It has been some years since I saw it, but I have never forgotten it and have been searching for it ever since, without success. It had flaws, but then what movie doesn't? I don't much like the flash, noisy, special effects laden dross that gets churned out nowadays but nearly everybody loves it seems.I've seen many revenge movies, such as I Spit on your Grave, Last House on the Left and similar type movies, like House on the Edge of the Park and so many horror movies of that genre that most of them all blur in to one eventually, but this one stuck in my mind. I'm not sure why exactly, but the fact that it stands out above all the others I've seen shows it had something about it that made it just that bit different.I'm sure some would say maybe I just like bad movies, given most of the reviews here, but then how anyone can say House on the Edge of the Park is a good movie is quite beyond me, when in reality it has been mostly instantly forgettable for me, so much the same as so many others of that ilk was it.I really wish Demented would get a good DVD release. After all, so much utter rubbish does, so if a movie that some regard as rubbish gets put onto DVD, well then, that is just another 'rubbish' movie that has been given a DVD release! And some who may never have seen it, can do so, and many will appreciate and like it, I am sure.

Demented opens with a bang—or to be more accurate, a gang bang—with a harsh pre-credits sequence that sees doctor's wife Linda Rodgers (Sallee Elyse) being attacked by four men wearing stocking masks, vicious sex beasts who rip open her blouse, pull off her panties, and proceed to pass her around like candy. It's a powerful, no-nonsense opener, one that successfully drives home the true horror of rape. After that, one is really rooting for the gal to get revenge, which she does. Sort of...After a brief spell in a sanatorium, Linda returns home but clearly isn't over her ordeal, suffering from nightmarish visions and panic attacks. Frequently left on her own at night by her unfaithful husband Dr. Matt (Harry Reems, best known for his XXX porn/roughie movies), who has been saving his best bedside manner for aspiring actress Carol (Kathryn Clayton), Linda's grip on reality begins to slip, and when a gang of teens play a cruel prank on her in her home, she confuses them for her rapists and makes for the nearest meat cleaver.A rather obscure rape/revenge tale, Demented starts strongly and has all the ingredients for a sleazy exploitation classic but fails for two reasons: a) big breasted star Sallee Elyse obviously wasn't hired for her acting ability, and her awful acting and shrill delivery seriously grate on the nerves, and b) the ending is undeniably nasty in tone (Linda whips one poor boy's wedding tackle off with a wire), but isn't anywhere near as graphic as it could have been (the aforementioned meat-and-two-veg/wire incident is completely bloodless) and ultimately proves disappointing.

Well, at least this movie doesn't wast too much time on boring introductions or overlong mood-settings. The opening shows a woman caressing her favorite horse for only a brief moment, and the very next second she's assaulted by four sleazebags with stockings over their heads and gang-raped in the stable. This scene is rather short and unclear to watch, yet also rather unsettling because these guys just 'come & go' without even bothering to take their disguise off. A certain period of time later, Linda is released from the mental hospital but definitely not cured yet. Her unfaithful husband (Harry Reems – the porn king) is spending most of his time with his mistress and Linda slowly goes...well...demented! When a new gang of thugs attempts to rape her, she snaps for good. "Demented" is a typical rip off of Wes Craven's "Last House on the Left" but tries to add a (lame) psychological theme. Linda avenges herself and cuts up people with a meat clever, only – supposedly – she's in a totally different state of mind. Whatever. It's a really lame movie, with only a few suspenseful moments and a disappointingly low amount of gore and sleaze. There's the obligatory castration-sequence – thank you "I Spit on your Grave" – but you can hardly make out what's happening. Sallee Young and Kathryn Clayton are ravishing ladies, but not exactly great actresses. Give "Demented" a miss and aim for one of the thousand other underrated rape & revenge films out there, like "Last House on the Beach", "Night Train Murders", "House on the Edge of the Park" or "Fight for your Life".

**Possible Spoilers Ahead**You KNOW a film is bad when it's even beneath co-star Harry Reems, who appears here under a pseudonym.Our heroine, Linda, is gang-raped by four masked hoodlums. They go to the slammer and Linda goes to the sanitarium (or "sanatarium" as the filmmakers choose to spell it) before being released to the care of husband Harry Reems. He's usually out philandering so Linda has lots of time to hallucinate and imagine the rapists are in the house with her. This conveniently coincides with home invasions by four neighborhood youths out to terrorize her. She strikes back, many slow and talky reels of film later. The last half hour, for those who make it that far, features castration via piano wire as well as fun with a meat cleaver and a shotgun. Unfortunately you have to sit through some of the worst screen writing and most inane dialog in the meantime. To be blunt, the only reason I made it through was because Sallee Elyse is so well-stacked. It sure wasn't because of her whiny, high-pitched acting-- though in all fairness, she had plenty of help from a mis-director who allowed her to mispronounce other characters' names and alternately screech like a child and bleat like a sheep.If you must watch this mess, there's only one way to do it. Turn the sound off, watch the gang rape and then fast-forward to the final 30 minutes. Then trot out your copy of I SPIT ON YOUR GRAVE or LAST HOUSE ON THE LEFT--now THERE are a couple of "revenge" movies worthy of the name!