Lisa and the Devil (1974) Horror Devil

Lisa and the Devil (1974) -"Lisa e il diavolo"
Having seen this film and the other cut of it The House of Exorcism I was excited to here that the fine folks at Deadlantern.com's The World Famous Splattercast were going to cover it. So excited in fact that I re-watched both version and listened to the audio commentary while doing so. Of course I had to avoid hearing the podcast until I finished this writing which for me is a task. I really wanted to listed but like to have formed my own opinions before being influence by the the fine commentary provided by the crew at deadLantern.  Lisa and the Devil had excellent commentary by Tim Lucas who wrote the book Mario Bava : All the Colors of the Dark as well as other genre books. Probably one of the more expensive coffee table books I have seen, and will not own. Again you want to watch the film prior to watching it with the commentary.  When sharing that commentary in this write up I will make the text whether quote or paraphrasing I will put the text in italics instead of making a separate citation each time. There was so much interesting commentary in this film that I would recommend you take a listen. Whether sharing the origins of the fresco that Lisa (Elke Sommer) looks at at the beginning of the film or the musical piece accompanying the music box or giving background on the actors, Lucas is knowledgeable and detailed adding to the depth of the film.
  Lisa is a tourist visiting an unnamed town, the first stop off the bus is a fresco of the devil carrying away souls. Bava had the fresco made for the film with the likeness of Telly Savalas who plays Leandro in this film as the devil character. It was also common for Bava to use the idea of an image of someone becoming real in his films. She is about to take a journey on the strange side and does not know it. Drawn by music in the distance she walks off on her own, finding her way to a small shop where the music,  Joaquin Rodrigo's Concierto Dara Weiss is playing. It's a turning point as she is seen by Leandro (Telly Savalas) as he who she sees in flash to be the spitting image of the devil from the fresco. Frightened she hurriedly leaves the store and we can hear Leandro saying "How strange, how strange,  you'd think she'd seen the devil."
 Espartaco Santoni) and in a neat bit of editing he appears to be real. Again this calls back the image of the fresco with the devil carrying away the dead. Lisa is ready to be out of this scary situation and takes the directions from Leandro that should get her out of the back allies. Would you trust his directions? She seems a bit ensnared at this point. Coming up some stairs there is at least a view of the city but in front of her is a man coming her way. She sees it is Carlo the spitting image of the dummy Leandro was carrying. He thinks she is a woman called Elena and this makes her even more panicked. Bava has both a sister and a daughter named Elena and important name to him. When he touches her like he knows her her reaction is to push him away with dire consequences. Really this is a transition in the film where Lisa leave one world and enters another. She is a pawn in the devils diabolical plans and just does not know it yet. She is still looking for a way out but the possibly dead man at the bottom of the stairs means she is stuck. We see her shout for help and in the next instant she is still wandering in the dark. Has a lot of time passed so the sun has gone down, or is it a supernatural darkness? It really is never explained but can be an indication that she is in some kind of other worldly situation. There is a time shift that starts at the fall of carlo probably signified by the shot of his watch with its broken hands across each other. Have two time crossed and now we are in a dream world where normal rules do not apply?  Are the lights she sees her salvation or will they bring her more trouble?
   This is the beginning of a strange journey for Lisa, a surreal journey into darkness where reality seems warped. Outside the store it takes the form of a maze like city, of winding streets. She searches for the way back to the fresco but can't find it. She seeks help but can't find any. Her anxiety increases when she runs into Leandro again in a back ally square. He is carrying a dummy of Carlo (
  Here I go again writing a summary of the film instead of a review of it. It is so easy to be caught up in the details and there are so many details. I will try to be better, really I will. This first part of the film is a way of showing that the devil has ensnared Lisa. If I were to pick out reasons why it works I would say the sense of confusion that Lisa experiences is well relayed through the scenes of her wandering the narrow allies of the town and her fear captured with low angled camera shot. What I think does not work so well here is that there is really no reason for her to be caught up in the story. If you pay attention in the shop where she sees the music box you will see that the characters on the box are driven around in a circle by death. So much of this film is about death, so if we take the box as symbolic then maybe the film itself is a circle that repeats, but I am getting ahead of the film here.
When she runs into Carlo on the stairs and he recognizes her as someone else we can surmise that maybe at the beginning of the devil's cycle with these characters she does not remember who she is? Is she actually Elena? Is this Elena's private hell where she is transported into this place to feel the confusion of being lost? At any rate Lisa is a very underdeveloped character, we really don't know anything about her or the woman Elena she was mistaken for. A weakness of the film has to be that she never becomes a fully developed character and it is left for interpretation whether she actually is Elena. It may be that because Lisa is not real, she could never have depth, she is a shell that Elena is using to try to escape the devil's influence. Never does she do anything to improve or hinder her situation, she just has these events happen to her. Much like the dummy's of the characters in the film Lisa is a mannequin of the film itself she is moved place to place but it really is never of her own doing.
The second act has Lisa getting a ride in a car owned by a couple Frances (Eduardo Fajardo) and Sophia Lehar (Sylva Koscina). It is a cool scene where we see from the stares between the people in the car that Sophia is having an affair with the chauffeur George (Gabriele Tinti) and that Mr. Lehar knows of it. It is an added dynamic to what is going on in their world. The car is having problems with its hoses and sputtering and overheating. The four of them are forced to stop at a local villa so repairs can be made. This sets up the primary story of ghosts and love lost and death and rebirth. The house is owned by the blind Countess (Alida Valli) and she lives there with her son Max (Alessio Orano) with butler Leandro. Naturally they are offered the hospitality of the house and here is the rub. Lisa seeing Leandro, tries to hide in the background but is seen.  He presses her about whether she recognizes him. A telling statement of Very Little escapes me if you know what I mean." lends to the idea that he is the devil. So if all the players are in a hell world the story of the house is the horror they must relive. The story in the house is of Carlo is the husband of the Countess. Elena is engaged to Max and then has an affair with Carlo. Max being a psycho kills both Elena and Carlo for their act of betrayal. They are brought back together into this house to rediscover the horrors of their sins by the devil again and again. The betrayal of infidelity is represented not only in the back story of the occupants but in the relationship between George and the Lehers. Each time the outcome will be murder.  Another symbol of this manipulation could be the music box, a circular disc spins the six figures watched over by the death character, The Queen, King, Bride, Groom, Male outside and death representing the Countess, Max, Lehers George and Leandro they are driven in circles. There is actually a point in the movie where the group is being lead by Leandro through the grounds in the same order as the figures on the music box.
  Primarily it is Max who is seen as the psychopath of the film but he is not the only sinner here. When it all plays out we think Lisa finds a way to escape and comes out of what is now a ruined house. Years of decay showing the rubble signifying she is back in the real world. Little kids playing there call her a ghost and say that everyone knows the ruins are haunted. Lisa thinking that she has survived heads out of town, a second chance? The plane she is on seems deserted and the music lets us know that the ending will not be good for her. When she finds the rest of the cast, dead looking in the plane and runs for the cockpit we see that very little actually does escape Leandro as he turns the pilot of the plain. Ultimately the story is about the power of the spirit world to control the fate of us humans. We are the pawns in the games run by Gods or monsters and our actions condemn us but we in the end have little power in changing a fate that has been casts. Lisa when she falls against the plane wall appears to be another body dummy to be played with by the devil. As he said, very little escapes him.
  No there are a lot of things to like about this film, some interesting camera shots, like the POV of the car pulling up to the villa. Not from the point of view of the driver though but from Lisa in the passengers seat. The already mentioned low angle shots in the town. There are a number of reflection shots in a spilled bottle of wine or in any other reflective glass where the focus changes fore to background or visa versa.. On top of the camerawork by cinematographer Cecilio Paniagua is the just excellent soundtrack by Carlo Savina. Overall the pacing was relaxed but being a child of the seventies I have to say really not too slow. Its no Phase IV or Vanishing Point. Still for a younger audience the first part of this film will seem slow. Bava is one of my favorite directors and I was pleased to be able to see what he wanted to be his defining work, Still there are others I love more , The Girl Who Knew Too Much and the classic Black Sunday to name a couple. Having watched it I can listen to @rachiepants on the Splattercast podcast and see what she thought. I was equally displeased with the strange disjointed money grab this film became in the form of The House of Exorcism, a horrible trashing of this film for the sake of money.

