy. The story can have some dull spots but has a good sense of terror, suspense and thrills. Michael Reeves, who died tragically far too early, directs assuredly, while the acting is good by all. Ian Ogilvy, Victor Henry and Susan George hardly disgrace themselves in support, but they are outshone by both Boris Karloff and especially Catherine Lacey. Karloff is very dignified, menacing and adroit, even when not as active and towards the end of his career he still has what made him a good actor in the first place. Lacey overdoes it a tad at times but that doesn't matter at all when she is such fun to watch and is as scary as she is. In conclusion, atmospheric and entertaining, the first 10 minutes are a turn-off but if you stay with it you'll find a film, even with its imperfections, that is much better than it's given credit for. 7/10 Bethany Cox