tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23162284511876118132024-03-13T19:47:32.613-07:00At the Mansion of MadnessPretentious, surreal, profound... Somewhere near the end of infinity...Giovanni Susinahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03253382939348997303noreply@blogger.comBlogger155125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2316228451187611813.post-8151178690253160832024-01-26T01:47:00.000-08:002024-02-05T20:52:47.280-08:00The Unnaturals / Schreie in der Nacht (1969)<p><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3u6gF06dZznsiUh2FVz2aQALC0zht6YEeBAxCCHgyllF8l8zlU8la4u0kwI37RzTf0VNRA2GBkzI97O3QJyc-7lyeQwkt4UqDh7YFAPbNTSihYhvmglEV62mk1xxCjXARMbzptTpsvnyL8GQJ1ORKBCE3kilzVpcTKCe69c40Lkpyu9H4PV_zEAPWVTuE/s1443/The%20Unnaturals%20%E2%80%93%20Contronatura_Title_2.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1443" data-original-width="991" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3u6gF06dZznsiUh2FVz2aQALC0zht6YEeBAxCCHgyllF8l8zlU8la4u0kwI37RzTf0VNRA2GBkzI97O3QJyc-7lyeQwkt4UqDh7YFAPbNTSihYhvmglEV62mk1xxCjXARMbzptTpsvnyL8GQJ1ORKBCE3kilzVpcTKCe69c40Lkpyu9H4PV_zEAPWVTuE/w275-h400/The%20Unnaturals%20%E2%80%93%20Contronatura_Title_2.jpg" width="275" /></a></span></div><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">When poring over the impressively diverse range of genre
films from <i>Antonio Margheriti</i>, I realize there’s still a lot more I need
to see. I have more blind spots here than I care to admit. I plan on eventually
rectifying this issue in good time, maybe starting with some of the derivative
sounding ‘80s action/adventure stuff like <b>The Last Blood</b> (1983) or <b>The
Ark of the Sun God</b> (1984). I do have a soft spot for retro space movies, so
something like <b>Assignment: Outer Space</b> (1960), <i>Margheriti’s</i> first
full film as director, would probably make my day. I have been a big fan of <i>Margheriti’s</i>
exquisite gothic horror films for quite some time (no surprise there), and I’ve
been itching to review one of his least talked about (as far as I can tell)
gothic horrors, <b>The Unnaturals / Contronatura</b>. </span><p></p><p><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">I thought this German / Italian
co-production kind of had a classic comic book feel to it (something kind of in
the vein of EC’s Crime SuspenStories). It’s also been compared to the krimi
thriller, with all the fixings of a crime fueled storyline, only instead of a
detective or Scotland Yard, the criminal foil and justice comes in the form of
the supernatural beyond. There’s also no denying that the 1920s setting,
primarily in a gloomy haunted mansion during a long meditative séance, hosted
by none other than <i>Luciano Pigozzi</i>, with a bunch of stranded shady
characters seeking shelter on a dark and stormy night is gothic horror as fuck.
This is the kind of gathering that I consider a good time.</span></p><p><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggxdTyeTmh_s8hlVRBqfn9ifju5gCPED5L7DCbhhJiNv_7qvkgpFOvdFi5yg-oMDMvwmsrKMkZqrHaMIQZfgQC1UkTdYAuesLurCJZHVyAaf4zrTDBvg3I2N8lUJkSgWIOWu8VIM443Uhj9F1u4H-lB4nmSkb61xway0KVCGyF_4_a_uevQ4VgOlvzpeIS/s1431/The%20Unnaturals%20%E2%80%93%20Contronatura_1.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="614" data-original-width="1431" height="219" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggxdTyeTmh_s8hlVRBqfn9ifju5gCPED5L7DCbhhJiNv_7qvkgpFOvdFi5yg-oMDMvwmsrKMkZqrHaMIQZfgQC1UkTdYAuesLurCJZHVyAaf4zrTDBvg3I2N8lUJkSgWIOWu8VIM443Uhj9F1u4H-lB4nmSkb61xway0KVCGyF_4_a_uevQ4VgOlvzpeIS/w400-h171/The%20Unnaturals%20%E2%80%93%20Contronatura_1.jpg" width="512" /></a></span></div><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"> </span><p></p><p><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">For some reason, <b>The
Unnaturals</b> took a few watches before I was finally comfortable remembering
all of the characters, their names, and their relation to one another. It feels
like it might be more complex than it needs to be, so it is a rather
challenging watch the first time around. If it weren’t for the appealing look and
style, not a lot of people would likely care to revisit it, but I sensed it was
worth taking a few more deep dives into the film, and I’ve come to decide that <b>The
Unnaturals</b> is a pleasurable and relaxing little crime thriller overlapping
gothic horror. </span></p><p><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNPn-fik5vYbXqORz_Kx3UaEQxP0ddhOx8_0xcnsFZ1aLgsyb_hVbCiZOUEJ0uVilBFHg9yuhxBxo1qZducUDsE3TlVLzWrBMRe9212Z-US1QB69OpyPhtI5-HeXpelWb2we_9bbMTHASHjfs4PnAcAoZ55lMtCIQlSRbO40i9lgvn8BbbimroyeBaW7fa/s1431/The%20Unnaturals%20%E2%80%93%20Contronatura_2.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="618" data-original-width="1431" height="219" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNPn-fik5vYbXqORz_Kx3UaEQxP0ddhOx8_0xcnsFZ1aLgsyb_hVbCiZOUEJ0uVilBFHg9yuhxBxo1qZducUDsE3TlVLzWrBMRe9212Z-US1QB69OpyPhtI5-HeXpelWb2we_9bbMTHASHjfs4PnAcAoZ55lMtCIQlSRbO40i9lgvn8BbbimroyeBaW7fa/w400-h173/The%20Unnaturals%20%E2%80%93%20Contronatura_2.jpg" width="512" /></a></span></div><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"> </span><p></p><p><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">So, I mentioned a primary setting in a dark atmospheric mansion,
but this one also has flashbacks galore. I do like this format since you get to
learn more about the vice-motivated characters and why they might actually be
in the grip of the ever-prevalent hand of cosmic justice (almost predicting <b>Tales
from the Crypt</b> 1972, a little). Plus, the dramatic flashbacks to ballroom parties,
deadly love triangles, and fox hunting in open fields do help break from the
claustrophobia of the closed off house setting. Although, unlike the usual
anthology/portmanteau style film, the flashbacks are not separate stories but make up a single but complex backstory relating everyone present.</span></p><p><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHRlXeIRxCBz1O6ffB589uRMm1m-oIrGDRHnCqJFgFgOeXOj6C_cPa_9cRKZzcGwGVK4nJCHmIZgkfucazH97QIKSaTA2qweV1BzlvEtHFetymKTdEKn5mop8XB1dcGhJOZIwzPZl1yaB1jD4OgkKZi-K5pTmj7T9NAZ9CaQuTmCeUWX_12d7kkNp28tKq/s1429/The%20Unnaturals%20%E2%80%93%20Contronatura_3.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="617" data-original-width="1429" height="219" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHRlXeIRxCBz1O6ffB589uRMm1m-oIrGDRHnCqJFgFgOeXOj6C_cPa_9cRKZzcGwGVK4nJCHmIZgkfucazH97QIKSaTA2qweV1BzlvEtHFetymKTdEKn5mop8XB1dcGhJOZIwzPZl1yaB1jD4OgkKZi-K5pTmj7T9NAZ9CaQuTmCeUWX_12d7kkNp28tKq/w400-h173/The%20Unnaturals%20%E2%80%93%20Contronatura_3.jpg" width="512" /></a></span></div><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"> </span><p></p><p><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">While watching <b>The
Unnaturals</b>, I remember thinking that it would make a pretty good book. It turns
out the film is based on a short story <b>Eppure bussano alla porta</b>
(roughly translated to “Yet They Knock on the Door”) by <i>Dino Buzzati</i>. </span></p><p><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">There’s
quite a bit of setup before we get to the seance; we actually don’t get to the
mansion until twenty minutes into the movie. The film takes its time to set up
its main five players, starting in (what better place for the rich and decadent)
a casino during the roaring ‘20s.</span></p><p><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9NgrHSz3qCXwk0brgUzu2Jab0hnBOXJ7hknsPJQ8g9_c2GtF5uylDWwbSETL5k3MSXOY2FgGpN75HuDRYquKS7TxRtNVc66pTRi9u4Uog5CJ2aaeRgvT7LVFAt1knrD5KeDdUBcprLDxyF3p4nEcVi5cvcDQU6D-bhJ_ahdB51WG3S3ezxQZvQ2D5bcC7/s1429/The%20Unnaturals%20%E2%80%93%20Contronatura_4.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="614" data-original-width="1429" height="219" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9NgrHSz3qCXwk0brgUzu2Jab0hnBOXJ7hknsPJQ8g9_c2GtF5uylDWwbSETL5k3MSXOY2FgGpN75HuDRYquKS7TxRtNVc66pTRi9u4Uog5CJ2aaeRgvT7LVFAt1knrD5KeDdUBcprLDxyF3p4nEcVi5cvcDQU6D-bhJ_ahdB51WG3S3ezxQZvQ2D5bcC7/w400-h171/The%20Unnaturals%20%E2%80%93%20Contronatura_4.jpg" width="512" /></a></span></div><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"> </span><p></p><p><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">Business tycoon Archibald (<i>Giuliano
Raffaelli</i> – <b>The Long Hair of Death</b> 1964) and his lawyer / accountant
Ben (<i>Joachim Fuchsberger</i> - <b>Dead Eyes of London</b> 1961) are meeting
up at a casino on a rainy night before travelling by motorcar to a place in
Brighton. They need to deliver important estate documents in the morning that
Ben has recently prepared, now that a ten-year statute of limitations period
has passed. Along for the trip are Archibald’s administrator Alfred (<i>Claudio
Camaso</i> - <b>A Bay of Blood</b> 1971) and his illicit lover Margarete (<i>Dominique
Boschero</i> - <b>Argoman the Fantastic Superman</b> 1967) (who’s also Archibald’s
mistress). Waiting in the backseat of the car is the gothic lesbian domme mommy,
er, I mean, Ben’s business and pleasure partner Vivian (<i>Marianne Koch</i> – <b>A
Fistful of Dollars</b> 1964), who seems to have an intense fixation on
Margarete.</span></p><p><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj41QAnQstyZ53f0KeOkQwzfYiSLV1ZzprMAk0xj4QmQin-Mm8LRpkSJ88mxIf1F1FNoBowTnEtov7IZb1eBrgqtT5TkbLtJJRp9eHxLBlptJlRnzwv5UbM9HAuakTD91Uf648NJ96NGtOCHm8irR5sAkU8wr4WbvtCOdh45g5hJnME08ki4fyq5JXyqDDX/s1912/The%20Unnaturals%20%E2%80%93%20Contronatura_5.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="824" data-original-width="1912" height="219" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj41QAnQstyZ53f0KeOkQwzfYiSLV1ZzprMAk0xj4QmQin-Mm8LRpkSJ88mxIf1F1FNoBowTnEtov7IZb1eBrgqtT5TkbLtJJRp9eHxLBlptJlRnzwv5UbM9HAuakTD91Uf648NJ96NGtOCHm8irR5sAkU8wr4WbvtCOdh45g5hJnME08ki4fyq5JXyqDDX/w400-h173/The%20Unnaturals%20%E2%80%93%20Contronatura_5.jpg" width="512" /></a></span></div><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPmUixsGsChn9DSEy1BX3AtbDBV7mqhwqGGzbc5kcq3ROgNCoVh_ipRCxiO3GY4_ZenlgMgq2SLzmZNdhlGElcGjtc-MC2jybExfjGcf9VXDEisV9lSqozuBPJQ7EKiGwtu7PyiScQV1ZpjZTKheA4uZk8zG7JMOVQy_neZQQ4q96XDSml4kx060ERm363/s1431/The%20Unnaturals%20%E2%80%93%20Contronatura_6.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="623" data-original-width="1431" height="219" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPmUixsGsChn9DSEy1BX3AtbDBV7mqhwqGGzbc5kcq3ROgNCoVh_ipRCxiO3GY4_ZenlgMgq2SLzmZNdhlGElcGjtc-MC2jybExfjGcf9VXDEisV9lSqozuBPJQ7EKiGwtu7PyiScQV1ZpjZTKheA4uZk8zG7JMOVQy_neZQQ4q96XDSml4kx060ERm363/w400-h174/The%20Unnaturals%20%E2%80%93%20Contronatura_6.jpg" width="512" /></a></div> </span><p></p><p><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">After everyone piles in, during the car ride, we get to know these
characters a bit more during a flashback segment from, apparently, ten years
prior, as we learn that Archibald was regularly cheated on by Margaret with the, then, newly
hired Albert, who in turn was cheating on his love, Diana (<i>Gudrun Schmidt</i>).
Both women were pulling strings for Albert’s success with Archibald’s business. </span></p><p><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">It’s revealed one night that while Albert and Margaret were making love in the greenhouse, a
lovelorn Vivian had watched the two lovers from outside through a window. Movie audiences
in 1969 would be forgiven for assuming Vivian is also in love with Albert, but
as we find a short time later, she really lusts and broods over Margaret. It
shouldn’t be surprising that none of this (Albert and Margaret’s cheating,
Archibald and Ben’s shady estate dealings, and Vivian’s sexual aggressivity) is
going to end well.</span></p><p><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiY_WJyJIYIdR7hQoIfvjBPj7pED4IgaqOEADnCknCiRrF_Ut0yqgtso6-j-F4k3kSk78L1q6twas5jjGzX0p4GHysWiiNR2aT2WKaMgYNL5ZqPtkheuQegH5JlCRTgR-Z4r-0gF8rXekzpgFxVLWps-K4_6NoG3VHIUEjgYpfKNY_Rru5tAc06Ku98BxwA/s1431/The%20Unnaturals%20%E2%80%93%20Contronatura_7.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="617" data-original-width="1431" height="219" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiY_WJyJIYIdR7hQoIfvjBPj7pED4IgaqOEADnCknCiRrF_Ut0yqgtso6-j-F4k3kSk78L1q6twas5jjGzX0p4GHysWiiNR2aT2WKaMgYNL5ZqPtkheuQegH5JlCRTgR-Z4r-0gF8rXekzpgFxVLWps-K4_6NoG3VHIUEjgYpfKNY_Rru5tAc06Ku98BxwA/w400-h173/The%20Unnaturals%20%E2%80%93%20Contronatura_7.jpg" width="512" /></a></span></div><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"> </span><p></p><p><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">Back in the present, the Brighton-bound motorcar eventually
gets stuck in the mud, and the scoundrels are forced to take refuge in a nearby
mansion (the rain drenched walk through the thunder and woods to the house is actually
done quite well, with rain effects, swinging branches, and enthusiastic
performances from the cast). </span></p><p><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">When they arrive to the grounds of an old hunting
lodge, the “uninvited” guests just kind of help themselves to entry, as the
door seemingly opens for them. With the tempest outside, it’s assumed the
proprietors will understand.</span></p><p><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4TDVEAEK1FyUgJcKwfyAyj8ntNJh36OD4BnMd26IymdBBlS71F2fR3awBlurG1BkiI7O-imvKK9hRoU6rVr8QKOviCDNSxu3lO4sIuDse1CfdlCDxhgoV1R14RHTY-6SiMod-9usJ9MxOYuP1oIG6mrE8zbYNgaYJcl5jRqRCZr9f3fL5c0HlEiZvtw70/s1431/The%20Unnaturals%20%E2%80%93%20Contronatura_8.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="615" data-original-width="1431" height="219" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4TDVEAEK1FyUgJcKwfyAyj8ntNJh36OD4BnMd26IymdBBlS71F2fR3awBlurG1BkiI7O-imvKK9hRoU6rVr8QKOviCDNSxu3lO4sIuDse1CfdlCDxhgoV1R14RHTY-6SiMod-9usJ9MxOYuP1oIG6mrE8zbYNgaYJcl5jRqRCZr9f3fL5c0HlEiZvtw70/w400-h173/The%20Unnaturals%20%E2%80%93%20Contronatura_8.jpg" width="512" /></a></span></div><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"> </span><p></p><p><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">Once inside, they come across a strange man played
by <i>Pigozzi</i> named Uriat (sometimes spelled Uraia in the subtitles) who seemingly
is quite welcoming and hospitable to the travelers in the storm. His spooky mother
(<i>Marianne Leibl</i>), a kind of psychic medium, happens to be stuck in a
trance, unable to hear or see anything. The medium mentions a name that alarms
both Ben and Archibald, who soon find themselves joining Uriat and his
mother in a séance in order to try and break her out of her trance and
learn more about what is going on. Meanwhile, Vivian
takes a weary Margaret to a room upstairs.</span></p><p><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEji9diRVYlTTiOhyphenhyphenpuzpP1Z5wWXI-72RQEGcGouA7n3yn4RIBiFEyzIlOUl5z34CKBSTcLtHI600XpNIh6VDp9FdTDem2RVqP9Aa6LDD1mqgfOd_Xk1Ep6Ltx3cM9XzF7s-zfi2sC-eAuJFGykUqZPfjf9f5Z82F3BAMuweWso_GV_-FANQTMkHuGhNnH0x/s1428/The%20Unnaturals%20%E2%80%93%20Contronatura_9.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="615" data-original-width="1428" height="219" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEji9diRVYlTTiOhyphenhyphenpuzpP1Z5wWXI-72RQEGcGouA7n3yn4RIBiFEyzIlOUl5z34CKBSTcLtHI600XpNIh6VDp9FdTDem2RVqP9Aa6LDD1mqgfOd_Xk1Ep6Ltx3cM9XzF7s-zfi2sC-eAuJFGykUqZPfjf9f5Z82F3BAMuweWso_GV_-FANQTMkHuGhNnH0x/w400-h173/The%20Unnaturals%20%E2%80%93%20Contronatura_9.jpg" width="512" /></a></span></div><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiS-OjytQ__8mveGPzlCaxQkfCQQXAfusyfFoV2voHGwFZscavvJ8qG8TmmF0YVgUuLWxUJME3KELlY05V-xQvXoZ51mpuLTXDqulEPW73Ap5dh9MTPHXVexMgCEqMsIDPyfZ_4yNidRCxMu7B0O1lITqIW5nGntDT7ttOXazkWz_AgZ8pE46V2z3RHxXi2/s1431/The%20Unnaturals%20%E2%80%93%20Contronatura_10.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="616" data-original-width="1431" height="219" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiS-OjytQ__8mveGPzlCaxQkfCQQXAfusyfFoV2voHGwFZscavvJ8qG8TmmF0YVgUuLWxUJME3KELlY05V-xQvXoZ51mpuLTXDqulEPW73Ap5dh9MTPHXVexMgCEqMsIDPyfZ_4yNidRCxMu7B0O1lITqIW5nGntDT7ttOXazkWz_AgZ8pE46V2z3RHxXi2/w400-h173/The%20Unnaturals%20%E2%80%93%20Contronatura_10.jpg" width="512" /></a></div> </span><p></p><p><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><b>The</b> <b>Unnaturals</b> could have
been a plain old story about crime, greed, and deceit, but there’s an added
touch of the erotic with the inclusion of the sexually aggressive sapphic vixen
Vivian. She broods in her lovelorn state, craving the love of a younger woman,
Margaret (as well as Elisabeth (<i>Helga Anders</i>) during flashback segments).
Vivian gives the film its edginess. I like to think that she is the cool one in
the group, as she usually stands out, looking pretty badass in the background
during some of the séance scenes. I can’t help feeling that <i>Margheriti</i>
might have been channeling the predatory lesbian vampire a little with Vivian.
It’s likely that we’re not supposed to like Vivian, but what can I say? This
wouldn’t feel like much of a Eurocult film without her. </span></p><p><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHAxPx0thCoF_9o6KXos-5tqu7Lh7E5YBUNIk33NhfiCYmCPmXZBHsMcA3fzM9Dj8Rdgy9kRssRegftec6RCjIpznlYnkHBYu6htn1HV4-ALh-d0hGeKu9ALDnQkQhQZLY9RQ8V7vthaxiACKOqzgZ1iE36CQ3_87zh-gI-qz8JMj5ZFWhgreE5buB3QxW/s1428/The%20Unnaturals%20%E2%80%93%20Contronatura_11.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="614" data-original-width="1428" height="219" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHAxPx0thCoF_9o6KXos-5tqu7Lh7E5YBUNIk33NhfiCYmCPmXZBHsMcA3fzM9Dj8Rdgy9kRssRegftec6RCjIpznlYnkHBYu6htn1HV4-ALh-d0hGeKu9ALDnQkQhQZLY9RQ8V7vthaxiACKOqzgZ1iE36CQ3_87zh-gI-qz8JMj5ZFWhgreE5buB3QxW/w400-h173/The%20Unnaturals%20%E2%80%93%20Contronatura_11.jpg" width="512" /></a></span></div><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"> </span><p></p><p><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">Like with the previously
reviewed <b>Night of the Damned </b>(1971), this one suffers from a lack of
exterior establishing shots of the haunted house. Seeing as this is a <i>Margheriti
</i>film, I’m surprised we didn’t get at least a mansion miniature for the
exterior (as in <b>The Virgin of Nuremberg</b> 1963). Nonetheless, the interior
set is quite marvelous, being a bit more on the dark and creepy side with
plenty of atmosphere, prominent lightning effects from a grand blue window in
the background, and stuffed animals scattered about the place. As I realized
when watching <b>Simona</b> (1974), animal taxidermy is an interesting metaphor
for the stagnant preserved past in a time frozen mansion.</span></p><p><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYVwBskiAbNEkjWVuyZCLdrob-0kJ1V0qgvQgfoj67wGAFZHVSEh4u851B6hwYcfUUctHklOy_RTvl0T0z8BlfJ3Qy5WgyxHdX8W5UtxGBLisEzyk54yis6fSVhSwhErwYSs1oAerjzozFyTUtXEc4vhMTg-E7T76WCyOoaYY2tKfSRI8FQkrpZGJ033l2/s1429/The%20Unnaturals%20%E2%80%93%20Contronatura_12.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="615" data-original-width="1429" height="219" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYVwBskiAbNEkjWVuyZCLdrob-0kJ1V0qgvQgfoj67wGAFZHVSEh4u851B6hwYcfUUctHklOy_RTvl0T0z8BlfJ3Qy5WgyxHdX8W5UtxGBLisEzyk54yis6fSVhSwhErwYSs1oAerjzozFyTUtXEc4vhMTg-E7T76WCyOoaYY2tKfSRI8FQkrpZGJ033l2/w400-h173/The%20Unnaturals%20%E2%80%93%20Contronatura_12.jpg" width="512" /></a></span></div><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsO8NbjL4NOhTesaWyCRbTqy4xxn3eJ-9xET7VrH9FO6PqG_iLFL06MgmCdDE78CifCH8EI9GscsCwZTbpKSbrMMbAs6caWt3f8eb0umCD0-olz70k_gcDe9lZX9oSVluT7V0ph_q5ASozlfBsKcnbHaff0xAF4ooN2CfQnjujLwzIpxFX3EpDMw1gHYEr/s1428/The%20Unnaturals%20%E2%80%93%20Contronatura_13.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="615" data-original-width="1428" height="219" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsO8NbjL4NOhTesaWyCRbTqy4xxn3eJ-9xET7VrH9FO6PqG_iLFL06MgmCdDE78CifCH8EI9GscsCwZTbpKSbrMMbAs6caWt3f8eb0umCD0-olz70k_gcDe9lZX9oSVluT7V0ph_q5ASozlfBsKcnbHaff0xAF4ooN2CfQnjujLwzIpxFX3EpDMw1gHYEr/w400-h173/The%20Unnaturals%20%E2%80%93%20Contronatura_13.jpg" width="512" /></a></div><b> </b></span><p></p><p><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><b>The Unnaturals</b>
has to contain one of <i>Luciano Pigozzi’s</i> finest roles and one of his
finest moments during the climax. Fans of the usually mild mannered <i>Pigozzi</i>
won’t want to miss seeing him lose his shit at one point in this. </span></p><p><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">I get that <b>The</b>
<b>Unnaturals</b> may not be as meaty with its mystery storyline as it tries to
be. The intense but old-fashioned soundtrack by <i>Carlo Savina </i>does lend a
bit more excitement to the mystery. It’s also a bit convoluted and hard to
follow, and as I said, it took a couple rewatches before it began to sink in a
little. The flashback parts are supposed to take place ten years before the
present narrative (if it weren’t for the hair color change on Archibald and Ben, you
wouldn’t really be able to tell), but it feels more like a couple days or maybe
a week prior. Despite its faults, we do get a pretty cool buildup and payoff.
You don’t really have to be closely following to know that the characters are
not good people and that something will eventually have to give with regards to
justice (or is it vengeance?).</span></p><p><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj57Vugx_z8vDvlSfnqV22jqnIAaBio7Vw6YANuSBjW5bp6dBSduhR4iH0Nqn1Vf7G41dpH_J6MXCN_qdP8ZVyg3qy-PllvQnawzoOuD-hNN-LUjmmv3kh11gZMs9ztqgn671E5fOFOXVWqGH_2f89kCb1NlJkwDHZ8QuZmJ2CPuo9EVmBcgG9F_DSGqdUd/s1428/The%20Unnaturals%20%E2%80%93%20Contronatura_14.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="613" data-original-width="1428" height="219" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj57Vugx_z8vDvlSfnqV22jqnIAaBio7Vw6YANuSBjW5bp6dBSduhR4iH0Nqn1Vf7G41dpH_J6MXCN_qdP8ZVyg3qy-PllvQnawzoOuD-hNN-LUjmmv3kh11gZMs9ztqgn671E5fOFOXVWqGH_2f89kCb1NlJkwDHZ8QuZmJ2CPuo9EVmBcgG9F_DSGqdUd/w400-h171/The%20Unnaturals%20%E2%80%93%20Contronatura_14.jpg" width="512" /></a></span></div><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEib9s6YGOHlvqeoLEWOPsY19Hehnw3TbpFsD4mELzPzLCAPcr8_LU3d02dajhueJ08MaLWrpiPf54h6lWf1jRLq_UA-dDa6hICYHEuGHQEeDIVwEVAaryE4G06JnU5f3UwM-yCZMz11ysIAQT_F5TsanZ32wT73nvIlRcNozH6IBaADd0utl-z9omIbz346/s1429/The%20Unnaturals%20%E2%80%93%20Contronatura_15.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="613" data-original-width="1429" height="219" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEib9s6YGOHlvqeoLEWOPsY19Hehnw3TbpFsD4mELzPzLCAPcr8_LU3d02dajhueJ08MaLWrpiPf54h6lWf1jRLq_UA-dDa6hICYHEuGHQEeDIVwEVAaryE4G06JnU5f3UwM-yCZMz11ysIAQT_F5TsanZ32wT73nvIlRcNozH6IBaADd0utl-z9omIbz346/w400-h171/The%20Unnaturals%20%E2%80%93%20Contronatura_15.jpg" width="512" /></a></div> </span><p></p><p><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">When I first watched it, I couldn’t quite decide
if I had come across something special with <b>The Unnaturals</b>. I was eager to
revisit it to take in more and hopefully elucidate it a little more for myself.
Despite familiar genre conventions, there is something unusual about it. It’s
beautifully and creatively shot by cinematographer <i>Riccardo Pallottini</i>
and is in need of another physical media upgrade. It does have a pretty unique
if awkward structure, numerous segments that will stay with you even after
forgetting some of the finer details of the storyline, and unlikeable
characters who still have appeal. The dialogue is actually pretty good,
especially that coming from Uriat, his mother, and Vivian when she is in full
seductress mode. </span></p><p><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">If anything, it’s another worthwhile <i>Margheriti</i> film
off the checklist for anyone looking to explore more from the genre diverse
filmmaker. I would think it would pair well with a blackberry wine, the same
“Blood” Uriat indulges in. </span></p><p><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">© At the Mansion of Madness</span></p><p><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4A7-NfuVXDhTuj0wate45XZGHG8a-4ZwDU1b1yUy7tm5y1P99eq9mWZZ-4P5WIgN3FXRAZQ6-trxFtTy0QqKwAIq1yB_qI3yOSe08ylpIdeyMDZGARV_e_aF85oFsWKY3sYec2u_56eYlNS6-9GOPrM9WdkHmIyoZAy7Q8TxmtVj29gjxQjAKFThvOFa0/s1428/The%20Unnaturals%20%E2%80%93%20Contronatura_16.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="609" data-original-width="1428" height="219" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4A7-NfuVXDhTuj0wate45XZGHG8a-4ZwDU1b1yUy7tm5y1P99eq9mWZZ-4P5WIgN3FXRAZQ6-trxFtTy0QqKwAIq1yB_qI3yOSe08ylpIdeyMDZGARV_e_aF85oFsWKY3sYec2u_56eYlNS6-9GOPrM9WdkHmIyoZAy7Q8TxmtVj29gjxQjAKFThvOFa0/w400-h170/The%20Unnaturals%20%E2%80%93%20Contronatura_16.jpg" width="512" /></a></span></div><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjALOIDh0TB-WnDE9uhfeQThk0d4Ek5VkRP5vUVN4GcnPIj7L7dXfvl1hvIehyphenhyphencscMX_hRCd__wNamKeJDro3g2ERd4akEnsknNzOAL7ZNYxNP18dpHEEgrHsOzX3tqvTUq_kZdYmHj_lwmM-fVOi98ht5aGXfz_hnqgbpX-rkl-on3_-AKccSaOJZ0ol9p/s1430/The%20Unnaturals%20%E2%80%93%20Contronatura_17.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="612" data-original-width="1430" height="219" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjALOIDh0TB-WnDE9uhfeQThk0d4Ek5VkRP5vUVN4GcnPIj7L7dXfvl1hvIehyphenhyphencscMX_hRCd__wNamKeJDro3g2ERd4akEnsknNzOAL7ZNYxNP18dpHEEgrHsOzX3tqvTUq_kZdYmHj_lwmM-fVOi98ht5aGXfz_hnqgbpX-rkl-on3_-AKccSaOJZ0ol9p/w400-h171/The%20Unnaturals%20%E2%80%93%20Contronatura_17.jpg" width="512" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEex13la7t2qlAz8b9_uxvvRiXU4gYxyhBa3rRP6HToNHm2oDsYEL4NtgGB-_5_l6eN4SGmVM7y5_s9mqerMCJu3Wz0IlUblWoi-Cfnbm923TLldRVPRseb7UDAMXYVvnWydzlZEuMEL8jlJM1QxU2zUzSiPtyCoTYnrWkOnZFLNhqBGZs42TwnHzldnsZ/s1432/The%20Unnaturals%20%E2%80%93%20Contronatura_18.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="615" data-original-width="1432" height="219" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEex13la7t2qlAz8b9_uxvvRiXU4gYxyhBa3rRP6HToNHm2oDsYEL4NtgGB-_5_l6eN4SGmVM7y5_s9mqerMCJu3Wz0IlUblWoi-Cfnbm923TLldRVPRseb7UDAMXYVvnWydzlZEuMEL8jlJM1QxU2zUzSiPtyCoTYnrWkOnZFLNhqBGZs42TwnHzldnsZ/w400-h171/The%20Unnaturals%20%E2%80%93%20Contronatura_18.jpg" width="512" /></a></div><br /> </span><p></p>
Giovanni Susinahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03253382939348997303noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2316228451187611813.post-48424616415504854252023-10-29T01:25:00.003-07:002024-01-25T23:05:21.205-08:00Night of the Damned / La notte dei dannati (1971)<p><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGHy1q1VzR5U1MFTvZ-M8SBZMVoRaNBeMaThDZs_s1qm0GnNkjAMkGojVGRX0i6V8g3PCe2Xroas4kGYVuQbSHNr3BJl8WCqOggaTM9stE7mOVTpZvPdL4Qa9GkOmtIZ54LFGSnqX6NukeOjSsrXsWHhkcz5FSyAQYCHN02N4BC2JhB3NLebnr1-SNn1gz/s857/Night%20of%20the%20Damned%20Title.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="857" data-original-width="611" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGHy1q1VzR5U1MFTvZ-M8SBZMVoRaNBeMaThDZs_s1qm0GnNkjAMkGojVGRX0i6V8g3PCe2Xroas4kGYVuQbSHNr3BJl8WCqOggaTM9stE7mOVTpZvPdL4Qa9GkOmtIZ54LFGSnqX6NukeOjSsrXsWHhkcz5FSyAQYCHN02N4BC2JhB3NLebnr1-SNn1gz/w285-h400/Night%20of%20the%20Damned%20Title.jpg" width="285" /></a></span></div><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><br />“Thank Heaven! The crisis / The danger is past, and the
lingering illness, is over at last /, and the fever called “Living” is
conquered at last.” <i>Edgar Allan Poe</i> </span><p></p><p><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">Horror films are more traditionally
associated with anxiety and sleepless nights. Funny, then, how we tend to look
towards horror sometimes to wind down after the day. Now, I love to be scared
and shocked just as much as any horror fan, but what about a horror film that
can have the opposite effect, one that puts you to sleep through relaxation and
comfort? Thanks to the usual languid pace and soothing dark ambiance, a lot of
older gothic horror films can serve as a pretty good example of this, such as
the gothic literary mashup <b>Night of the Damned.</b> </span></p><p><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">Directed by <i>Filippo
Walter Ratti </i>and written by <i>Aldo Marcovecchio</i>, <b>Night of the
Damned</b> is a quaint little ‘70s Italian gothic horror that hits a lot of the
right notes when it comes to style, mood, and atmosphere. Sure, there is better
to pick from, but something about this film made me want to revisit and connect
with it on a deeper level. The Poe-inspired world is worth getting lost in, and
it appeals to my love for the supernatural femme fatales who reign from their
remote dark castles, with the occult and hedonistic rituals that usually
accompany them.</span></p><p><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><span></span></span></p><a name='more'></a><p></p><p><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTzoPJQW9_yHAH9UvzeVMNY9cfZIvj1H6RqaGuH5Ks5o71gZKx3FY-rEcNoddB0GvBYpTVoBz7dU4RsgF4hSLBLpVTz2SKPKeb8Z2N9CtazHoM0VIKRL3IvdXgissDO7bal3ZUV42VsCgxX0MBvyuSqTLTMnH_fAWpP_Ut95wREvixlE1N04LLx3HFrAAe/s1432/Night%20of%20the%20Damned_1.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="803" data-original-width="1432" height="287" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTzoPJQW9_yHAH9UvzeVMNY9cfZIvj1H6RqaGuH5Ks5o71gZKx3FY-rEcNoddB0GvBYpTVoBz7dU4RsgF4hSLBLpVTz2SKPKeb8Z2N9CtazHoM0VIKRL3IvdXgissDO7bal3ZUV42VsCgxX0MBvyuSqTLTMnH_fAWpP_Ut95wREvixlE1N04LLx3HFrAAe/w400-h224/Night%20of%20the%20Damned_1.jpg" width="512" /></a></span></div><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"> </span><p></p><p><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">This is somewhat familiar fare if you’ve been digging around vintage
gothic Eurohorror for a while. You’ve probably seen most of this before, but
I’m assuming you’re here because you also love this stuff and can’t get enough
of it. It’s good for the collectors of this type of film, and, if you can bare
a somewhat convoluted and slow narrative, there’s a considerable amount of
enjoyment to be had as well, with beautifully dark visuals, a macabre meld of
death and sex, and the lovely company of <i>Patrizia Viotti</i> (<b>Death Falls
Lightly</b>, 1972) and <i>Angela De Leo</i> (<b>Juliette de Sade</b>, 1969). I
will say though, with an effectively creepy interior castle being the common
setting, the movie suffers a little for not having a single castle exterior
establishing shot. I mean, there are brief glimpses of small portions of the
castle when the leads arrive, but why not show the whole picture?</span></p><p><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-Qu36FoOUkmLaRGqJS1RiMTd7veA4lquqrksJ4-Uv8e9bcj64QIOJVvzQ2WxiRseNW1OJp4nl_H_JcpVP_fpjRw56kg3ooCAh8DzzljmxGSBzqk2I0c2vZlvehAvbUU_ZsBtpGTFw0LOwvB-KJ9Ys3Q0c0CBLVB-xGYBlbes6T8coAWVOi-ujGaHIhXpY/s1432/Night%20of%20the%20Damned_2.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="805" data-original-width="1432" height="287" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-Qu36FoOUkmLaRGqJS1RiMTd7veA4lquqrksJ4-Uv8e9bcj64QIOJVvzQ2WxiRseNW1OJp4nl_H_JcpVP_fpjRw56kg3ooCAh8DzzljmxGSBzqk2I0c2vZlvehAvbUU_ZsBtpGTFw0LOwvB-KJ9Ys3Q0c0CBLVB-xGYBlbes6T8coAWVOi-ujGaHIhXpY/w400-h225/Night%20of%20the%20Damned_2.jpg" width="512" /></a></span></div><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><b> </b></span><p></p><p><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><b>Night of
the Damned</b> fuses literary inspiration from <i>Edgar Allan Poe’s</i> <b>The
Fall of the House of Usher</b> (1839) and <i>Sheridan Le Fanu’s</i> <b>Carmilla</b>
(1872) and wraps it in the classic witch’s curse theme, topped off nicely with
that 1970s gothic and erotic horror aesthetic. It starts out a bit like House
of Usher, but in the 1970s, and eventually turns into Carmilla by way of
Elizabeth Bathory. I like the result even if the movie is overall lacking a bit
in the story and set piece department. The provocative, and not to mention
fabulous, music with female vocals in the film, by <i>Carlo Savina</i>, is
recycled from <i>Amando de Ossorio’s</i> <b>Malenka</b> (1969). I like it, and
it does nicely fit here, too. I mostly recall it being used during the opening
credits and closing scenes in both films.</span></p><p><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5Wa2-h24j-R2vrOVIy4xZmTfBRyBTEUtC7rL9zet4zQ_decxlgESlqV5zZgrXOSYlXVW2VHL5c5CIWYOKm6gcPSCbzb9HL-PhrGb4BnLKI_E47ASK8_BZ4lzsKufKIErdPZ6N1y7OiosdmlBTP5cPpjoNBjNwcAkC2ib2_Kpzi1FeEhGYp3kh3D02Wfx9/s1431/Night%20of%20the%20Damned_3.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="802" data-original-width="1431" height="287" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5Wa2-h24j-R2vrOVIy4xZmTfBRyBTEUtC7rL9zet4zQ_decxlgESlqV5zZgrXOSYlXVW2VHL5c5CIWYOKm6gcPSCbzb9HL-PhrGb4BnLKI_E47ASK8_BZ4lzsKufKIErdPZ6N1y7OiosdmlBTP5cPpjoNBjNwcAkC2ib2_Kpzi1FeEhGYp3kh3D02Wfx9/w400-h224/Night%20of%20the%20Damned_3.jpg" width="512" /></a></span></div><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"> </span><p></p><p><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">Jean <i>(Pierre Brice</i>) and
Danielle (<i>Viotti</i>) Duprey are a savory couple about to fall into some
unsavory business. It’s established from a newspaper article that Jean Duprey
is a lucrative journalist with a talent for exposing criminals. Turning down a
personal phone call from the minister, Jean is apathetically relaxing on his
couch, after his latest journalistic victory, and enjoying his tobacco pipe and
comic cartoon strips while Daniele reads excerpts of praise to him from a
newspaper. Downtime doesn’t last very long when you’re a man like Jean Duprey,
because adventure calls in the form of a letter, with a royal seal, from a dear old friend of his, Prince
Guillaume de Saint Lambert (<i>Mario Carra</i>). The letter contains a kind of
poetic riddle with an encoded distress call from Guillaume. Jean must refer to
his <i>Charles Baudelaire</i> poetry book, previously gifted to him from
Guillaume, to decode the message with additional help from Danielle. Maybe
something was lost in translation, but I tend to have a difficult time
following along as Danielle and Jean ponder over the text and flip through the
pages of the book, but what is gathered is that Guillaume could be in grave
danger and likely needs Jean’s help. Why would Guillaume have to encode his
distress call and not be more direct about it? I imagine it’s because his outgoing mail
gets thoroughly screened, likely from someone in his own household.</span></p><p><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQJ8j3XpbsSjs0NUdmIRQ-ZkV-k_Sf0I1XObGGo5opSIXyrTmnvbgJgT2bm-kvQsLEnPW6syAf96OnR8GuDBrtHOIe7_FXHIZ9mPsu1PDZb_U4a-Q-4-vQT57eY0XmGrnym94FPhg1XRpIgDgyBjLuM71QZ_EZ1k0H0VhA48GjvShBzEdbBpYmMCCF1m2Q/s1427/Night%20of%20the%20Damned_4.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="801" data-original-width="1427" height="287" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQJ8j3XpbsSjs0NUdmIRQ-ZkV-k_Sf0I1XObGGo5opSIXyrTmnvbgJgT2bm-kvQsLEnPW6syAf96OnR8GuDBrtHOIe7_FXHIZ9mPsu1PDZb_U4a-Q-4-vQT57eY0XmGrnym94FPhg1XRpIgDgyBjLuM71QZ_EZ1k0H0VhA48GjvShBzEdbBpYmMCCF1m2Q/w400-h225/Night%20of%20the%20Damned_4.jpg" width="512" /></a></span></div><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYi18jylCK3L6Jh19T2o0DJZvkfDn4SPaxsVnAez4alsHfQaDpMGzUIeJXSzVLjQXAxqObdaE6loB5VG1iejkxEbxRZrYyxGOrfgs0T922C8TAWdsYZcSPslZD2E1KtTgnBVAO6B8eLcFOS-QYuztVJkMr3ebbzSSbjFYX8pTijI0-7pBrEoyglfWDjIbr/s1430/Night%20of%20the%20Damned_5.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="802" data-original-width="1430" height="287" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYi18jylCK3L6Jh19T2o0DJZvkfDn4SPaxsVnAez4alsHfQaDpMGzUIeJXSzVLjQXAxqObdaE6loB5VG1iejkxEbxRZrYyxGOrfgs0T922C8TAWdsYZcSPslZD2E1KtTgnBVAO6B8eLcFOS-QYuztVJkMr3ebbzSSbjFYX8pTijI0-7pBrEoyglfWDjIbr/w400-h224/Night%20of%20the%20Damned_5.jpg" width="512" /></a></div> </span><p></p><p><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">The
distress call works, because Jean and Danielle are off to visit/check-on Guillaume at
his creepy castle that hasn’t seemed to change much since the Middle Ages.
