Movie Review: Mind of the Demon (2009)

Directed by Adam Barker

Starring Larry Linkogle, Christian Fletcher, Trigger Gumm

Mind of the Demon is Adam Barkers look into the incredible life of freestyle motocross legend Larry Linkogle. Before learning how to read or write, Linkogle was on a motorcycle. Even at a young age it was apparent he was destined for greatness in the world of supercross. He rose quickly through the ranks to become one of the top riders but as the sport evolved he began to rebel against the rigid rules and lifestyle the sponsors wanted to impose on him. Fed up with the direction he saw the sport going to, he along with a few friends set out to create a new sport, and the high-stakes, often death-defying world of freestyle motocross was born. As the sport rose in popularity and sponsorship began to take over the scene, Linkogle again began to feel disillusioned, and after an accident that cost him his spleen, he begins to lose a battle against pain-killers and eventually ends up completely alienated from friends and family as he dives into a life of hard drugs and violent crime. Later with the help of friends, he gets clean and is given another shot at glory in the form of an incredible world record long distance jump which he pulls off in front of 60,000 Australian motocross fans, skyrocketing him to fame once again and legendary status.

Buy Mind of the Demon on DVD


Mind of the Demon is dark, raw and straight up in your face. Director Adam Barker fillets Linkogle like a fish and opens him up for us all to see what lies inside. And what that is, is a fascinating combination of brilliance and rage. Unimaginable fearlessness and a complete lack of self control. We can't help but find ourselves drawn to Linkogle, for he possesses a trait most of us wish we had, the ability to live our life without compromise, no matter what the cost. All this in spite of the fact that he is obviously a world-class asshole, we still want to root for him. He is willing to risk it all time and time again for a prize most of us will never experience, a single moment when one has cheated death and become bigger then life. This documentary is jam-packed with incredible footage of Linkogle's career from childhood to present and everyone who is anyone from supercross to freestyle shows up to put their 2 cents worth in and in the process helps us understand exactly why these crazy human beings do what they do.

The soundtrack is pure money, a perfect combination of old school punk and heavy metal and much of the film is narrated by the one and only Lemmy Killminster of Motorhead. And although 70% of the time I couldn't understand a fucking word he was saying, it didn't matter for one second because when Lemmy speaks, the angles and even Jesus Christ himself stop what their doing and throw the horns up. For a documentary, this is a fascinating and riveting tale that even non-fans should enjoy. I can easily put this in my all-time top 10 for the category. Its like watching a train wreck with a happy ending.

9 out of 10

Reviewed by KennyB