The Whip and the Body (1963) Mystery

The Whip and the Body (1963) - Another film from the year I was born. In this Mario Bava directed mystery the sadistic son of a 19th century nobleman appears to rise from the grave to seek revenge on his family which has disowned him.Well written and executed this period piece is a refreshing side trip from all the biker movies I have been watching the last month and a half. Co-written by renown Ernesto Gastaldi, Ugo Guerra and Luciano Martino all prolific, experience writers and producers. Directed by Mario Bava on of the great Italian directors and performed by a cast including Christopher Lee, Daliah Lavi, Tony Kendall and Ida Galli it is one of the better mysteries I have seen in a while.
 The story goes that the eldest son Kurt Menliff (Christopher Lee) was sent away from the castle loosing his spot as heir to his father's title after cruelly killing the daughter of the castle's maid Giorgia (Harriet Medin). Details of the girl's death are never shown other than the knife she was killed with, but it is implied that it was a cruel death. So much so that Count Menliff (Gustavo De Nardo) disowned his son after he was implicated. His inheritance and title forfeited to his younger brother Christian (Tony Kendall). Kurt returns to the castle with Giorgia swearing vengence, the old count shaking in fear at his return and Christian now married to Kurt's former lover Nevenka (Daliah Lavi). Complicating the setting further is the revelation that Nevenka only has eyes for Kurt and there relationship includes violent whipping. This must have been somewhat shocking to audiences when this film came out. Kurt standing over the beautiful Nevenka whipping her repeatedly with a horse crop. Nevenka crying out but also showing a quivering anticipation, waiting in an aroused state for the next blow.
   The setup aside this film is both simple and wonderfully mysterious. The simple setting and the possible directions turned in a way I was not ready for. The fact that Christopher Lee was the star I figured we would be following him throughout the film. Not so! very early on he is murdered and we are left wondering who killed him. The red herring has to be Giorgia who made it obvious she would love to see him dead. Or how about the younger brother who married Nevenka only after his father required it. He loves his childhood sweetheart Katia (Ida Galli) who follows him around like a puppy dog. (also a suspect), or is it the count himself who out of fear only needs to remove his fear by removing the threat. Or did Nevenka herself do away with the man who both excites and harms her. Then when it seems Kurt starts being seen around the castle at night, it may be his death was faked by him and he has put a diabolical plot in motion to take back what was once his. Now when I was watching it before paying attention to who was in the cast. I saw Christopher Lee and was like" Wow they really got a Christopher Lee look alike for this film." but later I found out it was him but all of his lines were dubbed by someone who sounds nothing like Christopher Lee. Shocking!
  Becoming the featured cast member Nevenka leads us through the tale to its conclusion. I make a point never to share too much in a mystery review.In particular one like this which is intriguing all the way through. Bava sets a mood and carries it through the film masterfully. If there is a weakness in the film it is the score by Carlo Rustichelli, not because it is not wonderfully created but because he develops a theme and repeats it too often through the film. When all is said and done though this may be one of Bava's best films. It stands as a really wonderfully developed and acted mystery thriller. Maybe a ghost story if you want to stretch the meaning. So spend a bit of time and go rent this one. I found it on DVD at Netflix.

Tomb of Torture (1963) Horror Ghost

Tomb of Torture (1963) - Also titled "Metempsyco" This is such a misleading title, bringing to mind maybe the film Mark of the Devil, but it is nothing like that film. Instead it is a horrible little story of the death of a Countess at the hands of a greedy confidant. It is also the tale of how her mystery is finally told, as the ones responsible find that guilt is a hard thing to live with and one bad deed begets another.
  In a castle somewhere two girls investigate, they are thrill seeking in the old place. Just looking around through still furnished rooms for something to scare them. Ester (Emy Eco) and Cathy (Terry Thompson? guessing on this one) don't know it but they are being watched by the occupants of the castle. They are confronted by Countess Elizabeth (Flora Carosello) the heir to the castle and get scare when doors start shutting and lights start flicking as they try to make there way out. The entire scene is contrived to introduce the laughing deformed man. He stalks them driving them to tears before capturing them and taking them to his Tomb of Torture. It is called tomb of torture because down in the secret part of the cellar is a torture chamber among the tombs. We open the scene in that room with the laughing deformed man pushing Ester's dead body off the rack while Cathy bound in chains screams, screams that will never be heard.  We establish the way in and out of these rooms is hard to find and that the monster of a man is willing to kill.
  Dr Darnell (Adriano Micantoni) and his daughter Anna (Annie Alberti) happen to be returning to the castle after a long absence when they come across the villagers looking at the girls just discovered bodies. He goes over and indeed they can't be helped by a doctor. Raman (Fred Pizzot) happens to be there to give the audience some background. He is also ink faced to make his skin darker as he attempts to be from India. The turban on his head with the jewel makes the unintentional racism all the more offensive. He has been at the castle area since his love the countess Irene disappeared years before and has never given up the search for her. Isn't the loyal Indian servant also a racists stereotype?
  Countess Elizabeth has inherited the castle but is still desparately searching for where Irene has hidden her jewels. No money and a castle do not go so well together. Now with Dr. Darnell and Anna returning maybe something can be discovered. Raman and then Elizabeth believe that Anna is the reincarnated soul of the missing Irene. It would seem that way to the viewer also as almost upon entering the castle, Anna starts seeing the ghost of Irene in the mirror. We quickly see that Anna has been having a reoccurring dream showing the death of Irene in the Tomb of Torture. The voice that laugh in the dream is so obviously Elizabeth that we already know she had something to do with her death. Well actually we can't be sure with this American dubbed version because we don't know what the original Italian had in that place for a voice.
  It is also very possible that the translation garbled a relationship in the film too. After the dream sequence we see Anna out at the lake skinny dipping. She is interrupted by a man George Dickson (Marco Mariani) it is the Oh I won't look while you dress scene we have seen in many movies. The thing is that after this seemingly first meeting where they are introduced, the next scene has them madly in love and ready to get married. It really makes no sense after the scene at the lake but suddenly he is her hero and protector and she is in love with him. Hell they even sleep together!
  The story is a bit convoluted with one character using the laughing deformed man to do the dirty work. What is desired is that the psychic connection Anna has with the spirit of the deceased Irene be used to find her riches. When in the end things fall apart it is just a matter of time before the good guys win and the bad guys die. Everything culminates in the Tomb of Torture.