After arrival, they are met by a pretty but sketchy looking maid (<i>Daniela
D’Agostino</i>) and Guillaume’s beautiful but sinister looking new wife Rita (<i>Angelo
De Leo</i>), who alerts them that Guillaume is not well. (I love the way
these kinds of horror castles always come with a stock maid, whose job here is
to look suspicious in the background, while lurking around lighting candles.
She might just be an innocent bystander. Come to think of it, she kind of
vanishes from the movie at one point without really being accounted for.) </span></p><p><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMUOudre3bSIdRhkSVsw8RvRqX5srqNM9RV-3-IOFU1TQg4MKlrJXL6gLxL-6OKJcxWDOQQnrgwp3uOuBvhIVw8LA_HsaWUgW75DsRUru55Nu7K1CLW9lHLczMDVIzswES35AYYxrtGI6XMbx0UFFwU1lvCc5oztyWkgNXlie4sV-bxM2xIgF_ip7CFQsz/s1430/Night%20of%20the%20Damned_6.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="804" data-original-width="1430" height="287" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMUOudre3bSIdRhkSVsw8RvRqX5srqNM9RV-3-IOFU1TQg4MKlrJXL6gLxL-6OKJcxWDOQQnrgwp3uOuBvhIVw8LA_HsaWUgW75DsRUru55Nu7K1CLW9lHLczMDVIzswES35AYYxrtGI6XMbx0UFFwU1lvCc5oztyWkgNXlie4sV-bxM2xIgF_ip7CFQsz/w400-h225/Night%20of%20the%20Damned_6.jpg" width="512" /></a></span></div><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"> </span><p></p><p><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">It's when
Jean visits Guillaume in his room that the film starts to feel like The House of
Usher suddenly. The conversation scenes between Jean and Guillaume are grim and
depressing, with Guillaume in a frantic and weak state, mentally and
physically, referring to a dreadful family curse. He alerts Jean that he has
discovered a terrible secret in the old books and papers in the castle library,
but his delirious state keeps him from clarifying specifically what he’s
discovered. It isn’t difficult to guess that maybe Guillaume’s wife and the
creepy doctor (<i>Alessandro Tedeschi</i>) she has treating him might also have
something to do with what is happening to him.</span></p><p><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiY-ukRD2BRsc2K1jp14CPnXItfykhIsHGIWwoSNuPKaQtBtrpMRGXHB3jFTyNbIYWQW3Wj9fsaanrqu2FYYDHxRhArjaQcqjcUkzBqpdKDekZhl2adlZBqOIqntRFkRYjJnB9t_l1-4F2zFrVzHHciFSr4Asj5TNCtANiiL9ipX_njTFxV9goqwcMkjEr/s1432/Night%20of%20the%20Damned_7.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="805" data-original-width="1432" height="287" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiY-ukRD2BRsc2K1jp14CPnXItfykhIsHGIWwoSNuPKaQtBtrpMRGXHB3jFTyNbIYWQW3Wj9fsaanrqu2FYYDHxRhArjaQcqjcUkzBqpdKDekZhl2adlZBqOIqntRFkRYjJnB9t_l1-4F2zFrVzHHciFSr4Asj5TNCtANiiL9ipX_njTFxV9goqwcMkjEr/w400-h225/Night%20of%20the%20Damned_7.jpg" width="512" /></a></span></div><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"> </span><p></p><p><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">Guillaume’s suffering eventually
ends with his passing one night. His funeral procession that follows seems
sinister, as it is conducted in a cult-like manner that does not seem to be
honoring him but rather prepping him for something evil. </span></p><p><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">Eventually, after his death,
Guillaume’s cousin and sister, despite being in remote locations hundreds of
kilometers away from the castle, are mysteriously abducted, at different times,
and fed to a deadly black mass orgy (the reinstated ritual orgy scenes are
visually rough looking and probably could have been wilder, but they are still
nice to behold). The orgies take place in some hidden smoke/fog-filled dungeon
and are overlooked by none other than Guillaume’s evil widow, Rita, atop her
throne. The following discovery of the dead bodies with their breasts clawed and
their relation to the Saint Lambert family has detectives and Jean puzzled (a
brief scene, where one of the bodies is discovered, was shot in the same hotel
where <b>Death Falls Lightly</b> (1972) was also shot, which also starred <i>Patrizia
Viotti</i>). Jean continues residing in the castle, utilizing the library to
get to the bottom of what is happening. Ultimately, Danielle falls prey to Rita
and her black masses. Will Jean defeat the evil witch and save his wife from
the ravages of the lesbian orgy?</span></p><p><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9TMKSsbCh2ZWDUAuoitGfceORg__aLpUQxyfgqpxjlh48fCVwn316pCDQVjWPnc9x76sAcIJBGEH_OrDAyCdgzGslTEZ427nyVuwjj2R3YRZIxAGifoKt73pWSzwkJH14zvZ2qbzQ0sLxLjmGNI2XFTJZUApjXzjsIV4W_LFqNhjCpO87iRaSJxjpLBO7/s1431/Night%20of%20the%20Damned_8.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="804" data-original-width="1431" height="287" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9TMKSsbCh2ZWDUAuoitGfceORg__aLpUQxyfgqpxjlh48fCVwn316pCDQVjWPnc9x76sAcIJBGEH_OrDAyCdgzGslTEZ427nyVuwjj2R3YRZIxAGifoKt73pWSzwkJH14zvZ2qbzQ0sLxLjmGNI2XFTJZUApjXzjsIV4W_LFqNhjCpO87iRaSJxjpLBO7/w400-h225/Night%20of%20the%20Damned_8.jpg" width="512" /></a></span></div><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisL6Z9TorU1t_bao8vHmU6-8UTXNXFgfARNkYif2p6G11KB9dIHMfPNABU61o3hEM6_wH7SOlNJkH-I6BVwJNVoydC2Qb1KjvHbiXSId2zfDS_jJP9T8osrNdCDUxeD_d7bHMweLe2QE5_YgfzZUE1n7P2T-w4ZUzJDn3BmBFzV7Z3hrhU3OJ2FfUMAvk8/s1432/Night%20of%20the%20Damned_9.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="797" data-original-width="1432" height="287" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisL6Z9TorU1t_bao8vHmU6-8UTXNXFgfARNkYif2p6G11KB9dIHMfPNABU61o3hEM6_wH7SOlNJkH-I6BVwJNVoydC2Qb1KjvHbiXSId2zfDS_jJP9T8osrNdCDUxeD_d7bHMweLe2QE5_YgfzZUE1n7P2T-w4ZUzJDn3BmBFzV7Z3hrhU3OJ2FfUMAvk8/w400-h223/Night%20of%20the%20Damned_9.jpg" width="512" /></a></div><b> </b></span><p></p><p><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><b>Night of the Damned</b> somehow manages to
deliver on a visual and thematic level. I like the gloomy looking environments and the
inevitable feeling of doom. It has just about everything fans look for in this
kind of genre film. With great cinematography from <i>Girolamo La Rosa</i> (<b>Sex
of the Witch</b>, 1973), the interiors of the castle kind of give off the feel
of an isolated world that I try to get lost in when watching the film. </span></p><p><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">When
analyzing it, the story to <b>Night of the Damned</b> really isn’t bad; it
probably could’ve been executed a little better. I guess it kind of fails as a
mystery movie, since a mystery element is introduced and is heavily focused on,
but it’s executed in a way that doesn’t really keep you interested and ends up
not offering much in the way of originality or any real surprises. It doesn’t
have the most inspired wrap up either, but it does suggest that the adventures
of Jean Duprey may continue… Although, not if Danielle has any say in the
matter.</span></p><p><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaKzKz7aXJ2N2llu-1tKaXZKSIcnN_mN_1hzLTOYB_tqsdKg1AIIQCfoUS8zF-07pOe58Xb-T8jAu-RBruE8QEHKku8KLIwWDHd5BiS86oHjQjC9w-R9ZBFvle6A3Ovj6wglYp_M2-sny_Qsxm5eoi2eu66ujl0ervKid3iJD2BechOIqMYjA4bKRILv1D/s1430/Night%20of%20the%20Damned_10.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="803" data-original-width="1430" height="287" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaKzKz7aXJ2N2llu-1tKaXZKSIcnN_mN_1hzLTOYB_tqsdKg1AIIQCfoUS8zF-07pOe58Xb-T8jAu-RBruE8QEHKku8KLIwWDHd5BiS86oHjQjC9w-R9ZBFvle6A3Ovj6wglYp_M2-sny_Qsxm5eoi2eu66ujl0ervKid3iJD2BechOIqMYjA4bKRILv1D/w400-h225/Night%20of%20the%20Damned_10.jpg" width="512" /></a></span></div><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9AEiYe63qWQgunogqji1JzuQubBQ1CJI4pHR-X-7Gz6jNygqHsb7sBcekzEdGar7diNFC1lW8rui6Qnhcs8VM7aHtPF_-zB9MuMIdTnxF3UbpmZbEUu0sdXdvO4KGb5Z_Y4aa9fPPcO0yh6duHtUCrTL08hkmPJUKD40PtQEszLFC6vD7BmBnfj-MFSz4/s1431/Night%20of%20the%20Damned_11.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="804" data-original-width="1431" height="287" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9AEiYe63qWQgunogqji1JzuQubBQ1CJI4pHR-X-7Gz6jNygqHsb7sBcekzEdGar7diNFC1lW8rui6Qnhcs8VM7aHtPF_-zB9MuMIdTnxF3UbpmZbEUu0sdXdvO4KGb5Z_Y4aa9fPPcO0yh6duHtUCrTL08hkmPJUKD40PtQEszLFC6vD7BmBnfj-MFSz4/w400-h225/Night%20of%20the%20Damned_11.jpg" width="512" /></a></div> </span><p></p><p><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">I did like the small cast of characters and thought they were quite
memorable. <i>Alessandro Tedeschi</i> has a creepy, unnerving, and
dialogue-free role as a false doctor who doesn’t seem like he should be
anywhere near poor Guillaume. <i>Pierre Brice</i> is not a bad lead, if a
little bland. His lead role as the hero, Jean Duprey (a bit of a swap for <i>Poe’s</i>
Dupin), ends up feeling more like a detective than a journalist. He is actually
a good guy who doesn’t seem to make any mistakes. I would’ve preferred someone
a little more flawed or amoral. It is a little annoying when he laughs at or
dismisses Danielle’s nightmares and anxieties regarding the castle. It also
seemed unnecessary for him to keep Danielle at the castle after Guillaume’s
death, seeing as the place wasn’t good for her mental health. They nonetheless
do seem to have a healthy marriage otherwise.</span></p><p><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigZbTqLXlj7jr-wCEpYy2kqC0YfJZg-kO6X9xn5z0hkjaE4VA9DDNY7WbcZ08P_d8HDtNYR2OvyiopCwOF3UDo1XLvLdAX-CoTbdMRS89gaCQFHki5dFr5C5miAjVYvl-yAXrU-0f2Z2cPCx0LDo6_u1V7lSL-jq-qeIwWFQsliMWgw2PTISUdtAWNvNgt/s1430/Night%20of%20the%20Damned_12.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="803" data-original-width="1430" height="287" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigZbTqLXlj7jr-wCEpYy2kqC0YfJZg-kO6X9xn5z0hkjaE4VA9DDNY7WbcZ08P_d8HDtNYR2OvyiopCwOF3UDo1XLvLdAX-CoTbdMRS89gaCQFHki5dFr5C5miAjVYvl-yAXrU-0f2Z2cPCx0LDo6_u1V7lSL-jq-qeIwWFQsliMWgw2PTISUdtAWNvNgt/w400-h225/Night%20of%20the%20Damned_12.jpg" width="512" /></a></span></div><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjELFSwYp5yQEK0MxnOVZGC5ASaQNTqZeaEvILRNYYe-9BGwU-0noFlndY5i6PD2BXMeQu6TVnFwWmq8fIF6k27sECGC-iCrhRUsOxX69D4E10V2oDdTJT73fuJ8iEwYuz0VilKX5oG2cCKimEav0MSmIfXhl1y4c1bMIf5wpPAnGYOkVswqqRMvsJDte7S/s1429/Night%20of%20the%20Damned_13.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="801" data-original-width="1429" height="287" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjELFSwYp5yQEK0MxnOVZGC5ASaQNTqZeaEvILRNYYe-9BGwU-0noFlndY5i6PD2BXMeQu6TVnFwWmq8fIF6k27sECGC-iCrhRUsOxX69D4E10V2oDdTJT73fuJ8iEwYuz0VilKX5oG2cCKimEav0MSmIfXhl1y4c1bMIf5wpPAnGYOkVswqqRMvsJDte7S/w400-h224/Night%20of%20the%20Damned_13.jpg" width="512" /></a></div><i> </i></span><p></p><p><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><i>Angela De Leo</i>’s role as
the evocative Rita Lernod / Tarin Drole is another dark, visually bewitching villainess
alongside the likes of roles by <i>Rosalba Neri</i> in <b>The Devil’s Wedding
Night</b> (1973) or <i>Anne Libert</i> in <b>A Virgin Among the Living Dead </b>(1973).
She’s like the witch versions of Carmilla and Elizabeth Bathory, who also has
the soul-sucking sexual predatory characteristics of a lesbian succubus. </span></p><p><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">Aside from the
light-hearted scenes at Jean and Danielle’s home that bookends the movie, <b>Night
of the Damned</b> is one of the darkest and slowest Italian gothic horrors I’ve
come across. It is quite subdued without much in the way of excitement. It
slowly rolls on like a funeral procession, possibly a little too slow, even by
Eurocult standards, as this one tends to drag at times, so many viewers might
be relieved when everything is quickly wrapped up at the end. But if slow,
moody horror doesn’t bore you too much and you really enjoy dreary gothic
ambiance, then this one can also be relaxing, almost with an ASMR quality to it
at times. So, if you are looking for something to watch before bed, then why
not fall asleep to <b>Night of the Damned</b>. </span></p><p><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">© At the Mansion of Madness</span></p><p><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjChJ44WPl5GhovERpqk5LPQiMv0or7a540UyBuhkyaUUwx5y_8nibNv1vTwAT76s3Idji6yX8u-J9BHPaxWHxHlnqIK_pRamVyIEXsgOsxq8qTe0ye3ENLQG_E3zMqvuBMO4gCR8WXOxpopBOMMPQmiAetoNZzPC-3TU54LHnKPnnhf8hRSVOgCt7evJy4/s1632/Night%20of%20the%20Damned_14.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="915" data-original-width="1632" height="287" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjChJ44WPl5GhovERpqk5LPQiMv0or7a540UyBuhkyaUUwx5y_8nibNv1vTwAT76s3Idji6yX8u-J9BHPaxWHxHlnqIK_pRamVyIEXsgOsxq8qTe0ye3ENLQG_E3zMqvuBMO4gCR8WXOxpopBOMMPQmiAetoNZzPC-3TU54LHnKPnnhf8hRSVOgCt7evJy4/w400-h224/Night%20of%20the%20Damned_14.jpg" width="512" /></a></span></div><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgH49vJ3A2_LzH6_Qkg6aofj485QzY-DSLKhBYqt3mWTavLZFFhuZ1CuawLoCj2Bj0oYu44R-tHw6DG8wkV5DC_m45-cZrM8VedPf7Gw_y5k0nnZPNd04kyPKREss2uYVmaYMSVgoADCniyTBgbLaO6sMuqQGrzBCJoDdvIg1L8UYVHd_eLT4bZP5iaJ04a/s1430/Night%20of%20the%20Damned_15.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="805" data-original-width="1430" height="287" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgH49vJ3A2_LzH6_Qkg6aofj485QzY-DSLKhBYqt3mWTavLZFFhuZ1CuawLoCj2Bj0oYu44R-tHw6DG8wkV5DC_m45-cZrM8VedPf7Gw_y5k0nnZPNd04kyPKREss2uYVmaYMSVgoADCniyTBgbLaO6sMuqQGrzBCJoDdvIg1L8UYVHd_eLT4bZP5iaJ04a/w400-h225/Night%20of%20the%20Damned_15.jpg" width="512" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKHcoIDpL3RphflHUmUvSmGjI_PEjMPZqF0WTmXQOUcwAIanzzZ5bier9970pBUw4bNMAq9XDOBrSMfWTz03f9QfDWxz3g8QHtrgus7VMpOrtkTomrCmdCswQ4RKxcIQ4xn5LxXUl7xRzteagkeUvG4eEI-2OR2cYKjhSEODvNXjs5XNMeaInG3yyJMVsP/s1430/Night%20of%20the%20Damned_16.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="798" data-original-width="1430" height="287" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKHcoIDpL3RphflHUmUvSmGjI_PEjMPZqF0WTmXQOUcwAIanzzZ5bier9970pBUw4bNMAq9XDOBrSMfWTz03f9QfDWxz3g8QHtrgus7VMpOrtkTomrCmdCswQ4RKxcIQ4xn5LxXUl7xRzteagkeUvG4eEI-2OR2cYKjhSEODvNXjs5XNMeaInG3yyJMVsP/w400-h224/Night%20of%20the%20Damned_16.jpg" width="512" /></a></div><br /> </span><p></p>
Giovanni Susinahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03253382939348997303noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2316228451187611813.post-20445454030177683732023-07-30T23:00:00.006-07:002023-10-29T01:06:03.036-07:00Death Falls Lightly / La morte scende leggera (1972)<p><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUiOPPZIuJNWIHlGHQ__dWOiopCles24GiwuOfKzUebAnSh0Au5pFoZfJYu0jLOC9Qaag1FneRJaC0m-U4pl7Oa6KHo1bJl5cD1EBKYLyz76eap-QcY4VVifI0Vl0-9o62v899MLMu1oWbOigyMdrIXz43QDfJXvv7TL1XNvLoeUcgVhqk2qEhLw013_Sq/s1251/Death%20Falls%20Lightly%20Title.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1251" data-original-width="900" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUiOPPZIuJNWIHlGHQ__dWOiopCles24GiwuOfKzUebAnSh0Au5pFoZfJYu0jLOC9Qaag1FneRJaC0m-U4pl7Oa6KHo1bJl5cD1EBKYLyz76eap-QcY4VVifI0Vl0-9o62v899MLMu1oWbOigyMdrIXz43QDfJXvv7TL1XNvLoeUcgVhqk2qEhLw013_Sq/w288-h400/Death%20Falls%20Lightly%20Title.jpg" width="288" /></a></span></div><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><br />“<i>When analyzed with any degree of honesty, jealous
behavior appears, in reality, neither as a duty nor a right, but as a shabby
dross of our obsession with possessing.</i>” – <i>Emmanuelle Arsan</i> – <b>L’hypothese
d’Eros</b> </span><p></p><p><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">A weekend getaway at a resort hotel with your significant other is
most people’s idea of a relaxing holiday, but having to hide out in a creepy,
possibly haunted hotel with your mistress for the weekend, because your wife
turned up murdered, sounds like a more interesting time to me. </span></p><p><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><b>Death Falls
Lightly</b> is one of two thrillers directed and co-written by <i>Leopoldo
Savona</i> (the other being <b>Byleth – The Demon of Incest</b> (1972)) that I
commend for its unusual and multidirectional approach. You’re not really sure
what they’re going for, but you kind of like it anyways. Like <b>Byleth</b>, it’s
a little hard to compare to other films of its ilk, since it’s kind of an
oddball example. It reaches for different ideas, perhaps one too many, while
maintaining that appealing ’70s Euro-genre ascetic, so you’re getting something
both different and familiar at the same time. Whether or not it’s actually any
good is somewhat difficult to tell by the film’s end. </span></p><p><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">I personally find this
one delightful, as it is a bit of a jack-of-all-trades genre movie that borrows
from crime, mystery, giallo, erotic, fantastical, psychological, and occult
horror, so it’s like there’s a little bit of something for everyone. It is
mostly centered around a claustrophobic and somewhat dark and depressing hotel.
Interestingly, this movie predicts <b>The Shining</b> during a few moments, and
my mind even thought a little of <b>Silent Hill</b> at times.</span><span></span></p><a name='more'></a><p></p><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"></span><p></p><p><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXXdQqlBKEI9RZG5ZiXZmGDq6H3CfZGshmxKuguFeIMmkyJsNjjncVZ2YfFWCg9mzBGFmjpCcUlFQqwRE0Gf4seyFt2RSA_yb7vwbTYl_byqu4XG4liTJuTFM6esWOVpKyw0ZwclTWlEYKvU2ty8K5evCOhHSox58Z4TVGVU23p6Svh-DQQrlRPQ68-GMO/s1430/Death%20Falls%20Lightly_1.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="773" data-original-width="1430" height="277" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXXdQqlBKEI9RZG5ZiXZmGDq6H3CfZGshmxKuguFeIMmkyJsNjjncVZ2YfFWCg9mzBGFmjpCcUlFQqwRE0Gf4seyFt2RSA_yb7vwbTYl_byqu4XG4liTJuTFM6esWOVpKyw0ZwclTWlEYKvU2ty8K5evCOhHSox58Z4TVGVU23p6Svh-DQQrlRPQ68-GMO/w400-h216/Death%20Falls%20Lightly_1.jpg" width="512" /></a></span></div><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"> </span><p></p><p><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">A pawn for
political corruption, Giorgio (<b>Nude for Satan</b>’s <i>Stelio Candelli</i>),
has returned to Rome from his trip to Milan to find his wife murdered at home.
Since he was transporting drugs for politicians, he cannot reveal to the
authorities that he was in Milan during the time his wife was murdered. He
doesn’t seem too sad about his wife but more worried about himself. Knowing he
will be considered a suspect by the police, Giorgio barges in on his solicitor,
a judge, Magistrate Magrini (<b>Watch Me When I Kill</b>’s <i>Fernando Cerulli</i>),
at his home to demand that he finds him an alibi or else they’ll all go down.
It’s eventually decided, for the time being, that Giorgio must hide out for the
weekend in a grand eighty room, supposedly empty, hotel in the middle of the
noisy city. For company and presumably to make sure his sexual needs stay
fulfilled, Giorgio also insists that he bring his mistress, the sumptuous Liz (<b>Night
of the Damned</b>’s <i>Patrizia Viotti</i>), to hide out with him. (Because
that won’t further exasperate the scandal.) </span></p><p><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjz4e9HLAn2DsCo5tFjgaphC8GXIUJzY4tWlIzF_jjARdN4SWd109Oi5Buy4yKD2uEtvcKf1E0tF-wQ26hTr0J50Fu6pjClp_Z6gXDJKcM9P7Fzqel6QceK9lNYo4Lpi6IQ2FyVdu2C0sjqqIKaLqqAEPXuxKO7-4YMv0uxLRb6atad4JHL1VSmTkUToUlZ/s1430/Death%20Falls%20Lightly_2.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="774" data-original-width="1430" height="277" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjz4e9HLAn2DsCo5tFjgaphC8GXIUJzY4tWlIzF_jjARdN4SWd109Oi5Buy4yKD2uEtvcKf1E0tF-wQ26hTr0J50Fu6pjClp_Z6gXDJKcM9P7Fzqel6QceK9lNYo4Lpi6IQ2FyVdu2C0sjqqIKaLqqAEPXuxKO7-4YMv0uxLRb6atad4JHL1VSmTkUToUlZ/w400-h216/Death%20Falls%20Lightly_2.jpg" width="512" /></a></span></div><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjslHM669Pahiv6cSfiuXMFj9X1toAfrkWwWWg1J1zWfHNn7B27-f1B4-za9dc12Az_dv6y3kk9-AymSOlu2JyvcBoX-B4wG4bjDLTGv4WVeUHEsy4HQ-1kjZXzrAM6_4WvOP0pUeDeYFhDLeIzFM_LAoWXgedIw6eLi43xHN0NmLd1Ret5Dl4H8rLK1QFj/s1430/Death%20Falls%20Lightly_3.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="772" data-original-width="1430" height="277" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjslHM669Pahiv6cSfiuXMFj9X1toAfrkWwWWg1J1zWfHNn7B27-f1B4-za9dc12Az_dv6y3kk9-AymSOlu2JyvcBoX-B4wG4bjDLTGv4WVeUHEsy4HQ-1kjZXzrAM6_4WvOP0pUeDeYFhDLeIzFM_LAoWXgedIw6eLi43xHN0NmLd1Ret5Dl4H8rLK1QFj/w400-h216/Death%20Falls%20Lightly_3.jpg" width="512" /></a></div> </span><p></p><p><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">This one takes a number of
interesting directions, starting when Giorgio and Liz isolate themselves in the
hotel. The stage is initially set for a scandalous love affair that does play
out for a while. What was peculiar to me is that Giorgio not only brought his
mistress, but he also brought a projector to screen an Italian erotic film. As
he puts it to Liz, “Italy produces more than most.” It’s fair to say that
pornography was much more of a novelty back in 1972, and the experience does
seem to turn them on, as they are eventually driven to make love while the film
plays in the background (a clip from <i>Savona’s</i> own <b>Byleth</b>), visually
amplifying the erotic energy of the scene.</span></p><p><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUvRzsxl4VVV4xzL6WW8No-n-jrtEk1nxIkzG30O5v0kqDLwg3kmZz5UL1uAA8rBqX0g5IO6gOuYEJTcBN-Ds2EwqIYv1pSOwyc6gxhb4gB8SeYbknlcIyGPDEwbdwPL26qbOpBGxpcmhfTEE976FFmH_l8BjnLEDD4U9f1Pr3iFbxvn83qfeJM69WbwAZ/s1430/Death%20Falls%20Lightly_4.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="773" data-original-width="1430" height="277" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUvRzsxl4VVV4xzL6WW8No-n-jrtEk1nxIkzG30O5v0kqDLwg3kmZz5UL1uAA8rBqX0g5IO6gOuYEJTcBN-Ds2EwqIYv1pSOwyc6gxhb4gB8SeYbknlcIyGPDEwbdwPL26qbOpBGxpcmhfTEE976FFmH_l8BjnLEDD4U9f1Pr3iFbxvn83qfeJM69WbwAZ/w400-h216/Death%20Falls%20Lightly_4.jpg" width="512" /></a></span></div><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"> </span><p></p><p><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">Predictably, cabin fever starts to
set in, and eventually the two begin to quarrel verbally and physically. It
takes Giorgio’s odd decision to carry a hysterically kicking and screaming Liz
into the shower with him to cool the fight off, in what is a clothed version of
the painted scene used for one of the film’s movie posters, which makes me wonder if
a nude version of this scene has ever existed.</span></p><p><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcg2a8dQ3_JIA02pOUgJ4oTKYbYS9HJsgASteNSb_i5Si3S4wL3an8B-tKbLKOyxgNBSJMcdBbeumvXqGxSSaf-Bw9rIUHvLZYWFy6bLXwn1Hto08iNz4Flkk1cFAFN3Z_UNuq1yrDhZwvHHEzvPeZVXyqxx0rPlD3dS1fOWJ1PoA4Wl3pBbJ-DgE-UcA9/s1430/Death%20Falls%20Lightly_5.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="770" data-original-width="1430" height="277" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcg2a8dQ3_JIA02pOUgJ4oTKYbYS9HJsgASteNSb_i5Si3S4wL3an8B-tKbLKOyxgNBSJMcdBbeumvXqGxSSaf-Bw9rIUHvLZYWFy6bLXwn1Hto08iNz4Flkk1cFAFN3Z_UNuq1yrDhZwvHHEzvPeZVXyqxx0rPlD3dS1fOWJ1PoA4Wl3pBbJ-DgE-UcA9/w400-h215/Death%20Falls%20Lightly_5.jpg" width="512" /></a></span></div><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"> </span><p></p><p><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">The movie takes an interesting turn
when it is revealed one night that Giorgio and Liz are not alone, as strange
hotel denizens show up. Is the movie taking a potential ghost story route or is
it some farfetched scheme? The answer is not surprising, but I do like this new
route since the film has been a bit claustrophobic up to this point without
really seeming to be going anywhere; the new mystery ends up being a welcome
and intriguing change.</span></p><p><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEzOIujICZyuw9u9W_xu1oHJhqi3zyJNnfLhX2R6Dg-rxO7R4TuxrM8sXbihnG9_1DyyCXU34_ahnBGffmVGfcvmgtC5om-8JjbqgaFOqTDcCme0xiJQj0y2-VRZ9-iV-Vr_ct_6T4oGXLVDUt5vJR-VJK2oS7tZn2yX3E4FU07i0fBew7ULygQJwRHYJd/s1431/Death%20Falls%20Lightly_6.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="772" data-original-width="1431" height="277" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEzOIujICZyuw9u9W_xu1oHJhqi3zyJNnfLhX2R6Dg-rxO7R4TuxrM8sXbihnG9_1DyyCXU34_ahnBGffmVGfcvmgtC5om-8JjbqgaFOqTDcCme0xiJQj0y2-VRZ9-iV-Vr_ct_6T4oGXLVDUt5vJR-VJK2oS7tZn2yX3E4FU07i0fBew7ULygQJwRHYJd/w400-h216/Death%20Falls%20Lightly_6.jpg" width="512" /></a></span></div><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"> </span><p></p><p><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">Things get weirdly bizarre when Giorgio witnesses the
Innkeeper, Adolfo (<i>Antonio Anelli</i>), murder his wife (<i>Lella Cattaneo</i>)
in a hallway; and, in a bewildered state, Giorgio finds himself inexplicably
helping to dispose of the body, before the innkeeper happily joins his own
mistress, Marisa (<i>Rossella Bergamonti</i>), to celebrate. If Giorgio did in
fact murder his own wife, something we as an audience are unsure of, then this
scenario would oddly mirror his own situation. There’s this suspicion that, being the
only one to have seen the innkeeper, maybe this is all happening in Giorgio's head, until
Liz herself spots a ghostlike woman, Adele (<i>Veronika Korosec</i>), wandering
the halls.</span></p><p><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTPEFRKWtZn3Ya7-WPaUMojTIEQ-08OWeznIATdyoMdQ1Q6gQUDfOBunk9ELeJP_jHueEaAYsdz7KL77br6StUPawWo4Hhl5nPVCgemzfI9CoQ6hAxMTnv2Od3963wyyoAqMyDiIVVY0QcEMltn8WcHnap5Xfn0OwoAugZ0yAkBZteA5WhabbWJCnaozEA/s1431/Death%20Falls%20Lightly_7.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="772" data-original-width="1431" height="277" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTPEFRKWtZn3Ya7-WPaUMojTIEQ-08OWeznIATdyoMdQ1Q6gQUDfOBunk9ELeJP_jHueEaAYsdz7KL77br6StUPawWo4Hhl5nPVCgemzfI9CoQ6hAxMTnv2Od3963wyyoAqMyDiIVVY0QcEMltn8WcHnap5Xfn0OwoAugZ0yAkBZteA5WhabbWJCnaozEA/w400-h216/Death%20Falls%20Lightly_7.jpg" width="512" /></a></span></div><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"> </span><p></p><p><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">Adele happens to be the innkeeper’s creepy but beautiful daughter, who’s
usually doing something evocative, be it singing to herself while crouching in
her room with a doll, relaxing in a bathtub with a tethered live monkey (who no
one addresses) swinging and frolicking in the background, or looking real cool
performing an occult ritual, just to give the movie a little more memorability.
