“We all want to do things deep inside ourselves. Things we can’t allow ourselves to do. But now we have the means… without the fear of the consequences!”

Michael Reeves' The Sorcerers opens with Boris Karloff tutting at a canoodling young couple as they walk past him in the street - his character Professor Marcus Monserrat is a miserable old chap and no mistake - disillusioned with the world and uncomprehending of the "free love" and changing ideals he sees all around him.

In a shop, Monserrat berates the keeper for removing his card from the window (the fact that he hasn't paid to keep it there seems of secondary importance to the belligerent old geezer).

"Ah, so you're the famous Professor Monserrat…" says the equally miserable shopkeeper. "It didn't seem to interest the public like some of the others…"

Monserrat is a "Practitioner of medical hypnosis", but the other cards promise stress relief of a more immediate nature.

Monserrat returns home to his dirty flat (think Rising Damp, but with less class) and his even more raddled wife, Estelle, where they talk about testing "it" tomorrow.

Whatever "it" is will have to wait, because we then get the credits, with some quality late 60s music playing over them (courtesy of Lee Grant And The Capitols, whoever they were).

We're then introduced to Mike (Ian Ogilvy), who comes across as a bit of a shit from the moment he swaggers into shot, with his turtle neck sweater and brown corduroy drainpipes. Mike's world revolves around bars and clubs, his best friend Alan (curly ginger hair, bad dress sense - in other words, obvious cannon fodder) and girlfriend Nicole being left to trail in his wake.

The Monserrats need someone willing to try "new experiences" to test "it". "No-one will laugh this time," spits Estelle. "Nothing to laugh at," replies her husband. "Nothing at all…".. The Professor runs straight into Mike, who's just left Alan and Nicole in a swinging club ("Bloody artistic temperament," Alan comments - obviously secretly pleased that he's ended up with Nicole by default).

"You are looking very bored, young man," says Boris, and Mike must be, because following a strange old man back to his house is preferable to whatever he was doing before…

Back chez Monserrat, Mike is promised "Intoxication with no hangover, ecstasy with no conscience," but actually gets a pink light shined in his face, some maniac going nuts with a zoom lens and one of those hot oil projector things that every home had in the 60s.

Come the end of this lengthy effects "extravaganza", the Monserrats have established some kind of psychic link with the young man, which gives them power of him from a distance, and an extra surprise the Professor didn't expect: "My God, Estelle! We're feeling all his sensations!"

None the wiser, Mike goes for a swim with Nicole and the two pensioners lap it up.

"This must be used to help people," burbles the Prof. "Old people like us, who don't have what we have!"

Unfortunately, Estelle has other plans - and wants to have a little fun before going public with their amazing invention. Within minutes she's got the poor lad stealing, driving cars too fast and eventually getting into an extremely messy punch-up with his former best mate.

"I didn't realise.. it would be like THIS!" she screams with pleasure during Mike's burglary spree, adding later: "We all want to do things deep inside ourselves. Things we can't allow ourselves to do. But now we have the means… without the fear of the consequences!"

Too late, Marcus realises that his dear old wife is a murderous fruitcake and Mike's future becomes a battle of wills between his elderly tormentors.

The film ends with a couple of brutal murders (including that of a shockingly young Susan George), a big fight and an excellent car chase.

If ever a film seemed to be fed up with the groovy 60s, The Sorcerers is it (see also Corruption and Reeves' classic Witchfinder General). The main protagonists are either hopelessly out-of-step pensioners or cold-hearted "youngsters" who pursue their selfish ends with little thought for anyone else.

The one half-decent person throughout the whole proceedings (Alan) gets beaten up by his best friend and cruelly used by his best friend's girl. But despite being a brutal and bleak film, it remains strangely compelling and very watchable.