  This is not a great movie. I would even be wary of calling it good. The music by Armando Sciacia is a strange mix of over the top horror themes and whimsical melodies more likely to be heard in a Charlie Chaplin film. The translation I think is really horrible and the plot pretty see through. There will be no recommendation for this one. I do have to say though lovers of older horror will find something of value here, just look for an in Italian version with subtitles to get the real story.
Rating (4.8) 5.0 and up are recommended, some more recommended than others.

Sodoma's Ghost (1988) Horror Nazi Ghosts

Sodoma's Ghost (1988) - Il fantasma di Sodoma, Six teens traveling towards Paris take a shortcut into horror when they come to a mansion and need to stay the night in the seemingly abandoned house. The back story is that in 1943 when the Germans occupied France they had this building as a headquarters. Opening on a night of a wild orgy we see the German soldiers and half naked woman partying through the night. Drugs and drink and sex are documented by a young soldier with a camera. At the end of the night as the party winds down we see, the soldier watching the film he magically developed. This scene meanders on for a good 4-5 minutes and I think the point that the Germans were having a wild party was clear in the first minute and a half. Really I think all that was accomplished with the extra time was to raise the skin to clothes ratio. A final flash as the bombs of the allies hit the house and all goes dark. Its a rather long scene with ample skin as the prostitutes dance and simulate sex with the soldiers. I could see many people never getting past this scene and into the movie proper since it is not very good.
  Our kids while driving to Paris argue about the route but the driver Marc (Joseph Alan Johnson) takes them on a short cut. Its the common conflict as some people in the car want to stick to the main roads and Marc is determined to do his own thing. Again we get some wandering around and lots of arguing so we are happy when they finally end up somewhere. Paul (Claudio Aliotti) the car's owner almost causes them to crash in his frustration with the short cut experiment by pulling on the wheel. Who the fuck thinks its okay to pull the wheel of a moving vehicle. Coming across the house all closed up it looks foreboding, but not daunted by some one's closed up house the group soon finds a way in. Sure they knock and ring the bell first which should tell them no one is home and they should leave but not these young people. Now I don't know about you but I would not just break into a house if I was tired and lost on the road. These young people think nothing of it finding a spare key under the mat they just enter and start looking around. The characters are strangely accepting of the of the closed up house with fresh fruit on the table and something cooking on the stove. They seem to settle in even as the music by Carlo Maria Cordio warns us all that strange things are going to happen.
  Written and directed by Lucio Fulci a "master" of Italian horror gore films this story is small and although I can't think of titles right now does not seem particularly original. I think he thought the Nazi twist on the ghost story was going to make this unique, but really it could have been gypsies, midgets, or an old orphanage and the ghost story could have worked in a similar fashion.
  Its strange that these young people get in the house and find it looks like someone is there and still they talk about "taking only what we need" Jean (Sebastian Harrison) makes the rule that they clean up their messes too. There is ample fresh food and an extensive wine cellar and they fully explore the place. Then when Jean finds the wine cellar he immediately raids its for something to drink, so much for only what you need.
  This exploration time is important, they see the valuables of the house, create an elaborate meal in the dining room and while all this is going on we get to see who the characters are. Unlike a lot of these film the three guys and three girls are not paired off so the interactions are not defined primarily through intimate relationships. In fact early on it seems the guys are not attempting to connect with the girls at all. In fact the only one showing any sexual interest in the group is Marie who is trying to score one of the other girls, Annie.
   After the drunken meal the girls head off to bed and Annie (Teresa Razzaudi) in a bedroom, and after a exhibitionist display of her body in front of a mirror settles down to sleep. She is visited through the mirror by Willy the Nazi (Robert Egon), who was the young man filming the debauchery in the opening scenes. He steps through the mirror and is quite clearly with eyes set on Annie. He is seductive and she is confused but not resistant to his advances. He promises to make all her secret desires come true. She attempts to regroup remembering her virginity, but he is persistent saying he only does what she likes. To prove the idea he repeatedly slaps her bloodying her face and telling her to admit she wants that. This is one of those horrible for society scenes,  where she initially says no and then says yes to his advances. Yes, a male writer again advancing the idea that No, does not always mean no. They make love and when we next see her she is waking but no blood. Was it all a dream?
  All of this is to prepare them and us for the Twilight Zone they are about to enter. They head off the next morning leaving the house behind but for the life of them can not find there way back to the highway. In fact all day they drive only to end up back at the house. Tired and frustrated they have to spend another night in the strange house. So again the morning comes and they are excited to leave again. Off they head to the car but what? The car won't start and they can not find anything wrong with it. Now there is this little flaw in the staging of this scene where they are sitting in the car trying to problem solve, and you can see apartment buildings not too far off behind them. I mention this because up to this point they seem to be isolated in the country and no amount of driving got them out of there.
  So they head back into the house to use the phone and call for help. A cryptic call where the police number reaches the cemetery. The phone goes dead before they can get the conversation with the police started and now there is no phone either. The tension starts to pick up through the fairly good strings in the musical score. They begin sensing something is wrong when they find the phone lines damaged. Now the story really starts to pick up as they try to leave the house and find they are locked in. So let the freaking out begin, Marie (Jessica Moore) in particular has to be man handled as she gets hysterical. Yet another example of casual violence to woman put forth in this movie.
  Now as the characters drift apart under the stress of their situation they encounter the ghost of Nazis. Marc plays Russian Roulette with Willy and in a long drawn out scene wins. So he gets what he desired a naked prostitute he saw through a mirror. The experience is less than desired though and soon he is wandering the halls in a hallucinatory trance. He attacks Paul on the stares and falls breaking his neck. The deaths have begun. This being a Fulci film the gore is rather gross and well done. Marc's rotting body with its exploding puss blisters, the prostitute with the rotted breasts and more make the gore a feature.
  Really the two things that are consistent about this film are great practical effects and the not great exploitation of woman. From the opening scene of nude prostitutes dancing for Nazi soldiers, to Annie's nude mirror viewing, to Marie walking into a bedroom and having a topless encounter with a ghost prostitute. To the violence and and hysteria, the woman in this film are objectified and displayed as weak minded and in need of men to keep their emotions in check.
  So as the ghost interact with the teens nothing good can come of it and the gore starts to grow more gruesome. Starting with Jean who spend a night making love to Annie look alike ghost who rots before his eyes. In this case we don't see anything onscreen except a piece of skin peeling off her face. Annie I guess is out of the picture at this point, or it was not her ghost look alike but her in a converted state. Anyway there are just the four for most of the rest of the film. Confused? Well this film really is not the best constructed example of the silver screen.
   The urgency raises from this point on and the kids don't seem up to the task. Then while trying to pry a window open they find Willy the Nazi's movie. To get us to the final sequence there is a sloppy bit of dialog where Jean says "Now listen, don't jump to any conclusions. I'm not crazy my mind is perfectly clear. But since so many damn strange things are happening in this house, I've got the feeling that all of the answers to our problems are in that can of film." Now this is a really illogical jump to get to the climactic scenes. They decide to go look at the film but the fire that erupts around it as they reach for the canister should deter them. Through determination they get it and Marie, Celine, Paul and Jean rush to queue up the film. Ham handed the logic to get to this point is really disappointing.
  As it plays ghost Nazi's start marching on the room they are in and they struggle to block the door to keep them out. As the Nazis break through the old film ends and with it is a flash just like the bombing from the beginning of  Sodoma's Ghost. All the kids wake outside the ruins of the house obviously destroyed in 1943. A small cemetery surrounds them and by finishing the film they obviously broke the spell of the house. All alive and well they are confused and relieved they head for the car and head off to the closing credits.
  Not one of Fulci's best works but maybe worth a viewing if you can get by the treatment of women as either sexual objects or hysterically helpless. Granted this director does not have a reputation either as a women's libber or a stellar director. Still some of the gore is very good and the film is not unbearable. I don't think it will get a recommend here at Soresport movies but it didn't piss me off like some poorer horror films do.
Rating (4.3) 5.0 and up are recommended, some more recommended than others.