It’s all kind of irrelevant to the main story (or perhaps she’s some kind of
catalyst to get Giorgio to confess?), but she’s still awesome and probably my
favorite character. Adele just comes out of nowhere and gives the film a
fantastical edge. Her parts are also where <i>Luciano Trasatti’s</i> (<b>Count
Dracula</b>, <b>Bloody Pit of Horror</b>) cinematography shines (that and the shot
through the balustrades of the spiral staircase).</span></p><p><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjn6wp3XNadyBwnYdYraPETv25nOGrePjWwo1i4spJDJKqonY_XBa3ya2MaHdQtHsAJ-JA59jUe1f1nLVaWfOK15o97CtZKZdJETXKke8fKDVSc64GnEJ9OWKWWfVBLfS-yXxYppe3GtEsod5qlBYKTY13iTAc_B4hNhpV6tmT6ro9QFUml8-6rkkiHWZvY/s1432/Death%20Falls%20Lightly_8.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="778" data-original-width="1432" height="277" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjn6wp3XNadyBwnYdYraPETv25nOGrePjWwo1i4spJDJKqonY_XBa3ya2MaHdQtHsAJ-JA59jUe1f1nLVaWfOK15o97CtZKZdJETXKke8fKDVSc64GnEJ9OWKWWfVBLfS-yXxYppe3GtEsod5qlBYKTY13iTAc_B4hNhpV6tmT6ro9QFUml8-6rkkiHWZvY/w400-h217/Death%20Falls%20Lightly_8.jpg" width="512" /></a></span></div><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibLb26FRiq5sguFysePxZ1fZ0zQVRtcyl-0IAmggC8yTEWIuJzfbAM5oIusWmmLwgQ9eQ7n574_p7F-SVTwC9y8SMvexu2cy9kwN_Slp-w10n4pxYE01Xs71wqKrEUN9Y2sYcQTIZyr_5uIfpcghMxRM9qN4IbC50FCQKtsSLQJDc4Lx0Pts6AEzpadcC7/s1432/Death%20Falls%20Lightly_9.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="772" data-original-width="1432" height="277" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibLb26FRiq5sguFysePxZ1fZ0zQVRtcyl-0IAmggC8yTEWIuJzfbAM5oIusWmmLwgQ9eQ7n574_p7F-SVTwC9y8SMvexu2cy9kwN_Slp-w10n4pxYE01Xs71wqKrEUN9Y2sYcQTIZyr_5uIfpcghMxRM9qN4IbC50FCQKtsSLQJDc4Lx0Pts6AEzpadcC7/w400-h216/Death%20Falls%20Lightly_9.jpg" width="512" /></a></div><i> </i></span><p></p><p><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><i>Stelio Candelli’s</i>
character is unlikable, but he is likeable as an actor here. I enjoyed his
acting range in <b>Nude for Satan</b>, and he makes for a good lead in <b>Death
Falls Lightly</b>, playing the elegant and fashionable, but morally
questionable, ‘70s gentleman. Most women he comes across just seem to offer
themselves to him. He also brought to my mind other male leads from the era,
such as Peter from <b>Evil Eye</b> (1975) and even Herbert from <b>Delirium</b>
(1972). </span></p><p><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">I usually feel conflicted when the film wraps up. I first thought the
conclusion to Giorgio’s ordeal was quite dubious and anticlimactic, but I am
starting to see it a little more as being similar to waking up from a dream. With
the allusion shattered and the truth revealed, Giorgio’s nightmare is over and
life carries on, for better or worse.</span></p><p><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-eIcs3XVqY86d8lX5TM98Hl3DiUhCcERowG3fu3ZS0wlZHTyfvh6vqsuhA74GMD1UKSfa43ym2m1DL33BLjaY42cInuRffblwvnYkVS3Qd_WjnmBe3wCsC_C0h5aur6-jZ3HA6S_u0MT8uHnIw_a44Lh91hzsoi_xTi0Qg2RUQ13az7vZwYV1Cneg0TYX/s1432/Death%20Falls%20Lightly_10.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="755" data-original-width="1432" height="277" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-eIcs3XVqY86d8lX5TM98Hl3DiUhCcERowG3fu3ZS0wlZHTyfvh6vqsuhA74GMD1UKSfa43ym2m1DL33BLjaY42cInuRffblwvnYkVS3Qd_WjnmBe3wCsC_C0h5aur6-jZ3HA6S_u0MT8uHnIw_a44Lh91hzsoi_xTi0Qg2RUQ13az7vZwYV1Cneg0TYX/w400-h211/Death%20Falls%20Lightly_10.jpg" width="512" /></a></span></div><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"> </span><p></p><p><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">I’d say, there’s not much reason to be
picky or too demanding with a movie like <b>Death Falls Lightly</b>. It
delivers quite a lot in its modest runtime. I like to refer to it as a creepy
hotel giallo, but that doesn’t quite do it justice, since there’s a lot more
going on. </span></p><p><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">There’s a hard-hitting Sabbath/Hendrix inspired rock soundtrack, with
vocals from <i>Mack Porter</i>, that you can’t help vibing to during the
moments that it hits; there’s still a suitably creepy component to the
soundtrack that gives the hotel an ominous identity in the film. The hotel
interiors are not beautiful and exotic (as one might expect more in a <i>Jess
Franco</i> film) but rather plain, dull, and depressing, yet it suits the tone
of this film. I couldn’t help noticing that when the hotel seems to become
“haunted” all of a sudden, there’s a surreal touch, where instead of the boring
standard linear hotel stairs that we’ve seen up to this point, there’s more
focus on a lavish spiral stairway, with a fancy balustrade design, perhaps
symbolizing a kind of descent into madness. It’s like the hotel transforms a
little alongside the movie.</span></p><p><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAInNw1ubuLBawWJBeh0yc_fKdWVbVIUYLVtw99GOq8P3B1zz1IsQyipUc5HblK8QadFtWI_W3JhiQUmCAsSoNC64DdU8e1FY-Rjym9yI1Uz1-7Tq4shfr9RHZjdWdCMMF-Qfibk8PvSM6LRIzwDORn4kxtnX0F74lP2fU2QCDjxhgCeoDrrXQ_4M2UR2U/s1430/Death%20Falls%20Lightly_11.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="772" data-original-width="1430" height="277" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAInNw1ubuLBawWJBeh0yc_fKdWVbVIUYLVtw99GOq8P3B1zz1IsQyipUc5HblK8QadFtWI_W3JhiQUmCAsSoNC64DdU8e1FY-Rjym9yI1Uz1-7Tq4shfr9RHZjdWdCMMF-Qfibk8PvSM6LRIzwDORn4kxtnX0F74lP2fU2QCDjxhgCeoDrrXQ_4M2UR2U/w400-h216/Death%20Falls%20Lightly_11.jpg" width="512" /></a></span></div><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"> </span><p></p><p><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">I hope to be wrong, but <b>Death Falls Lightly</b>
seems doomed to obscurity at this point. It’s understandable since the movie
does have its issues and will likely appeal more to giallo fans who’ve explored
deep enough into the genre to eventually come across it, but there really are a
lot of remarkable elements to look for in it. Writing a review for it has been
somewhat of a rewarding experience as well. I had it on the backburner to
review for quite some time, and I didn’t even catch that an upgraded version became available a few years ago. It really is the best time to check it out. It’s a
treat for those fortunate enough to have a taste for this sort of thing. </span></p><p><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">© At
the Mansion of Madness</span></p><p><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxU30-_tzr0MqocOhK4GnX90PoRQLvpRbRLR4Xp8Rd3zQRh0d-hT--sMM9JOCuGpZcOVvItxfXRKGcRVbQmhsg_NrupL7poRhMYRMdg1iY0IwrlDHLoxhXZIq0C6nl48iS_-35A2lgZa6XpRzUltP-0o9RwKfGokaknYo92lOSL5o3qd_8DD1F9LQr4iA5/s1430/Death%20Falls%20Lightly_12.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="772" data-original-width="1430" height="277" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxU30-_tzr0MqocOhK4GnX90PoRQLvpRbRLR4Xp8Rd3zQRh0d-hT--sMM9JOCuGpZcOVvItxfXRKGcRVbQmhsg_NrupL7poRhMYRMdg1iY0IwrlDHLoxhXZIq0C6nl48iS_-35A2lgZa6XpRzUltP-0o9RwKfGokaknYo92lOSL5o3qd_8DD1F9LQr4iA5/w400-h216/Death%20Falls%20Lightly_12.jpg" width="512" /></a></span></div><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNvQRaC_pB1m0Pj591ydyMkyeXSCuX7u-lPow1ii-CWMZ_Y_fiirPv29bC_H3hRznNa-oyeivs37sF17T-w1KFUsYevYGQMaovzfhV3ViEfJFWMQv0-ik4foQ5xBODxbCXhzNYbAyK1WbW5jDlfgxpdyw8Nv814aqwgJ32OLMwN16FM83fWtBYtXcY4_D4/s1430/Death%20Falls%20Lightly_13.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="767" data-original-width="1430" height="277" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNvQRaC_pB1m0Pj591ydyMkyeXSCuX7u-lPow1ii-CWMZ_Y_fiirPv29bC_H3hRznNa-oyeivs37sF17T-w1KFUsYevYGQMaovzfhV3ViEfJFWMQv0-ik4foQ5xBODxbCXhzNYbAyK1WbW5jDlfgxpdyw8Nv814aqwgJ32OLMwN16FM83fWtBYtXcY4_D4/w400-h215/Death%20Falls%20Lightly_13.jpg" width="512" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqpKPW-fuTaWO5kpD7PPwYKWt3P_WsmNBt7tYsosOs12OWqe7a1aEjhgcYme5YfC3CAco_oo2bJDSrSBr_5R81lwFlsXCo5FlW4MnkyNG3kYLK15Ws1mcp7Zdkd9ZMQhCBLiUpRV7SgEyqE8zz-6oWPOEp4W7lvqyBAMfLLzpzXSoaZVJDKl52xPYMBb9k/s1430/Death%20Falls%20Lightly_14.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="771" data-original-width="1430" height="277" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqpKPW-fuTaWO5kpD7PPwYKWt3P_WsmNBt7tYsosOs12OWqe7a1aEjhgcYme5YfC3CAco_oo2bJDSrSBr_5R81lwFlsXCo5FlW4MnkyNG3kYLK15Ws1mcp7Zdkd9ZMQhCBLiUpRV7SgEyqE8zz-6oWPOEp4W7lvqyBAMfLLzpzXSoaZVJDKl52xPYMBb9k/w400-h216/Death%20Falls%20Lightly_14.jpg" width="512" /></a></div><br /> </span><p></p>
Giovanni Susinahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03253382939348997303noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2316228451187611813.post-76946882933938052942023-04-30T01:01:00.006-07:002023-10-17T09:38:06.391-07:00The Witches Mountain / El monte de las brujas (1973)<p><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"></span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHwtbAF6dlUGe2NxhbHsLUlZOS_S-ySNsNJiidrWkbTB-DcVwGoLb27HQp4Slz6UEAbJUYvh0q0VMzPc9B4b7kMkzq8_X_N8NuPsPCOaIz0AkmLyyWDanm2Q5OxpJsp37L3y2l9iU51NVY-xI-XXNt30rTnYb3rW8-Gq-yHZFVKtT9ygT_Xd0bcojcrA/s928/The%20Witches%20Mountain_Title.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="928" data-original-width="780" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHwtbAF6dlUGe2NxhbHsLUlZOS_S-ySNsNJiidrWkbTB-DcVwGoLb27HQp4Slz6UEAbJUYvh0q0VMzPc9B4b7kMkzq8_X_N8NuPsPCOaIz0AkmLyyWDanm2Q5OxpJsp37L3y2l9iU51NVY-xI-XXNt30rTnYb3rW8-Gq-yHZFVKtT9ygT_Xd0bcojcrA/w336-h400/The%20Witches%20Mountain_Title.jpg" width="336" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Cover art by Justin Coffee</span><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"> “<i>A woman will sometimes forgive the man who tries to
seduce her, but never the man who misses an opportunity when offered.</i>” – <i>Charles
Maurice de Talleyrand </i></span></p>
<p></p><p></p><p><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">I’m hoping that in the coming months and years, more
and more people discover, and hopefully enjoy, the unfairly banned and relatively
forgotten Spanish horror <i>Raúl Artigot’s</i> <b>The Witches Mountain </b>thanks
to Mondo Macabro’s recent release of the film. Lured by its title and because <i>Patty
Shepard</i> was in it, I first saw the film as a VHS rip on YouTube back around
2013 and was really floored by how atmospheric and beautifully haunting it was
despite the low picture quality. I’m usually easy to please in this area, but
every DVD-R and download of this film I came across was quite soft looking and
really showed the film’s age. Anytime I thought to review it, I was discouraged,
and mildly depressed, by how much the poor-quality screengrabs undersold the
film, so I kept holding out for a decent release someday. Years went by, and I
personally started to give up hope, so it was miraculous news for me when the HD
upgrade of <b>The Witches Mountain</b> was finally announced. There was a
significant delay after the Halloween presale, but I thought it was worth the
wait<a name="_Hlk133280624">.</a></span></p><p><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><span></span></span></p><a name='more'></a><p></p><p><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghouLlWvrgpbfj52t0p5Z-hEQlyiGv19W7fHn9PhWn00A-LvdNx1dF-NSd6J3EL-p5nPayWoIqVzne7B9pWvqegSuJScncfWmp6B2Dyypgz1D4dfKd61WRa_fGzc036albToR0YG3a0xh3p--2ILUwHnZCMjYLqUa3_zatpmZ4_4UciebT1OoLB_8RXA/s1432/The%20Witches%20Mountain_1.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="609" data-original-width="1432" height="218" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghouLlWvrgpbfj52t0p5Z-hEQlyiGv19W7fHn9PhWn00A-LvdNx1dF-NSd6J3EL-p5nPayWoIqVzne7B9pWvqegSuJScncfWmp6B2Dyypgz1D4dfKd61WRa_fGzc036albToR0YG3a0xh3p--2ILUwHnZCMjYLqUa3_zatpmZ4_4UciebT1OoLB_8RXA/w400-h170/The%20Witches%20Mountain_1.jpg" width="512" /></a></span></div><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimFq7rOCeF5y4AdRoITJQhQBb1gVCxd5DT91mekKMffUsgNoE8AEC-1gkyA46tny2vARofqnQYNmbn68Yf74UAlOCi4R9R-OrDjFzd0XZkOUqNLvIKNpL3kWbM5j7PF9_AuNS8gcvZ_gZg2BWfpJz4AYAa4oYAJ5qQErEYyVDfibt05dhRcYQbEEHIdQ/s1429/The%20Witches%20Mountain_2.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="605" data-original-width="1429" height="218" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimFq7rOCeF5y4AdRoITJQhQBb1gVCxd5DT91mekKMffUsgNoE8AEC-1gkyA46tny2vARofqnQYNmbn68Yf74UAlOCi4R9R-OrDjFzd0XZkOUqNLvIKNpL3kWbM5j7PF9_AuNS8gcvZ_gZg2BWfpJz4AYAa4oYAJ5qQErEYyVDfibt05dhRcYQbEEHIdQ/w400-h169/The%20Witches%20Mountain_2.jpg" width="512" /></a></div> </span><p></p><p><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">Spanish filmmaker <i>Raúl Artigot</i> only
directed three films, and of those three, <b>The Witches Mountain</b> is the
only one I’ve seen. <i>Artigot</i> worked more extensively as a
cinematographer, who I was already familiar with as director of photography for
<i>Eloy de la Iglesia’s</i> <b>The Cannibal Man</b> (1972), two <i>Jess Franco</i>
films, <b>Les démons</b> (1973) and <b>La maldición de Frankenstein</b> (1973),
and <i>Amando de Ossorio’s</i> <b>The Ghost Galleon</b> (1974). <b>The Witches
Mountain</b>, his first movie as a director, which he also co-wrote, is an
interesting and ill-fated one, as it was never released in Spain. </span></p><p><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">According to
an article by <i>Ismael Fernandez</i> included with the Mondo Macabro release
as well as <i>David Flint</i>’s humbling commentary track, some of the extras
playing witches in the film felt they weren’t being paid enough for night time
shoots and decided to take it to the authorities and additionally make
allegations that they were forced to appear nude in the film. With nudity in
film at the time being prohibited in Francoist Spain, the film was put under
investigation. Nude scenes, although not of the actors making the allegations, were
supposedly discovered or revealed to be planned (the details are hazy here) for
the export version of the film, and it was enough for the film’s release to be prevented
in Spain. However, a US print made its way to the US and illegitimately
fell in to the public domain.</span></p><p><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiC5jvRfoorbugtgvyE104eaSvnkP7x09tjfYRraCCLP7ID4quIXz0sK4zHuqaBQjS8VAfG4HUi-Klq5mlfsH6hRZ38nLFFa5eVVoXmfT9dXasi6AuUT4RZkngi99aDa-M81BKxZ-AXqOhopchvDqGyOwugGzAbqy0xvgAZXJACh6JokqyuM9N-6vdXXw/s1431/The%20Witches%20Mountain_3.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="606" data-original-width="1431" height="218" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiC5jvRfoorbugtgvyE104eaSvnkP7x09tjfYRraCCLP7ID4quIXz0sK4zHuqaBQjS8VAfG4HUi-Klq5mlfsH6hRZ38nLFFa5eVVoXmfT9dXasi6AuUT4RZkngi99aDa-M81BKxZ-AXqOhopchvDqGyOwugGzAbqy0xvgAZXJACh6JokqyuM9N-6vdXXw/w400-h170/The%20Witches%20Mountain_3.jpg" width="512" /></a></span></div><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxWtE0NKU76R7j-G6rwJhtHLxwt7gLKpzjA1sDAGr1zzmULaMFFWC7fRvZN8S6Nmgj-kUNYTCsoFGUYA73wKbbSz5-mYGFzXQ8ZPkX1AbKP-AqtVUeFR2FHocCHI130_m2eowYU-2GwYezeEKXCjf87PpZ8q8CgM2olrUuay5dHA65chhwAaua22_omw/s1432/The%20Witches%20Mountain_4.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="608" data-original-width="1432" height="218" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxWtE0NKU76R7j-G6rwJhtHLxwt7gLKpzjA1sDAGr1zzmULaMFFWC7fRvZN8S6Nmgj-kUNYTCsoFGUYA73wKbbSz5-mYGFzXQ8ZPkX1AbKP-AqtVUeFR2FHocCHI130_m2eowYU-2GwYezeEKXCjf87PpZ8q8CgM2olrUuay5dHA65chhwAaua22_omw/w400-h170/The%20Witches%20Mountain_4.jpg" width="512" /></a></div> </span><p></p><p><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">It takes a hot minute before getting to some of
the film’s more delicious sequences, but <b>The Witches Mountain</b> really is
a delightful witchy folk horror that is quite spooky at times with a certain
magic to it that for me is a little bit <b>Suspiria</b> in the mountains,
partially in the way the movie draws you in to its otherworld of sorts. This is
done to tremendous effect thanks to the natural locale of the Asturias
mountains (Picos de Europa) that in the film seem isolated and mysterious but are very much
occupied by an arcane and, at first, mostly unseen witches’ coven, with rightly
ambiguous motives. It’s obvious to viewers that the two lead characters, Mario
(<i>Cihangir <a name="_Hlk133367681">Gaffari</a></i>) and Delia (<i>Shepard</i>), are caught in a siren song
(I like to think of the main vocal theme as that same siren song). The anxiety slowly
builds, as they venture further into the natural environment, however seemingly
accommodating, of whatever predatory force might be luring them in. </span></p><p><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhucDJ4VdfFuvXYOb0-HzFvo_SzAsqz_IHUb9yE6NtFOsJkvlpkEClO-xm5-o6WV9JB-G78RM91ehxE_g4c7N2u2rZttv5LKmXlBbMYy1J0uVSVb81M285OT5TxwJrctFZhmaZ0AAj4izS0GfYmxmsNaz3h5yonuOGPOB3e_1PF22NnrzlVGfQ_nGvSxA/s1430/The%20Witches%20Mountain_5.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="607" data-original-width="1430" height="218" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhucDJ4VdfFuvXYOb0-HzFvo_SzAsqz_IHUb9yE6NtFOsJkvlpkEClO-xm5-o6WV9JB-G78RM91ehxE_g4c7N2u2rZttv5LKmXlBbMYy1J0uVSVb81M285OT5TxwJrctFZhmaZ0AAj4izS0GfYmxmsNaz3h5yonuOGPOB3e_1PF22NnrzlVGfQ_nGvSxA/w400-h170/The%20Witches%20Mountain_5.jpg" width="512" /></a></span></div><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"> </span><p></p><p><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">I can’t say
that the sensational and disturbing, yet misleading, opening scene doesn’t get
your attention. It’s a false start in tone, but it does help to give a little
more noteworthiness to the early presence of a certain character who
will have significant relevance a lot later. </span></p><p><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">The first lead character, the admirably ‘70s
photographer Mario, is introduced after the opening stinger. His deal is made
known early on. Desperately blowing off an offer from his ex-lover, Carla (<i>Mónica
Randall</i>), Mario cuts his vacation short by calling his publishing firm and demanding a
solo photography assignment, which just so happens to involve travelling deep
into the film’s title mountain. On his way there, he manages to meet and
befriend the second lead character, writer Delia, after photographing and
approaching her on the beach.</span></p><p><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3TOt_zjq872BHkIv3ZkIL3wodG8W-wDTETcQ1blmXxwXM6XQLBOMzDc-d_WpMfw2N0i0TWzkpCzk3JzUghQBpRmfm2K2_DRSd0HunGdmdA1iNYJswa31PzX6ciwuCDqqOPsm4_pNibRsOcW3K3lAr1fvZLpcLDzeGRNscACWHKYHtX93-xQv9fSjpoA/s1431/The%20Witches%20Mountain_6.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="607" data-original-width="1431" height="218" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3TOt_zjq872BHkIv3ZkIL3wodG8W-wDTETcQ1blmXxwXM6XQLBOMzDc-d_WpMfw2N0i0TWzkpCzk3JzUghQBpRmfm2K2_DRSd0HunGdmdA1iNYJswa31PzX6ciwuCDqqOPsm4_pNibRsOcW3K3lAr1fvZLpcLDzeGRNscACWHKYHtX93-xQv9fSjpoA/w400-h170/The%20Witches%20Mountain_6.jpg" width="512" /></a></span></div><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"> </span><p></p><p><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">I imagine Mario was meant to be seen by viewers
of the era as a kind of it-guy, or a role model of sorts: the stylish, free
loner, untamed, out in the wild landscapes, with his mojo camera and epic ‘70s
stache, frequently clutching a cigarette in his teeth. If they put him on a
horse, I would’ve easily thought of him as the European Marlboro Man. It’s hard
to tell if we’re supposed to like him, but I kind of like him. </span></p><p><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">(Men, what’s
stopping you from bringing this look back???) </span></p><p><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiERvQVuEoVpeCa10qs4K2ZM6o-k8I-zzWd2h8OrUK9e5guqkBK9JGM41vvfQ0cjrtlJL-XTg2FEoo_LdjAgBJv4Rn-dDzlLJ9jipyphuUXtjfQtkpYDU6VGqR7ztKzySUkHbWKpDXkfzKyYcjrZGZ96Fvpd6vPYS5OOpKJd6gTTAIHOccUKbJxlpHh-w/s1430/The%20Witches%20Mountain_8.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="607" data-original-width="1430" height="218" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiERvQVuEoVpeCa10qs4K2ZM6o-k8I-zzWd2h8OrUK9e5guqkBK9JGM41vvfQ0cjrtlJL-XTg2FEoo_LdjAgBJv4Rn-dDzlLJ9jipyphuUXtjfQtkpYDU6VGqR7ztKzySUkHbWKpDXkfzKyYcjrZGZ96Fvpd6vPYS5OOpKJd6gTTAIHOccUKbJxlpHh-w/w400-h170/The%20Witches%20Mountain_8.jpg" width="512" /></a></span></div><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_mJwzhJiAieAma8jtGh5Z7AtxiNwPXvBv9GjLGxgrW8Yco5qeg305sA7EBpP_4Hj4CLD-5oTb4X_fdt4ByNxCXapt2YQFmrh7g5bybeFlfd3wVvxiWd631ZyNPyu-2icNWJALyz5Q49BY2bo4ad9_EbBDzkbM0UEC6YsrYL_0Quj6IGsyQSFIPvjkTQ/s1429/The%20Witches%20Mountain_7.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="607" data-original-width="1429" height="218" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_mJwzhJiAieAma8jtGh5Z7AtxiNwPXvBv9GjLGxgrW8Yco5qeg305sA7EBpP_4Hj4CLD-5oTb4X_fdt4ByNxCXapt2YQFmrh7g5bybeFlfd3wVvxiWd631ZyNPyu-2icNWJALyz5Q49BY2bo4ad9_EbBDzkbM0UEC6YsrYL_0Quj6IGsyQSFIPvjkTQ/w400-h170/The%20Witches%20Mountain_7.jpg" width="512" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhutEtZSCOI0B_BRhPVDhaU88PYgxrwrgoax25zWJln0nJFyVhp2sAbejfBxzk73I-kR2aMZxpOb2FuoCW7IF4cC-k72b_CNCI3g6nIUVRQqsQ0WvPa_WrtYC02NSKsX16O8HfF5IALuLzJILj9q-xjjheTwUsDOCQxn0Tm6LaUGSn-GPi2oyH_WIHi0A/s1431/The%20Witches%20Mountain_9.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="606" data-original-width="1431" height="218" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhutEtZSCOI0B_BRhPVDhaU88PYgxrwrgoax25zWJln0nJFyVhp2sAbejfBxzk73I-kR2aMZxpOb2FuoCW7IF4cC-k72b_CNCI3g6nIUVRQqsQ0WvPa_WrtYC02NSKsX16O8HfF5IALuLzJILj9q-xjjheTwUsDOCQxn0Tm6LaUGSn-GPi2oyH_WIHi0A/w400-h170/The%20Witches%20Mountain_9.jpg" width="512" /></a></div> </span><p></p><p><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">Delia does reject Mario’s request
to visit the mountain with him initially, but, as if a spell has overtaken her,
she oddly changes her mind, and the two head towards the mountain in Mario’s
Jeep. </span></p><p><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">The stop at the Inn at the base of the mountain is a further mood builder,
slowly introducing the mountain as something ominous and better avoided. And
it’s an excuse to really utilize <i>Victor Israel</i> in his relatively limited
but memorable role as the creepy Innkeeper. </span></p><p><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">Delia seems to be lured by an
entity sourced from the mountain, causing her to exit the inn in a trancelike
state while Mario is asleep. Noticing she is missing, Mario has to drive out and fetch the dazed Delia, still in her nightgown, and bring her
back for breakfast before they make their ascent.</span></p><p><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTOO9rh3rLMYfZ8oXfbrtqmB6D7gyUiCie9c5yao-8-OU-U_yD0hMO61SzMfoJ6w8nrabEA3okP88kfGje25Vnobiwk2eY6c8iyGcwacrby6soo0TeKvF_VbiucM2EvfdXvATTmEAh2jmezD4dsVZq_hP-dQH5nkgwM8q3Xv2BuN2_e1xbbQkl2MAuJA/s1428/The%20Witches%20Mountain_10.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="606" data-original-width="1428" height="218" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTOO9rh3rLMYfZ8oXfbrtqmB6D7gyUiCie9c5yao-8-OU-U_yD0hMO61SzMfoJ6w8nrabEA3okP88kfGje25Vnobiwk2eY6c8iyGcwacrby6soo0TeKvF_VbiucM2EvfdXvATTmEAh2jmezD4dsVZq_hP-dQH5nkgwM8q3Xv2BuN2_e1xbbQkl2MAuJA/w400-h170/The%20Witches%20Mountain_10.jpg" width="512" /></a></span></div><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEju6xSv6oNCwK24OENIgpMAtFoMRubhk5AHhdNZcNnxHaYLJz4UZsuNTk4BFp853gT0D61eVMzsjWloOszXY2o6mCuebowZ6tvtRGFW4ARQMDjwSPaUOUgBJsjs6RmQ2dMqmJCk4Xuz5CXouX8OjnaJx_musRtyTLKjh56RlYhM8sMR_OkToGyEIdq9Eg/s1432/The%20Witches%20Mountain_11.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="604" data-original-width="1432" height="218" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEju6xSv6oNCwK24OENIgpMAtFoMRubhk5AHhdNZcNnxHaYLJz4UZsuNTk4BFp853gT0D61eVMzsjWloOszXY2o6mCuebowZ6tvtRGFW4ARQMDjwSPaUOUgBJsjs6RmQ2dMqmJCk4Xuz5CXouX8OjnaJx_musRtyTLKjh56RlYhM8sMR_OkToGyEIdq9Eg/w400-h169/The%20Witches%20Mountain_11.jpg" width="512" /></a></div> </span><p></p><p><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">While out taking photographs
on the mountain, Mario’s Jeep is stolen by an unseen individual/ghost, a plot device
that leads them to a supposedly abandoned village where they eventually come
upon Mario’s stolen car on the side of the road. It is here where they are
welcomed in to the drab home of an accommodating elder woman, Santa (<i>Ana
Farra</i>), seemingly living all alone. </span></p><p><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">It’s been a slow buildup up to this
point, and the slow buildup continues, but things start to get more
interesting, creepy, and novel, particularly Mario’s photography exploration of
the village where unseen figures show up on film, and a late-night funeral
procession (my personal favorite part) that’s like right out of a dream.</span></p><p><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9xR63gMzoh9CQ48O0H_J6eY8I4GndZDHBU7iKnLi8uU3cSNIbadZvRXekVWeYrOe0nRduj1EfQYUFB4FjPkzika2lAucwJtggoz0TEozI_Q8JRiEAiSawQLuGk7JG7bhaAnpAVgeG60VTvAot0hLomwk7ANGf4fFhbYODxt_Ipt9jIVLDeXBmY4GQfg/s1431/The%20Witches%20Mountain_12.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="608" data-original-width="1431" height="218" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9xR63gMzoh9CQ48O0H_J6eY8I4GndZDHBU7iKnLi8uU3cSNIbadZvRXekVWeYrOe0nRduj1EfQYUFB4FjPkzika2lAucwJtggoz0TEozI_Q8JRiEAiSawQLuGk7JG7bhaAnpAVgeG60VTvAot0hLomwk7ANGf4fFhbYODxt_Ipt9jIVLDeXBmY4GQfg/w400-h170/The%20Witches%20Mountain_12.jpg" width="512" /></a></span></div><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"> </span><p></p><p><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">Being
primed by seeing <i>Patty Shepard</i> as an evil vampire queen in <i>Paul
Naschy’s</i> <b>The Werewolf Vs. The Vampire Woman</b> (1971), I was expecting
her to be the main villain when I first watched it. This isn’t quite the case,
but she does seem to be given the May Queen treatment for esoteric
reasons that appear to involve possibly mating her with some kind of male sex slave who the
witches keep chained up in a cave nearby (I do wish the movie explored this
aspect a little more). The scenes with the chained man are brief and mostly
just hinted at. I have a hard time recognizing him here, but the male slave is
played by the hulking Spanish horror regular <i>Luis Barboo</i>. </span></p><p><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7p7nFIgMbezf-ydxOJrK2fHrnABYs5lHXde3-Da_9838F36arSyuoxgdbVdKD_UOq-Cxk3DNSBZ1pQXwcKOyo8tAKn6kmb3eCjl612PQQ_JOTIB2iO2pWb3_o39bfv7kmawaT0ALvnnnX_cMsxDpR-vjdAigZviASKT0FzXX8uue4RDS-B83G22e8tQ/s1430/The%20Witches%20Mountain_13.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="607" data-original-width="1430" height="218" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7p7nFIgMbezf-ydxOJrK2fHrnABYs5lHXde3-Da_9838F36arSyuoxgdbVdKD_UOq-Cxk3DNSBZ1pQXwcKOyo8tAKn6kmb3eCjl612PQQ_JOTIB2iO2pWb3_o39bfv7kmawaT0ALvnnnX_cMsxDpR-vjdAigZviASKT0FzXX8uue4RDS-B83G22e8tQ/w400-h170/The%20Witches%20Mountain_13.jpg" width="512" /></a></span></div><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"> </span><p></p><p><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">The witchy
chanting in the main musical theme (by <i>Fernando García Morcillo</i>) is both
spooky and lovely. It sounds like it flits between Latin and English (sung by <i>Alicia
González</i>, sometimes in multi-layered vocals that reach some seriously epic
heights at times), and I swear I hear a new phrase every time I watch the
movie. It’s been rightfully compared to <i>Antón García Abril’s</i> chanting
theme from <b>The Blind Dead</b> films, and it is equally effective here.</span></p><p><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDYa8xlfPxzIasvhq5QpejGUxVbu76LhPZOHRUm9CI7723WdyIhiMBlo40IkKruHUJoOZsPDTFPl6pjJAUEAV8ZgwEHQPATHDD9kYlQ-kiMVS4r3tLVa6wMpxoj0TvRBoSjW-bl4R-iuImfuTrGue6B4bn1VoCL1fnhBZkOaJB8EurknKyaJLh59kWXQ/s1432/The%20Witches%20Mountain_14.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="606" data-original-width="1432" height="218" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDYa8xlfPxzIasvhq5QpejGUxVbu76LhPZOHRUm9CI7723WdyIhiMBlo40IkKruHUJoOZsPDTFPl6pjJAUEAV8ZgwEHQPATHDD9kYlQ-kiMVS4r3tLVa6wMpxoj0TvRBoSjW-bl4R-iuImfuTrGue6B4bn1VoCL1fnhBZkOaJB8EurknKyaJLh59kWXQ/w400-h169/The%20Witches%20Mountain_14.jpg" width="512" /></a></span></div><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"> </span><p></p><p><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">It’s
fair to say that <b>The Witches Mountain</b> is slow and uneventful for the
most part, but it does have some key haunting moments, and I really like the
gloves-off climax. It’s one surprisingly gorgeous and mesmerizing horror film where
a couple of modern ‘70s folks essentially find themselves in a dark fairytale,
and something about it does get under your skin a little. I can’t help thinking
that if Mario went around with a movie camera instead, I could also imagine
this somehow working as a found-footage film, had those existed yet. </span></p><p><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">It’s too
bad that this film was banned before it was released in Spain. One can’t help
wondering if it might have helped kickstart a more prolific directing career
for <i>Raúl Artigot</i>. I only had to see it once to know there was something
special here, but it was hard to watch again in the former low-quality version
that was only available for a while, which just seemed tragic for such a
visually bewitching film. Again, I’m definitely grateful for the new release
from Mondo Macabro (released in its original widescreen format for the first
time). It’s been an absolute delight rewatching it now. </span></p><p><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">© At the Mansion of
