An entirely unique and utterly bizarre film, John J. Parker’s DEMENTIA is a 1950s-style foray into the mind of psycho-sexual madness. Set entirely in a nocturnal twilight zone that blends dream imagery with the cinematic stylings of film noir, DEMENTIA follows the tormented existence of a young woman haunted by the horrors of her youth, which transformed her into a stiletto-wielding, man-hating beatnik. Accompanied by George Antheil’s sci-fi score, the camera follows a “Gamin” (Adrienne Barrett) on a surreal sleepwalk through B-movie hell, populated by prostitutes, pimps, and would-be molesters – all photographed by William Thompson (PLAN 9 FROM OUTER SPACE). Two years after its original release, a narration track of foreboding psychobabble (diabolically spoken by Ed McMahon) was added and the title was changed to the more sensational DAUGHTER OF HORROR. This edition presents the original cut of DEMENTIA, digitally remastered from the 35MM negative, as well as the complete DAUGHTER OF HORROR (from a 35MM print), and the original theatrical trailer.

For thoughts on Dementia, please check out our discussions on The Video Attic:

[youtube https://youtu.be/62niJvBQlxo?t=1560]

Video Quality

Dementia makes its Blu-Ray debut thanks to the Cohen Media Group with a brand new 1080p master from a new restoration. As you can see from the restoration demonstration on this disc, the film has been greatly improved after working with some elements that were in rough shape. Apart from a few minor instances of lesser quality, likely due to these source elements, it is wonderful to see this transfer look so spectacular. The new transfer shows off a great amount of depth and enhanced detail within the shifting production design. Black levels are very deep with no trace of black crush or compression artifacts. The contrast is well defined, and there are only occasional nicks and scratches present in a handful of scenes. The gorgeous black-and-white photography sparkles in high definition with natural grain intact. There is a fantastic amount of detail present with nice textures on the clothing and within the scenery. Cohen Media Group has done a tremendous job here.

Audio Quality

The Blu-Ray comes with a strong DTS-HD 2.0 Master Audio mono track that serves this movie well. There is not a single word of dialogue uttered in this film, so the main thing you will notice is the George Antheil score which adapts to the story perfectly as the movie progresses. It mostly maintains a nice fidelity, but some of the highest registers can verge on sounding a bit brash. The few background noises included are more so intentionally buried in the mix. There is a very minor bit of age-related damage including some crackling, but overall this does not serve as a major issue. There are also optional English (SDH) subtitles included for the feature film, although they are not really needed with the absence of dialogue. This disc provides an enjoyable audio presentation for this one.

Special Features

Restoration Demonstration: A three-minute before and after presentation that shows the great work that went into preserving this film.

Daughter Of Horror: A version of the film is presented here in standard definition from a 35mm print which was recut and includes the narration from Ed McMahon.

Trailer: The Restoration Trailer (1:15) and the Original Trailer (1:00) are provided here.

Final Thoughts

Dementia is a forgotten atmospheric drama which revels in the unsettling nature of the subconscious and all the darkness that can arise from it. The filmmaking is quite impressive and allows this tale to unfold with an eye towards the artistic. This film is quite unlike most films you will see in your lifetime, especially from this era. Cohen Media Group and Kino Lorber have released a Blu-Ray featuring a great A/V presentation and an alternate version of the film as a special feature. Having a good quality copy of this hard-to-find gem is reason enough to celebrate this release. Recommended

Dementia is currently available to purchase on Blu-Ray, DVD and Digital.

Note: Images presented in this review are not reflective of the image quality of the Blu-Ray.

Disclaimer: Cohen Media Group and Kino Lorber have supplied a copy of this disc free of charge for review purposes. All opinions in this review are the honest reactions of the author.