The Witch's Mirror (1962) - Horror

The Witch's Mirror (1962) - SPOILER ALERT!!! This movie is completely ruined with spoiler information from this review. Since it is RECOIMMENDED with a rating of 7.7 go and see the movie first before reading the review.  If you are not bothered by knowing the plot and thoughts about the movie then by all means read on.
"El Espejo de la Bruja" This classic horror tale from director Chano Urueta starts with a voice over explaining that witchcraft is real and witches perform rituals of magic. "They blaspheme, they sacrifice unchristened children..." and other horrible things, a strong witch can create a magic object and in the case of this film it is a Witch's Mirror. This intro starts us on a sad journey of revenge which can not end well for any involved.
  The witch in the story is Sara (Isebela Corona) the grandmother of Elena (Dina de Marco) and we start the story with the two women looking into the magical mirror. The women are trying to get answers about Elena's future, but unfortunately danger hovers over the younger woman. They press on calling the evil gods to show the danger, who is the cause. It is a doctor, who we later learn in Eduardo Ramos (Armando Calvo) Elena's husband, then another woman is seen in the mirror who is she. Sara tells Elena that that is her rival but neither knows the woman. "Death is stalking you Elena." is the message loud and clear.
 Eduardo sits as his wife Elena plays the piano, her favorite piece. He asks here why she always plays the same music and she reminds him he always used to ask her to play it. He says things change, and she seems sad. The scene is great at showing a relationship that has seen better days. Elena still loves her husband but he has lost interest. He is looking at his watch like he has somewhere else to be.  When she goes to bed it is without him. Simple and not wordy it is an excellent example for how to put meaning into a scene.
  Sara prays to her satanic gods for them to intervene on her granddaughter's behalf but they tell her that it is fate and Elena must die. Sara even though she is a powerful witch can not change her fate.
So the next night when Eduardo brings his wife poisoned warm milk she is destined to drink it and die. Her funeral and burial is efficient and Sara can only watch through her magic mirror and promise that her death will be avenged.
  This is not a simple form of revenge, no it is much more complicated than that, with a mix of cruel punishment and mad scientist the story twists and turns before finally smashing a hammer into the antagonists leaving them broken. Eduardo does not take long to remarry and his lovely bride Deborah (Rosa Arenas), although she knows he is a widow does not know the details of her death. She arrives with him at the house and we see that Sara is still working for and plotting against Eduardo. She calls forth the ghost of Elena and the haunting starts.
  As a storm starts outside to give us a foreshadowing of trouble to come strange things start to happen in the house. Deborah is scared and Eduardo is in denial right up until he sees his former wife in the magic mirror. Throwing his lantern at her image breaks the mirror but unfortunately the fainted Deborah is caught up in the fire. She wakes aflame and in a great practical effect runs from the room fully engulfed. It is good to stop here and reflect on the cruelty of this films plot. Poor Deborah did not know that Eduardo killed his wife, she did not know she was a rival to Elena, in fact she is completely innocent in this matter. Eduardo is an asshole murderer but it is Deborah who is burn until totally disfigured, it is so horrible for her a woman who happened to fall for a bad man.
  If you think revenge was served and that the film was over but you are wrong. Sara is not done with them yet and Eduardo has hardly been beaten down enough. This is where we have the twist into the mad scientist realm. Eduardo works day and night on a formula to make new skin grafts for Deborah, he wants to restore her beauty. In doing so though he has had to perform low acts. Stealing bodies from the morgue with the help of Gustavo (Carlos Nieto) he finally almost has what he needs. One more body and the operation to restore Deborah can begin.
  Stealing a woman who died of a heart attack from her grave in the cemetery Gustavo and Eduardo learn she was not really dead but just thought to be. So their crime actually saves the young girl from dying buried alive. She was a pianist with beautiful hand that could be transplanted in full onto Deborah, but now that she is alive this can't be. Eduardo says with excitement how he can now have a living specimen to use to replace his wife's burnt parts and no one will miss her thinking her already dead and buried. This is too much for Gustavo, the killing of an innocent girl is completely different than using the skin of cadavers. He says he will have no part of it and leaves. Eduardo can be pretty sure that he will not go to the police. He would be in trouble himself for stealing bodies. Still the fact he left the girl in Eduardo's hands weighs heavy on Gustavo.
  To spur Gustavo to turn himself into la policia, Sara materializes in from of him and warns him and then turns into a black cat to make sure he understands she is a dangerous witch. He heads off immediately having seen this. She raises Elena again from the grave, she knows that Eduardo is going to do the hand transplant so she has Elena leave her ghost hands in place of the young girls. Where both women played the piano Eduardo does not notice and attaches the hands to Deborah. Then he replaces the scarred tissue on her face with beautiful new skin. Deborah is so grateful and caresses her love with the new hands, but they are Elena's and try to strangle him. Still her face is unrevealed covered in bandages. She never questions Eduardo about how he got the body parts and apparently never reads the paper either so does not know about the missing bodies.
  Things pick up to the climax as Gustavo tells the police everything and they head to the house. At the same time Sara calls forth her final revenge. She reveals to Deborah the dead bodies hidden in the lab and it appalls Deborah. She confronts Eduardo calling him a criminal. He tries to explain he did it all for her and gets her to remove her face bandages. She is again beautiful with no signs of her terrible burns. Sara not that easily deterred though knows the hands are Elena's and as Deborah and Eduardo hold each other the otherworldly power makes the hand stab him in the back with scissors. Down he goes dead, and she loses the hands as they fall from her body and the burnt hands appear.
  Found by the police with now face and hand reverted to the charred horrors they were her sad fate as a murderess is sealed? The ghost appendages with one more task at hand :) crawl up Gustavo and finish his life with the scissors. Sara using the magic she used to get her revenge allows Elena to rest in peace and then vanishes before the police can find her.
  There is a lot I loved about this film, the pacing was wonderful and even though the plot meandered a bit it was always entertaining and there were no real lulls. The acting was wonderful with Calvo's Eduardo showing his villainous menace and driven intent. Deborah wonderfully played by Arenas was innocent and vulnerable and then tormented in her disfigurement. Corona's Sara was dignified in her need for revenge, you felt her love for her granddaughter in her actions.
  The special effects for this 1962 film were good, from the simple angle shots to reveal things in the mirror. To the scarred skin of Deborah, they were low budget but effective. The appearance and transformations of Sara through cut shot were simple but effective. The corniest piece was the ghost hand that were clearly still attached to arms and the best was the burning Deborah running from the room. There is also something like corn syrup over the lense at one point, a cool camera effect as well as a dreamy lighting scene showing Deborah as she hears the voice of Sara call Elena in the climax.
  The direction should get some credit to as the film was so well done. There was this one moment where I notice a small thing that was so great. Early in the film when Elena and Sara are looking at who will kill her. They see Eduardo in his doctor coat and he looks to be cutting something. there is nothing in his hands but they are making the motions. Later when he is taking the hands off the girl he murders for them he does it with a matching shot as he uses the same motion to make the incisions. It is a small thing but just excellent. I really enjoyed this film and whole heartedly recommend it to all.
Rating (7.7) 5.0 and up are recommended, but some more recommended than others.