Madness</span></p><p><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"> </span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxiZZPfJNeOOGkZujJfUoO0o4IjwaF5aZFE3Ef_aW3bk12n_AvlnJ2q_jk1Bu6i_4jZFJ7KFS21sGLPrWdx13qxLUYQSCAoChJdbF4DxdxwBB1xpy0c0O74UIQ1sXzsKrsfJoCPBsHMcWA16OW0J4mbJKP7Z78yxaQ3GbdIY2MQ6YrufZniSoe3x9kQQ/s1432/The%20Witches%20Mountain_15.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="607" data-original-width="1432" height="218" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxiZZPfJNeOOGkZujJfUoO0o4IjwaF5aZFE3Ef_aW3bk12n_AvlnJ2q_jk1Bu6i_4jZFJ7KFS21sGLPrWdx13qxLUYQSCAoChJdbF4DxdxwBB1xpy0c0O74UIQ1sXzsKrsfJoCPBsHMcWA16OW0J4mbJKP7Z78yxaQ3GbdIY2MQ6YrufZniSoe3x9kQQ/w400-h170/The%20Witches%20Mountain_15.jpg" width="512" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgK_N7vX-p6VikwOduZCu6w0I1YMcaqGnYj9Nl5GqRouNYyVXMRjwI7NHs5xUof0UDpjAm5qNkYVLP5c9crI5tLILGzcJD7ViUneTQQX0fv7ix786bdaC_NhsOB88_Cio5kEYieC9EFM5LE-gEplvk2vxMe2nNcWK9IQ7qVcxO_cYUlcg-bS9nT3I_iHw/s1428/The%20Witches%20Mountain_16.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="602" data-original-width="1428" height="218" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgK_N7vX-p6VikwOduZCu6w0I1YMcaqGnYj9Nl5GqRouNYyVXMRjwI7NHs5xUof0UDpjAm5qNkYVLP5c9crI5tLILGzcJD7ViUneTQQX0fv7ix786bdaC_NhsOB88_Cio5kEYieC9EFM5LE-gEplvk2vxMe2nNcWK9IQ7qVcxO_cYUlcg-bS9nT3I_iHw/w400-h169/The%20Witches%20Mountain_16.jpg" width="512" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIfdxQLx-_blolRGhXcrMHPnmAK1Pt79e8Hj7bkP603I5bTtPmB25AAkbo6JD8yi1_Mpv8w_auPGCRuAAg9uAL_aXEvtPTvQ3shd-17jXGDqGmQwOZp9FWhxfdN07Ht2UPNKbLOWDVoK8GDxtykoVImvVbPQLoCgwjmfiFgoqeznUVk0-HlsFPhOkuxg/s1430/The%20Witches%20Mountain_17.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="608" data-original-width="1430" height="218" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIfdxQLx-_blolRGhXcrMHPnmAK1Pt79e8Hj7bkP603I5bTtPmB25AAkbo6JD8yi1_Mpv8w_auPGCRuAAg9uAL_aXEvtPTvQ3shd-17jXGDqGmQwOZp9FWhxfdN07Ht2UPNKbLOWDVoK8GDxtykoVImvVbPQLoCgwjmfiFgoqeznUVk0-HlsFPhOkuxg/w400-h170/The%20Witches%20Mountain_17.jpg" width="512" /></a></div><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"> </span>
<p></p>Giovanni Susinahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03253382939348997303noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2316228451187611813.post-45240230190445041422023-03-02T00:56:00.004-08:002024-01-09T00:14:23.454-08:00Zelda (1974)<p><i><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"></span></i></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZoDsI-NYEqkfZ25_TzUCdoHA0IgiZEvPGaHBA7XPW6Q2rcTsmxZk0GFqH-HWkBT2queerWH_T89iWubdyB4C508tGGSFNyhxWlQUkN8jwVB7Jv1d7J0xwbnBd4PUGiWrOSJDF7GZkha2MhoZ35E-8An_ZEmLEE_3Syw5UCjcpcNuWnvZFLi3tnvGS2g/s600/zelda_Title.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="368" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZoDsI-NYEqkfZ25_TzUCdoHA0IgiZEvPGaHBA7XPW6Q2rcTsmxZk0GFqH-HWkBT2queerWH_T89iWubdyB4C508tGGSFNyhxWlQUkN8jwVB7Jv1d7J0xwbnBd4PUGiWrOSJDF7GZkha2MhoZ35E-8An_ZEmLEE_3Syw5UCjcpcNuWnvZFLi3tnvGS2g/w245-h400/zelda_Title.jpg" width="245" /></a></span></i></div><i><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">“You came to watch this movie just to see two
naked women… You have a colonialist mentality.” – Alberto Cavallone</span></i><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"> on
the ending to <b>Le salamandre<i>*</i></b> <i> </i></span><p></p><p><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><i>“I would like, as I said, for the
lover’s place to be in the middle of the couple.” – Emmanuelle Arsan<b>**</b></i> <i> </i></span></p><p><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><i>Alberto Cavallone’s</i> films are not fun. I can’t think of one I’ve seen
that does not have a depressing ending. Whether or not they are entertaining
might depend on the viewer’s mindset, but they are almost always enthralling in
a way. You might think you’re being lured in for an erotically fun time, with
films like <b>Le salamandre</b> (1969) and <b>Blow Job</b> (1980), or a film
with a notorious reputation that precedes it like <b>Blue Movie</b> (1978),
but that’s just to get you in front of the screen so the film can put a mirror
in front of you, whether or not you realize it, and call you a colonizer or a
degenerate (who <i>Cavallone </i>referred to as the “raincoat crowd”), crudely
interrupting your titillation. Basically, if the film upsets or antagonizes
you, then it was made for you. What’s fascinating is that the films
nevertheless did well with the audiences <i>Cavallone</i> was hoping to annoy. <i> </i></span></p><p><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><i>Cavallone</i>
dismissed his own erotic thriller <b>Zelda</b> as a commercial effort, lacking
the sociopolitical content of his previous films. On the surface, the movie
does have an erotic pull to it, with the promise of interracial lesbian scenes,
in a manner similar to <b>Le salamandre. </b>Like <b>Le salamandre</b>, the
erotic pull ends up not being the main point of the movie, and with <b>Zelda</b>,
<i>Cavallone</i> is critical, or at least dreadfully pessimistic, of the loose
sex lives of married couples and the <i>en vogue</i> erotic film of the era
while also making his film look very much like one.</span></p><p><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><span></span></span></p><a name='more'></a><p></p><p><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyfSae055g3GccG-fxGA1mQeteqKPxA0YKI-Oj1SHXuhXCktJ2XgQAInZy4JkSOvREC7dY_Q75SaE3ZJDxI4hXQm3eASImHS29JCxxEi1DJxK-1QyJfjB815k8-J_82ISIQu8gAE18UeiivpW3yKiP0oIYJSdFLJpOcZmw65wEFU5Qk0Xkn8jh9AhSHg/s1113/zelda_0.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="505" data-original-width="1113" height="232" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyfSae055g3GccG-fxGA1mQeteqKPxA0YKI-Oj1SHXuhXCktJ2XgQAInZy4JkSOvREC7dY_Q75SaE3ZJDxI4hXQm3eASImHS29JCxxEi1DJxK-1QyJfjB815k8-J_82ISIQu8gAE18UeiivpW3yKiP0oIYJSdFLJpOcZmw65wEFU5Qk0Xkn8jh9AhSHg/w400-h181/zelda_0.jpg" width="512" /></a></span></div><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><b> </b></span><p></p><p><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><b>Zelda</b> is largely a
flashback story, with the narrative focusing on events taking place before and
after the apparent double murder of two characters: paralyzed ex-racecar champion
Henry Davis (<b>Nude for Satan</b>’s <i>James Harris</i> - born <i>Giuseppe
Mattei</i>) and his supposed mistress Clarissa (<i>Halina Kim</i>). The dead
bodies are discovered next to one another by the horrified servant, Alfonsina (<i>Giovanna
Mainardi</i>), one morning in Henry’s mansion. A news broadcaster announces the
murder and mentions that the police are investigating. Fortunately, this film
isn’t heavy on police procedural at all, as it instead explores the life of
Henry and all the individuals who were involved with his life during the time
leading up to his murder. The film’s story is also done partially in whodunnit
fashion, but the mystery element is downplayed a bit in favor of sexual drama,
lots of stock footage, and the psychological games played by Henry’s wife Zelda
(who is played by <i>Cavallone’s</i> wife <i>Maria Pia Luzi</i>, credited under
her acting name <i>Jane Avril</i>).</span></p><p><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSkfVMOVk8UtK4HvMivSoyuw6_wgSCWpg5VmFhkDsU0bjztv8jsXZ34AQ7BElSUPteI5VjX2lW0sBhnaTxphBiKeZEV-lgkETBWu9_0W1W7SdIpp4sS7iDYmY22JRwCfB9_xY22VKQngjwhi_U-zQ9fgmLorWdWrzK2W5wQ1-6vivhBr49PBG1dXhYkw/s1122/zelda_1.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="505" data-original-width="1122" height="232" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSkfVMOVk8UtK4HvMivSoyuw6_wgSCWpg5VmFhkDsU0bjztv8jsXZ34AQ7BElSUPteI5VjX2lW0sBhnaTxphBiKeZEV-lgkETBWu9_0W1W7SdIpp4sS7iDYmY22JRwCfB9_xY22VKQngjwhi_U-zQ9fgmLorWdWrzK2W5wQ1-6vivhBr49PBG1dXhYkw/w400-h180/zelda_1.jpg" width="512" /></a></span></div><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"> </span><p></p><p><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">The character Zelda has the appealing look
of the gothic horror heroine, and that’s not just because she is introduced
dressed in black for her husband’s funeral. </span></p><p><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">"Don't you think it's ridiculous, dressing in this way?" asks Zelda's daughter Ingrid (<i>Franca Gonella</i>).</span></p><p><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">"People expect widows to be dressed in black," Zelda replies. </span></p><p><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">Ingrid reminds her mother what she already knows, "but you couldn't care less about Dad's death." </span></p><p><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">"Sometimes appearances are important," Zelda states indifferently. </span></p><p><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">Either
this is a strange way for Zelda to cope, or there was obviously no love lost
between the couple, but after we get to know Henry and Zelda more, through
backstory, it starts to become apparent that Henry may not be entirely to blame
for Zelda’s coldness.</span></p><p><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">The cast of main characters, who also include Henry’s
racing buddy Christian (<i>Debebe Eshetu</i>) and another mistress Ursula (<i>Margaret
Rose Keil</i>), gather together during Henry’s and Clarissa’s funeral before
the film flashes back, before their demises, to the racetracks.</span></p><p><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjR4zn4tIrbJhEdfbuy34MW7O-fyC4pmWOtpm6D7XYGJGsHKFIGcAi-F0jtnKag5YR5o8W9ahskzsu5lKHonV_WcGCY5VUyu74-6-BPmjBJ2x7ToE6NzRitDUtnZgTPAcGpO6AFKhWeZM2yA9LpOqtLsCGhEIdxKmHBLHhqBR6z4GNr_qHvwsdrPYY3og/s1118/zelda_2.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="507" data-original-width="1118" height="232" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjR4zn4tIrbJhEdfbuy34MW7O-fyC4pmWOtpm6D7XYGJGsHKFIGcAi-F0jtnKag5YR5o8W9ahskzsu5lKHonV_WcGCY5VUyu74-6-BPmjBJ2x7ToE6NzRitDUtnZgTPAcGpO6AFKhWeZM2yA9LpOqtLsCGhEIdxKmHBLHhqBR6z4GNr_qHvwsdrPYY3og/w400-h181/zelda_2.jpg" width="512" /></a></span></div><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrCNmcRofb8-S8beGMOZbc9gPUw9zd30ftlfBw_j_lTyrqUGXKiaXGevx0lNZMAevBWiRhDxM2kATaB_86UnN9v6yvgFiJ6ZaqivLfQEOvoMg2R3vBGOAnyNzghiLrXQVghy3GoJl7S3u-xSuXu2XDjQgv4ryNqhU9JFct0gbo_ErW4ieA8wxntugMWQ/s1113/zelda_3.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="505" data-original-width="1113" height="232" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrCNmcRofb8-S8beGMOZbc9gPUw9zd30ftlfBw_j_lTyrqUGXKiaXGevx0lNZMAevBWiRhDxM2kATaB_86UnN9v6yvgFiJ6ZaqivLfQEOvoMg2R3vBGOAnyNzghiLrXQVghy3GoJl7S3u-xSuXu2XDjQgv4ryNqhU9JFct0gbo_ErW4ieA8wxntugMWQ/w400-h181/zelda_3.jpg" width="512" /></a></div> </span><p></p><p><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">As for a
pro-polyamory film, my personal gold-standard is <i>Emmanuelle Arsan’s</i> <b>Laure</b>
(1976), starring <i>Al Cliver</i> and <i>Annie Belle</i>, which depicts erotic
relationships in a spiritually and philosophically healthy way. <b>Zelda </b>is
on the exact opposite end, as it does not have good things to say about
polyamorous relationships. Viewers might think they are in for some hot and
steamy <i>menage a trois</i>, but what unfolds is a bad faith cautionary tale. Being
an erotic thriller, this is fair enough, but the hazards that seem to come with
the sexual freedom of certain characters in <b>Zelda</b> is a depressing
reminder of the myth of free love, right in the middle of the ‘70s when the
dream was so beautiful, too.</span></p><p><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyfWa1QuCliR6hABqIymfCumggerZFkKgp-eicvEPSQkSdRNph7KSDF_lQuxk8GT25Oz4kt1P_fxR9_XIhv6ucW07prQ7WwbUPMdy8baFnIE6MivqIMZIKY62KY-YdRsBAPozYrdE1p3b30BoWjpg3CZIG3-HUHqTxxiuWaEl2qv5-IwKxKvzwNM71Ig/s1120/zelda_4.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="507" data-original-width="1120" height="232" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyfWa1QuCliR6hABqIymfCumggerZFkKgp-eicvEPSQkSdRNph7KSDF_lQuxk8GT25Oz4kt1P_fxR9_XIhv6ucW07prQ7WwbUPMdy8baFnIE6MivqIMZIKY62KY-YdRsBAPozYrdE1p3b30BoWjpg3CZIG3-HUHqTxxiuWaEl2qv5-IwKxKvzwNM71Ig/w400-h181/zelda_4.jpg" width="512" /></a></span></div><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"> </span><p></p><p><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">My favorite erotic philosopher <i>Emmanuelle Arsan</i>
(<i>Louis-Jacques Rollet-Andriane</i>) believed we as humans, in order to
escape the “childhood of humanity,” must begin to fully embrace the
possibilities of eroticism. To quote the character Jean from the book <b>Emmanuelle
2</b>, when he is referring to his wife Emmanuelle’s lovers, “they are only
expressing their love, and they aren’t my rivals, they are my allies.” In the philosophy book <b>L’hypothese
D’Eros</b>, <i>Rollet-Andriane</i> argues (among many erotic arguments) that a
third person in a relationship is beneficial in preserving it and can even help
couples find greater happiness, particularly in the chapter titled <b>Six Feet
on Earth</b>. Here in <b>Zelda</b>, it’s almost like the movie is saying,
‘you’re deluding yourself if you believe that.’ This sort of transgression takes
its toll on Henry mentally, causing him to want to disappear, but Henry has a
hard time resisting the temptation of that third beautiful lover his wife continues
introducing into their marriage.</span></p><p><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeRsDaX6_QqZrmhwuOqsUliJtX1xI6uX0j_mlavqlj9mtAclq7rX9qO7Fd3aIYSkaIL2_PKTn0AgQOkqR1aQW_jFrPQ-8Anuu1bX12B9Ya8yct0oMUwPNSrtkW4pIgoLRu2oY7e8E_gIiKLPCVa9VuxrgPj1ntlklzMjTMf7CF4z4QBhwhVvn6NOM7Dg/s1122/zelda_5.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="508" data-original-width="1122" height="232" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeRsDaX6_QqZrmhwuOqsUliJtX1xI6uX0j_mlavqlj9mtAclq7rX9qO7Fd3aIYSkaIL2_PKTn0AgQOkqR1aQW_jFrPQ-8Anuu1bX12B9Ya8yct0oMUwPNSrtkW4pIgoLRu2oY7e8E_gIiKLPCVa9VuxrgPj1ntlklzMjTMf7CF4z4QBhwhVvn6NOM7Dg/w400-h181/zelda_5.jpg" width="512" /></a></span></div><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikp51rYEwZJyetSNc9CLm_63phWcC4Lzzq3iu1FOd2uhHw8TOcFToJTEpZbwMSB58K5MV_p8MhnvrcuonnmC9InqYOSznwUDJanq_oyWiSBtTcjdUfp0bFMrMeP3mxgFhOs40r-MWB3_euwd8LwD5eLaxiTx3K_QfmlzvGZieuH5L9XUNDv8O-9DIlOw/s1121/zelda_6.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="510" data-original-width="1121" height="232" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikp51rYEwZJyetSNc9CLm_63phWcC4Lzzq3iu1FOd2uhHw8TOcFToJTEpZbwMSB58K5MV_p8MhnvrcuonnmC9InqYOSznwUDJanq_oyWiSBtTcjdUfp0bFMrMeP3mxgFhOs40r-MWB3_euwd8LwD5eLaxiTx3K_QfmlzvGZieuH5L9XUNDv8O-9DIlOw/w400-h183/zelda_6.jpg" width="512" /></a></div> </span><p></p><p><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">The sinful trap of libertinage is represented
by the insatiable Zelda, who seems to be the driving force in maintaining the
threesomes between her, her husband, and an extra woman. We’re not sure how
long this has been going on, but the first woman in the story to be brought to
bed with them is the coquettish Ursula. While initially welcome into the bed of
the married couple, the third partner in the threesome is ultimately seen as an
intruder to be shamefully sent away, as soon as Henry starts to express a
desire to return to normalcy (not to mention the shame he feels for the effect
it must be having on his daughter Ingrid, who is privy to her parents’ deviant
sex life). After briefly escaping his perceived debauchery by throwing Ursula
out, so he can be alone with his wife, as he puts it, Henry makes a brief
return to tradition where he can be more in his element. Henry is kind of the “competent
man” stock character; he hunts, he finances race car drivers, he drives race
cars, he scuba dives, and he can pilot a glider plane.</span></p><p><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdqy4EpaR32Uj12d-XIyMNpxuGaM3oGzLwtUTGJoz-vz7mXdZZCRZFawS_uyDDmTURRda2TTgREYZmHMs7GKzIWUcZhJkGezObCNQrMRq8rtPfVK-bv_weq6D3Og0FzMyedw9GSpe6v-tvtGn12QS1izWpS0VDwSFvKR97FZ3og_fpPsYD_PPnOS2a6g/s1121/zelda_7.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="509" data-original-width="1121" height="232" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdqy4EpaR32Uj12d-XIyMNpxuGaM3oGzLwtUTGJoz-vz7mXdZZCRZFawS_uyDDmTURRda2TTgREYZmHMs7GKzIWUcZhJkGezObCNQrMRq8rtPfVK-bv_weq6D3Og0FzMyedw9GSpe6v-tvtGn12QS1izWpS0VDwSFvKR97FZ3og_fpPsYD_PPnOS2a6g/w400-h181/zelda_7.jpg" width="512" /></a></span></div><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhg2QabZ2jO4PIVuaHli3Kr4fhn1zg-ZinJQPv93d9ONLLeh4LJ1tQ6BqNp1Hx6kwXRJ2c77JE0MfaO8Kbm8ENlZe1AeLVhsYkLUuQvhFQHr1XnuuCSaZikSJCsT3sof7jOOSJWOJlDI-9UnH_4JH51ZYktZYKplOXdXJcVLoJsrdEr8JxMCcAygiJejg/s1123/zelda_8.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="508" data-original-width="1123" height="232" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhg2QabZ2jO4PIVuaHli3Kr4fhn1zg-ZinJQPv93d9ONLLeh4LJ1tQ6BqNp1Hx6kwXRJ2c77JE0MfaO8Kbm8ENlZe1AeLVhsYkLUuQvhFQHr1XnuuCSaZikSJCsT3sof7jOOSJWOJlDI-9UnH_4JH51ZYktZYKplOXdXJcVLoJsrdEr8JxMCcAygiJejg/w400-h181/zelda_8.jpg" width="512" /></a></div> </span><p></p><p><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">It isn’t long after
Ursula is ousted that Zelda fully recruits Clarissa, Christian’s wife, into
their love life. Henry can’t help but continue to return to the decadent
threesome with his wife, almost like an addict, and this makes him ominously
foreshadow his own demise. “At a certain point you have to have the courage to
go away forever…” Could this perceived toll that libertinage has on Henry be deliberate? </span></p><p><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">Henry’s survival from his suicide attempt that leaves him paralyzed is
farfetched. While piloting a glider plane by himself, in mid-flight, he shoots
himself in the head and later wakes up in the hospital with the lower half of
his body paralyzed. Zelda still maintains a third lover in Henry’s continued
misery as the film moves along towards its lowkey and dark denouement.</span></p><p><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkfPEaVy3IyGHPa1uhejCzsA8l93UnWcgq9iH6npUuxRF0Vj_k9xsca_S9ofsoobEE5_LgqZo-FZw90pfIIXv4GDmYO99oYrWc0RstUK5mhw2fIvYwHPgNJn9DbXSPgwLY2rfBdMqQI4uGdRODv7uD-M1l_44shHBKjHNiRhSWj-qIRDGMx8hhVGxYog/s1118/zelda_9.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="511" data-original-width="1118" height="232" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkfPEaVy3IyGHPa1uhejCzsA8l93UnWcgq9iH6npUuxRF0Vj_k9xsca_S9ofsoobEE5_LgqZo-FZw90pfIIXv4GDmYO99oYrWc0RstUK5mhw2fIvYwHPgNJn9DbXSPgwLY2rfBdMqQI4uGdRODv7uD-M1l_44shHBKjHNiRhSWj-qIRDGMx8hhVGxYog/w400-h183/zelda_9.jpg" width="512" /></a></span></div><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiN3EFX2XLlE2RotX415ywAUixXecr5L7eAs1St3vejU_sjlkZOyEd0l6Qrrbf8zgfqZY4kCt357Gtx0FDT0ZhtgnPGSNtWQrbROYb8dT5v0ufn4VlLQ0K1WEHyLer-5EtX8Syn8TVejGlXs1V5ekViCtJWoy144NnZbK3RaAs1rCU4cfaio5djM73ZPw/s1119/zelda_10.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="510" data-original-width="1119" height="232" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiN3EFX2XLlE2RotX415ywAUixXecr5L7eAs1St3vejU_sjlkZOyEd0l6Qrrbf8zgfqZY4kCt357Gtx0FDT0ZhtgnPGSNtWQrbROYb8dT5v0ufn4VlLQ0K1WEHyLer-5EtX8Syn8TVejGlXs1V5ekViCtJWoy144NnZbK3RaAs1rCU4cfaio5djM73ZPw/w400-h183/zelda_10.jpg" width="512" /></a></div><b> </b></span><p></p><p><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><b>Zelda</b>
has an absolutely evocative close out scene, with the camera slowly roving over
what appears to be nude bodies in an orgy, with unfamiliar actors, but no one
looks like they are having fun. Rather they look like they are suffering. The
tired gazes and lethargic motion of the entwined lovers almost suggest that
eroticism is ultimately empty and like a prison or almost like one of the seven
circles of hell instead of a place of sexual bliss and freedom. It also looks
really cool (and reminds me a little of the sexual dystopian artwork of <i>Serpieri</i>)
and kind of gives the closeout a little more of a punch with the help of the
synth and percussion heavy Henry Theme by <i>Marcello Giombini</i>. Zelda Theme
is also an ethereal piece that works really well with the filtered stock
footage of galloping horses in the film.</span></p><p><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMlvwqnyg0EPA-bSbNFgxIQxaQIG-ljAMNCsh1KoqHRy-t0XBtkVQbp_anXM3TqMI21xJLK6Dw7BNPOAXT0e5muqPU4CF8_qIpQppH8QXkM-wlu-QwR3Cr9EiJhXabeXgJDYvDF4B3hKVG933kt8R04DNAxSVA4KMSKBkJi6r_7Q75uivcu0OawYk7VA/s1119/zelda_11.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="504" data-original-width="1119" height="232" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMlvwqnyg0EPA-bSbNFgxIQxaQIG-ljAMNCsh1KoqHRy-t0XBtkVQbp_anXM3TqMI21xJLK6Dw7BNPOAXT0e5muqPU4CF8_qIpQppH8QXkM-wlu-QwR3Cr9EiJhXabeXgJDYvDF4B3hKVG933kt8R04DNAxSVA4KMSKBkJi6r_7Q75uivcu0OawYk7VA/w400-h180/zelda_11.jpg" width="512" /></a></span></div><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"> </span><p></p><p><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">There’s more going on than just
Henry’s threesome depressions, as <b>Zelda</b> is a bit complex, with a whole
lot of stock footage; apparently over 30% of the film is stock footage, which
pads it of course but didn’t seem to drag it down too much for me. I did
sometimes get confused as to whether the narrative was supposed to be in the
present or the past at certain times, and I had trouble keeping up with all of
the characters too at first. It does take more than one viewing to resolve and
figure out what’s going on and take in the movie’s themes, which made me happy
to decide to review it, because there’s a surprising amount of depth to it. </span></p><p><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">As
an eroticism enthusiast, I’ve come to realize that I’m part of the target
audience <i>Alberto Cavallone</i> was hoping to annoy with a film like <b>Zelda</b>.
And weirdly enough, it’s become one of my favorite movies. </span></p><p><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">© At the Mansion of
Madness <b><i> </i></b></span></p><p><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><u>References:</u><b><i> <br /></i></b></span></p><p><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><b><i>* </i></b>Curti, R., (2018). <i>Mavericks of Italian Cinema:
Eight Unorthodox Filmmakers, 1940s – 2000s</i>. McFarland & Company, Inc.<i> </i></span></p><p><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><i><b>**</b></i> Arsan, E., (1974). <i>L’hypothese d’Eros</i>. Editions
Filipacchi.</span></p><p><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihC6TPHNiuiitmZmzETouOI0baPOTriOp9rd3kajb4UxbZT0ykI3kODs_JD213lNo2dDHbvOJxRpOJ1J74PiOWZAOeGwMfuKhhn3XVA8exQzSuehkXQiLmgwlHJzn4hR-va6XT3Thk8uAU8VoThgPr1yuBtxYrb30_tVQhtpWrS7lVsaPODrfZMd8tyA/s1120/zelda_12.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="508" data-original-width="1120" height="232" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihC6TPHNiuiitmZmzETouOI0baPOTriOp9rd3kajb4UxbZT0ykI3kODs_JD213lNo2dDHbvOJxRpOJ1J74PiOWZAOeGwMfuKhhn3XVA8exQzSuehkXQiLmgwlHJzn4hR-va6XT3Thk8uAU8VoThgPr1yuBtxYrb30_tVQhtpWrS7lVsaPODrfZMd8tyA/w400-h181/zelda_12.jpg" width="512" /></a></span></div><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMNBqKVhkymPHGyOcSfumUPIDf3nEUxvhJDSS2PBjDtaXFfZgyyMez9zJUPRiXaokIC8_4tpZkS9Xi-7FYfo0SUDeildO45BBVLg7r8AP-MdHICrpmooGL7jYRyArjqs41JNSaBKakZNcST7tfusNAKq2PbDbn9j5v2cBAuhFw1MSKWeCvTPEBGEGibg/s1125/zelda_13.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="508" data-original-width="1125" height="232" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMNBqKVhkymPHGyOcSfumUPIDf3nEUxvhJDSS2PBjDtaXFfZgyyMez9zJUPRiXaokIC8_4tpZkS9Xi-7FYfo0SUDeildO45BBVLg7r8AP-MdHICrpmooGL7jYRyArjqs41JNSaBKakZNcST7tfusNAKq2PbDbn9j5v2cBAuhFw1MSKWeCvTPEBGEGibg/w400-h180/zelda_13.jpg" width="512" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1pgNdOWmTUfsn0MHNLnKFaDTnZU_d-SdubgkYnBUxGM3mtGom0AJ7_w8PURVUS9STA8QzqD1eIDZ18PtVwdzrwWxdFbgLB5L8rL73AlPkO6Qmh9eNhMKqCyxBVZW-lLatxeVTPM6BXR8_OtjrTcCeaoN_l0lTWV77wCJDbCGAoIGLDGxahysyrErCew/s1121/zelda_14.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="507" data-original-width="1121" height="232" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1pgNdOWmTUfsn0MHNLnKFaDTnZU_d-SdubgkYnBUxGM3mtGom0AJ7_w8PURVUS9STA8QzqD1eIDZ18PtVwdzrwWxdFbgLB5L8rL73AlPkO6Qmh9eNhMKqCyxBVZW-lLatxeVTPM6BXR8_OtjrTcCeaoN_l0lTWV77wCJDbCGAoIGLDGxahysyrErCew/w400-h181/zelda_14.jpg" width="512" /></a></div><br /> </span>
<p></p>Giovanni Susinahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03253382939348997303noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2316228451187611813.post-48047099675396358952022-12-04T01:47:00.005-08:002023-03-02T00:40:27.852-08:00Bloody Pit of Horror / Il boia scarlatto (1965)<p><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJEnvv0-h2CCKK-xNIapiJ-NFBEgU6LjQbcuNOF1WPY9ud8Xhk4qjltyHMtENjP5pTsl-Rcpz24toaJAso42u2-cAZsUKgCOFD2pGGFB2OJhhhw1EqfCDu3KJ-8tm3T8F0pUGyBOf_bt1CbGMM8uFyFD9rUeEEQ_90q9yUjb_7qkp0344wOX21LwJKEA/s1146/Bloody%20Pit%20of%20Horror_Title.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1146" data-original-width="908" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJEnvv0-h2CCKK-xNIapiJ-NFBEgU6LjQbcuNOF1WPY9ud8Xhk4qjltyHMtENjP5pTsl-Rcpz24toaJAso42u2-cAZsUKgCOFD2pGGFB2OJhhhw1EqfCDu3KJ-8tm3T8F0pUGyBOf_bt1CbGMM8uFyFD9rUeEEQ_90q9yUjb_7qkp0344wOX21LwJKEA/w318-h400/Bloody%20Pit%20of%20Horror_Title.jpg" width="318" /></a></span></div><p><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">Fun is only partially the name of the game with a film like
<b>Bloody Pit of Horror</b>. With its comic book style influence, there’s lots
of fun to be had, but it’s got a mean side too, as sadism is also the name of
the game. The mix of fun and dark in the film is an influence from a style of
Italian adult-oriented superhero, crime, and erotic comics known as Fumetti
Neri, which consists, among many others, of flamboyant masked super heroes/villains: <b>Diabolik</b>,
<b>Kriminal</b>, <b>Mister-X</b>, and <b>Satanik</b>. The antagonist in <b>Bloody
Pit of Horror</b> could’ve easily come out of this subgenre, but he’s no
fantastic masked superman. He’s a fantastically cruel masked super-sadistic-madman,
the Crimson Executioner, played with love, enthusiasm, and high energy by a
chiseled <i>Mickey Hargitay</i>.</span></p><p><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><span></span></span></p><a name='more'></a><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><p></p><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIxxk0xY4n-xBwTmPbdhHTFFyDBZrNlRwCLD0jByXIjeGlqzBTHMO-tkp8QW3Yl4UTtXhWPl1hsvHjb3QEXAZxYXuNrGNpo55g5QgdDGeRtdlCmDAlRNGgBvSvKRccS9howkp6qPcbZdv0dtA60gPShl_RwR-7wnEa5Jb4oaKpQPpvzGXzUWjlIG6D9A/s1432/Bloody%20Pit%20of%20Horror_1.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="773" data-original-width="1432" height="276" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIxxk0xY4n-xBwTmPbdhHTFFyDBZrNlRwCLD0jByXIjeGlqzBTHMO-tkp8QW3Yl4UTtXhWPl1hsvHjb3QEXAZxYXuNrGNpo55g5QgdDGeRtdlCmDAlRNGgBvSvKRccS9howkp6qPcbZdv0dtA60gPShl_RwR-7wnEa5Jb4oaKpQPpvzGXzUWjlIG6D9A/w400-h216/Bloody%20Pit%20of%20Horror_1.jpg" width="512" /></a></span></span></div><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"> </span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">The trailer and the intro to the English edited version of <b>Bloody
Pit of Horror</b> wants you to believe that the film is based on the writings
of the <i>Marquis de Sade</i>. This is fair, since it is surprisingly sadistic
at times, with a fair share of medieval dungeon torture devices, but it’s a lot
more on the Fumetti Neri side, consciously so, as the characters in the
film include a photography crew and a company of lovely cover girl models in an
old castle shooting some violent and sexy material for a fumetti style
photocomic book called Skeletrik. It is also influenced by the more sexually
playful gothic Italian horror of the era, such as <b>The Vampire and the
Ballerina </b>(1960), <b>The Vampire and The Playgirls </b>(1960), and <b>The
Monster of the Opera </b>(1964), with an introduction bringing to mind <i>Mario
Bava’s</i> <b>Black Sunday </b>(1960). It was <i>Massimo Pupillo’s</i> second
stab as director of a horror film, the first being <b>Terror-Creatures from the
Grave </b>(1965) with <i>Barbara Steele</i>.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhM3yykIdf7gYc6v4Ie15qxmLLJ1w3a7nnRwHg8nnW-sQuJmAiMUxGoV7rW9BrsZ5k5GGpe5o1yFOS8ayPQS88KLtzqPKJCNPqhimjQUz94X-ElcVbhssS149voyVug5hv5ateplIm3Ry_6SqDK30_iDSxya6IiwWWsqLE7XMmmnnnwrKqI9A8rbMz-Yw/s1430/Bloody%20Pit%20of%20Horror_2.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="772" data-original-width="1430" height="276" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhM3yykIdf7gYc6v4Ie15qxmLLJ1w3a7nnRwHg8nnW-sQuJmAiMUxGoV7rW9BrsZ5k5GGpe5o1yFOS8ayPQS88KLtzqPKJCNPqhimjQUz94X-ElcVbhssS149voyVug5hv5ateplIm3Ry_6SqDK30_iDSxya6IiwWWsqLE7XMmmnnnwrKqI9A8rbMz-Yw/w400-h216/Bloody%20Pit%20of%20Horror_2.jpg" width="512" /></a></span></div><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-oLEwqCn8iJF37_VENIpP77z1KyaLireU8JVSe1RZ-UsflAV3WgwPsb_Y-VdK0IlH7gvEEe8VBCQeHlYhj0NFmroSfyVdZqFNkcnc6JTz4RMW69ZNYluApzmnr_rmBMp3qu5648Gg24QaRPyPdrogH_r5ygoU0iUUflD2OnwLh--mcEN6DHIMHXRYQQ/s1432/Bloody%20Pit%20of%20Horror_3.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="772" data-original-width="1432" height="276" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-oLEwqCn8iJF37_VENIpP77z1KyaLireU8JVSe1RZ-UsflAV3WgwPsb_Y-VdK0IlH7gvEEe8VBCQeHlYhj0NFmroSfyVdZqFNkcnc6JTz4RMW69ZNYluApzmnr_rmBMp3qu5648Gg24QaRPyPdrogH_r5ygoU0iUUflD2OnwLh--mcEN6DHIMHXRYQQ/w400-h216/Bloody%20Pit%20of%20Horror_3.jpg" width="512" /></a></div> </span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">Despite displaying a knack for it, horror was not where <i>Massimo
Pupillo</i> wanted to be. He started making horror movies so he could
transition from making documentaries to making commercial films. To his
disappointment, from his horror efforts, he ended up classified as a horror
director in Italy. Concerned he wouldn’t be able to escape this label, <i>Pupillo</i>
gave up making horror films, which is really too bad, because the trio of
horror films he did direct, which also included <b>Lady Morgan’s Vengeance</b>
(1965), are quite interesting and notable. I always thought this small body of horror
work from <i>Pupillo</i> would make a nice Blu-Ray boxset.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKoL_MqbDUMv0kEb5duos02plI90gu3HpvZWH6qWPmSV87EnO-7bHJ_cD25JgyO1KG0yV8iupZtPuV2VceQiqtbLtlL7MHUyhk9RhchOiVEmVpZhTetC-FWabKn-ZIytyC-d9mPHy8ZvoHUaWJH95zAaGGYl4q-ZfIQ6sbZCpSRL9Lxkm-jMjBuEWQ5A/s1428/Bloody%20Pit%20of%20Horror_4.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="770" data-original-width="1428" height="276" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKoL_MqbDUMv0kEb5duos02plI90gu3HpvZWH6qWPmSV87EnO-7bHJ_cD25JgyO1KG0yV8iupZtPuV2VceQiqtbLtlL7MHUyhk9RhchOiVEmVpZhTetC-FWabKn-ZIytyC-d9mPHy8ZvoHUaWJH95zAaGGYl4q-ZfIQ6sbZCpSRL9Lxkm-jMjBuEWQ5A/w400-h216/Bloody%20Pit%20of%20Horror_4.jpg" width="512" /></a></span></div><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"> </span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">I feel like<b> Bloody Pit of Horror</b> is by no means
