The Devil's Nightmare (1971) In doing these old films I have a tendency to be a bit Spoiler filled. Even worse it really is just a summary of the film with my opinions of it at the end. So go watch the film before continuing reading, or You have been WARNED. The films starts with Baron von Rhonesberg during WWI in heavy bombing by the allies. I am guessing the war is the first since the Baron is not wearing a Nazi uniform. His wife is delivering their child but dies in the attempt. The child a girl is them killed by the Baron (Jean Servais). Quite the scene where he stabs to death a newborn. What could be so horrible that he would kill a child? It stressed is a girl so why would this matter? Getting closer to the story of the film we need a bit more background. Cut to current time, a reporter talking to Baron von Rhoneberg about writing articles about his family. He is concerned that his family is under a curse. The reporter sneaks around the castle taking pictures even though she was asked not to. Suddenly she is in danger and being chased through the woods. We are pretty sure when she falls she is about to meet her doom. Cut to a bus with seven people on it heading to Arnstadt Germany, the road is blocked we have a contrivance to get the group to the castle of Baron von Rhoneberg. The man that directs them there we later find out is the devil. So all of what comes next was predetermined.
Ivana Novak) and Regine (Shirley Corrigan), Howard Foster (Lorenzo Terzon) and his wife Nancy (Colette Emmanuelle), Father Sorel (Jacques Monseau), an grumpy older gentleman named Mason (Lucien Raimbourg) and the driver Ducha (Christian Maillet). Right from the time they arrive things are strange, a piece of the facade falls almost hitting Corinne, the door to the castle opens by itself and after they are in closes in turn. They are surprised by the Baron man Hans who welcomes them to the castle but inexplicably knows there names. These films always have lots of back story to get out and in this one we have Hans tell father Sorel how the Mark of the devil ended up on the floor of his room. December 8th 1575 when Erika von Rhonesberg plunged a knife into a monk who was exorcising her. Erika disappeared leaving the mark of the devil in front of the fireplace. He also gets to mention the family curse. And it seems that each room has a story as we learn about the Foster's room where two people were slain while sleeping.
Before dinner Director Jean Brismée gives us a shot of Corinne and Regine laying about the bedroom in just bra and panties. There is a sexual tension between them and Corinne acts on it. Soft music and hands in closeup touching skin. Gentle kisses and the small bits of clothes come off. Regine takes a bath and Corinne is there to bathe her. "You've got such lovely skin." This scene is then contrasted with Nancy haranguing Howard for flirting with Corinne when they arrived. She also is in half dress but is not being sexy at all instead laying out for the audience how bad their marriage is. Enough of this back to the Corinne and Regine in bed making love, all the way to the classic shot where Corinne head moves down Regine's body and disappears off camera, the focus staying on Regine's face as she enjoys what is happening and then calms to a quiet sleep satisfied.
At dinner the guests are defined a bit more and we learn of the Baron's curse. In the 12th century his ancestor sold his soul to the Devil and also received the curse that any oldest daughter born to his line would become a succubus. A demon that takes the form of a woman to lead men to their spiritual ruin. Now we know why he killed the child, or did he. The housemaid who was also the midwife in the first scene meets Lisa (Erika Blanc) who has arrived at the house as a storm rages outside. That bit of foreshadowing can mean only one thing. Now the cast is complete and we can get on with the story. This film takes the seven deadly sins and brings death to guests in accordance. Ducha gluttony, Corinne and Howard? lust, Father Sorel Pride, Mason Envy or wrath?, Regine Sloth, Nancy Greed. But who will be the first to die?