The Cannibal Man (1971) - Murderer Psycho

The Cannibal Man (1971) - La semana del asesino (original title) More like "The Week of the Assassin?". I am going with the date on the film itself instead of IMDB on the year it was made. This is an odd film about a poor Italian man Marcos (Vincente Parra) who accidentally kills someone and because of his belief about how society would treat him decides not to go to the police. The effect of this decision starts him down a road he can never come back from. Commenting on Italy's social classes and their interaction the film is by no means heavy handed in this. Marcos, the main character lives in one of the last small houses in his neighborhood which is being gentrified with many high rise apartments occupied by the wealthy. In the opening scene he is sitting is the heat of the house, shirtless just listening to the radio. It is all he has and we find out later it is not even his house but that of his brother Esteban (Charly Bravo) who is off on business. The Soresport can empathize with Marko, there were times in my life where I was so poor that I was the one sitting in the house, nothing but a radio, no fans or air conditioning. It is tough being poor and Marcos is stuck with his life. He is a low level worker at a slaughterhouse that supplies meat for the Flory soup company. His life is small he goes to the local diner and eats and flirts with the waitress. He has a girlfriend whose father is not happy she is dating such a low man. So much so that she needs to sneak out to see him. He works and he sits in his brother's little house.
One of the ways the film comments about the class differences is by having a wealthy character who befriends Marcos, in this case Nester (Eusebio Poncela). He lives in the large apartment building near Marcos and it seems he may be gay. Marcos has these roof windows in his house and Nester peers down with binoculars at the shirtless man. There is this awkward tension as the two get to know each other on one hand Marcos gets a taste of the wealthy man's life but on the other hand he is pretty sure he can not have the relationship go where Nester would like it to. In a scene that solidifies that Marcos is correct in how the lower classes are treated by the authorities he and Nester are out for drinks one hot night. The police come up and start harassing them to show identification. Marcos shows his but Nester had left his at home. The police really starts lecturing about always having your papers on you but as soon as he learns that Nester lives in the high rise he apologizes and leaves. This is important to understand Marcos and his reactions to what is happening in the plot.
He goes out on a date with his girlfriend Paula (Emma Cohen) and while they are making out in the back of a taxi, they are confronted by the driver (Goyo Lebrero) who does not like that behavior. They are kicked out but the driver is very aggressive and attacks them for the partial fair he is owed. In the struggle Marcos strikes the man in the head with a stone. It is completely the taxi drivers fault this fight happened but unfortunately for Marcos he hit the man too hard and killed him. He could probably argue self defense. Since it is his belief he will not be treated fairly he wants to keep quiet and let the case go unsolved. Paula though can not live with that outcome and insists he go to the police or she will. The guilt would be too much for her. In the argument Marco makes one of many bad decisions as instead of letting her leave he chokes her out and hides the body under his brother's bed.
From there things sort of spiral out of control, his brother returns early and the body is still in the bedroom. Again an argument about going to the police leads to a similar conclusion. Then the next day when Esteban's fiancee, Carmen (Lola Herrera) comes by she discovers the two bodies and there is only one thing for the increasingly unstable Marcos to do. This is the problem, there are people connected to people, you kill one and anyone that knew they went to your house will come looking. It is a dilemma Marcos can not avoid in this film and as the bodies stack up the question also becomes how will he get rid of them. He has no car and the area around his house is so open and exposed that there would be no way to move the bodies. He does have the advantage of where he works though.
It seems that he can come up with a solution and as he slowly executes it day after day performing the gruesome task he must it seems that he may actually get away with the multiple murders. His respites with Nester take the edge off a bit but there is a real and evident mental toll. Marcos has to deal with the smell as his solution can only happen a bit at a time, but it could work. Perfumes and air fresheners can be purchased, things could be cleaned up. Then of course it can't there is the smell and the pesky Senor Ambrosio (Fernando Sanchez Polack) Carmen's father who arrives looking for his daughter. So Marcos go back to the only solution he knows and it is not the last time he will go this route.
It is a really sad story with the poor man trapped in his own limited decision making. His friend Nester tries to relieve the pressure with nice time shared between two men. It was so interesting to watch Marcos struggle with the knowledge that Nester would like a bit more than just friendship but at the same time not wanting to lose this piece of sanity in what has become a nightmare life. The Writer / Director of this film Eloy de la Iglesia shies away from pushing this angle of the film. He goes as far as having the men frolic in the water of Nester's health club but really never pushes past that into making Marcos decide to take the next step or throw away something he enjoys. I think this is a real flaw in the film, it is like it just gives up on creating conflict and in its place goes back to the bodies in the bedroom as the driving force. Certainly they are the main plot line but there was such an opportunity there that was missed.
In the end the film really pulled its punches and the ending was less than satisfying. It is resolved but not how we in modern movie making would expect. Instead the outcome is like the writer gave up on the story and just decided it needed to end. So disappointing for a film with something to say.
Rating (5.2) 5.0 and up are recommended Rent it but don't go out of your way.