obscure or even underappreciated, as it does seem to have a fan base who love
it for many different reasons. It gets docked by some for cheap practical
effects and minimal gore, but it is still interesting to note that the special
effects are by the legendary <i>Carlo Rambaldi</i> (<b>E.T.</b>, <b>Alien</b>, <b>Deep
Red</b>, <b>Tragic Ceremony</b>, <b>Barbarella</b>, <b>A Lizard in a Woman’s
Skin</b>, etc.) in the earlier phase of his career. </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">Over the years, <b>Bloody Pit of Horror</b> was a film I
rarely went looking for, but it just kept finding me, first as an inclusion on
one of those 50 movie bargain bin DVD collections, then later as a RiffTrax
episode, next on a so-so DVD, and then finally as a beautiful looking uncut
Blu-Ray from Severin. It feels like an old friend at this point who’s come a
long way, and I’m happy to see it still thriving. The film itself was ballsy
for its time, considering the torture spectacles in the last third of the film,
but it also fits right in with the Italian gothic horror of its day while also
offering a standout exuberant performance in <i>Hargitay</i>’s role as the
Crimson Executioner. It’s easily rivalled by <i>Antonio Margheriti’s</i> <b>The
Virgin of Nuremberg</b> (1963) and <i>Mario Bava’s</i> <b>Baron Blood</b>
(1972) in the medieval torture department, but this one has a higher level of
energy, playfulness, and camp.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBZa8eXvnHhqoPUuQ-RICozZTfVWit6UYDe7k_O7jNroJpYHl-kEFUZtKf8RHtp7UgTf-mUah5RwfW80pSeE-Pr6UHH7CaU2mrcNR0xitL8CXFjfI1LAxSGEQxOBM64iISWNBJ7yJAj6Sf9n64fv4682FolOV0Tx5nQAsTEG_p6_7r7c1hZjCpbRBPtQ/s1432/Bloody%20Pit%20of%20Horror_5.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="772" data-original-width="1432" height="276" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBZa8eXvnHhqoPUuQ-RICozZTfVWit6UYDe7k_O7jNroJpYHl-kEFUZtKf8RHtp7UgTf-mUah5RwfW80pSeE-Pr6UHH7CaU2mrcNR0xitL8CXFjfI1LAxSGEQxOBM64iISWNBJ7yJAj6Sf9n64fv4682FolOV0Tx5nQAsTEG_p6_7r7c1hZjCpbRBPtQ/w400-h216/Bloody%20Pit%20of%20Horror_5.jpg" width="512" /></a></span></div><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEim0WDkZg6wEl5qAM0TsqnKrCh-FKNY37cc6CSICW27FImyALDX_CmMrgylSBmSgfGaGlrZiLnxVWyqSHhnmlhvO4U58n7g8HM6aDWK4SIqlIauzGteWzwe4yrGKJsWS_ABaRrl43SsePacZW9PDOVPz0aPPkAb4awvHGWst2EEFsalVVHlb9GLUXgdaQ/s1427/Bloody%20Pit%20of%20Horror_6.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="769" data-original-width="1427" height="276" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEim0WDkZg6wEl5qAM0TsqnKrCh-FKNY37cc6CSICW27FImyALDX_CmMrgylSBmSgfGaGlrZiLnxVWyqSHhnmlhvO4U58n7g8HM6aDWK4SIqlIauzGteWzwe4yrGKJsWS_ABaRrl43SsePacZW9PDOVPz0aPPkAb4awvHGWst2EEFsalVVHlb9GLUXgdaQ/w400-h215/Bloody%20Pit%20of%20Horror_6.jpg" width="512" /></a></div> </span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">After the obligatory flashback intro to <b>Bloody Pit of
Horror</b>, the setup with a sizeable group of about ten characters arriving to
a castle (the famed Castello Piccolomini in Balsorano) in several vehicles
almost feels like an Eastmancolor Italian counterpart to a similar setup at the
start of the black & white <b>House on Haunted Hill</b> (1959). The movie
doesn’t waste too much time populating the creepy old castle with a high volume
of fun characters, such as models, assistants, a greedy business man (<i>Alfredo
Rizzo</i>), a mild-mannered writer (<i>Walter Brandi</i>), striped t-shirted henchmen
(<i>Gino Turini</i> and <i>Roberto Messina</i>), and a has-been actor going
full misanthrope in his old castle to protect his ideals and, as he puts it,
his “pure body” from the corruption of the outside world. It’s also supposedly
haunted by the ghost of a 17th century executioner (the castle interiors were
filmed at Palazzo Borghese in Artena).</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQIy2Qq9LKg7w9Upz4MibJuB1vBMmEl5ysINVNys6OepoduZc4TgfeuCil6Z4NsLiXccQMsXBglFCIzHBp3tdx1BxiRqDDqBVG0-sXITjBcrHkIy5TtpR9SIULRh37lPQXt-_m3zdfdTXGoDbW9aQd962gKEv9WqZ41x37IoXcvb9vVArkNE-TcXq_Eg/s1432/Bloody%20Pit%20of%20Horror_7.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="772" data-original-width="1432" height="276" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQIy2Qq9LKg7w9Upz4MibJuB1vBMmEl5ysINVNys6OepoduZc4TgfeuCil6Z4NsLiXccQMsXBglFCIzHBp3tdx1BxiRqDDqBVG0-sXITjBcrHkIy5TtpR9SIULRh37lPQXt-_m3zdfdTXGoDbW9aQd962gKEv9WqZ41x37IoXcvb9vVArkNE-TcXq_Eg/w400-h216/Bloody%20Pit%20of%20Horror_7.jpg" width="512" /></a></span></div><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"> </span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">The characters are sometimes annoying, sometimes likeable,
but always fun, especially the lovely and comical models, who all seem to be
having a good time while preparing and shooting a number of horror scenarios
for the magazine using the castle dungeon as a photography set. </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">Kudos have to go to <i>Femi Benussi</i>, <i>Luisa Baratto</i>,
and <i>Rita Klein</i> for really selling their anguish during the climactic
torture scenes at the hands of the movie’s monster. A peplum actor turned
dungeon sadist is just a marvelous concept, especially when he ends up looking
like a mix between a wrestler and a super hero. He’s entertaining, flamboyant,
and really cool, but he’s also a real dangerous prick who likes to hear himself
talk, almost like a de Sadean libertine but maybe more clown-like here.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTpYQscGxpZhskgq5JgjxOwN1vM2iclZKWcTVNOBob4ssvBVGEPFGn9Ysp4awRr9tQdJ_4zh7EGO3TBafWFzoqJvYDqNBE6nCR0JKEGJdMxLZeyjntfMClIxPcKGSuEXxj2u_Two0XWSRCvm6F3nrpcnNkTK482a-xY-uQi5iw9sGjFku8ghJvOv6woQ/s1428/Bloody%20Pit%20of%20Horror_8.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="766" data-original-width="1428" height="276" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTpYQscGxpZhskgq5JgjxOwN1vM2iclZKWcTVNOBob4ssvBVGEPFGn9Ysp4awRr9tQdJ_4zh7EGO3TBafWFzoqJvYDqNBE6nCR0JKEGJdMxLZeyjntfMClIxPcKGSuEXxj2u_Two0XWSRCvm6F3nrpcnNkTK482a-xY-uQi5iw9sGjFku8ghJvOv6woQ/w400-h215/Bloody%20Pit%20of%20Horror_8.jpg" width="512" /></a></span></div><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpAAIuZV7cUdYUPcm8EJ6oiH1maVJ_a11b2wvehiEw9RNJvPrOYZu6pJNg8gKzuqj6YqM-FF3Qw1A7QF9MdRTfdDZTP65Lh-QwMyXNFeVakPVcno9x-E2Lj8oLG5Z1HjZSCg0XUgMO45ZBoTsZrKT1ndvam-IYeSaDLBYfWD3KuG-LFA5FDc_2G98dPg/s1430/Bloody%20Pit%20of%20Horror_9.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="768" data-original-width="1430" height="276" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpAAIuZV7cUdYUPcm8EJ6oiH1maVJ_a11b2wvehiEw9RNJvPrOYZu6pJNg8gKzuqj6YqM-FF3Qw1A7QF9MdRTfdDZTP65Lh-QwMyXNFeVakPVcno9x-E2Lj8oLG5Z1HjZSCg0XUgMO45ZBoTsZrKT1ndvam-IYeSaDLBYfWD3KuG-LFA5FDc_2G98dPg/w400-h215/Bloody%20Pit%20of%20Horror_9.jpg" width="512" /> </a></div></span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><i><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">Pupillo</span></i><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"> had kind things to say about <i>Mickey
Hargitay</i> as a person while also claiming that he couldn’t act to save his
life. Perhaps that’s true with regards to dialogue, but as far as body-language
goes, the man is on fire in this film. He is dubbed in both the English and
Italian versions, so I personally couldn’t tell that he was a bad actor, but I
do know that I also loved him in the two <i>Renato Polselli</i> films he was
in: <b>Delirium </b>(1972) and <b>The Reincarnation of Isabel </b>(1973).</span></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9Xjpk5Se7judOzBjgXzIiPmV9l5Dv6JVCooACcfNdScMa9uFQkq57A-Vw8_2nNCbHDzE5KDYOY3BJGDnZNxmJQqBKYtKT3IHRpUVnWh5lkf4ebJVYkhc9JkJYuTAUYtPtm0JzGhc7KYcn3p48lL41i8H1Bf08XZE-yM09E1l_jsXWJW9v5cxZME4c_A/s1429/Bloody%20Pit%20of%20Horror_10.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="769" data-original-width="1429" height="276" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9Xjpk5Se7judOzBjgXzIiPmV9l5Dv6JVCooACcfNdScMa9uFQkq57A-Vw8_2nNCbHDzE5KDYOY3BJGDnZNxmJQqBKYtKT3IHRpUVnWh5lkf4ebJVYkhc9JkJYuTAUYtPtm0JzGhc7KYcn3p48lL41i8H1Bf08XZE-yM09E1l_jsXWJW9v5cxZME4c_A/w400-h215/Bloody%20Pit%20of%20Horror_10.jpg" width="512" /></a></span></div><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"> </span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">In addition to the antique castle ambiance, the supervillain
killer, and the bevy of beauties, the torture set piece spectacles in the film
are another draw. They consist of real and fictional torture devices that are
not just all show, as some are put to surprisingly brutal use. Some are quite
simple while others are overly elaborate, like the spider web with the
mechanical spider, which is a great excuse to put a provocative woman (<i>Moa
Tahi</i>) in spider web bondage that certainly is one of the film’s more
memorable set pieces. (This scene and <i>Hargitay’s</i> costumed character seem
to be used the most to sell the movie.) Even though it is referred to as a
poisonous mechanical spider in the film, it is still quite laughable (in a fun
way) though not quite as a laughable as the spider in <b>Nude for Satan</b>
(1974).</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdjAW54KQOLBpdr4UdHIte7gBj-j-lCKKOkN577vJnzUjhvw1A5jT5xlVBTeD-h3cvdIlF_1NS6KEltS01Aj_R5nC_URmJwQTJMjHOt8M7XFKCBSQ6wE15kRe5YMfs8mj_vxU9GPvfZ9oDbGQmmriuTB1vyFo9LwZv0eDxAvJjAVfyDX6ApCvlBZCsUw/s1430/Bloody%20Pit%20of%20Horror_11.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="777" data-original-width="1430" height="276" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdjAW54KQOLBpdr4UdHIte7gBj-j-lCKKOkN577vJnzUjhvw1A5jT5xlVBTeD-h3cvdIlF_1NS6KEltS01Aj_R5nC_URmJwQTJMjHOt8M7XFKCBSQ6wE15kRe5YMfs8mj_vxU9GPvfZ9oDbGQmmriuTB1vyFo9LwZv0eDxAvJjAVfyDX6ApCvlBZCsUw/w400-h217/Bloody%20Pit%20of%20Horror_11.jpg" width="512" /></a></span></div><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXOE7e09-yfuskiqrRiuBZvE74Ekx0onuwsHApXLYY5xKAwNC0j2iFPISvNGVieNQEslRW8hFx93YZqV4WjjW-VBNB3FpVkCnx1UtJX4TRC-w97YxS1JOpYf-cH6sNH-40078EitCDY3iit0hlQZEtm8G9HtxpzW8ZuXYeKBlDM7ENxyHgrh-A_30UDw/s1431/Bloody%20Pit%20of%20Horror_12.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="773" data-original-width="1431" height="276" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXOE7e09-yfuskiqrRiuBZvE74Ekx0onuwsHApXLYY5xKAwNC0j2iFPISvNGVieNQEslRW8hFx93YZqV4WjjW-VBNB3FpVkCnx1UtJX4TRC-w97YxS1JOpYf-cH6sNH-40078EitCDY3iit0hlQZEtm8G9HtxpzW8ZuXYeKBlDM7ENxyHgrh-A_30UDw/w400-h216/Bloody%20Pit%20of%20Horror_12.jpg" width="512" /></a></div> </span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">Every time I hear the strange music by <i>Gino Peguri</i> (that’s
a little reminiscent to that in <b>The Devil’s Nightmare </b>(1971)) over the
castle visuals towards the start of the film, I’m immediately pulled into the
film’s isolated world and am usually reminded of how much I like this film more
than I thought.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">The camp is maintained throughout <b>Bloody Pit of Horror</b>,
but the movie purposefully goes from playful and innocent to deadly with a
terrifically high body count. I initially thought that the nature of the sadism
was kind of distasteful and mean, but it’s theatrically entertaining, and I
feel that everyone gives it their all. I do believe the film is self-aware of
its camp value as well and is not meant to be taken seriously. It’s not like a, 'we tried so hard and failed,' but rather, 'we know this is kind of wacky and
absurd, but we’re all having a fun time and hopefully the viewers are too.'</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">© At the Mansion of Madness</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwb7F_bABPwfvJ8x5D6gcw3A5xevGmI1H8ErK8xU1U1YEZNDFze8j89tUfZKiJJ_QxJC43msRleXkJzngQkkiyC8nqh4OGrUTKJXsg4n8CrZGUPC7XWVd0UcIQ8KzoH01vXm3ihbqG_pJfUaGRAF2ao1gZ0VKG7rn79yTkLE_hXTXkuUyYwuLnM3ON2g/s1430/Bloody%20Pit%20of%20Horror_16.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="770" data-original-width="1430" height="276" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwb7F_bABPwfvJ8x5D6gcw3A5xevGmI1H8ErK8xU1U1YEZNDFze8j89tUfZKiJJ_QxJC43msRleXkJzngQkkiyC8nqh4OGrUTKJXsg4n8CrZGUPC7XWVd0UcIQ8KzoH01vXm3ihbqG_pJfUaGRAF2ao1gZ0VKG7rn79yTkLE_hXTXkuUyYwuLnM3ON2g/w400-h215/Bloody%20Pit%20of%20Horror_16.jpg" width="512" /></a></span></div><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhclKe7X2edVl-VIR44ebAD-m9nQa18cQiC_G3kEoKBpNt76J87oNqQQnp04Fnrt-3-SoawaSpOaVBKTBbUAhddzqYZsQvBqLFHEHQKSmrZ_UpnQ0bK3geto9hCBa9A4m0hW7YcIttzuuWP-_JcDCT7UxRDs18sttCbEcnP7PcHzz3BeJ6MzQM0sK0Ptw/s1427/Bloody%20Pit%20of%20Horror_13.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="769" data-original-width="1427" height="276" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhclKe7X2edVl-VIR44ebAD-m9nQa18cQiC_G3kEoKBpNt76J87oNqQQnp04Fnrt-3-SoawaSpOaVBKTBbUAhddzqYZsQvBqLFHEHQKSmrZ_UpnQ0bK3geto9hCBa9A4m0hW7YcIttzuuWP-_JcDCT7UxRDs18sttCbEcnP7PcHzz3BeJ6MzQM0sK0Ptw/w400-h215/Bloody%20Pit%20of%20Horror_13.jpg" width="512" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguAK-g3tcPt15vlVjh47bZN8T444lWH2NlNmtgzxqjGI_Ck2TASrIG5vW3tnky4lJj6FE6vHO1LKN4RaxEkbHYosMR86Omt8ZkohKIKZ0TXp_7a0ZWdwHYsbry_ScTRsw4M15Pgq1Zl76Qk3chHk-w6xWLk0T8kUy_1wMvuy6sQEK2bnKo9zM7BDZclg/s1430/Bloody%20Pit%20of%20Horror_14.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="769" data-original-width="1430" height="276" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguAK-g3tcPt15vlVjh47bZN8T444lWH2NlNmtgzxqjGI_Ck2TASrIG5vW3tnky4lJj6FE6vHO1LKN4RaxEkbHYosMR86Omt8ZkohKIKZ0TXp_7a0ZWdwHYsbry_ScTRsw4M15Pgq1Zl76Qk3chHk-w6xWLk0T8kUy_1wMvuy6sQEK2bnKo9zM7BDZclg/w400-h215/Bloody%20Pit%20of%20Horror_14.jpg" width="512" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwIpyGbl9TQBMVeOcpKT_uIpXlh2kYrP0H_zbl0Iqf2e0zY_xRtRk71MK_o8odWrOOed0DirKnbpC8Ib4e0Js_CKFhlM2bxCYwKiiTvsaCaaIBbtVoswOYwci2JliBngQQ4ixslNl3nS6bQ24XrqQc_sK7i8dPVuzdtroJ_XapTvDjv-SN8tiv1cfpbA/s1427/Bloody%20Pit%20of%20Horror_15.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="766" data-original-width="1427" height="276" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwIpyGbl9TQBMVeOcpKT_uIpXlh2kYrP0H_zbl0Iqf2e0zY_xRtRk71MK_o8odWrOOed0DirKnbpC8Ib4e0Js_CKFhlM2bxCYwKiiTvsaCaaIBbtVoswOYwci2JliBngQQ4ixslNl3nS6bQ24XrqQc_sK7i8dPVuzdtroJ_XapTvDjv-SN8tiv1cfpbA/w400-h215/Bloody%20Pit%20of%20Horror_15.jpg" width="512" /></a></div></span><p></p>
<p></p>Giovanni Susinahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03253382939348997303noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2316228451187611813.post-89430202736385679572022-09-08T00:54:00.008-07:002022-12-04T01:14:30.586-08:00Marquis (1989)<span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjq_Lrucr_JXfv1qJQgd1ZYJZUNGu_bBi8pdh1ixD6RKajrqnyocu2YKu2nFktGBcdpS8zd3-SGrRTci_V-ZgzFJjmWyiWi2eMpAoRw1e95AcKvLLc-OTMTDwDBhJ1iSeZ8UPNnwbCFGLsRLS5s0VL3RtjKJvGHNsLYSNCm5J-OpM-VhHV7lmzYY5ULUA/s600/Marquis_Title.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="343" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjq_Lrucr_JXfv1qJQgd1ZYJZUNGu_bBi8pdh1ixD6RKajrqnyocu2YKu2nFktGBcdpS8zd3-SGrRTci_V-ZgzFJjmWyiWi2eMpAoRw1e95AcKvLLc-OTMTDwDBhJ1iSeZ8UPNnwbCFGLsRLS5s0VL3RtjKJvGHNsLYSNCm5J-OpM-VhHV7lmzYY5ULUA/w229-h400/Marquis_Title.jpg" width="229" /></a></div>“<i>Only Marquis’ literature can give me a taste for living</i>.”
–Justine (<i>Isabelle Wolfe</i>) </span><p><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><b>Marquis</b> is quite the creation. I never
knew of its existence until recently. It’s a little like the movie <b>Quills</b>
(2000) but with anthropomorphic characters who look like they’ve escaped from <b>Alice
in Wonderland</b>. It is set in 1789, shortly before the Storming of the
Bastille, in Paris France. The lead character (<i>Francois Marthouret</i>) is
an inmate of the Bastille, who is referred to as Marquis and is a talented
writer of erotic, violent, and depraved manuscripts. He is not necessarily
alone, for his sizeable member who goes by Colin (<i>Valerie Kling</i>) is his
close companion, consultant, and conversationalist. In between writing various
pieces of salacious stories, Marquis finds himself participating in a ploy to
help free a political prisoner, Lupino (<i>Roger Crouzet</i>), for the sake of
the Revolution. Another imprisoned woman, Justine (<i>Isabelle Wolfe</i>), who
was raped and impregnated by the king, is eventually thrown into the same cell
as the Marquis, as a corrupt priest,</span> <span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">Dom Pompero (<i>Vicky Messica</i>),
intends to divert the blame on to him and cover up the king’s misdeed, but
Justine instead finds the Marquis to be a gentleman and an enthralling storyteller. </span></p><p><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><span></span></span></p><a name='more'></a><p></p><p><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-uzYp4Zq6ktTjU--aMggyEo-Gde5akwQe2Ejez1075MRprCu-xCDlHzKWXbJVyy-k3IH4EwE09iMV28jM-gXIl-2nZ-O1JNCLr7cuik3kn9Pyilvkd3S-9n-0c67gV4SE0jrYkCfu0LoRafMv5GXKSiV87sKIksBCqSbaKUKdV0140zp5ofmzZSTczA/s1427/Marquis_1.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="796" data-original-width="1427" height="287" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-uzYp4Zq6ktTjU--aMggyEo-Gde5akwQe2Ejez1075MRprCu-xCDlHzKWXbJVyy-k3IH4EwE09iMV28jM-gXIl-2nZ-O1JNCLr7cuik3kn9Pyilvkd3S-9n-0c67gV4SE0jrYkCfu0LoRafMv5GXKSiV87sKIksBCqSbaKUKdV0140zp5ofmzZSTczA/w400-h224/Marquis_1.jpg" width="512" /></a></span></div><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhc_rF2C6WERwWg9-qwEt4QvSw6lbfTyKPoRwdHMqqKdcEKJJYdh5H4O515GFRqVt9FimivTU_r48aCwhmYKJYiCIRjWcpMjsK9HBYfabAinH8pdTwWg61fOLXy6BsO9uBJW5_l1rk5rh9aas1nZUjcWetzreafpVkBUqJCRNRbmwMHr2dg8RQxfmJr4A/s1431/Marquis_2.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="796" data-original-width="1431" height="287" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhc_rF2C6WERwWg9-qwEt4QvSw6lbfTyKPoRwdHMqqKdcEKJJYdh5H4O515GFRqVt9FimivTU_r48aCwhmYKJYiCIRjWcpMjsK9HBYfabAinH8pdTwWg61fOLXy6BsO9uBJW5_l1rk5rh9aas1nZUjcWetzreafpVkBUqJCRNRbmwMHr2dg8RQxfmJr4A/w400-h223/Marquis_2.jpg" width="512" /></a></div> </span><p></p><p><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">I’d never thought I’d be writing about a French/Belgian animal costume comedy
depicting a fictional (although historically inspired) account of the <i>Marquis
de Sade</i>, with numerous characters portrayed by different types of peculiar
looking animals (that were originally designed by <i>Roland Topor</i>). This is
one of those “why does it even exist?” sort of things, but I’m glad it does. It
really is funny at times and quite brilliant. The background setting of the
Bastille is depressing and the human animal characters give me the creeps, but
there is something beautiful about it as well, especially the classical intro
theme by <i>Reinhardt Wagner </i>with its soprano vocals. It also has the charm
of a well-done costume play that would’ve gotten my attention as a kid, even
though, as the poster says, this is for mature audiences only.</span></p><p><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrQphzfPxefkUtRlMf1SuZK5kGcxUNzINpvXJhISiZVLUcBfiXAMNVtqPrhCRZf4H0LmffNYriVzs5OLqt2wjDuIdDabyv8EvwqItUDAQXRMCHwioCuVnIWotCrs2uS8m_esGaZxenMLQ5XQ0Uwft_NCtOSc9rElIqoSafLT0dQZVr3DlYPu7lEGh11A/s1430/Marquis_3.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="798" data-original-width="1430" height="287" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrQphzfPxefkUtRlMf1SuZK5kGcxUNzINpvXJhISiZVLUcBfiXAMNVtqPrhCRZf4H0LmffNYriVzs5OLqt2wjDuIdDabyv8EvwqItUDAQXRMCHwioCuVnIWotCrs2uS8m_esGaZxenMLQ5XQ0Uwft_NCtOSc9rElIqoSafLT0dQZVr3DlYPu7lEGh11A/w400-h224/Marquis_3.jpg" width="512" /></a></span></div><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"> </span><p></p><p><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">Director and co-writer
<i>Henri Xhonneux</i> and co-writer <i>Roland Topor</i> seem to express a
fitting knowledge and appreciation for the writings and life of the <i>Marquis
de Sade</i> in the film. The character representing <i>Sade</i> is respectfully
presented as a talented and inspirational writer who is locked up for
committing blasphemies (as an anthropomorph, he reminds me of a cocker spaniel).
Interestingly, he is never referred to as Marquis de Sade, but rather simply as
Marquis, with the name Sade being used anonymously by the priest, who steals
and profits financially and socially from the manuscripts Marquis pens during
his imprisonment. </span></p><p><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0aWOnHr_VadSPy1EU6qvijx8ZfeV3RTjkxsor9MCMYAWnZDFt9jUUhdxFdSlcnXmfpVbLbqjHqM0HpFaPSOtjWJUwAcl7vHv8IU-WjidsCHct82WOTovsxEq4ByBzEX1lujGcCqm08eDQmdXCDYFoemidd8vLZdQwFEi3H_HwkPRRWJV2S-DpxBy0cg/s1430/Marquis_4.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="796" data-original-width="1430" height="287" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0aWOnHr_VadSPy1EU6qvijx8ZfeV3RTjkxsor9MCMYAWnZDFt9jUUhdxFdSlcnXmfpVbLbqjHqM0HpFaPSOtjWJUwAcl7vHv8IU-WjidsCHct82WOTovsxEq4ByBzEX1lujGcCqm08eDQmdXCDYFoemidd8vLZdQwFEi3H_HwkPRRWJV2S-DpxBy0cg/w400-h223/Marquis_4.jpg" width="512" /></a></span></div><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"> </span><p></p><p><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">The film paints the Marquis as quite the kind and
mild-mannered man, a “good guy” in the story (no mad sadistic side in sight). The
depravity and debauchery that characterizes <i>Sade</i>’s writing instead
surround him. The authorities and religious leaders are corrupt hypocrites who
are persecuting someone who only writes about what they practice. I like the
idea of the Marquis as not evil in person but rather someone who understood
evil, corruption, and debauchery enough to accurately put it to paper, being
witness to the most depraved and hypocritical of leaders, rulers, and priests.</span></p><p><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwkMhwoGMOAjJP7b2d6_4G2ZWNXHUQ3Jbf4nQ-LER8vGmS6clv-BVD0aZm0-9zQt4hNJOPjvvrBNRcDG4gQD8k9R0rxjqoWIxqP4Ic1aMNqOgrCmdhuasf7r1jgzFhv-qKfjDm8u5VwrDG6vXaaCsNZSlXdjbVhw13XYrQXtsIP2GlhU7Z6QmMbU5pfg/s1430/Marquis_6.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="795" data-original-width="1430" height="287" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwkMhwoGMOAjJP7b2d6_4G2ZWNXHUQ3Jbf4nQ-LER8vGmS6clv-BVD0aZm0-9zQt4hNJOPjvvrBNRcDG4gQD8k9R0rxjqoWIxqP4Ic1aMNqOgrCmdhuasf7r1jgzFhv-qKfjDm8u5VwrDG6vXaaCsNZSlXdjbVhw13XYrQXtsIP2GlhU7Z6QmMbU5pfg/w400-h223/Marquis_6.jpg" width="512" /></a></span></div><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuJoPJCBgm2Gk_pllsDVC8hRMzTPGYl-XvrAJLJIMbLHCNTAM1yo4hKWEhn78x74IwrU0EG7QjCMS-hYlmFcyUPNYP3MoNxG8JvE_efH5fnPKJstgHMNebDESpt8DfriHK10SLOJCjkG80jzRpqKuf1wOb7NL2ddXpchsC1p2WifpPnikFT117hR0PpQ/s1430/Marquis_5.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="798" data-original-width="1430" height="287" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuJoPJCBgm2Gk_pllsDVC8hRMzTPGYl-XvrAJLJIMbLHCNTAM1yo4hKWEhn78x74IwrU0EG7QjCMS-hYlmFcyUPNYP3MoNxG8JvE_efH5fnPKJstgHMNebDESpt8DfriHK10SLOJCjkG80jzRpqKuf1wOb7NL2ddXpchsC1p2WifpPnikFT117hR0PpQ/w400-h224/Marquis_5.jpg" width="512" /></a></div> </span><p></p><p><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">One
of the more peculiar draws here is the character of Colin, the Marquis’ fairly
large sexual appendage, an adorable puppet protruding from his pants. Colin is
Marquis’ friend and confidant, who he nonchalantly has conversations and civil
arguments with, which is surreal and comical. He is someone Marquis debates
with over writing inspiration or criticism. Colin’s face peers out from the
foreskin, with the tip of his head made to resemble a brain (a source of erotic
knowledge?). Colin, who Marquis consults with democratically, is also polite and
soft-spoken. Marquis argues with Colin as to whether his inspiration mostly comes
from his mind or the brain of his member, who speaks to him so lightly and delicately,
which is funny because, knowing <i>Marquis de Sade</i>, I’d assume it was
rather passionately and violently. Colin is fitted with a wig at one point and
made to perform on a miniature stage Marquis constructed, and it’s honestly the
cutest thing you’ll ever see.</span></p><p><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvIHZAbN-1nRV2MivDxj-duEkJJEBsl8ZDmjqYjOS6Iv7Ob8CxHh2fmWGh5nLS8mb4WgUYBSuh6DrQlrHDXPiKDkBchpIAy2tIgJYkjetM4JRncztY-9ag0Sghtl_0KYLruVgHemzTtZWAQEl5wWRoZ_1y0E5Lah3TsXEJG2A5Irg_Dmp9smQw_RanGg/s1629/Marquis_7.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="911" data-original-width="1629" height="287" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvIHZAbN-1nRV2MivDxj-duEkJJEBsl8ZDmjqYjOS6Iv7Ob8CxHh2fmWGh5nLS8mb4WgUYBSuh6DrQlrHDXPiKDkBchpIAy2tIgJYkjetM4JRncztY-9ag0Sghtl_0KYLruVgHemzTtZWAQEl5wWRoZ_1y0E5Lah3TsXEJG2A5Irg_Dmp9smQw_RanGg/w400-h224/Marquis_7.jpg" width="512" /></a></span></div><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgw8hxa2ByyPPqcmbikHKr5oGdDWbbJ0ay6XYmFv9CxPrkKhheXyTuFqGKdQ4_HZTOQC6MZnT5Dyg1jyzoR-sOyny_AfrZtyzrlFqZW08nGEmKj3GpxUlIdCIAvJ9BHWyIo8At9cPc-Trv4FuqHcMrEbH9CzKno70RE4djpYpIZprxnjYPdJHPwcr34hg/s1427/Marquis_8.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="794" data-original-width="1427" height="287" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgw8hxa2ByyPPqcmbikHKr5oGdDWbbJ0ay6XYmFv9CxPrkKhheXyTuFqGKdQ4_HZTOQC6MZnT5Dyg1jyzoR-sOyny_AfrZtyzrlFqZW08nGEmKj3GpxUlIdCIAvJ9BHWyIo8At9cPc-Trv4FuqHcMrEbH9CzKno70RE4djpYpIZprxnjYPdJHPwcr34hg/w400-h223/Marquis_8.jpg" width="512" /></a></div> </span><p></p><p><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">My favorite books from <i>de</i> <i>Sade</i> are <b>Justine</b>
(1791) and <b>Juliette</b> (1797), the titles of which are also the names of
two other significant characters in the film. They’re not presented as sisters,
as in the books, but I do like the take on the characters here. The woeful
Justine is portrayed as a cow, who is apparently thrown in prison to coverup that she is pregnant
with the king’s child. I was surprised at the chemistry the Marquis and Justine
have when she is locked in the same cell with him only to be regaled by his
literature and to show such impressive ingenuity in helping to comfort and
revive Colin. You really do eventually end up feeling sorry for the poor,
unfortunate Justine. The noblewoman Juliette, portrayed as a horse, is a
dominatrix and pro-revolutionary seducing and playing the rooster governor of
the Bastille, Gaetan de Preaubois (<i>Rene Lebrun</i>), as a ruse for the
Revolution.</span></p><p><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJpHED8b1ZFT0ibW5_JLO1GJigV-WaPc3aGuXVMiMHH6UaEEqmEQ1PxrnqAlNA9a3HZ-xwNTzDep3w7dGaOZ6yot8dijEX-nO3jznEte90hDb47WpXAS9UMZSc1gVwzXlERU0-kMt0d_XwmgKh0vGT0bffxqMz1DEA00pZUsJmOymKhAX_w33N-3syGw/s1430/Marquis_9.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="801" data-original-width="1430" height="287" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJpHED8b1ZFT0ibW5_JLO1GJigV-WaPc3aGuXVMiMHH6UaEEqmEQ1PxrnqAlNA9a3HZ-xwNTzDep3w7dGaOZ6yot8dijEX-nO3jznEte90hDb47WpXAS9UMZSc1gVwzXlERU0-kMt0d_XwmgKh0vGT0bffxqMz1DEA00pZUsJmOymKhAX_w33N-3syGw/w400-h224/Marquis_9.jpg" width="512" /></a></span></div><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhl0Tj4c8NUPYi3nwsTn8_rb2WNkVUHt-L_APajDmV_gLRwTcVfxNmbELJ63pSNwGn5DfKDJyVuFiHPzoWucbNxQ4k86JHJIVYQJitvvNDKL701vT5xh7b1vlF0rGCGso9hW47r5tEWtgGSIajzncnhmxJVWKhwEmELScI6fa1KtnsulS2FFmjfTKO0hw/s1430/Marquis_10.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="1430" height="287" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhl0Tj4c8NUPYi3nwsTn8_rb2WNkVUHt-L_APajDmV_gLRwTcVfxNmbELJ63pSNwGn5DfKDJyVuFiHPzoWucbNxQ4k86JHJIVYQJitvvNDKL701vT5xh7b1vlF0rGCGso9hW47r5tEWtgGSIajzncnhmxJVWKhwEmELScI6fa1KtnsulS2FFmjfTKO0hw/w400-h224/Marquis_10.jpg" width="512" /></a></div><b> </b></span><p></p><p><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><b>Marquis</b> is a weirdly fun time and a nice way to get your <i>de</i>
<i>Sade</i> movie fix, especially if you are a fan of the movie <b>Quills</b>.
It’s also not really that sadistic or depraved, but it is still quite fitting
for fans of <i>Sade</i>’s writing. Anyone interested in a cartoony, albeit
adult, story set during the French Revolution might find enjoyment as well. It’s
mostly live action, but there are some neat Claymation segments, particularly
the story scenes from Marquis' writings as well as hallucinations and a
particular <i>Burton</i>-esque dream he has. The animatronic animal masks and
costumes, realized by <i>Jacques Gastineau</i>, really aren’t bad at all. My
mind was tricked into believing the characters were talking animals without
thinking so much about the human actors underneath.</span></p><p><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0XXx6lE0AwjHYuym5uUNSmoDTiXywppJnYZkhajuAy0iaQhEOBz0C1QJgsGrMgDoXpZr3YVLlO4ISnZ6ZBMtwazRS2VCROn858OFgrwNJ-j1RCJZDaIZ8XYabqREDL-hiFRGdgr0bk3nma_KrkU0m4k9jnYXfQkIfDDSTzEP0q3z6hSv1nYfiW2C2lQ/s1431/Marquis_11.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="798" data-original-width="1431" height="287" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0XXx6lE0AwjHYuym5uUNSmoDTiXywppJnYZkhajuAy0iaQhEOBz0C1QJgsGrMgDoXpZr3YVLlO4ISnZ6ZBMtwazRS2VCROn858OFgrwNJ-j1RCJZDaIZ8XYabqREDL-hiFRGdgr0bk3nma_KrkU0m4k9jnYXfQkIfDDSTzEP0q3z6hSv1nYfiW2C2lQ/w400-h223/Marquis_11.jpg" width="512" /></a></span></div><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-Xa15ihrfW1d8lqU3KMy-A0dzr1FKtp1X5SilV5rDz7FBAIcm7WVmjjPoIZ82DPD5cs8qHF3hPkxJBL9D-MG8A60u6SZbSALAVR53aBGnqHJ0ocJ5Nly0CJquB_fz06r5oIUjqFnV58kR9MfHH3cEhv4U5VRgtHPXDFTEs9g0X7WQLMemdcAaEFo-Dg/s1429/Marquis_12.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="801" data-original-width="1429" height="287" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-Xa15ihrfW1d8lqU3KMy-A0dzr1FKtp1X5SilV5rDz7FBAIcm7WVmjjPoIZ82DPD5cs8qHF3hPkxJBL9D-MG8A60u6SZbSALAVR53aBGnqHJ0ocJ5Nly0CJquB_fz06r5oIUjqFnV58kR9MfHH3cEhv4U5VRgtHPXDFTEs9g0X7WQLMemdcAaEFo-Dg/w400-h224/Marquis_12.jpg" width="512" /></a></div> </span><p></p><p><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">It’s fairly obvious that <i>de
Sade</i> is being romanticized here. Judging from the historical accounts of
his unsavory crimes, it’s hard to imagine that the real <i>de Sade</i> was at all like
the kind, mild-mannered Marquis from this film, but it could have been possible.