Father Sorel is hallucinating Lisa in his bed. She is a seductress and is disturbing enough to him that he leaves his room. In the library he browses the books but they seem to fall off the shelves on their own. Lisa meets him there and provokes him only to be interrupted by the baron. Shifting from the library to the kitchen she offers Ducha a banquet of foods. Surprisingly giant prawns and the such but we don't yet see him die although his gluttony is primed. Instead we see Nancy insisting that she and Howard could find the baron's gold, her greed priming her to be the first death. Howard now has the chance to meet Corinne under the stairs for some lust action. Cutting between the characters the film does a great job of building our anticipation. Lisa seems set with Ducha offering him a "last" glass of wine which chokes him. She in her succubus makeup is looking over him as he dies. Gluttony!!!Lisa then works on Nancy who she leads to a room full of gold dust, she is amazed until she realizes that she is sinking in it Nancy gone beneath the gold Greed!!!
Howard and Corinne are getting it on but at the same time are too loud for Mason to sleep. They decide to change locations and Lisa is fast on their heels. As the two lovers play hide and seek, Lisa finds them forcing Howard into the guillotine we saw earlier. Chop! Corinne forced into the Iron maiden is killed by Lisa also, Lust!!!Mason comes out of his room to see Lisa turn a corner down the hall. Following her angry at the noise he searches for her. She though circles behind him, then leads him on to a dead end. Trapped and in her scary make up she pushes him out of a tower window. Wrath!!!
The ever sleeping Regine lays in bed while a snake conjured by Lisa closes in on her. This is cut with Sorel and Lisa scenes and really is about one last look at the actresses lovely body before she dies. A victim of her own Sloth!!!
In the library the sleeping Father Sorel is awakened by Lisa. She is making him nervous with her beauty. She closes in on him trying to find his weakness, showing skin. Regine's scream at waking to see the snake brings out the ghoulish Lisa and he sees through her disguise. He finds the dead girl and is confronted by Lisa she tells him who she is. He raises his cross and prays causing her pain. He flees to outside where a hearse drawn by a horse arrives. It is the Devil, the same man that directed the bus to the castle. The Devil (Daniel Emilfork) follows Father Sorel to the chapel but can't end. the Devil says he will get him. Sorel offers his own should for all the souls already taken this night. His pride is showing but he makes the offer anyway. He signs the deal with the Devil.
Morning Sorel is woken by a shouting Ducha. He joins the group at breakfast and everyone is there including Lisa. She starts playing the organ as the Baron and hans train with epees in the yard. her sudden playing makes him hesitate and he is wounded by Hans. He wishes to confesses to Sorel that he killed his child all those years ago. The final piece of information we get is that the aid admits Lisa is a bastard child of the von Rhonebergs. She talks to Sorel in the chapel, he will stay behind with her. As they watch from the balcony the bus leaving we see it crash over a cliff and exploding. WTF! Well maybe there souls are saved but not there bodies.
I saw the Redemption Films version of this movie, which has a long tacked on introduction with a Vampire Hostess over acting and being way too serious. Some strange topless cannibal women that have absolutely no connection to the film that followed. Advertising it seems that was just added on without thinking about if it matched the film or not. It added 10 minutes of really useless trash. The theme of a succubus killing because of some of the seven deadly sins was pretty cool. Long before the film Se7en (1995) where a serial killer used the same theme for his kills. This is seventies sexploitation and a very mild form of that. The one sex scene between Corinne and Regine was the majority of the sex, some boobs and moaning filled out the rest. The talent is primarily three actresses, Blanc, Novak and Corrigan with Corrigan showing off her impressive body through nightwear most extensively. Still all of these scenes are through a man's eye always titillating and lingering. That is not to say that women do not have agency in this film. Corinne clearly wants Howard and initiates their tryst. Lisa is the main antagonist of the film and as the succubus relishes hunting her prey. Even Nancy with her greedy desire has the agency to seek the wealth she dreams of only to be punished for her agency. Really the film is a slow paced Gothic horror that is not so great but certainly representative of its era. Not horrible mind you but I think with the change in pacing that movies have taken on in the 40 years since this film was made just makes this unwatchable for a modern audience.
No comments:
Post a Comment
Blog email address: movies@edhovey.com