Beyond the Door (1977) Horror Cult

Beyond the Door (1974) - Director Ovidio Assonitis said that he came up with the idea for this film after seeing Rosemary's Baby and the Exorcist and those influences are prevalent throughout this film. Juliet Mills has been working in the industry since the early 1940's is the lead Jessica Barrett. She is a woman who when younger fell in love with an older man Dimitri (Richard Johnson) who was part of a satanic cult. She fled a cult ceremony and started a new life in California. We join her 10 years into her new life with husband Robert (Gabriele Lavia) and two children Gail (Barbara Fiorini) and Ken (David Colin Jr.) as the events of the movie are about to unfold. It is a tale of the Devil being reborn into the world, through his possession of Jessica and the families struggle to deal with the situation.
This movie has some strange trappings, it starts with a black screen voice over by the voice of the devil himself (Robert Booth) setting the world where this is possible "Some of you... skeptics will say, like the little girl in this picture, what you can't see can't exist. Well my friends you go on, think that as long as you can, because sooner or later, one way or another you will discover your mistake." then instead of going directly into the story we see younger Jessica fleeing from the cult and her boyfriend Dimitri allowing her to go. Needless to say the devil is not happy with him for this and voice over it so on the nose it leaves a spot. Still in the past we see Dimitri driving and the devil narration telling us how he will now have to pay by finding Jessica and making sure she gives birth. Which happens 10 years later but when his car is crashing off the cliff and the picture freezes with it in air we get the message that his soul will live to do the task a decade later. All of this is really a big song and dance to get to the main story. I am not so sure it is needed, the reasons beyond being a cult member, for Dimitri to follow the devil's wishes is unnecessary. Having him suspended in death to get him to do it equally unneeded. It was a lot for the audience to get when the Jessica story could have explained everything. Writer Assonitis, Antonio Troiso and Robert Barrett twist the reasons around what is basically the Omen and Exorcist possession making the viewer figure out stuff that does not really matter. Towards the climax of the movie more voice over is used to let us know that everything that happened was intended by the devil and that Dimitri's role in it was just a mean game the devil was playing with him or some such thing. It is one of those vioce overs where some good scene writing could have simplified everything, to this reviewer it seem lazy or added later when the film came out confusing.
Our main story sets up Jessica in her early thirties with two children and a husband who is a record producer. The children are strange and seem like they could be devil children too. Either that or the writers were making a social comment on the permissive child rearing trends of the 1970s. At one point the family is driving in the sweet convertible they own and Mom and Dad are flirting the kids in the back seat over hear and the ten year old girl says to her brother "Holy shit, Can you get a load of that crap. When they carry on like that, I swear to God kiddo, it makes me want to puke. I'll tell you something man; there are times when bringing up parents is a real pain. When Dad starts getting all sexy and with it, that's a real bad scene. Hey Remember that crazy nickname you gave him.What was it?" And the four year old brother responds "Asshole"
Now the parents look shocked but neither of them even scold the children. Jessica refers to the book that Gail reads and rereads "Love Story". but really WTF! I don't think there is that kind of language in that book. Still the family name is Barrett and the book "Love Story" characters have the same name. Oh and there is a quirk about the four year old also the boy drinks Campbell's Split Pea soup from a can, all the time, in what must be a product placement and ode to the Exorcist at the same time? Its really hard to tell what the writers and director were going for in these establishing scenes. Maybe they wanted to show the family dysfunction or maybe to lead us off in a direction with a red herring that one of the kids could already be the devil. It did not work and did not seem to make a difference in the story.
No sooner does Jessica tell Robert that she is pregnant and we move into her having a strange pregnancy that can only mean that she is carrying the evil child. She feels it is not a good pregnancy and she has Dimitri citing as he closes in on the family. The term of nine months does not seem to apply and their doctor George (Nino Segurini) is baffled calling it a biological absurdity, the baby is growing much quicker than normal. There is also an evil presence stalking her in her sleep that I think is a demon that later possesses her. I can't be sure but I think at the end there was a demon, Satan and Jessica all sharing the same body. It may be the devil only but I will have to recheck that. Then there is a scene where she notices Ken has a fever, and a bruise on his chest. She appears to be comforting him but when left alone in the room she kisses him and then kisses the sleeping child again but in what appears to be a passionate way. Maybe transferring spirits to him or stealing energy from him? Anyway she starts having mood swings and the guys, Robert and George start talking about whether she should be hospitalized. Jessica still holding on to some of her choice in the matter talks to George about abortion but then the demon inside has her being super protective in the next minute. She is certainly in for more of this. The spirit that has been stalking her is closing in. It is now hanging out with little Ken and rocking in the rocking chair. When sister Gail comes and joins him I think it pissed the spirit off and it created a wild ride for the kids, as toys came to life, dolls eyes flashed with light, there was a light show under the floor and the room started rocking. The poor terrified children screamed and screamed but napping Jessica is no where to be seen. When Gail manages to fight her way out of the room the rest of the house is quiet and she runs to her Mom. Mom is laying face down on the bed and when Gail shakes her... Well lets just say Jessica is a candidate for the Horror Digest blog's scary face club. Time for the kids to sleep over with George and his girl Barbara. (the lovely Elizabeth Turner)
The film quickly becomes The Exorcist style possession movie with Robert, Barbara and George being witness to the strange behavior. There is this really cool scene with Jessica and Barbara that was unsettling. Jessica is lying on the bed face up staring at the ceiling when one eye starts looking around the room and at Barbara. I think this part of the film is to show the possession taking hold. Like the devil or spirit did not yet have full control. It is not long before we get the full effects of bad skin, vomiting and strange body movements and levitation. George is convinced she should be moved to a hospital since they are using restraints on her. Somehow after following him around for a while Dimitri makes enough of an impression on Robert that he is allowed to join the party. Not right away of course but this is a guy trying to convince the devil that he should have more time. Now the devil was really clear with Dimitri, keep her at home and the child must be born. Dimitri gets his audience and eventually gets into the house too. The time comes when it is time to bring the child out but Dimitri says he must get to it before t"the Evil One" can carry it away into the darkness.
The Devil talks to Dimitri when it is time, he taunts him when he still needs his help. Jessica is in tough shape now. "Dimitri, now you are in this house, in this women, soon you will be in a newborn child." says the possessed Jessica. So he is the instrument of Satan, "Make her spit out this vile creature which will renew your life." Then the devil says he gave Dimitri illusions that he might live but he was never going to do it. "I have used you like everyone else for my amusement even this infant." So Dimitri dies and vanishes WTF!
George comes and find a sleeping normal Jessica in the bed, she is no longer pregnant. In the corner is an infant with no mouth. Is it stillborn, so what is going on? Well you get one final scene to learn that the devil child was already born and is four years old in the form of Ken. Overall this movie fails in a lot of levels, the voice over is all way too on the nose and it is used all over this film. The story is as we see all for not since the devil was already in Ken. The weird music from the early Deal with the devil, to the later music montage with Robert walking the street and being harassed by street musicians, just strange.
Rating (3.9) 5.0 and up are recommended, Skip it using the Zombiegrrlz rating system