It’s nice to sometimes imagine he might have been a misunderstood writer who
understood vice and depravity, but I can’t help thinking he most likely was an
entirely evil writer, who’s wicked philosophical writing could actually be
considered dangerous.</span></p><p><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiy5kAxY_Lh88UfxTkMYngwmQgoRJyQweoBCi6FS5RISf96xeJXt4D16jKPoDgpXkaC2ZLxpAXcj5-NyBzD2UWJfSCUQk-JC3eiz9peQQjGC1Zll6eMqS8Rvfn0lM87X3_svJrjz1psEDtEVwZc0KRjxjoa_qC3yRK2GlLOKnnKxkv-xG3-3afp9UPczA/s1430/Marquis_13.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="801" data-original-width="1430" height="287" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiy5kAxY_Lh88UfxTkMYngwmQgoRJyQweoBCi6FS5RISf96xeJXt4D16jKPoDgpXkaC2ZLxpAXcj5-NyBzD2UWJfSCUQk-JC3eiz9peQQjGC1Zll6eMqS8Rvfn0lM87X3_svJrjz1psEDtEVwZc0KRjxjoa_qC3yRK2GlLOKnnKxkv-xG3-3afp9UPczA/w400-h224/Marquis_13.jpg" width="512" /></a></span></div><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"> </span><p></p><p><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">Do not count me as a follower of <i>Sade’s</i>
philosophy, but as a reader of his works I do appreciate the unfiltered
perspective of evil as it is innate to nature. From his writings, <i>Sade</i> reveals
repeatedly the full potential for cruelty that we are capable of, something
nature has embedded in our DNA, likely more for some than others. By being
enthralled by <i>Sade</i>, we should not be promoting evil but learning to
recognize and understand it, as well as finding some kind of curious relief and
even entertainment. Just as when we want to see a balls-out horror movie that
pulls no punches, we can also find an odd fulfillment from <i>Sade’s</i> text
that reveals the cruel, twisted emotions and intentions a serial killer would have,
but elaborated in such a coldly rational, captivating, and elegant way. There’s
a certain kind of catharsis you can find by indulging in stuff you’re not supposed to think,
read, or write, and <i>Sade’s</i> got us covered there. To reword a fantastic
idea from <i>John Waters</i>, get the most out of life and read a fucked-up
book. </span></p><p><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">© At the Mansion of Madness</span></p><p><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiP0GPcyxmhyKFXYoRb1ERWPt2i5ubzsEFbgfQ49HAN13IFWN14fjcKMOskDx_wLXzD006uLln9kunT3o1dkPfsoCoTAFym-5eF8K0rU2lUb3fgEaEq6H6eAJFovu_1x0HXbIan705YEr1r8lhg6D0zFbVdRWOp8hoviPqD7xNuhFq0T-Sjy1GhLzbe5Q/s1430/Marquis_17.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="799" data-original-width="1430" height="287" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiP0GPcyxmhyKFXYoRb1ERWPt2i5ubzsEFbgfQ49HAN13IFWN14fjcKMOskDx_wLXzD006uLln9kunT3o1dkPfsoCoTAFym-5eF8K0rU2lUb3fgEaEq6H6eAJFovu_1x0HXbIan705YEr1r8lhg6D0zFbVdRWOp8hoviPqD7xNuhFq0T-Sjy1GhLzbe5Q/w400-h224/Marquis_17.jpg" width="512" /></a></span></div><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5GTJ7R8bMaOZhzNRt2dqMvL2hCc-dkUQyHmik2NuSDCZZ-s7rht-iUaIue5uzd0cKXlGn2M7SIKWzjTfKdgSU4B9heuqNxpxY9rnaGIYJY93JRK4NOEyauUk1uhlxJc38GO_mqOsNuVnKwzipIkbZHdMsXGP-W0D4UGb73wcN0aJOKiKWw-PxMDQipw/s1430/Marquis_14.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="798" data-original-width="1430" height="287" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5GTJ7R8bMaOZhzNRt2dqMvL2hCc-dkUQyHmik2NuSDCZZ-s7rht-iUaIue5uzd0cKXlGn2M7SIKWzjTfKdgSU4B9heuqNxpxY9rnaGIYJY93JRK4NOEyauUk1uhlxJc38GO_mqOsNuVnKwzipIkbZHdMsXGP-W0D4UGb73wcN0aJOKiKWw-PxMDQipw/w400-h224/Marquis_14.jpg" width="512" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinT-3FucDFqonuG7WycVxeClRMDOZw5fSC-am3P4nRPNwgDkzkS1uN9NA3_9iS64YUtjIqBVVZZihKVN6E-4dJvdrXHH1JbHr-LJEZBeQXFYGvvtTCyxLa8zZ8vpyWxgh-lt3KPNyn_K4zzrp1Ot6TWocpOs-WRabj2ssORrpIcW2BuvPSKjFpcIGzig/s1429/Marquis_15.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="797" data-original-width="1429" height="287" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinT-3FucDFqonuG7WycVxeClRMDOZw5fSC-am3P4nRPNwgDkzkS1uN9NA3_9iS64YUtjIqBVVZZihKVN6E-4dJvdrXHH1JbHr-LJEZBeQXFYGvvtTCyxLa8zZ8vpyWxgh-lt3KPNyn_K4zzrp1Ot6TWocpOs-WRabj2ssORrpIcW2BuvPSKjFpcIGzig/w400-h223/Marquis_15.jpg" width="512" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGz83dcveLMO8my8k-10VOqFUWQOaj8eMiIAVF8ksgsEbogJnfb5ateypQF7ssN7Xvbdg_11qsKxNs6UAE9hyDIxyTNoagVf79mPpL76ZmgYi7WLQsmrwWefqC1MG1A41HrKF2KedulZ8bLfVhI7NG2KQOifCMZUxYHmNis3AEOXLz6wGrm6oLccVQWA/s1431/Marquis_16.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="799" data-original-width="1431" height="287" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGz83dcveLMO8my8k-10VOqFUWQOaj8eMiIAVF8ksgsEbogJnfb5ateypQF7ssN7Xvbdg_11qsKxNs6UAE9hyDIxyTNoagVf79mPpL76ZmgYi7WLQsmrwWefqC1MG1A41HrKF2KedulZ8bLfVhI7NG2KQOifCMZUxYHmNis3AEOXLz6wGrm6oLccVQWA/w400-h224/Marquis_16.jpg" width="512" /></a></div><br /> </span>
<p></p>Giovanni Susinahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03253382939348997303noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2316228451187611813.post-75112496023954307542022-06-12T23:14:00.007-07:002024-01-09T00:32:14.770-08:00Blue Eyes of the Broken Doll / Los ojos azules de la muñeca rota (1974)<p class="MsoNormal"><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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</xml><![endif]--><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJV189HPweVRzdGcupktG1DvTYbrFPbhctlHQCCJj1CsfUWRUcBAqBdED3e-HfRuaQ_TCUJ_j7RBUXDDKjilaDSPfggmnYU0GsmObdBbB0XJSfzFpIaIfdrNpJ-Z51jo1XuUJjSqmm-I2uG3-coGXeRRTkyLG7ZL-xg3FYNSqp7YhxJvZ1YnXMFulbNQ/s1103/Blue%20Eyes%20of%20the%20Broken%20Doll_Title.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1103" data-original-width="736" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJV189HPweVRzdGcupktG1DvTYbrFPbhctlHQCCJj1CsfUWRUcBAqBdED3e-HfRuaQ_TCUJ_j7RBUXDDKjilaDSPfggmnYU0GsmObdBbB0XJSfzFpIaIfdrNpJ-Z51jo1XuUJjSqmm-I2uG3-coGXeRRTkyLG7ZL-xg3FYNSqp7YhxJvZ1YnXMFulbNQ/w268-h400/Blue%20Eyes%20of%20the%20Broken%20Doll_Title.jpg" width="268" /></a></span></div><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">The sadistic and awesome poster art is certainly deceptive,
but the US title <b>House of Psychotic Women</b> isn’t too far off. Perhaps it
should be, ‘house of sisters who probably should learn to communicate better’?
Can’t say it doesn’t really sell the film though. Oddly enough, I was sold on
the movie’s original title <b>Blue Eyes of the Broken Doll</b>, which works for
the film as well, so feel free to pick your favorite title for this Spanish thriller,
written by and starring <i>Paul Naschy</i>, and directed by <i>Carlos Aured</i>.
It was also known as <b>House of Doom</b> for US television. </span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><i>Carlos Aured</i>
originally knew <i>Paul Naschy</i> from working as assistant director for <i>Leon
Klimovsky</i>.* <i>Aured</i> would be hired on to direct Naschy in <b>Horror
Rises from the Tomb</b> (1973).* They would collaborate in the ‘70s on three
more films, with <i>Naschy</i> starring and <i>Aured</i> directing: <b>Curse of
the Devil</b> (1973), <b>Blue Eyes of the Broken Doll</b>, and <b>The Mummy’s
Revenge</b> (1975). </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><b>Blue Eyes of the Broken Doll</b> was pivotal in my
becoming a <i>Paul Naschy</i> fan. It was my second <i>Paul Naschy</i> film. My initial interest in it being that it looked and sounded like
a giallo, and I certainly wanted it for my giallo collection that at the time
was just starting to grow beyond <i>Dario Argento </i>and <i>Lucio Fulci</i>. I
had also remembered <i>Paul Naschy</i> from a previous film I saw as a teenager,
the aforementioned <b>Horror Rises from the Tomb</b>, which at the time
disappointed me, so I was feeling slightly dubious. After watching <b>Blue Eyes
of the Broken Doll</b>, I had a much better time with it, and I loved <i>Naschy’s</i>
character in the film, Gilles, which resulted in my eventually collecting many more
<i>Paul Naschy</i> movies and becoming an ardent fan of his. Plus, I would end
up realizing a new love and fondness for <b>Horror Rises from the Tomb </b>as
well.<br /></span><span></span></p><a name='more'></a><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHrx1IeBBo-_VRvQpsuD5F-C6hBI4tzpw_1vh5riD0ZDUiRqQ5w9n4esyMaM5HcusX_-Avm5JD4re_Vuf2SHlGuzs3ImdkWJ5zOSJUmrQ9rYwxlFJTZkpucj-Txm-J3ZE1MBzJjMO3Lybj39mZM5xQ-X6spbt-nqdkY_DLyzm02B3RcvQTAz2w2TMmrg/s1223/Blue%20Eyes%20of%20the%20Broken%20Doll_1.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="916" data-original-width="1223" height="384" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHrx1IeBBo-_VRvQpsuD5F-C6hBI4tzpw_1vh5riD0ZDUiRqQ5w9n4esyMaM5HcusX_-Avm5JD4re_Vuf2SHlGuzs3ImdkWJ5zOSJUmrQ9rYwxlFJTZkpucj-Txm-J3ZE1MBzJjMO3Lybj39mZM5xQ-X6spbt-nqdkY_DLyzm02B3RcvQTAz2w2TMmrg/w400-h300/Blue%20Eyes%20of%20the%20Broken%20Doll_1.jpg" width="512" /></a></span></div><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBh2gFaft_wie5-p3kRr_kQs50b8KmiUCVGIY6zGQOqJ2UoUGt_3xgdWpcOG4HsDEMEEGbgaoMoAK-sSTmUhA2cAzIj22nTrdBi54UOUnc_Mjq-aygKHbFOiZmVN2hug5c6EadqmSfOIDyl6g4QFiY6kU4GOEqqq4sG6jDtLQIs2fLP789_o5J5eWjeQ/s1224/Blue%20Eyes%20of%20the%20Broken%20Doll_2.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="919" data-original-width="1224" height="384" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBh2gFaft_wie5-p3kRr_kQs50b8KmiUCVGIY6zGQOqJ2UoUGt_3xgdWpcOG4HsDEMEEGbgaoMoAK-sSTmUhA2cAzIj22nTrdBi54UOUnc_Mjq-aygKHbFOiZmVN2hug5c6EadqmSfOIDyl6g4QFiY6kU4GOEqqq4sG6jDtLQIs2fLP789_o5J5eWjeQ/w400-h300/Blue%20Eyes%20of%20the%20Broken%20Doll_2.jpg" width="512" /></a></div> </span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">Some refer to <b>Blue Eyes of the Broken Doll</b> as a Spanish giallo,
while others feel it isn’t really a giallo but more of a Spanish thriller. I
personally feel it is fair to call it a Spanish giallo that’s more rustic and
low-key in comparison to the more chic and stylized Italian giallo like <b>Blood
and Black Lace</b> (1964) and <b>The Case of The Bloody Iris</b> (1972). I like
to think the film is a part of <i>Paul Naschy</i>’s own Spanish giallo trilogy that
he wrote and starred in: the Sitges Festival award-winning <b>Seven Murders for
Scotland Yard</b> (1972), <b>Blue Eyes of the Broken Doll</b>, and <b>A
Dragonfly for Each Corpse</b> (1975). For me, they all succeed as great gialli,
but <b>Blue Eyes</b> resembles and feels more like the kind of <i>Paul Naschy</i>
horror/thriller film that I am more attached to. This usually includes an
isolated setting in a time-frozen country mansion, <i>Naschy</i> as an ostracized
but still sympathetic and relatable romantic character with a repressed monster
side, and a cast of beautiful potential love interests, of which one or more
will likely make their way in to bed with him. It fits alongside other <i>Naschy</i>
films with similar themes such as <b>The Werewolf Versus the Vampire Woman</b>
(1971), <b>Vengeance of the Zombies</b> (1973), <b>Count Dracula’s Great Love</b>
(1973), and <b>Human Beasts</b> (1980). Most of these <i>Naschy</i> films
include a familiar (and even iconic to ‘70s Spanish horror fans) old Victorian-looking
country mansion, which was used in quite a few Spanish horror films of the era,
including <i>Amando de Ossorio’s</i> <b>The Loreley’s Grasp</b> (1973), <b>Night
of the Walking Dead</b> (1975), and <b>The People Who Own the Dark</b> (1976).
I’ve always liked to call it ‘The Spanish House of Usher’. I read in an article
by <i>Mirek Lipinski</i> that was included with the Deimos Entertainment
release of <b>Blue Eyes</b> that this mansion was eighteen miles outside of
Madrid but sadly, in true House of Usher fashion, no longer stands today.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtrup2MLg_n_5FFqmu91J5CL2_EzoSK0uKzeKejdBGF7FyARf65Grkk_7NZMDBkvnmnRhxzvmk7QqV1Dm2_KMgloxFaUTApHf-e8wy0J2IWp7mHcpFWKX2K-fA7MRpAlB1-WQxV6FLg43yYOT_iAnLlejogpG3DU18qNBqlx-Vq9USnKcfftCzFx5i6w/s1223/Blue%20Eyes%20of%20the%20Broken%20Doll_3.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="917" data-original-width="1223" height="384" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtrup2MLg_n_5FFqmu91J5CL2_EzoSK0uKzeKejdBGF7FyARf65Grkk_7NZMDBkvnmnRhxzvmk7QqV1Dm2_KMgloxFaUTApHf-e8wy0J2IWp7mHcpFWKX2K-fA7MRpAlB1-WQxV6FLg43yYOT_iAnLlejogpG3DU18qNBqlx-Vq9USnKcfftCzFx5i6w/w400-h300/Blue%20Eyes%20of%20the%20Broken%20Doll_3.jpg" width="512" /></a></span></div><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5-PYPWxFkViNbRVh4f2_OVVgkP74WuHLHDmI5Q7uzUNQwRITNvadM5G3N0oa8vU5eQm9ACVTNBOTANAWGkjEAnY-j2hbOvE2dIEbRPICFg2C3tFKzgUAs6-qw-3U_ZKx9XVXQoqYBFYq0yGudlzvctZbcOuk2SH0bpkGeFrL_LWhzStBMGekHPAt7rg/s1224/Blue%20Eyes%20of%20the%20Broken%20Doll_4.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="919" data-original-width="1224" height="384" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5-PYPWxFkViNbRVh4f2_OVVgkP74WuHLHDmI5Q7uzUNQwRITNvadM5G3N0oa8vU5eQm9ACVTNBOTANAWGkjEAnY-j2hbOvE2dIEbRPICFg2C3tFKzgUAs6-qw-3U_ZKx9XVXQoqYBFYq0yGudlzvctZbcOuk2SH0bpkGeFrL_LWhzStBMGekHPAt7rg/w400-h300/Blue%20Eyes%20of%20the%20Broken%20Doll_4.jpg" width="512" /></a></div> </span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">When
I was listening to the DVD commentary for this film with <i>Paul Naschy</i> and
<i>Carlos Aured</i>, I was intrigued by the two different interpretations to
the isolated, closed setting of the country house in the film. <i>Naschy</i> felt
that <i>Aured</i> liked to create a real claustrophobic world in his films, but
<i>Aured</i> intervened, claiming that he was more of an agoraphobic and that
he found the closed setting to be comforting. I have always personally enjoyed
the comfort of this kind of setting, so maybe I may be a bit of an agoraphobic
myself, but I certainly can see how the film works as a claustrophobic setting
as well. I also love the setting in this film as its own sort of art spectacle,
as is nicely illustrated when Nurse Michelle (<i>Inés Morales</i>) is making
her long walk up the trail to the house, as we see it, up on the hill, all by
its lonesome, in the distance. This is just poetry to me and certainly inspired
the header to this blog.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqRZZUCd9ObkTffqy-YivCmnAVYn2dsyUdJgNP5A3iOj4PziCK83gH98FZJVtsh4wZuVCiV2lWtrNRv7QQDruNxVkYR4RMXf5tnzkNJt-H6B7n99OjjN-rfnfDO63NclWKCKllzF8zMcURZxzfQyHDYLhs7xbtC_984RIsFzQP2GEGd2Zl_3gzy12gPw/s1221/Blue%20Eyes%20of%20the%20Broken%20Doll_5.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="915" data-original-width="1221" height="384" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqRZZUCd9ObkTffqy-YivCmnAVYn2dsyUdJgNP5A3iOj4PziCK83gH98FZJVtsh4wZuVCiV2lWtrNRv7QQDruNxVkYR4RMXf5tnzkNJt-H6B7n99OjjN-rfnfDO63NclWKCKllzF8zMcURZxzfQyHDYLhs7xbtC_984RIsFzQP2GEGd2Zl_3gzy12gPw/w400-h300/Blue%20Eyes%20of%20the%20Broken%20Doll_5.jpg" width="512" /></a></span></div><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghq14fHtQv7pRuMHS7jW314lTZYYxo0Zv0eKCU4E688xo4UpXm7v2DZhB7ZxGo2WAORSSHW-NjApgxjABplH8OQXPLOtJcem3AgDxNrq-QNKOJLOHD_z0Yw8lgj7I5LuKF8shjVob20-Tjceaq1kNpQlXJ6KTdVFdRg6u0NY0TUWAZtwlcCnzsM394qQ/s1222/Blue%20Eyes%20of%20the%20Broken%20Doll_6.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="916" data-original-width="1222" height="384" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghq14fHtQv7pRuMHS7jW314lTZYYxo0Zv0eKCU4E688xo4UpXm7v2DZhB7ZxGo2WAORSSHW-NjApgxjABplH8OQXPLOtJcem3AgDxNrq-QNKOJLOHD_z0Yw8lgj7I5LuKF8shjVob20-Tjceaq1kNpQlXJ6KTdVFdRg6u0NY0TUWAZtwlcCnzsM394qQ/w400-h300/Blue%20Eyes%20of%20the%20Broken%20Doll_6.jpg" width="512" /></a></div> <b> </b></span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><b>Blue Eyes</b> succeeds at being an unpredictable murder
mystery with quite a memorable setting. <i>Naschy</i> is Gilles (one of <i>Naschy’s
</i>references to <i>Gilles de Rais</i>), a rugged, lonely drifter, somewhere
in Northern France, who stops at a bar to spend what looks to be his last few
francs on a cheese sandwich and a glass of wine (that he virtually wastes). He
unsuccessfully asks the bartender, Caroline (the late <i>Pilar Bardem </i>– <i>Javier
Bardem’s</i> mother), about potential work before heading back out on the road.
By chance, he is picked up late at night by an intriguing woman with a burned
arm and an orthopedic hand, Claude (<i>Diana Lorys</i>), and offered a live-in
job as a helper and groundskeeper at her isolated villa where she lives with
her two beautiful sisters, Nicole (<i>Eva León</i>) and Ivette (<i>Maria
Perschy</i>). Ivette suffers from some kind of psychosomatic paralysis and is
taken care of by a home nurse, Michelle, and is routinely seen by Dr. Phillipe
(<i>Eduardo Calvo</i>). The other sister, Nicole, is the young, hard-to-contain
type who takes an immediate interest in Gilles, later visiting him in bed for
some night time fun, much to the dismay of Claude. She doesn’t fire Gilles for
this because she likely has harbored feelings for him, hinted at by the tension
between them. Gilles has a smooth way of making Claude feel desirable despite
her hand mutilation, which otherwise causes her to feel undesirable.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbpxiiNH15boStuzYkugMSpWgziuIceX2pPNC-KRbxZ0GHjW6DJFV5Q5bsVej8lXfD_2XY8S2Y3F0BbWQRWihFMOGfTAt8k-p5bC-GKK9CZnPaIQd1R438FHGkWv95cvoza0ifVEC3gInBOYWXh-cOzJvwDBqQhlGJ6RnHA3nAnMLft7T7c0hvmbsyuQ/s1222/Blue%20Eyes%20of%20the%20Broken%20Doll_7.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="916" data-original-width="1222" height="384" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbpxiiNH15boStuzYkugMSpWgziuIceX2pPNC-KRbxZ0GHjW6DJFV5Q5bsVej8lXfD_2XY8S2Y3F0BbWQRWihFMOGfTAt8k-p5bC-GKK9CZnPaIQd1R438FHGkWv95cvoza0ifVEC3gInBOYWXh-cOzJvwDBqQhlGJ6RnHA3nAnMLft7T7c0hvmbsyuQ/w400-h300/Blue%20Eyes%20of%20the%20Broken%20Doll_7.jpg" width="512" /></a></span></div><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"> </span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">On the DVD
commentary, <i>Paul Naschy</i> did mention several times that Gilles has a
fetishistic attraction to Claude’s orthopedic hand. Though, when I first watched
it, I didn’t really interpret it this way but rather as Gilles thinking she’s
being silly to think that a hand mutilation could deter him from being
attracted to such a magnificent woman. The moment he kisses her and then kisses her orthopedic
hand, to me, it’s like he’s telling her I love and desire you the way you are; no
need to be self-conscientious anymore when you’re with me. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">Despite getting hot
and heavy at one point, Gilles and Nicole purposefully seem to lack chemistry,
whereas there is a warm and romantic connection that develops between Gilles
and Claude that I fondly remember the movie by.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiF9AgwdLhDmDyLZpD9rDlVR4OYZxp22MLwPeCWOwOP0puH2b0hbUM7n1zMhstNoKcpeenijWZ6NuZRrTsN1B9__kdX6T9QFQqmAON152ELUmPBf-cvdeffGmMXEASL_baZk7XkwrltuFWsqjVfo9aEN5jWNqkvgM44-N3IwlbJBCTuRl60tQM6De2aQQ/s1222/Blue%20Eyes%20of%20the%20Broken%20Doll_8.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="914" data-original-width="1222" height="384" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiF9AgwdLhDmDyLZpD9rDlVR4OYZxp22MLwPeCWOwOP0puH2b0hbUM7n1zMhstNoKcpeenijWZ6NuZRrTsN1B9__kdX6T9QFQqmAON152ELUmPBf-cvdeffGmMXEASL_baZk7XkwrltuFWsqjVfo9aEN5jWNqkvgM44-N3IwlbJBCTuRl60tQM6De2aQQ/w400-h299/Blue%20Eyes%20of%20the%20Broken%20Doll_8.jpg" width="512" /></a></span></div><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEF8SzZdJnglLHLzr5t1jKXm4MbqyIkYorBSGwwqfgftzkPmd2DN-DeaVNiHpvVdnWFtU1sgfjNtRrN2IS3as4slLFldG20993QN59UXrN1AjLazRHChMaJgNoBJ16riCgaGyrx83UvKS6Wx3H-nYCG8CREiJb1KQf8uYXot0c045eQtsINI8pMDRgng/s1224/Blue%20Eyes%20of%20the%20Broken%20Doll_9.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="917" data-original-width="1224" height="384" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEF8SzZdJnglLHLzr5t1jKXm4MbqyIkYorBSGwwqfgftzkPmd2DN-DeaVNiHpvVdnWFtU1sgfjNtRrN2IS3as4slLFldG20993QN59UXrN1AjLazRHChMaJgNoBJ16riCgaGyrx83UvKS6Wx3H-nYCG8CREiJb1KQf8uYXot0c045eQtsINI8pMDRgng/w400-h300/Blue%20Eyes%20of%20the%20Broken%20Doll_9.jpg" width="512" /></a></div> </span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">Meanwhile, an unseen killer is murdering
women with blond hair and blue eyes in the village to the tune of <b>Frère
Jacques</b>. Given Gilles’ implied repressed sadistic desire towards women and
the revelation that he’s actually an ex-con, and that the murders started after
his arrival, it is easy to assume that he could be the murderer. The police
inspector Pierre (<i>Antonio Pica</i>) (who’s usually near a louched glass of
absinthe at the film’s bar) certainly thinks Gilles
is the killer after he finds out about Gilles’ past. It leads up to a
satisfying conclusion that’s farfetched but not terribly confusing.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhu09Q8-J3hCeALEPGW791D1k1FICHxsILL3TWOad0HJRgmscpbqpI-hpSnnlCmLGd3qvR1pn1jRKU1G9v55m8vd1nYrAaWA3U03z8-X_JtLnIwmnQ3NIqXmNDQIx455gk8eVgh5lf3hMox6SPu1-eTxZ6IPL7f3E7AYuRr5Y4vmxc6czLT_VlSdj3arw/s1223/Blue%20Eyes%20of%20the%20Broken%20Doll_10.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="917" data-original-width="1223" height="384" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhu09Q8-J3hCeALEPGW791D1k1FICHxsILL3TWOad0HJRgmscpbqpI-hpSnnlCmLGd3qvR1pn1jRKU1G9v55m8vd1nYrAaWA3U03z8-X_JtLnIwmnQ3NIqXmNDQIx455gk8eVgh5lf3hMox6SPu1-eTxZ6IPL7f3E7AYuRr5Y4vmxc6czLT_VlSdj3arw/w400-h300/Blue%20Eyes%20of%20the%20Broken%20Doll_10.jpg" width="512" /></a></span></div><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><b> </b></span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><b>Blue
Eyes of the Broken Doll</b> is a subtle and quite basic murder mystery.
Although the first stalk-and-slash murder isn’t until nearly halfway in to the film.
The killer quickly murders their victims with a hatchet and takes their eyes
and drops them into a preserving solution of some kind. These murders don’t
necessarily feel like the main focus, as there’s also a good story involving <i>Naschy’s</i>
character, the red-herring who doesn’t preoccupy himself with solving the
murders. Most of the viewer interest centers on him and the intriguing but
still at times jarring situation he is in. He just wants to move on and find
happiness, but his past catches up to him, because society never forgets.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXhY6zVhhXgY9EUstKlYSqgfXSpDnee81AO06tuk5jk7QLrcApnpb_RuF1REmXjXDMACB13G0v5ZtTooyVzo2HHTIRNhOSZkqFpyMfuJz16q_3pAqEQ-useXDgdusJryOO7Nu7IglKo6BAejfiSC5whZDdXECvhthLAUGTC7OD036adf7x4i4y9QsNig/s1221/Blue%20Eyes%20of%20the%20Broken%20Doll_11.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="917" data-original-width="1221" height="384" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXhY6zVhhXgY9EUstKlYSqgfXSpDnee81AO06tuk5jk7QLrcApnpb_RuF1REmXjXDMACB13G0v5ZtTooyVzo2HHTIRNhOSZkqFpyMfuJz16q_3pAqEQ-useXDgdusJryOO7Nu7IglKo6BAejfiSC5whZDdXECvhthLAUGTC7OD036adf7x4i4y9QsNig/w400-h300/Blue%20Eyes%20of%20the%20Broken%20Doll_11.jpg" width="512" /></a></span></div><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"> </span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">I
initially thought that<i> Naschy</i> was going to play some kind of sadist with
a fixation on blue eyes, which is not quite the case. Fortunately, Gilles
turned out to be a lot more nuanced and interesting, written and played by <i>Naschy</i>
from the heart. <i>Naschy</i> realizes that no one is entirely good and wrote
the ostracized Gilles as an antihero that, despite his unescapable evil past,
does have a good measure of audience interest and sympathy. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">It’s a bit
confounding when the police come to question Gilles; he initially assumes they
are coming after him to take him back to prison, so he grabs his hidden gun and
ammo and literally heads for the hills. When they catch up to him, without any real
prompting, the police start shooting at him. It’s likely an excuse to have all
guns blazing with a good old fashioned gun fight. <i>Naschy</i> stated that the
intention was to portray Gilles hunted like an animal or a monster, no trial,
no questions, with the police coalition resembling the classic angry mob coming
for the “monster.”</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3QZ4KTRQ4kMoIG8cvHDoSS3vDnY4vnERkZgRGKrrT-2Z-dkeEbET-mL9LAslXdIjcUQFsiGuiRT1V2cDNUp_5CB9XmEtYOc7Byt1YM6bfT1bncbSHY9ruERAQZlsgmCXbymwXLGdyX8tUmUrqgHFcYaUrat1tHyDHocQ79DxJWIxuMIxFpd29plJYIw/s1222/Blue%20Eyes%20of%20the%20Broken%20Doll_12.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="916" data-original-width="1222" height="384" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3QZ4KTRQ4kMoIG8cvHDoSS3vDnY4vnERkZgRGKrrT-2Z-dkeEbET-mL9LAslXdIjcUQFsiGuiRT1V2cDNUp_5CB9XmEtYOc7Byt1YM6bfT1bncbSHY9ruERAQZlsgmCXbymwXLGdyX8tUmUrqgHFcYaUrat1tHyDHocQ79DxJWIxuMIxFpd29plJYIw/w400-h300/Blue%20Eyes%20of%20the%20Broken%20Doll_12.jpg" width="512" /></a></span></div><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7CIgvTJ5d5NNF0mjf0YWNemKYvWtrGEjCN3t4jSB1hn3ooV_QtHfDQmWH8lIRowsV4us_5efiE4cKua3lYd_En-cT9m5SYr0mQeZmH_1pcEXoGDbwDvagY-lxxITgof4RohIr6mhf-Gcbl73lz7-Zho_kgN9ynrAM_SG42J1GaLCQxTdQz60sGFdQRw/s1223/Blue%20Eyes%20of%20the%20Broken%20Doll_13.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="919" data-original-width="1223" height="384" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7CIgvTJ5d5NNF0mjf0YWNemKYvWtrGEjCN3t4jSB1hn3ooV_QtHfDQmWH8lIRowsV4us_5efiE4cKua3lYd_En-cT9m5SYr0mQeZmH_1pcEXoGDbwDvagY-lxxITgof4RohIr6mhf-Gcbl73lz7-Zho_kgN9ynrAM_SG42J1GaLCQxTdQz60sGFdQRw/w400-h300/Blue%20Eyes%20of%20the%20Broken%20Doll_13.jpg" width="512" /></a></div> </span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">I know it was done in a traditional manner, but the film
does contain a harsh scene where a pig is legitimately killed by being drained
of blood at the neck. I saw it once, but I skip past the scene on rewatches, as
it was too much of a downer for me. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">Of note is the stellar jazzy score from <i>Juan
Carlos Calderón</i> (<b>Eres tú</b>) that also includes surprisingly effective
uses of the nursery rhyme <a name="_Hlk105716227"><b>Frère Jacques</b></a>, my
favorite being the grand closeout arrangement that helps end things on a real
emotional note. <i>Paul Naschy</i> said that even at a young age he found
something unnerving about <b>Frère Jacques</b> and thought to include the theme
as the killer’s leitmotif. It was also used with real doomful portent in <b>A
Bell from Hell</b> (1973).</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZGynv2cANxL_cvazSxp96C1uYJa1WgNv5wkXt5vp6TdnozpZtG0lrpKUY7zwODVy-vNkxE5NzJgdVb9IcxK_-Bz8KXLrcjASIHhpsolF_N2toFl7ayD0UIAaFS-4zvQ8vKzK4ov6WK69kVaHKQ6aU_P1_0OHQLWqimjwhCJXfAfbr2sStraHh4Rglbg/s1225/Blue%20Eyes%20of%20the%20Broken%20Doll_14.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="918" data-original-width="1225" height="384" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZGynv2cANxL_cvazSxp96C1uYJa1WgNv5wkXt5vp6TdnozpZtG0lrpKUY7zwODVy-vNkxE5NzJgdVb9IcxK_-Bz8KXLrcjASIHhpsolF_N2toFl7ayD0UIAaFS-4zvQ8vKzK4ov6WK69kVaHKQ6aU_P1_0OHQLWqimjwhCJXfAfbr2sStraHh4Rglbg/w400-h300/Blue%20Eyes%20of%20the%20Broken%20Doll_14.jpg" width="512" /></a></span></div><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"> <b> </b></span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><b>Blue Eyes of the Broken Doll</b> has a little
something for the giallo and <i>Paul Naschy</i> fan and doesn’t disappoint on either
front; plus, we get some great personalized <i>Paul Naschy</i> romance and
tragedy that characterizes many of his films. Despite a few absurdities the
story is quite solid. I’ve always loved and fondly remembered the closing scene
that’s kind of demented and heartfelt at the same time. It manages to satisfy
without being all that shocking. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">Like I said, it’s not the first <i>Paul Naschy</i>
film I saw, but it was the first film to turn me on to <i>Naschy</i>, where
afterwards much more DVD, and sometimes DVD-R, collecting ensued. Exploring <i>Naschy
</i>on the internet would eventually be the main reason I got into writing
about movies as well. So, in its own way (and I’m just realizing this) this
movie was a partial life shaper of sorts for me. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">© At the Mansion of Madness </span></p><div class="MsoNormal"><span face=""arial" , "sans-serif"" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><u>References:</u> </span></div><span face=""arial" , "sans-serif"" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">*Naschy, P., (2000). <i>Memoirs of a Wolfman</i> (translated by Mike Hodges). Midnight Marquee, Press, Inc.</span><p class="MsoNormal"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGAxQVDsfpd91E0Xs4FyvWD6O4vmrRGXxKpJkOsFEao2cDo3ZYNuZZ85LEtqwWC21tBrRtStjgjOT4fRSscbC_Y5qMi1fiMXn9tKB0FIQvDkvpAzSSJ8IG9_KaX28FKoO_rrKKPGgs0VnMhBa3srMWxpvmBrMlqUxhTFZ2WpvAdmInpYb0TCjms699Dw/s1222/Blue%20Eyes%20of%20the%20Broken%20Doll_15.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="917" data-original-width="1222" height="384" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGAxQVDsfpd91E0Xs4FyvWD6O4vmrRGXxKpJkOsFEao2cDo3ZYNuZZ85LEtqwWC21tBrRtStjgjOT4fRSscbC_Y5qMi1fiMXn9tKB0FIQvDkvpAzSSJ8IG9_KaX28FKoO_rrKKPGgs0VnMhBa3srMWxpvmBrMlqUxhTFZ2WpvAdmInpYb0TCjms699Dw/w400-h300/Blue%20Eyes%20of%20the%20Broken%20Doll_15.jpg" width="512" /></a></span></div><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPOVWQsNeKa1EY8L09BGh5iYg5BwpbmLpLtQdz-JBj3ydlrccjuiYVdZ2BOARwiGjVvl_1pyOeuaui6uEwIehUNYpgZhRiHrFXMjTFre1JnIN6Tv4QCHzOWC7xrv6Xz_rg4Szp2-gj6PFEgCF0YRLSEblJuw74YaA5CABef7wyCEkAGw-_2lvFUxR8SA/s1221/Blue%20Eyes%20of%20the%20Broken%20Doll_16.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="918" data-original-width="1221" height="384" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPOVWQsNeKa1EY8L09BGh5iYg5BwpbmLpLtQdz-JBj3ydlrccjuiYVdZ2BOARwiGjVvl_1pyOeuaui6uEwIehUNYpgZhRiHrFXMjTFre1JnIN6Tv4QCHzOWC7xrv6Xz_rg4Szp2-gj6PFEgCF0YRLSEblJuw74YaA5CABef7wyCEkAGw-_2lvFUxR8SA/w400-h301/Blue%20Eyes%20of%20the%20Broken%20Doll_16.jpg" width="512" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3f-KwBijIyqjEoFichb6MyTxdhtVKcq0_yUuH9Gw1CVGI0ME_JMGfOwf5rf15lQk8iJQS2F4bscE26Oxsef3Kvtos74BLu86EzjSod0YbMAm7nnq19uuiCNb3MGJW4LKJUZTzRlZhdtJqdEzXu-YT0VRw6Njt95ABogy_i5UwvmoNwqjq1htw1l2iZA/s1222/Blue%20Eyes%20of%20the%20Broken%20Doll_17.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="920" data-original-width="1222" height="384" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3f-KwBijIyqjEoFichb6MyTxdhtVKcq0_yUuH9Gw1CVGI0ME_JMGfOwf5rf15lQk8iJQS2F4bscE26Oxsef3Kvtos74BLu86EzjSod0YbMAm7nnq19uuiCNb3MGJW4LKJUZTzRlZhdtJqdEzXu-YT0VRw6Njt95ABogy_i5UwvmoNwqjq1htw1l2iZA/w400-h301/Blue%20Eyes%20of%20the%20Broken%20Doll_17.jpg" width="512" /></a></div><br /> </span><p></p>
Giovanni Susinahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03253382939348997303noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2316228451187611813.post-12850981760436099482022-04-03T01:46:00.004-07:002023-12-20T14:55:17.562-08:00The Devil’s Lover / L’amante del demonio (1972)<p class="MsoNormal"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLdlqH0JcZL0FCXt__YNIl2zhaE_74gbwFU9rkmhbdVfuJY5OP56Sm8MZuoE7fBUFdCSb9pfR_wNB0CFPscC6WSA0CQ8XNPCJQMEWpuBZtaVdGGb5hkgBV7z9cyuTk6Adh_M6BbxsnECeY1KWn4CxhWsgDlbepRqNZqZPCTC_KT3AruiiqY4TmCbWfiA/s586/The%20Devil's%20Lover_Title_1.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="586" data-original-width="398" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLdlqH0JcZL0FCXt__YNIl2zhaE_74gbwFU9rkmhbdVfuJY5OP56Sm8MZuoE7fBUFdCSb9pfR_wNB0CFPscC6WSA0CQ8XNPCJQMEWpuBZtaVdGGb5hkgBV7z9cyuTk6Adh_M6BbxsnECeY1KWn4CxhWsgDlbepRqNZqZPCTC_KT3AruiiqY4TmCbWfiA/w271-h400/The%20Devil's%20Lover_Title_1.jpg" width="271" /></a></span></div><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">“<i>Now I have you with me, under my power. Our love grows
stronger now with every hour. Look into my eyes, you will see who I am. My name
is Lucifer, please take my hand</i>.” – Black Sabbath </span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">When Satan comes to town, he
sets his sights on the biggest catch in <b>The Devil’s Lover</b>, or my
personal favorite alternate title <b>Lucifera: Demonlover</b>. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">I don’t know
why, but it’s taken me many years to revisit this Italian gothic horror. The
last time I watched it was in 2009 when I picked up the pan-and-scan Mya DVD.