Blood and Roses (1960) Horror Vampire

Blood and Roses (1960) - This review is part of the Final Girl Film Club, Stacie Ponder's excellent site and work, including the feature film Ludlow are worth every minute of your time so go check her out.

I want to call this film a Gothic vampire story but it does and does not quite fit in that category. Certainly the feel of the film is just that but it is set in the 20th century. The Estate of Leopoldo De Karnstein (Mel Ferrer) and the atmosphere within the small circle of characters is almost Hammeresque. As the film starts we have a voice over from as we look out of the cockpit window of a plane taking off. The voice of Millarca talks about how things have changed in 500 years.

Then we are introducing characters at the Karnstein Estate, Leopoldo has a fireworks expert in to create a fireworks display for his celebration. He is engaged to Georgia Monteverdi (Elsa Martinelli) they are planning a big lead up to their wedding. It is determined that the display will take place up by the old castle on the grounds which leads to the story of the Vampire Millarca ( I hope I have that name right?) Leopoldo's cousin Carmilla tells us the story of Ludwig and Millarca, they were in love and when she was dying, too young and on the eve of their wedding; She told him their love would be eternal. In 1765 after a rash of mysterious deaths the peasants revolted fearing that there was a vampire in the Karnstein family and invaded the family plot at the old castle and staked all the bodies. Ludwig stole away with Millarca's body hiding it deep in the castle so it would not be staked. His love though was not as eternal as hers and three more times Ludwig would get engaged and each time on the eve of his wedding his bride to be died. When Carmilla finishes the story she show all the painting of Millarca, who could be her twin.

When the fireworks display causes some World War II munitions to explode in the castle the tomb of the vampire spirit is revealed and it calls to Carmilla to be her vessel. So here we are all set up for a repeat of the story we just heard. Leopoldo nad Georgia are to be married in just a few days and the vampire Millarca now in the body of Carmilla is set to get the descendant of Ludwig as her own. Playing into this is Carmilla's personal story that she has always loved Leopoldo since they were children. Writer/Director Roger Vadim plays the line of trying to make the audience think that the vampire aspects of the film may be concoctions of Carmilla's mind. That she just takes on the persona of the vampire in order to subconsciously sabotage the wedding. Still there are some vampire tropes we can look to to try to confirm if is is actually mental illness or a real spirit.

The chemistry and sexual tension between the two lead actresses in remarkable in this film. After a walk Georgia lays down in the sun under a tree and closes her eyes, Carmilla hovers over her intently staring and just as she seem she will move in for a kiss they are interrupted. Wow! At this point I need to note that both of these women are stunning. Elsa Martinelli and Annette Vadim shine as true beauties of cinema, each jaw dropping lovely. Elsa's perfect Italian face and incredible dark eyes are intoxicating. I found myself anticipating the next time the two would be onscreen together again as the scene ended.

The film moves on to show us changes in Carmilla, from animals being afraid of her to her ability to correct a historian on the Karnstein histories, to knowing a 100 year old dance are meant to confirm to the audience that she may be Millarca. We see her as the voice over tells us she must return to her tomb each night, walking through the forest to the castle. Then there is the whole needing blood to survive. Carmilla question young maid Lisa about where she lives and it is not long before we have a very tense hunt scene as Lisa tries to flee the possessed Camilla.

Camilla grows closer to Leopoldo also and he is a bit of a cad in that he does not immediately spurn her advances. This is a guy who is going to be married in a couple days and he is getting close to his cousin like no man should. He goes as far as offering to allow her along to his honeymoon in the Caribbean? WTF! Then after she has some kind of hallucinatory episode he actually ends up with her in bed her dress torn away from her breast, and kisses her passionately.

Lisa's body is found creating rumors among the locals that the vampire is back. Leopoldo is pulled away to talk to the police just as the summer rains come. A shift in the film signified by storms, love this technique. Camilla and Georgia have taken shelter in the greenhouse after being caught in the rain. The women talk and Georgia lets Camilla know that she knows Camilla is in love with Leopoldo, as she does she hands her a rose pricking her hand. When she sucks her finger she gets a spot of blood on her lip. Camilla sees this and moves in gently kissing her to get the blood. The voice over says "One drop is not enough I must have more, much more." as she moves towards neck. This scene is beautifully shot and just a pleasure to watch. As Camilla moves in a servant arrives and leads them to the house with an umbrella, we close the scene on the flower Camilla was holding, its color fades.

As the storm continues outside Leopoldo works it out so the wedding will be moved to Venice. He suspects Camilla and when he has Georgia's father announce the need to leave the castle Camilla actually breaks her glass against the table in her distress at the news. She realizes that her jig is up and is spurred to move more quickly. She visits the room of the sleeping Georgia and like a beast of prey circles the bed, as she closes in Georgia says in her dream "Millarca." then we enter a surreal dream sequence of limited color where voice over confirms that Camilla is dead and the spirit of Millarca possesses her body. The very creative scene ends with Millarca and Georgia spinning in a dance together, Georgia is bitten and screams. Returning us to the real world where there are actually bite marks on Georgia's neck .

Millarca heads to the castle to her tomb but does not know there is a crew preparing to deal with (explode) the remaining munitions there. When the explosion takes place Millarca is thrown off a cliff and lands on a fence post staked through the heart. The final scene is Georgia and Leopoldo on a plane to Venice. The voice over from Millarca lets us know the dream sequence allowed her to enter the body of Georgia and that she is finally to be reunited to her Karnstein, closing with the rose she is holding fading its color away.

This is a great retelling of the story from the novella Carmilla and is such a well executed film, the story is tight and the cinematography is excellent. This one was a joy to watch.

Rating (7.9) 5.0 and up are recommended in the Zombiegrrlz system I would say Buy It!

Satan's Blood (1978) Horror Cult

Satan's Blood (1978) - "Escalofrio" The opening scene of Satan's Blood has little to do with the film's main story other than to establish the precedent that Satanic cults have rituals and that those rituals involve sex and murder. It has no bearing on the plot at all. The woman is forced onto the alter and the old horny priest kneads her breasts like dough and then mounts and fucks her until he stabs her in the chest. This really is an artifact of the type of film it is. When horror films became popular in the 1970's in Spain where this film was made, many were co-produced with other countries, particularly Italy. Strict Spanish censorship kept many from being screened in Spain at all or the versions were chopped up to make them clean. When the dictator General Franco died in 1975 within two years censorship was abolished and a new class of movie was developed the "Clasificada S". It meant that the film contained strong sex scene violence and horror. "Satan's Blood" is one of those movies, lots of sex, bursts of bloodshed but placed in a way that could be edited out for markets that did not allow such scenes, and yet the story could somewhat hold together. Produced and Directed by Juan Piquer Simon who is famous for the slasher "Pieces", this earlier work has some very promising parts to it. -- paraphrased from Peter Tomb's description in the Mondo Macabro DVD extras.

The story concerns a couple, "The As" Andy (Jose Maria Guillen) and Annie (Mariana Karr) in the dubbed version I have. The film makes a point to let us know Annie is pregnant and later that they have had a miscarriage in the past. So one would think that this was important information. They are looking for something to do for the weekend and while out are flagged down in there car by another couple, Bruno (Angel Aranda) and Mary (Sandra Alberti). Bruno seems to know Andy from school but Andy can't remember him. They are invited to come out for drinks at Bruno's house and agree to follow them there. At the house there seems to be inconsistencies in Bruno's story but Andy is still taken with the couples friendly attention. Strange that Andy and Annie's current address is on the back of the school photograph. the hosts are a bit off but not startling so. What is even weirder?

1. There is a guy other than the gate keeper roaming about the house trying not to be seen.

2. Mary has an amazing gaze that can mind control the dog Blackie.

3. When Annie comes into the kitchen she finds Mary bent over the counter her head in a bowl eating what appears to be raw meat without her hands. That's weird, and making dog noises. It leaves you thinking that she may be a werewolf or something.

They start talking about talking to the beyond with the Ouija board. Everyone is open to the idea as it seems like it might be fun. At this point pregnant Annie has been drinking wine and smoking, I guess it was not the same approach to pregnancy then as it is now.

By the dreadful day of judgement.

By the four beasts before the thrown.

Having eyes before and behind.

By the fire which is about the thrown.

I command thee to grace us with your presence, to enrich our poor souls, to take us into your heart.

Talk to us O powerful one...

The seance brings out some personal information about both Bruno and Annie and ends with Annie fainting. When she comes to they are going to leave but the storm outside they will have to stay the night. Another nudity scene is interjected and then we get to Andy thinking about the photograph. Going over the points in Bruno's story that don't make sense. They hear Blackie their dog and then we see that the thing is dead and being dragged by someone outside. Strangely though that night Annie is awake late and hears the dog again, she gets up and goes downstairs only to run into the stranger, who promptly tries to rape her. Since all she has over her lovely thin body is a bathrobe he comes damn close before being kneed in the balls. This is it for our couple so they dress to leave. When they get to the living room they see the couple in the middle of a ritual, nude in a pentagram. They somehow get enchanted and there starts a long night of foursome sex. You can see the magic in the air as they are all rubbing oil on each other and doing satanic rituals. It doesn't seem to go completely right, Mary after having Bruno blood smeared on her abdomen screams a frightful scream.

Seeming to have forgotten all of the nakedness Annie the nurse by trade tends to Mary only going off with Bruno to look for something to give her. Mary back in the bedroom with Andy makes her move so that Annie will walk in as she is passionately kissing him. Create conflict in your duped couple, this is a smart idea. Divide and conquer to keep them from leaving together. When Andy goes after his pissed wife Bruno and Mary go at it making animal noises. The strange rapist wanna be watches Bruno from outside but the gatekeeper comes up behind him and kills him.

Insert a dream scene where a creepy doll walks into the room and Mary in a shear black nightie tries to seduce Annie and you have the makings of a freaky night.

Everything conspires to keep the A's at the house including Bruno and Mary taking their car and going to town to drop there own car at the shop. They arrive back to find the slightly pissed of A's who have been snooping around. They made it up to an upper room where they found a picture of themselves. Something is definitely not right and they are getting out of there. They do not even remember the photo being taken. Bruno of course pulls a wire in the car so they are going no where. Where the hell is that dog too?

There are some really freaky scares and it gets really out in the open after the moment where Mary's shadow scares the shit out of Annie and then they see Blackie hanging dead in the pantry. Annie has had it and a lot of the veneer goes off the other couple. They are in the other room when we hear a gunshot. Bruno is injured in the head. They watch him die. Mary goes off on a moped before they know it and returns with a doctor who accuses Andy of killing Bruno. He orders the As to stay and await the authorities and leaves. They are not sure what to do next but when they realize they have not seen Mary in a while they find her slit wrists in the tub. Putting her in a bed she suddenly pops upright and in a demon voice says she is not dead yet, kill me kill me. Andy stressed at this point does just that???

We move toward a climax and a as Andy and Annie go to leave. Mary is there dead and standing with a gun, the struggle for the gun and Andy kills the woman again. They stage it like she is still in the tub, why? Who the fuck knows at this point. Again they go to leave except now we see Bruno's body is no longer on the couch. They get to the car but have to go back for Annie's purse. Bruno is there back from the dead, Annie shoots his ass. Then the freak doll... bang, then a scream from beyond the grave and the doors of the house start slamming shut. They find the body parts of the wannabe rapist and then get out of the place.

When they arrive home there is one more climax scene which leaves you thinking that maybe they we dead all along. Nothing ever came of the baby in the oven thing and the film does a twilight zone final shot that leaves you perplexed. Overall for what it is it is a reasonable confusing film but one that it not terrible. If only it made just a bit more sense. Maybe Andy and Annie were already dead and this is some sort of private hell. Suicide played a part in the personal stories of both Bruno and Mary, so maybe they were ghosts playing a part in that hell. Certainly the violent ending scene and then the one to follow could support such a hypotenuse. The nudity scenes are plentiful and the people are attractive to look at. If you like that then you are in luck, at least with the cut I am reviewing here. This is really a borderline recommendation because I can see a lot of you really hating this. There era though produced so many more horrible films than this.

Rating (5.5) 5.0 and up are recommended.