Despite the poor picture quality, I was happy to have it, as I probably
wouldn’t have ended up knowing about it otherwise, but I am surprised the film
never had an upgrade since. As far as I can tell, the only way to see it in
2022 is still as a censored and murky full screen film <b>[Update (December 2023): Severin has released this film on Blu-ray uncut and restored in Volume 2 of their amazing Danza Macabre Italian gothic horror boxsets]</b>. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">Even though it was
restrained, my fondest memory of this film was the grand love scene between a
nude <i>Rosalba Neri</i> and a clothed, caped Devil figure, played by <i>Edmund
Purdom</i>. I was in awe at the visual of <i>Rosalba</i>’s sideways lying
profile figure that was partially shrouded by the devil’s cape as he embraced
her. It certainly has the same kind of energy as the classic reclining nude
paintings, such as La Grande Odalisque (1814) by <i>Jean-Auguste-Dominique Ingres</i> or The Rokeby Venus (1647-1651) by <i>Diego Velázquez</i>.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><span></span></span></p><a name='more'></a><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiU9s6_aCnb2ZwKkcK3qdL8qbL44S8prS_P1mQSjLIfzLFfEkoXcFtEsBzzYqgFBfErny0R90LWHSOQCdeXBdW-WbDd2rOZmyDZiHdmFJbsyLPYWFF3MBYsHTP3bAupbqNElnhS9FJKRJFLgE3gYb9isMku28CO4ZBzV-YbDke3hpfieIU_48OR0qOuOA/s1192/The%20Devil's%20Lover_1.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="914" data-original-width="1192" height="392" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiU9s6_aCnb2ZwKkcK3qdL8qbL44S8prS_P1mQSjLIfzLFfEkoXcFtEsBzzYqgFBfErny0R90LWHSOQCdeXBdW-WbDd2rOZmyDZiHdmFJbsyLPYWFF3MBYsHTP3bAupbqNElnhS9FJKRJFLgE3gYb9isMku28CO4ZBzV-YbDke3hpfieIU_48OR0qOuOA/w400-h306/The%20Devil's%20Lover_1.jpg" width="512" /></a></span><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"> <br /></span></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">A colorful
looking ‘70s gothic horror like <b>The Devil’s Lover</b> is an easy sell given
the look, title, poster art, and cast of the film, but the film itself does
feel incomplete and amateurish. It tries to deliver the goods, but it’s usually
not enough. For me personally, it contains everything I usually want, but it doesn’t
go as hard with it as I’d like. Just as it starts to show promise, it usually
pulls back. This might have something to do with the censorship the film was
subject to. Despite this, it still has its moments as well as a few nice
touches and a fun playfulness at times. It checks off most of the gothic Eurohorror
boxes, so it is a comfort film for me. The film’s also of note for featuring Italian
movie goddess <i>Rosalba Neri</i> in a double lead role of sorts. Fortunately, <i>Rosalba</i>
doesn’t disappoint and her heart seems to be in it. She does deserve better and
has certainly been in better, but she’s a delightful and evocative presence
that does make this movie more noteworthy than it otherwise would’ve been.
We’ve also got <i>Edmund Purdom</i> as a lustful devil figure with some
seriously formidable sword dueling skills. These kind of romantic but perilous Satan
characters were a thing in the late ’60, early 70s, especially as a substitute
for the love interest in gothic romance novels.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZ1WTwCIyRDIfAdR1oiNrnrOzny_2kY_kqt89ls7er9Djh-D_AsLnRk4aI5tNxOCwlEGqvBPG8-Jf1mo3GUp4xEqLdzK_CgPr3iwzncWhYgfW0SjBIN-pkgd-Y9_8c273XHPaPVJgwUDNwS3mhFRNpx4spwKpkZtA2YZRBYriupGrKt2_cSImsfDUF7Q/s1196/The%20Devil's%20Lover_2.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="918" data-original-width="1196" height="392" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZ1WTwCIyRDIfAdR1oiNrnrOzny_2kY_kqt89ls7er9Djh-D_AsLnRk4aI5tNxOCwlEGqvBPG8-Jf1mo3GUp4xEqLdzK_CgPr3iwzncWhYgfW0SjBIN-pkgd-Y9_8c273XHPaPVJgwUDNwS3mhFRNpx4spwKpkZtA2YZRBYriupGrKt2_cSImsfDUF7Q/w400-h308/The%20Devil's%20Lover_2.jpg" width="512" /></a></span></div><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEju2G4f9PtcH7AK8fSxD8Su6wlaGELBUpQbzWNGokQTh1lqawhL-QkUTiDT475U8um_mQ76iVe5CQJc6vQNiO_1_WmU_8VkAk3DGC7IVSMi8oTxbrW993P6uVgvEVfXU0uhP5Kphx-0tmdUkUQPPLxXrJMLhNJLkSSUoAwAwVUrCF-EZotGrawQW-EAMQ/s1197/The%20Devil's%20Lover_3.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="918" data-original-width="1197" height="392" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEju2G4f9PtcH7AK8fSxD8Su6wlaGELBUpQbzWNGokQTh1lqawhL-QkUTiDT475U8um_mQ76iVe5CQJc6vQNiO_1_WmU_8VkAk3DGC7IVSMi8oTxbrW993P6uVgvEVfXU0uhP5Kphx-0tmdUkUQPPLxXrJMLhNJLkSSUoAwAwVUrCF-EZotGrawQW-EAMQ/w400-h306/The%20Devil's%20Lover_3.jpg" width="512" /></a><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"> <br /></span></div></span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">The mood and setting do get
your attention at the start. Young, beautiful, and chic women vs. a creepy
antique castle, it’s definitely what we’re here to see, but it does take an
unexpected yet interesting turn as a flashback story. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><i>Rosalba Neri</i> and
her two other gorgeous lady friends make for a lovely entrance onto the
grounds of a castle (the Castello Ruspoli). They are crashing this castle
because they heard it belonged to the devil and are looking to debunk this
legend by staying the night. Seems reasonable enough.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7fsWYKNDRFwDwJOHLPOzk2Iy_reBbpbKvPRL34UdFwj9gxmjAwQE7KM_AaKh6VtoU_t-AXAV2h2PDm89fckumfCaY0WyI-Um1m22PxUoSWV9LTSbO50EG0KjybPEKKY1jQe1T4EEF9r7SNnKt3lumeDFffgTB7nZT9cDAPyJz5SR6wx88cWZhe9ok6A/s1195/The%20Devil's%20Lover_4.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="915" data-original-width="1195" height="392" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7fsWYKNDRFwDwJOHLPOzk2Iy_reBbpbKvPRL34UdFwj9gxmjAwQE7KM_AaKh6VtoU_t-AXAV2h2PDm89fckumfCaY0WyI-Um1m22PxUoSWV9LTSbO50EG0KjybPEKKY1jQe1T4EEF9r7SNnKt3lumeDFffgTB7nZT9cDAPyJz5SR6wx88cWZhe9ok6A/w400-h306/The%20Devil's%20Lover_4.jpg" width="512" /></a></span><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"> <br /></span></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">They find a hospitable
intendant who treats them to an atmospheric candlelit dinner. After being
spooked at dinner, Rosalba (her present-day character isn’t named, so I’m
calling her Rosalba) retires to her room and slips into a gothic night gown for
bed. Later that night, she explores the castle halls with candelabrum in hand
before being startled by an old portrait of a woman in flames, who Rosalba
believes is herself. The castle seems to menace her at this point, causing her
to pass out and awaken in the Middle Ages, into a kind of dream that’s taken
possession of her, as the movie makes an abrupt tone-change here, transitioning
into a period piece that actually makes up the bulk of the film. That’s right,
we’re not coming back to the castle for a long time.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSnGSUuh_LFA6QmijNEHDlevHyCyxYM-lPUGTCt-fvZGjSXvgjdOfibVEEuiUGWeQVaNtdNveIR90DtTnPU6oq4mnKF-xvV1MmRuPGJU46Z3VYitttvGjd8Gm0o5RtDBGZsHlOckkdiIXW8FXXh5rLiLA6dcTJTQl0dmNE2hAoFsaCGIQyp6dnOuwXGw/s1197/The%20Devil's%20Lover_6.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="918" data-original-width="1197" height="392" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSnGSUuh_LFA6QmijNEHDlevHyCyxYM-lPUGTCt-fvZGjSXvgjdOfibVEEuiUGWeQVaNtdNveIR90DtTnPU6oq4mnKF-xvV1MmRuPGJU46Z3VYitttvGjd8Gm0o5RtDBGZsHlOckkdiIXW8FXXh5rLiLA6dcTJTQl0dmNE2hAoFsaCGIQyp6dnOuwXGw/w400-h306/The%20Devil's%20Lover_6.jpg" width="512" /></a></span></div><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6AjcUAQkn2rBBclwQFQ3L4jHfI3bPOr9BiDS7FOWwBWLTtENKpSvyL_UUHh_swKdRoY1-y49GMquTV-qVGdtk_q2GRnzruP08c722cM5V-Sw4OWZ46zdWL9Cmj8k6u4YEXsGVUq7ZQLSIzkqcpyGJrCElnKXJvBhTcegQ_XXfcx9KNAn6CXeY4dBhRA/s1198/The%20Devil's%20Lover_5.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="915" data-original-width="1198" height="392" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6AjcUAQkn2rBBclwQFQ3L4jHfI3bPOr9BiDS7FOWwBWLTtENKpSvyL_UUHh_swKdRoY1-y49GMquTV-qVGdtk_q2GRnzruP08c722cM5V-Sw4OWZ46zdWL9Cmj8k6u4YEXsGVUq7ZQLSIzkqcpyGJrCElnKXJvBhTcegQ_XXfcx9KNAn6CXeY4dBhRA/w400-h305/The%20Devil's%20Lover_5.jpg" width="512" /></a></div></span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">Despite being bewildered
at first, she becomes the soon-to-be-married virgin Helga from a small (German,
judging by the names of the characters) village. What’s interesting is that in the
present Rosalba has fallen into a dream to now become her counterpart from
centuries prior, who is waking up from a dream in a sunny open field (that
surreal and disorienting shift from a night to a day perspective always gets me).
As Helga, she is a maiden engaged to a man named Hans (<i>Ferdinando Poggi</i>).
There’s also a mystery fellow in a red hood that sometimes shows up in the
background to disturb the otherwise idyllic scenario.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYBJiv8zm5Ihxr7O3FXYfsotL1RzuIuYi9Q7TDWwFyyGcnLlV-1_h5dTzLO9UGd-YlzKjWMoxd_4lkSiHvhR33k5k2VBGG7LmyJW8I40RFapI-vc_Ytb_fQdh8P0WPy1CP5BU3OM5TTdowSENs5Q0vtdtmQvOQ0L9XDwgOPV2xvkgrpbehLeAC5KoOuA/s1196/The%20Devil's%20Lover_7.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="916" data-original-width="1196" height="392" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYBJiv8zm5Ihxr7O3FXYfsotL1RzuIuYi9Q7TDWwFyyGcnLlV-1_h5dTzLO9UGd-YlzKjWMoxd_4lkSiHvhR33k5k2VBGG7LmyJW8I40RFapI-vc_Ytb_fQdh8P0WPy1CP5BU3OM5TTdowSENs5Q0vtdtmQvOQ0L9XDwgOPV2xvkgrpbehLeAC5KoOuA/w400-h306/The%20Devil's%20Lover_7.jpg" width="512" /></a></span></div><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"></span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">I was intrigued to see
that <i>Robert Woods</i>, who I know from several <i>Jess Franco</i> films, is
on hand as Helmut, a sword dueling romantic in tights. Helmut loves and pursues
a woman named Magda (<i>Maria Teresa Pingitore</i>), who is instead in love with
Hans, but Hans loves his bride-to-be, Helga. This love square is the central
conflict for a while, so we do get a little in to soap opera territory for a
time before the more fantastical elements come forward again to put the film on
its path to a promised “grand guignol” finale. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgx4F17zID118PGES78aKEC-NLFWTMv_YKYuyDyBiZs89ke_vA96Du-1bNYPu4zvTPq6sLVOo6cpxqj4suscd9gpQnqWUDzMajCwh-_swhnTifp80u81iSL1nrswIkm2H8R0XIuTSOBd8gSea1WdtcCGpkVpZdqY7_pec2EkybbaYGNLjVO7pBimmoZwA/s1198/The%20Devil's%20Lover_8.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="918" data-original-width="1198" height="392" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgx4F17zID118PGES78aKEC-NLFWTMv_YKYuyDyBiZs89ke_vA96Du-1bNYPu4zvTPq6sLVOo6cpxqj4suscd9gpQnqWUDzMajCwh-_swhnTifp80u81iSL1nrswIkm2H8R0XIuTSOBd8gSea1WdtcCGpkVpZdqY7_pec2EkybbaYGNLjVO7pBimmoZwA/w400-h306/The%20Devil's%20Lover_8.jpg" width="512" /></a></span></div><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"></span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">The more fantasy and sinister side of the
plot is set forth when Helga learns of the superstitious belief from her mother
that if any other man were to see Helga’s wedding dress before the future
husband, the marriage would be cursed with the evil eye. And of course, shortly
after, the mysterious man in the crimson hood sees Helga’s dress while peering
into the window, cursing the wedding dress for certain. The bad vibes need to
be lifted, so Helga seeks a witch in the woods to cleanse her contaminated
wedding dress. The outcome to this solution is unsavory but still entertaining
since it somehow leads to a ritualistic cave orgy scene with witches and
vampires that passes by faster than I would’ve liked.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijtCGqVs3Dih2E9kqV1C_mFiqrkouxUeOzlbzfLf7NrNLolB3-HxQLeCFu5orECcyuBmcTprEpTdEdpWLZ22hkO12O88Ur_lEumXtvYbtFUXz_t_HWcHYz2F-aw738H9r-BQTZIAo_DJsLOwcF6XAhYjVY8p7E56oAbRCz-wdQficeDvBsuorYAQasCg/s1191/The%20Devil's%20Lover_10.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="914" data-original-width="1191" height="392" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijtCGqVs3Dih2E9kqV1C_mFiqrkouxUeOzlbzfLf7NrNLolB3-HxQLeCFu5orECcyuBmcTprEpTdEdpWLZ22hkO12O88Ur_lEumXtvYbtFUXz_t_HWcHYz2F-aw738H9r-BQTZIAo_DJsLOwcF6XAhYjVY8p7E56oAbRCz-wdQficeDvBsuorYAQasCg/w400-h308/The%20Devil's%20Lover_10.jpg" width="512" /></a></span></div><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5YP-rhLgMnqasNVsasNeoSP46ql-hJdkwDimhKC2oLVUfJXo5S6ALimdiPS-3r18JavvHM3c9sqDJzCMOOanlcYrDehqQAsfA2cHmjdL1niHn52iuATzKZhk2keIs9Ei-WlsOz22v3A_xRAs2CaCalf73sTDykaWKY3vjQY_PtB3NcJ_YehgsWoKGmA/s1196/The%20Devil's%20Lover_9.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="914" data-original-width="1196" height="392" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5YP-rhLgMnqasNVsasNeoSP46ql-hJdkwDimhKC2oLVUfJXo5S6ALimdiPS-3r18JavvHM3c9sqDJzCMOOanlcYrDehqQAsfA2cHmjdL1niHn52iuATzKZhk2keIs9Ei-WlsOz22v3A_xRAs2CaCalf73sTDykaWKY3vjQY_PtB3NcJ_YehgsWoKGmA/w400-h306/The%20Devil's%20Lover_9.jpg" width="512" /></a></div></span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">Helga seems to become more
enchanted by the curse, ending up in an apathetic state during the pre-wedding
celebration after the red hooded man eventually reveals himself to be a
handsome Dracula looking gentleman named Gunther (<i>Purdom</i>), who Helga
seems to have an attraction to despite her better judgement. What’s a girl to
do when the devil is after your virginity? I do like the cutaway effect before
she first meets him, where Helga’s vampirized friends accost her only as a
means to magically whisp her away to his lair, an old desecrated church, where
he can introduce himself and incite her to ambivalent temptation and plant in
her an unhealthy obsession for him. In other words, put her under his spell.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEic6-MFcqg1zhAXsbzdrOx97JDpQQ9zG-0MRQ0whDQ98EONYNpQafwaAq3jpsMbvkEus-f0_RclAunPgaul9VDutSpCp5Z1g259OrbjQ_De4j3Y5AsQdY0GKuflxXpHljwR9vRO3JGzg1VWnKBlLztymxPUlMFgaXksF2-Ko3VGgaa8izkeqCbgOrt0xA/s1197/The%20Devil's%20Lover_11.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="917" data-original-width="1197" height="392" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEic6-MFcqg1zhAXsbzdrOx97JDpQQ9zG-0MRQ0whDQ98EONYNpQafwaAq3jpsMbvkEus-f0_RclAunPgaul9VDutSpCp5Z1g259OrbjQ_De4j3Y5AsQdY0GKuflxXpHljwR9vRO3JGzg1VWnKBlLztymxPUlMFgaXksF2-Ko3VGgaa8izkeqCbgOrt0xA/w400-h306/The%20Devil's%20Lover_11.jpg" width="512" /></a></span></div><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"></span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><b>The
Devil’s Lover</b> is a winner in style but falls short in execution. An affair
with the prince of darkness himself is a neat idea that really works for this
kind of movie, but alas the chemistry between <i>Neri</i> and <i>Purdom</i> is superficial
at best, which I don’t think is the actors’ faults. The story just doesn’t
really give them enough time to be around each other enough to generate much chemistry.
She met him once and is ready to forget her marriage and do his bidding to
prove that her love for him is real. It’s a spell, so it requires some
suspension of disbelief. Their more intimate encounter towards the end is more
or less a set piece/spectacle that I thought was still the most memorable part. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">The music
from <i>Elvio Monti</i> isn’t bad and is as low budget sounding as the film
itself. I personally like it, as it has a charming kitschy quality to it as
well as a folk sound at times that works well for the flashback setting. It
doesn’t really quite save the film, but the cheap, almost stock sounding, music
does weirdly complement the overall cheapness of the film. There's a story teller jester who enters a scene by dancing down the road while playing the film's recognizable main theme on the flute, so it convinces me the music was composed for this film and is not stock music. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">The
medieval flashback setting has all of the production value of a backyard
Renaissance Faire, but for viewers in the right mindset this is one of the
film’s charms. The sword fighting choreography isn’t bad, but unfortunately, the
special effects are very minimal (perhaps another casualty of censorship?), and
the vampires are on screen for only a few seconds, but as a supernatural period-piece
with exploitation trappings, there’s still some fun to be had for patient fans
of satanic Eurohorror and <i>Rosalba Neri</i>. However, the fun parts are short
and tend to underdeliver. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">Like I was saying earlier though, this one’s easy to
package and sell but also difficult to recommend. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">© At the Mansion of Madness</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfu0i2OuyKcGOM6BLHzyjXzUqvUWZ_vDK7GC6e53XmOSym8IiwGmsMKH1oGarsPmDB0N6S_W56WNZ6Tlt1oD5NfDEU_w06dGKQo1evDTUliZl0ZB7I4TwJAEpvhB7_0ufXHUcfZNhepIyWh2VD8eRyh3pFuAsqRNb9kWH-OaZG7ErVjnzjzCVpSdxHYQ/s1197/The%20Devil's%20Lover_12.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="913" data-original-width="1197" height="392" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfu0i2OuyKcGOM6BLHzyjXzUqvUWZ_vDK7GC6e53XmOSym8IiwGmsMKH1oGarsPmDB0N6S_W56WNZ6Tlt1oD5NfDEU_w06dGKQo1evDTUliZl0ZB7I4TwJAEpvhB7_0ufXHUcfZNhepIyWh2VD8eRyh3pFuAsqRNb9kWH-OaZG7ErVjnzjzCVpSdxHYQ/w400-h305/The%20Devil's%20Lover_12.jpg" width="512" /></a></span></div><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjs28-qvmR4tUKq5iajOdaybqjiAx4S0pnMzHNWGoM2Lp5ArUI-VVGeY8dnGe_tJloAR_s-tu6ez4yGVBhibR0jxTEE7th4eFyQe5rO1_uvNPIEfF_aw4gi8PTVEoOUMNXUpWoTAW-dzwxXT3x1QxNE38cAFhdoC6NL_08bY7wWP4AJ_SseEJyQGpv8vQ/s1198/The%20Devil's%20Lover_13.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="916" data-original-width="1198" height="392" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjs28-qvmR4tUKq5iajOdaybqjiAx4S0pnMzHNWGoM2Lp5ArUI-VVGeY8dnGe_tJloAR_s-tu6ez4yGVBhibR0jxTEE7th4eFyQe5rO1_uvNPIEfF_aw4gi8PTVEoOUMNXUpWoTAW-dzwxXT3x1QxNE38cAFhdoC6NL_08bY7wWP4AJ_SseEJyQGpv8vQ/w400-h306/The%20Devil's%20Lover_13.jpg" width="512" /></a></div><br /> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwk94AHQvrzuE8fLNo-57adMZ71l7kt3Ew0cqA9IqDr9Hb9uOtKAgXlo-bDnGmXcV-RHF8Rea-MtSv6WEiL2l7pDx-OVuxve3zeJEVVOSzPSkjWBsQpUpn7KQ4Em0kfwgfhtlQmRLbl10yvQBhE6NmJGzDR2vQA0Zva2QIPSfmMMAf7nbTT9mRF7TPmg/s1500/The%20Devil's%20Lover_Title_2.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1500" data-original-width="1061" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwk94AHQvrzuE8fLNo-57adMZ71l7kt3Ew0cqA9IqDr9Hb9uOtKAgXlo-bDnGmXcV-RHF8Rea-MtSv6WEiL2l7pDx-OVuxve3zeJEVVOSzPSkjWBsQpUpn7KQ4Em0kfwgfhtlQmRLbl10yvQBhE6NmJGzDR2vQA0Zva2QIPSfmMMAf7nbTT9mRF7TPmg/w453-h640/The%20Devil's%20Lover_Title_2.jpg" width="453" /></a></div><br /></span><p></p>
<p> </p>Giovanni Susinahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03253382939348997303noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2316228451187611813.post-25241436662508468252022-01-15T02:57:00.003-08:002024-01-09T00:05:50.827-08:00Justine and the Whip (1979)<p class="MsoNormal"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgor5ZXTNz9ayenfsizbOMym8ewfvugRtJW9qJlsylV7Qh74rNUf0Wq06bToc6N_31iFwPevIBAEbR_LH8mBDe840DBk8hfY7r59Q_IYg-dO8J8IiTd4aloLqtsbCew_nzg09hWnzr1mWgwoJ40ammofjA1XuHaqqqyAtDlxd2s0JFyRMGwEwKXwaDAgA=s746" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="746" data-original-width="521" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgor5ZXTNz9ayenfsizbOMym8ewfvugRtJW9qJlsylV7Qh74rNUf0Wq06bToc6N_31iFwPevIBAEbR_LH8mBDe840DBk8hfY7r59Q_IYg-dO8J8IiTd4aloLqtsbCew_nzg09hWnzr1mWgwoJ40ammofjA1XuHaqqqyAtDlxd2s0JFyRMGwEwKXwaDAgA=w279-h400" width="279" /></a></span></div><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">Around the late ‘70s, <i>Joe D’Amato</i> got his
paws on three <i>Jess Franco</i> films and, with editing help from <i>Bruno
Mattei</i>, combined separate footage from each film into a single film called <b>Justine
and the Whip</b>, starring <i>Lina Romay,</i> with <i>Alice Arno</i> receiving
top billing. The dialogue from the original films was changed and redubbed in Italian,
and the soundtrack was reworked. </span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">The reasons for why a patchwork movie like <b>Justine
and the Whip</b> exists aren’t clear. Some have said that it was because <i>D’Amato</i>
was salvaging an unfinished film from <i>Franco</i> that was originally
intended to be another version of <i>De Sade’s</i> <b>Justine</b>. But I read
in <i>Stephen Thrower’s</i> <b>The Delirious Cinema of Jesus Franco: Volume Two</b>
that the original film was called <b>Julietta 69</b> and was completed and
actually had a 1976 French cinema release before becoming inaccessible.* It’s speculated
that <i>Jess Franco</i> sold <b>Julietta 69</b> to an Italian production
company, and <i>D’Amato</i> and <i>Mattei </i>were eventually commissioned by <i>Franco Gaudenzi</i> to
make the mashup <b>Justine and the Whip</b>. <i>Thrower</i> also points out that<i> D’Amato</i> claimed in an interview from <b>Joe D'Amato Totally Uncut </b>(1999) that they were trying to make <i>Franco’s</i> films more “usable”,*
but the result here is an incoherent mess that seems quite unusable,
at least by comparison to what the completed <b>Julietta 69</b> must have been
like. Maybe by “usable” <i>D’Amato</i> meant more commercially appealing for
the time by possibly increasing the number and frequency of love scenes in the
film.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><span></span></span></p><a name='more'></a><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgIm7FBFpzyUzLARrpPFtDJp8otSbXMppm8p5espk7Iz3fOmU6e2gfJddjkgbEueGMlzKmMNhizPbO1dkdkcqXrr_awZuSNQjLkcZLiknlybvo90fD8W_7Y8BKqyGJeFQ-sueq8rjHkeMj3IK7e-y8I_Wa40a_Dr-uEVDKZfvdodA8D4229o1zkRzg8aQ=s1430" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="854" data-original-width="1430" height="306" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgIm7FBFpzyUzLARrpPFtDJp8otSbXMppm8p5espk7Iz3fOmU6e2gfJddjkgbEueGMlzKmMNhizPbO1dkdkcqXrr_awZuSNQjLkcZLiknlybvo90fD8W_7Y8BKqyGJeFQ-sueq8rjHkeMj3IK7e-y8I_Wa40a_Dr-uEVDKZfvdodA8D4229o1zkRzg8aQ=w400-h239" width="512" /></a></span></div><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"> </span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhysRWF5GKlPSrOcmWFMgpsFGASySVR0Lqf4nM4lpBjpvR5wrYny4zV92wlJfaz5wr152CyFlsl1hgn9ZqJFuCjTzYGB0eMLA2z425rXEPhEbw1N0jFXm8Uhwy--aoAHcp4jEfPPPbWQvJcz5WqOS-Kan251aNKN-5yOMmSV8abPZiLrgXSu7x9N_ituw=s1432" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="855" data-original-width="1432" height="306" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhysRWF5GKlPSrOcmWFMgpsFGASySVR0Lqf4nM4lpBjpvR5wrYny4zV92wlJfaz5wr152CyFlsl1hgn9ZqJFuCjTzYGB0eMLA2z425rXEPhEbw1N0jFXm8Uhwy--aoAHcp4jEfPPPbWQvJcz5WqOS-Kan251aNKN-5yOMmSV8abPZiLrgXSu7x9N_ituw=w400-h239" width="512" /></a></div><p><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">Before I heard of <b>Justine and the Whip</b>, I was already a fan of two
of the original films, so normally I would frown on a production company taking
liberties with an artist’s work like this. But this is just such an interesting
curiosity, as its fabrication was supervised by another favorite filmmaker of
mine (<i>D’Amato</i>), most of the original music is replaced by a nice
selection of familiar <i>Nico Fidenco</i> tracks that were also used in the <b>Black
Emanuelle</b> films with <i>Laura Gemser</i>, it features a hefty amount of footage
from a highly elusive <i>Jess</i> <i>Franco</i> film (<b>Julietta 69</b>), the
title suggests a <i>Marquis de Sade </i>connection, and most bizarre of all, the
‘70s erotic queen <i>Alice Arno</i> is not even in the movie, despite receiving
top-billing. So much to unpack here…</span></p><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhUbUKc8I5B9IaCDTu5lYUytjYtuyivaT-mvpvY-1N4ZnuoyaKw-Bk5x0Aje9YUeCGeAHUgYaxqUtu229NIr6MbCCF5iHNtisjI09KEFjf5JHDXg2LNxRvHdqUXhLZfneTQxEnKrwNeRDunUj4VTQDEHuxN7cc-VaGIJ0PjqGqdwro85efiFggD5H34Nw=s1430" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="855" data-original-width="1430" height="306" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhUbUKc8I5B9IaCDTu5lYUytjYtuyivaT-mvpvY-1N4ZnuoyaKw-Bk5x0Aje9YUeCGeAHUgYaxqUtu229NIr6MbCCF5iHNtisjI09KEFjf5JHDXg2LNxRvHdqUXhLZfneTQxEnKrwNeRDunUj4VTQDEHuxN7cc-VaGIJ0PjqGqdwro85efiFggD5H34Nw=w400-h239" width="512" /></a></span></div><p><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">The footage that was used to assemble <b>Justine
and the Whip</b> came from <b>Shining Sex</b> (1976), <b>Midnight Party</b> (1976),
and the virtually unseen <b>Julietta 69 </b>(all three films star <i>Lina Romay</i>
in the lead role). <b>Shining Sex</b> is like a glittery Sci-Fi version of <b>Female
Vampire </b>(1973), and <b>Midnight Party</b> is a masterpiece and one of <i>Lina
Romay’s</i> most nuanced performances. So, it’s pretty bold to just disregard
these individual films and try and give them new identity as another film
altogether.</span></p><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">It is hard to buy in to and become invested in <b>Justine and the
Whip</b>, but my initial interest in the film was for the chance to at least
see some of <b>Julietta 69</b>. After seeing it, I appreciate the film for
being an interesting revisit of the previous films from an alternate
perspective and with new music. Plus, the rare <b>Julietta 69</b> footage is
worthwhile. <b>Julietta 69</b> did contain some captivating and quite alarming
scenes of <i>Lina</i> in an erotic performance using a gun like a sex toy that
gives some context to the flashbacks that make up a lot of the film. These gun
scenes are also an intriguing addition for anyone who thinks they may have seen
it all when it comes to <i>Lina Romay</i>.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjt0eZzSAZLr8u44fk9xNfqK6HPPf79tIY2Ix-VoQB29HRcnBqJJAg3tTNg5high6RSOzsuj6-G4Oot-NjrTzZ7HNE4UUhOybTPdHOBfhHLUBLPqVckcFEuOGJahhJpfFvUsKs5vWCEnlFuguH3J4HjIxJXk1RQjRwmxnuByATbtUIadWUseLWhcSudvg=s1430" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="860" data-original-width="1430" height="306" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjt0eZzSAZLr8u44fk9xNfqK6HPPf79tIY2Ix-VoQB29HRcnBqJJAg3tTNg5high6RSOzsuj6-G4Oot-NjrTzZ7HNE4UUhOybTPdHOBfhHLUBLPqVckcFEuOGJahhJpfFvUsKs5vWCEnlFuguH3J4HjIxJXk1RQjRwmxnuByATbtUIadWUseLWhcSudvg=w400-h240" width="512" /></a></span><br /></div><p><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjKJ0yKY1f6JjvPxdahUd-MkZScP7upKG4MjptYjorDmszeN44MqMovNnBpWcrbPeZhBzRTi3xCGgaDXCfzDX2GPdcApdb725i5xZCk-vLTN8qUp7K17wD6E3mi6XNYOB6tZn81w_oVKpbbQ285SFK9SHvXII7Rr17NQuONmjX9nLIfvRtdbUC5dHPX0Q=s1430" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="853" data-original-width="1430" height="306" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjKJ0yKY1f6JjvPxdahUd-MkZScP7upKG4MjptYjorDmszeN44MqMovNnBpWcrbPeZhBzRTi3xCGgaDXCfzDX2GPdcApdb725i5xZCk-vLTN8qUp7K17wD6E3mi6XNYOB6tZn81w_oVKpbbQ285SFK9SHvXII7Rr17NQuONmjX9nLIfvRtdbUC5dHPX0Q=w400-h239" width="512" /></a></span></div><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">I also really like the conversation
between Justine and one of her old school friends, Ingrid (<i>Marl</i></span><i><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;">è</span></i><i><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">ne
Myller</span></i><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">), where Justine, like a poet of life, waxes about a desire
to return to innocence, when there was still yet a whole lot to explore with
love.</span><p></p><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgnH6mfXThBCvu6riVoccRRBhzNABGYPsilrkoG3DGlZcgcwlQ8fDa2Ks0K_8OXgEsG9AadvKHeDO-ynxl5_JDA8Arsp1fpqvpPHSFlMCxoPjZfhS-CedwjckOj3_ndwROSOA-uoDQ19fPpFL1pMeNNmvnD_CjJXWqj_wpNZmACIxDAGiIZcf_19_Pa8g=s1429" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="854" data-original-width="1429" height="306" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgnH6mfXThBCvu6riVoccRRBhzNABGYPsilrkoG3DGlZcgcwlQ8fDa2Ks0K_8OXgEsG9AadvKHeDO-ynxl5_JDA8Arsp1fpqvpPHSFlMCxoPjZfhS-CedwjckOj3_ndwROSOA-uoDQ19fPpFL1pMeNNmvnD_CjJXWqj_wpNZmACIxDAGiIZcf_19_Pa8g=w400-h239" width="512" /></a></span></div><p><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">In this sort of, but not really, adaptation to <i>Marquis de Sade’s</i> <b>Justine</b>,
it is mostly <i>Lina Romay’s</i> show. Her character has more in common with
Emmanuelle than <i>De Sade’s</i> perpetual victim, but tragedy is brewing
nonetheless. Be prepared to spend nearly the entirety of the film in <i>Romay’s</i>
lovely company. As is usually the case, the sincerity and commitment in <i>Jess
Franco’s</i> voyeuristic direction results in a constant intimate connection
to <i>Lina </i>on a deep erotic level. Whether she has seduced and dominated
another lover or is in despair, there’s never a dull action, position, pose, or
expression in her performance. There is also a diverse collection of love
scenes, including lesbian, S&M, menage a trois, and a real odd one
involving death.</span></p><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhvvIya5N6wnWRok1PvaDQRp7u2PD7wqhn-dDn95F66Yu3VKORrAT41yssMltEPz8eI4twwSkt1bl0fog6NlKg9_ymtDD32c3hjpzyJqJFPD9tMNsgtDunL_xrR34ctd3rkV_GFYqZBFbfPlhtmHkOz0-1sNRA74qyrpU3yFGoKX-LTW7ohIZXWViwAug=s1430" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="853" data-original-width="1430" height="306" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhvvIya5N6wnWRok1PvaDQRp7u2PD7wqhn-dDn95F66Yu3VKORrAT41yssMltEPz8eI4twwSkt1bl0fog6NlKg9_ymtDD32c3hjpzyJqJFPD9tMNsgtDunL_xrR34ctd3rkV_GFYqZBFbfPlhtmHkOz0-1sNRA74qyrpU3yFGoKX-LTW7ohIZXWViwAug=w400-h239" width="512" /></a></span></div><p><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">I was well aware of the<i> Fidenco</i> music used in this film
from the Black Emanuelle films. Normally, I wouldn’t think these songs belonged
anywhere but in their respective Emanuelle films, but I think it works here. I
usually find myself swaying when the familiar <i>Nico</i> <i>Fidenco</i> tracks
kick in. I think this music was just meant for lovemaking in the ‘70s. They do
lend a different but still suitable vibe to <i>Jess Franco’s</i> world. And
even in the Emanuelle films, I always thought the music really captured the
miracle of love and the inimitable sex act.</span></p><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiOCaq-6kYN6mbrOpDWZLNwlKnUmSBxAJ-_qPsgYx_pHlIL9U4YTgx4BcxIbG5mYE6mVKABCFNuMiIWssf0P6dqOHTKYq9MOTuZBBtMF0h43ak1HDkpOH5RfxSOjKuqmvFgOb6SNAXgXNSZkxgRKZDgRfeidtzM8cQ1DFo2hQxGaXggzEusmV1LfxoWuw=s1432" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="862" data-original-width="1432" height="306" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiOCaq-6kYN6mbrOpDWZLNwlKnUmSBxAJ-_qPsgYx_pHlIL9U4YTgx4BcxIbG5mYE6mVKABCFNuMiIWssf0P6dqOHTKYq9MOTuZBBtMF0h43ak1HDkpOH5RfxSOjKuqmvFgOb6SNAXgXNSZkxgRKZDgRfeidtzM8cQ1DFo2hQxGaXggzEusmV1LfxoWuw=w400-h241" width="512" /></a></span></div><p><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><a name="_Hlk92667971">There is the
problem of <b>Justine and the Whip</b> coming off so obviously as a</a> mashup
of different films, which adds to its incoherency, but I feel like anyone
seeking this film nowadays already knows this going in. The flow of the film is generally made up of a long series of sexual encounters, with a lot going on in-between,
and a good deal of voice-over from Justine, primarily reflecting on her
complicated/open relationship to a sensitive musician named Chris (<i>Alain
Petit</i>). She loves him, but she can’t stay away from other men and women who
she encounters at parties or at the night club she and Chris perform at. I
wanted to think of Chris as a sadomasochist, but when he takes to using the
whip, he’s usually in a religious frenzy, getting emotional, like he’s trying
to cast out demons rather than getting kinky. Justine eventually wields the
whip late in the movie and shows us how it’s really done.</span></p><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhZF6TyvOCRY5iGA9CHrfPf_PnOszFkfzPcZ9iFJ3GrmKPewtk_mX0JZXdjZKERwwAZFJAyA9-XEvi5VNYO7kQt5WNESSMVDmSCi2121XhpzOdfPlEPY1ux7BMtxRjUnfwVDfQc8wxqO97T5iV9yvB2ntCVl1JbdlqM_o776Bkt8e01MLDkb7tVjhVe7g=s1428" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="853" data-original-width="1428" height="306" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhZF6TyvOCRY5iGA9CHrfPf_PnOszFkfzPcZ9iFJ3GrmKPewtk_mX0JZXdjZKERwwAZFJAyA9-XEvi5VNYO7kQt5WNESSMVDmSCi2121XhpzOdfPlEPY1ux7BMtxRjUnfwVDfQc8wxqO97T5iV9yvB2ntCVl1JbdlqM_o776Bkt8e01MLDkb7tVjhVe7g=w400-h239" width="512" /></a></span></div><p><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">Now, unfortunately I struggle with following the story. I know the story is there, and there is a lot of subtitled dialogue that I still like to think enriches my mind upon each viewing. I do understand that it is an erotic tragedy, leading up to a
moment I was anticipating, but the movie is just more of a vibe to relax to,
especially if <i>Jess Franco</i>, <i>Lina Romay</i>, and groovy music are your
cup of tea. It's just something you float through, taking in the sights
and sounds. The story ends up passing through me even though I’m still
absorbing and processing the good vibes and emotions. All of the footage is
just gorgeous, dreamlike, and a good condensed collage of mid-‘70s <i>Franco</i>
in good form.</span></p><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhaCsemuayCOMcmMhauipvcKfSpxSR_ZuAHvbIpElRe_afQMDJ4Ywj6ZV6xG9-lk6Ku13JB1Bclc70FgAqDVKEbeEM2FGIjqV6vTimrWwdGDYmrxn69xoITwfYBntDycexMC2RUAyKYMRVxfIVzdQg57dnE9qJpP9-dcM2aSHzPFDBBNKelyFGfrVVADw=s1429" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="855" data-original-width="1429" height="306" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhaCsemuayCOMcmMhauipvcKfSpxSR_ZuAHvbIpElRe_afQMDJ4Ywj6ZV6xG9-lk6Ku13JB1Bclc70FgAqDVKEbeEM2FGIjqV6vTimrWwdGDYmrxn69xoITwfYBntDycexMC2RUAyKYMRVxfIVzdQg57dnE9qJpP9-dcM2aSHzPFDBBNKelyFGfrVVADw=w400-h239" width="512" /></a></span></div><p><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">It is individual segments of <b>Justine and the Whip</b> that are
great but not necessarily the film as a whole. This is understandable since
there’s only so much you can do when limited to crafting an exploitation piece
of art using footage from only three separate unrelated films. If anything, it
inspired me to revisit <b>Shining Sex</b> and <b>Midnight Party</b>, mainly to
remember what they were like and to see what footage from those films were not in <b>Justine
and the Whip</b>. If you have an interest in seeing different versions of films,
then with this one you at least get three different versions in one. </span></p><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">© At the Mansion of
Madness</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><u>References: <br /></u></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">*Thrower, S., (2018). <i>Flowers of Perversion: The Delirious Cinema of Jesus Franco: Volume 2</i>. Strange Attractor Press. <br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg9H-iSdGM19JdZuPm-5jTxkW3r5AZxRj6Nn62c0elxljH-K64A6YrIB9UqDPYBm_ntq6PakfpC6VvDhSEw0NcrFNO-q8q1xzWodFBUnKvwWAYJNC6gjVEJgY1XIxtvIppHjeTIjxUwlDWri80yt8BNX5ISGmv6rNIGfMNMxQ8n_E_MkENTKWGc2cBViA=s1429" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="854" data-original-width="1429" height="306" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg9H-iSdGM19JdZuPm-5jTxkW3r5AZxRj6Nn62c0elxljH-K64A6YrIB9UqDPYBm_ntq6PakfpC6VvDhSEw0NcrFNO-q8q1xzWodFBUnKvwWAYJNC6gjVEJgY1XIxtvIppHjeTIjxUwlDWri80yt8BNX5ISGmv6rNIGfMNMxQ8n_E_MkENTKWGc2cBViA=w400-h239" width="512" /></a></span></div><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhBJTf3eV810z3b6SgqjWUHSvO4K9wd2Mfk3Afn9kkDnprfH-lSYJm1C8hXIwQLA6nwJXi3LXWv540ryL3XaACtAI-IBgX8zQTlp3iTvqgvuqeEtFl07JfsNDNTti3ccY0BuIHJ4hUuArJnBYmrtO7PSD22IUYGqRrl5pzoUZv89JT4z3x9E2ksVlMSWw=s1430" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="852" data-original-width="1430" height="306" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhBJTf3eV810z3b6SgqjWUHSvO4K9wd2Mfk3Afn9kkDnprfH-lSYJm1C8hXIwQLA6nwJXi3LXWv540ryL3XaACtAI-IBgX8zQTlp3iTvqgvuqeEtFl07JfsNDNTti3ccY0BuIHJ4hUuArJnBYmrtO7PSD22IUYGqRrl5pzoUZv89JT4z3x9E2ksVlMSWw=w400-h239" width="512" /></a></div><br /> </span><p></p>
Giovanni Susinahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03253382939348997303noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2316228451187611813.post-6330288191161352962021-10-29T00:25:00.010-07:002023-12-20T14:53:23.454-08:00Nude for Satan / Nuda per Satana (1974)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDAKojCgX_vAeWRpQtk6VPIpO27jY3SoO7vek9wpN9gY8xa5ujZJcESTdU3xIviMSxMeOVoFuOAiM5VHL9RLEWYeTCFtE6zCQ_fo-s0l6GqSpAS0XWTi2nwonlJLfAawuZvJBVAoOtFkqq/s1502/Nude+for+Satan_Title_2.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1502" data-original-width="1000" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDAKojCgX_vAeWRpQtk6VPIpO27jY3SoO7vek9wpN9gY8xa5ujZJcESTdU3xIviMSxMeOVoFuOAiM5VHL9RLEWYeTCFtE6zCQ_fo-s0l6GqSpAS0XWTi2nwonlJLfAawuZvJBVAoOtFkqq/w266-h400/Nude+for+Satan_Title_2.jpg" width="266" /></a></div><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><i>“Think of nothing but the fact that you are marrying me,
and are promising to love and obey me forever, past death, into eternity!”</i> –
Vincent, Lord Satan (<i>Louisa Bronte</i>)</span><p class="MsoNormal"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">A movie called <b>Nude for Satan</b>
already sounds pretty good without even knowing the plot. The notion of satanic
panic combined with Italian exploitation resulted in an impulse buy for me.
When I looked the DVD case over, I was like, “yes, please!” Plus, it’s from the
same director, <i>Luigi Batzella</i>, of <b>The Devil’s Wedding Night</b>
(1973) and <b>The Beast in Heat</b> (1977). And, it stars one of the most
amazing Italian scream queens, <i>Rita Calderoni</i>. There’s lots of promise
here. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">If you are watching the Dutch Sodemented DVD version of this film, there
will be p#rn, as in hardcore inserts of other actors and body-doubles
legitimately bumping uglies. If you think that will take you out of the movie,
I would recommend one of the DVDs released by Redemption instead, or check it
out on Redemption TV.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><span></span></span></p><a name='more'></a><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJGK6eq6vaiR4XNvkTUMQ7rD8nvs7jUpfkfffzGBZ4U33G0fK1mclA8lo_DGf5eYXPBlNrivIQaOgJ2-WCmZEoiEttfkDuMVylHemE3M4Bm6hYEFeSJqyrVFREsKzI7Z8-4Op63jpV75r9/s1431/Nude+for+Satan_1.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="603" data-original-width="1431" height="216" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJGK6eq6vaiR4XNvkTUMQ7rD8nvs7jUpfkfffzGBZ4U33G0fK1mclA8lo_DGf5eYXPBlNrivIQaOgJ2-WCmZEoiEttfkDuMVylHemE3M4Bm6hYEFeSJqyrVFREsKzI7Z8-4Op63jpV75r9/w400-h169/Nude+for+Satan_1.jpg" width="512" /></a></span></div><p><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">On the surface, <b>Nude for Satan</b> seems like a pretty
low effort movie, but despite a certain cheap feeling I got from it, there’s
also something authentic and ominous about it. The atmosphere and the spooky
synth soundtrack, by <i>Alberto Baldan Bembo</i>, creeped me out, and the film
did tend to grab me at times, particularly in the way it purposefully
disorients you by playing with night and day perception. Even though I can’t
really praise it for having the most spectacular set designs, being a fan of
this medium, I did feel at home. It’s a flawed comfort movie. </span></p><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">There are a few
instances where ‘70s movie magic happens, such as the gluttonous dance and orgy
ritual scene (complete with fog and slow-motion editing) looked over by Satan (<i>James
Harris</i>), which, by the way, seemed pretty harmless to me.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieYji57Rv4p6zUi6diIwKFSC26MWgopKFigj4McOn0qumNiDmu6U3tqEQx-HUsrkh7ilYnJitAq9gvIEXp8-JxIkKRKN4cQd48P36jb7TagUMSOvBk0obNbqstfYn_AWtsC3RfzcBVmkUs/s1311/Nude+for+Satan_2.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="577" data-original-width="1311" height="216" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieYji57Rv4p6zUi6diIwKFSC26MWgopKFigj4McOn0qumNiDmu6U3tqEQx-HUsrkh7ilYnJitAq9gvIEXp8-JxIkKRKN4cQd48P36jb7TagUMSOvBk0obNbqstfYn_AWtsC3RfzcBVmkUs/w400-h176/Nude+for+Satan_2.jpg" width="512" /> </a> <br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyGtRD-jcbjVlNW6_Kyy9D8SLevy3iACs0osTeDjABVssBZErdb6U8Ni6goluwWyHSxIDAfucEaZKx5jW36ae2sYLNvT2qhdtdvgjP68XVrjyVPf3gyGZdsK6kH3c4MgOFIWb8uwM65ROg/s1432/Nude+for+Satan_3.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="602" data-original-width="1432" height="216" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyGtRD-jcbjVlNW6_Kyy9D8SLevy3iACs0osTeDjABVssBZErdb6U8Ni6goluwWyHSxIDAfucEaZKx5jW36ae2sYLNvT2qhdtdvgjP68XVrjyVPf3gyGZdsK6kH3c4MgOFIWb8uwM65ROg/w400-h169/Nude+for+Satan_3.jpg" width="512" /></a></span></div><p><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">Satan in this
reminds me of the perilous love interest figure that’s usually found in the
Satanic ‘70s pulp gothic romance novels (the ones with the beautiful covers)
that the female lead usually can’t help being drawn to against her better
judgement. Here, Satan embodies the caped Dracula motif but isn’t really all
that menacing and is mostly a philosophy spouting romantic with unclear
motives. I guess the idea is that he has deceptive charm. Now, Satan’s butler (<i>Renato
Lupi</i>) on the other hand is a menacing creep. He’s how I imagined Saint Fond,
from <i>Marquis de Sade</i>’s <b>Juliette </b>(1797), looked. Saint Fond is
quite possibly the evilest character I’ve ever come across in a book, so it
seems fitting to me he would be Satan’s butler.</span></p><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7AtN6skuGKHONYieqEoEVd-uEM72rzX1_z-3_JtC11BgrgSZvlUgdodUzd4xYaX8F4kwt4ymSiz_co9nhEZwUSq81efy8Uzee1EV7tcpBOP2fxkPjOsNMtK8zSuYfKCUJaEFLw__rxmMg/s1430/Nude+for+Satan_4.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="602" data-original-width="1430" height="216" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7AtN6skuGKHONYieqEoEVd-uEM72rzX1_z-3_JtC11BgrgSZvlUgdodUzd4xYaX8F4kwt4ymSiz_co9nhEZwUSq81efy8Uzee1EV7tcpBOP2fxkPjOsNMtK8zSuYfKCUJaEFLw__rxmMg/w400-h169/Nude+for+Satan_4.jpg" width="512" /></a></span><br /></div><p><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgavQkJA9cGQ56Ke8uIStP0uRnaT4eZQ_EHC2sYdRQJ392L7jJFPy4ZBE76rsiDJc46wAYXzYe0LoIfVxxhgjuWrdpstgQHRifcfapdl1eRLyRYp6oPoQLOv5n4bOlyvorBObiFZdg8SDkR/s1431/Nude+for+Satan_5.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="602" data-original-width="1431" height="216" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgavQkJA9cGQ56Ke8uIStP0uRnaT4eZQ_EHC2sYdRQJ392L7jJFPy4ZBE76rsiDJc46wAYXzYe0LoIfVxxhgjuWrdpstgQHRifcfapdl1eRLyRYp6oPoQLOv5n4bOlyvorBObiFZdg8SDkR/w400-h169/Nude+for+Satan_5.jpg" width="512" /></a></span></div><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"> </span><p></p><p><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">The opening scene of a nude <i>Rita
Calderoni</i> running through thunder and the foggy, moonlit woods, in dreamy
slow motion, with her open nightgown flowing in the wind, is purely the right
ascetic for this film and perfectly sets the tone. It works more like an
overture to a passion opera. </span></p><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">While en route on an emergency call to a stormy
and sleepy village late one night, Dr. William Benton (<i>Stelio Candelli</i>
from <b>Demons</b> (1985)) swerves his white Volkswagen off the road to avoid a
ghostly figure of a woman (<i>Calderoni</i>) that’s suddenly appeared in front
of him. She vanishes, and as William is investigating, another car comes
screeching along and crashes. William finds an unconscious woman, Susan, (<i>Calderoni</i>
again) with her body hanging out of the crashed vehicle. He carries her into
his car, where she comes to. They have a brief exchange before she falls
unconscious again. William dramatically grabs his gun and heads out to get
help. He comes across a strange man (<i>Harris</i>), who’s obviously <i>not</i>
the Devil. He points William to the direction of a castle that just happens to
be a few yards away where he might be able to find help. From here, the story,
expectedly, transitions in to that familiar, cozy ‘closed circle’ setting,
which involves a small cast of characters isolated in Satan’s surreal castle.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhg7n-dweybOiuAOHv7lQFxRxj9Og5hqmydgyzlSBfbChaX8NwHWUTGRqT_iuZd_J6dd98RVairRsNLu1FduwnKCLHnmKEZk4dpC7dxKy-byHRWaveMd7Nrp1ZFzbBBVsZ7QF7kJSVy9ebn/s1432/Nude+for+Satan_6.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="601" data-original-width="1432" height="216" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhg7n-dweybOiuAOHv7lQFxRxj9Og5hqmydgyzlSBfbChaX8NwHWUTGRqT_iuZd_J6dd98RVairRsNLu1FduwnKCLHnmKEZk4dpC7dxKy-byHRWaveMd7Nrp1ZFzbBBVsZ7QF7kJSVy9ebn/w400-h168/Nude+for+Satan_6.jpg" width="512" /></a></span></div><p><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">The
two lead characters, William and Susan, have walked into a scenario seemingly
orchestrated by the devil, in a somewhat similar vein as <i>Mario Bava’s</i> <b>Lisa
and the Devil</b> (1973). Not as good, obviously, but it still gets the job
done for me personally. </span></p><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">Two lustful ghosts, Peter and Evelyn, haunt the castle.
They are also played by <i>Candelli </i>and <i>Calderoni</i> as they represent
the shadow versions of William and Susan. They appear to come from a different
era and are lost lovers looking for one another, but instead they find the
living modern light counter parts of their lost lovers. It starts to become
apparent that these ghost lovers act as a distraction to trap William and Susan
in Satan’s lair, which has this magical feeling of existing outside of time,
where present and past have no distinction. It’s a comforting dream, like being
on a paradisical desert island with your lover but with an underlying feeling
that something sinister has trapped you in a romanticized past. It’s all very
beautiful, unnerving, cozy and perilous at the same time.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRVZfxkmoIIeX4u0VY4Cw3-oE0hj_j3v2xZmDFlLBjm2vO-AH1RN15rG18kBV5SqGVbe3SUieYBom3BIkeo7VzE3IZrOWaoC6FOKAmLyrvjGHG7SDC-SWl6BnHB-bf7BTxJ-bQqZHUJdCz/s1432/Nude+for+Satan_7.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="604" data-original-width="1432" height="216" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRVZfxkmoIIeX4u0VY4Cw3-oE0hj_j3v2xZmDFlLBjm2vO-AH1RN15rG18kBV5SqGVbe3SUieYBom3BIkeo7VzE3IZrOWaoC6FOKAmLyrvjGHG7SDC-SWl6BnHB-bf7BTxJ-bQqZHUJdCz/w400-h169/Nude+for+Satan_7.jpg" width="512" /></a></span></div><p><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">When she falls asleep
in the castle, instead of your typical nightmares, Susan dreams of making love
with the castle’s servant girl (<i>Iolanda Mascitti</i>) while engulfed in
white transparent fabrics set to this hypnotizing theme that sounds like
feminine ghost vocals. This love scene is a kind of relaxing extended interlude (with an ASMR quality to it) before the action starts to ramp up a bit.</span></p><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiU7_I0JJgthsobXJHphVo4hKMWGz-9LSQPGnYdzlhC46T4bDwzmFmmGmDOCpxBHd3rYRDy1KLXP1v_JbltcA99EaIgJ1hXsZVJ5yGW3Rc_Dh8MruS7P0DfD_Q3PDHBOV4Viswjds6xQirW/s1430/Nude+for+Satan_8.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="601" data-original-width="1430" height="216" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiU7_I0JJgthsobXJHphVo4hKMWGz-9LSQPGnYdzlhC46T4bDwzmFmmGmDOCpxBHd3rYRDy1KLXP1v_JbltcA99EaIgJ1hXsZVJ5yGW3Rc_Dh8MruS7P0DfD_Q3PDHBOV4Viswjds6xQirW/w400-h168/Nude+for+Satan_8.jpg" width="512" /></a></span></div><p><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">Shortly after Susan awakens from her
erotic dream, she snoops around the castle to discover the butler engaging in quite
brutal bondage with the servant girl, who also apparently has visions of
meeting with the demon Astaroth (who’s also Satan’s rival) after drinking
from Satan’s really big chalice (great acting from <i>Mascitti</i> here). Susan
flees this visual in terror only to fall down a deep pit and land on a spider’s
web. The film seems to be going for a terrifying scene here, but it involves an
obvious looking papier mâché spider that many viewers might have a hard time getting
over. I personally thought that this spider attack might have been a throwaway
scene if it weren’t for <i>Rita Calderoni’s</i> strong response to the spider.
She manages to sell her terror with her screams and overall committed
performance. <i>Rita</i> makes it work with the way she can act out fits of
hysteria that I also recall fondly from her previous work in <i>Renato Polselli</i>
films. Apparently, <i>Batzella</i> wanted <i>Rita</i> for this film because he was
impressed after seeing her in <i>Polselli’s</i> <b>The Reincarnation of
Isabel </b>(1973).</span></p><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtDIyOufRxHsP2NRiPknA-OPiDaHZB2jssyzoj0O9IafJAS8zcENHzx3JdO0a5sGF5yHwxq1uOQg5V9J8ibtXOfwK_TnRHAZSOxroyJP2R8VFNMb7cRK64-fmkXHEddO6dyIWzKwdBc_U0/s1431/Nude+for+Satan_9.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="602" data-original-width="1431" height="216" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtDIyOufRxHsP2NRiPknA-OPiDaHZB2jssyzoj0O9IafJAS8zcENHzx3JdO0a5sGF5yHwxq1uOQg5V9J8ibtXOfwK_TnRHAZSOxroyJP2R8VFNMb7cRK64-fmkXHEddO6dyIWzKwdBc_U0/w400-h169/Nude+for+Satan_9.jpg" width="512" /></a></span></div><p><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">While Susan is caught in the spider’s web, she cries out
for William, who can hear her screams from another part of the castle. He’s in bed with
Evelyn (thinking she’s Susan, who’s gone crazy from the car accident). I like
the way he can hear Susan crying his name while also looking into Evelyn’s
face, finally realizing she’s not really Susan. I thought this was a pretty
chilling moment.</span></p><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzxjO4Qonyb3Th2iowxiBCGM9lES8As21sliuzP0k0bYd9XZseMrI-Sy5sN1WmfEo2g25i-FJCmQAFbM0mu2Wdq4luzpPv4g3QvveW-Ivief7wckAVMY1SQuKp14S5qIdfIwQYHKABNRmd/s1431/Nude+for+Satan_10.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="603" data-original-width="1431" height="216" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzxjO4Qonyb3Th2iowxiBCGM9lES8As21sliuzP0k0bYd9XZseMrI-Sy5sN1WmfEo2g25i-FJCmQAFbM0mu2Wdq4luzpPv4g3QvveW-Ivief7wckAVMY1SQuKp14S5qIdfIwQYHKABNRmd/w400-h169/Nude+for+Satan_10.jpg" width="512" /></a></span></div><p><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">I do like the<i> </i>two lead actors' dual roles in this film. <i>Candelli</i>
is able to play it straight faced as Doctor William Benton while also chewing
the scenery as Peter, his shadow self, too. I’m not too sure what the movie might be trying to say
about human duality, (perhaps overcoming your dark side?) but it does provide
the opportunity to cast the lead actors in light and dark roles that, although
familiar, gives us the chance to enjoy the actors going for two different
personalities in the same film. There is something fun about that.</span></p><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXJUJIU3W7Eu_rvaZc0AEPrxJ-sEfdkQxzCcetI750xRUwPtEc3kxhrXy4dlI3z4Eq3eFbivNaIdzzipBQvblwoOeRjaOb15FDEfRz47kJse0np_kb78fMHblqfF9zIB45qvtlaI8ZGlQy/s1428/Nude+for+Satan_11.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="1428" height="216" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXJUJIU3W7Eu_rvaZc0AEPrxJ-sEfdkQxzCcetI750xRUwPtEc3kxhrXy4dlI3z4Eq3eFbivNaIdzzipBQvblwoOeRjaOb15FDEfRz47kJse0np_kb78fMHblqfF9zIB45qvtlaI8ZGlQy/w400-h168/Nude+for+Satan_11.jpg" width="512" /></a></span><br /></div><p><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidNFILq2_Iz60biKRCeBQf72TprHJJ7kSfsepFOblairzR4uz3cHAdlG3jxH9HLevuhyD_n7h_fWROThz4DAg__BydDBRsC0UkzbeqjyT3AbXWclXihb0sRWPTuvU2zSof2nST9ObyVAQ7/s1430/Nude+for+Satan_12.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="601" data-original-width="1430" height="216" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidNFILq2_Iz60biKRCeBQf72TprHJJ7kSfsepFOblairzR4uz3cHAdlG3jxH9HLevuhyD_n7h_fWROThz4DAg__BydDBRsC0UkzbeqjyT3AbXWclXihb0sRWPTuvU2zSof2nST9ObyVAQ7/w400-h168/Nude+for+Satan_12.jpg" width="512" /></a></span></div><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><i> </i></span><p></p><p><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><i>Rita
Calderoni</i> is a marvelous co-lead character with facial expressions that are
always en pointe for every situation. Her spirited performance is high-energy
and pretty much makes the horror aspect of the film work. She acts the hell out
of the final act, with one open breast in the wild that’s a reprise of a look
she rocked in <b>The Reincarnation of Isabel</b>. </span></p><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><b>Nude for Satan</b> is
cheesy goodness that both hits the spot and unnerves me a little with its cheap
and dark content. I didn’t think it had the greatest stage sets, but it still benefits
from the Castle interior and grounds of the eleventh century Monte San Giovanni
Campano Castle. Some of the daytime scenes on the castle grounds just look
magnificent and surreal since they purposefully pop up abruptly sometimes when
it seems like it was supposed to be the middle of the night.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguvTRRP3iXzrHzkiNcboWDdH5_KcBZsuOW0QhWrAVp_8SiZ-ld7_nwN4ZW9IFI6fxbj990AecaSxIh7oGIH_NC69ApIFIi_3pcF4VEqABMeffsGMK64kxeGcypZVOV1SOgnAN-FHNeZk66/s1432/Nude+for+Satan_13.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="607" data-original-width="1432" height="216" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguvTRRP3iXzrHzkiNcboWDdH5_KcBZsuOW0QhWrAVp_8SiZ-ld7_nwN4ZW9IFI6fxbj990AecaSxIh7oGIH_NC69ApIFIi_3pcF4VEqABMeffsGMK64kxeGcypZVOV1SOgnAN-FHNeZk66/w400-h170/Nude+for+Satan_13.jpg" width="512" /></a></span></div><p><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">There’s certainly
better among the Satanic Eurocult oddities from the ‘70s, such as <b>The
Devil’s Nightmare</b> (1971), <b>Curse of the Devil</b> (1973), and <b>Satan’s
Blood</b> (1978), but <b>Nude for Satan</b> is still such an unusual and
curious find that does have its moments. It’s special to me, personally, because
it was one of the first times that I felt I was really going off the deep end
when it comes to Italian horror. <b> </b></span></p><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><b>Nude for Satan</b> does live up to its
title in a number of ways, yet it doesn’t quite gel as a great film nor does it
stand up to similar movies like <b>Lisa and the Devil</b> or even <i>Batzella’s</i>
own <b>The Devil’s Wedding Night</b>, but I hope there’s still enough love left
for <b>Nude for Satan</b> these days. Here’s to a Blu. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">© At the Mansion of
Madness</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1hT9TfHcDV-S5V4rUeFr6l0xZniy00PCPKHZO5HEIJz7ppuAokFCeVjV5uLLJfJtUs5F04h_-4JwdirLL2QJFngnyLx7oTsxUhSI1hFSEF5h2fLe3tBx7cQoxnudp97kpP_awEWWs9XGZ/s1430/Nude+for+Satan_14.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="603" data-original-width="1430" height="216" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1hT9TfHcDV-S5V4rUeFr6l0xZniy00PCPKHZO5HEIJz7ppuAokFCeVjV5uLLJfJtUs5F04h_-4JwdirLL2QJFngnyLx7oTsxUhSI1hFSEF5h2fLe3tBx7cQoxnudp97kpP_awEWWs9XGZ/w400-h169/Nude+for+Satan_14.jpg" width="512" /></a></span></div><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDmmLBYSpIIJF4JCVIkl3pJGbDJ6ibQDDb5NpQV5Hz4stev8GTsLlr_FdBIi6i_F3WMDRcsgTFKDh88b6OkvR8ze0Q6hfYBTXnOBA0rIVCbd79twqLebrwVefOpGDST1I_FNZMCl27YnVR/s1429/Nude+for+Satan_15.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="589" data-original-width="1429" height="216" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDmmLBYSpIIJF4JCVIkl3pJGbDJ6ibQDDb5NpQV5Hz4stev8GTsLlr_FdBIi6i_F3WMDRcsgTFKDh88b6OkvR8ze0Q6hfYBTXnOBA0rIVCbd79twqLebrwVefOpGDST1I_FNZMCl27YnVR/w400-h165/Nude+for+Satan_15.jpg" width="512" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhi5U4oKRIsFErtagvPVo2zT5j4JsjEkecTewEchbq-vaGnnIy5pVcFqunlpm52PfzlUDGyd0bvGZSDAuoIs4EWvF0x9Fb0yvCtSbZ7N5974I03tDqXNyCRQjLNTRA3jm3G1xXWUnBNUof7/s1428/Nude+for+Satan_16.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="601" data-original-width="1428" height="216" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhi5U4oKRIsFErtagvPVo2zT5j4JsjEkecTewEchbq-vaGnnIy5pVcFqunlpm52PfzlUDGyd0bvGZSDAuoIs4EWvF0x9Fb0yvCtSbZ7N5974I03tDqXNyCRQjLNTRA3jm3G1xXWUnBNUof7/w400-h169/Nude+for+Satan_16.jpg" width="512" /></a></div><br /> </span><p></p>
Giovanni Susinahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03253382939348997303noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2316228451187611813.post-56908036463232972312021-08-06T00:37:00.008-07:002021-10-29T00:00:08.288-07:00Demons 5: The Devil's Veil / La maschera del demonio (1989)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_YaE9usr68Mj-h2caNmFsTzLchurRLRX_L9M-NWzt-l9qGQzbvvHyv21jrnODwb0BCOPmBKZnjDmK4ZE8xIfA4XMofBMjjjysj7zSYgR39Mtghr_htGhhbvK-mHKbU7MXNS_NBIy92YcW/s600/La+maschera+del+demonio_Title.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="363" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_YaE9usr68Mj-h2caNmFsTzLchurRLRX_L9M-NWzt-l9qGQzbvvHyv21jrnODwb0BCOPmBKZnjDmK4ZE8xIfA4XMofBMjjjysj7zSYgR39Mtghr_htGhhbvK-mHKbU7MXNS_NBIy92YcW/w242-h400/La+maschera+del+demonio_Title.jpg" width="242" /></a></div><p class="MsoNormal"><i><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">Lamberto Bava’s</span></i><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"> made
for television <b>Demons 5: The Devil’s Veil</b> really took me by surprise
when I first saw it. Historically, it’s been pretty rare, so, years ago, when a
friend pointed out to me that the film had been uploaded to their YouTube page,
I initially watched it as a curiosity (always going the extra mile when it
comes to Italian horror). Being somewhat forgotten and without much praise and
recommendation to go off of, I was expecting a mediocre ‘80s horror film, but
the experience was really quite technically impressive and entertaining, with several
memorable horror sequences. Story wise, I’ll admit, it was a little hard to stay
invested the entire time, but I loved <i>Sergio Stivaletti’s</i> creature
effects, and I really appreciated the sometimes subtle and sometimes startling
approach the movie took to demonic possession. There’s just a number of really
nice touches in how peculiar the characters act when it’s apparent some kind of
demonic force is acting on them, a similar kind of peculiarity that I
appreciated in <b>The Church</b> (1989) from <i>Michele Soavi</i>, who also
stars in this.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><span></span></span></p><a name='more'></a><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbLg9QoJU-eT2p7gOu3UU20KOvBmzbB4h_UzRYki_Ca7zFDG1F1p9Ckl6I_rc_kipqKVIEaX7o8lnLtfEf7brF_458cweHcS68KaQdBFvMaTBY42B5pbWmQjJKyiI5T9Bw7CeTsgkQuWfY/s1433/La+maschera+del+demonio_1.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="794" data-original-width="1433" height="283" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbLg9QoJU-eT2p7gOu3UU20KOvBmzbB4h_UzRYki_Ca7zFDG1F1p9Ckl6I_rc_kipqKVIEaX7o8lnLtfEf7brF_458cweHcS68KaQdBFvMaTBY42B5pbWmQjJKyiI5T9Bw7CeTsgkQuWfY/w400-h221/La+maschera+del+demonio_1.jpg" width="512" /></a></span></div><p><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">Like many other unofficial entries after <b>Demons 2 </b>(1986),
this film is not officially a <b>Demons</b> film, but I’ve always thought of it
as <b>Demons 5</b>, so that’s what I’ve decided to call it here. </span></p><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">In the lineup
of <b>Demons</b> movies, official or not, this one is the ice level. Set in
what I’m assuming to be the Italian alps in Northern Italy, a group of pro
skiers are dropped off from a helicopter to beguile us with their ski moves,
stylishly making their way down a long slope (the intro skiing scene reminds me
of those extreme Juicy Fruit commercials from the ‘80s but with more ominous
music by <i>Simon Boswell</i>). No one notices the crevasse slowly opening to
swallow them, as the ski action is eventually halted by everyone falling in to a
fissure, one after the other, like lemmings. They find themselves trapped in a
sort of icy Mephistophelian rabbit hole, plagued by the evil spirit of a witch
named Anibas (<i>Eva Grimaldi</i>).</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8eyJMbXMO7oyL-63-Tpq1Gp-VaGKuzjBg485-L3ivITP-NSKGcIwJQAfWy9rAJeJ4_sTOD9vuM07BSplQcy2WMSf9zR6_4KVs20l5Q4mrlsTo9ERgAqpotuXZW_0RpnBAR8oDxtYhj5Al/s1431/La+maschera+del+demonio_2.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="806" data-original-width="1431" height="283" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8eyJMbXMO7oyL-63-Tpq1Gp-VaGKuzjBg485-L3ivITP-NSKGcIwJQAfWy9rAJeJ4_sTOD9vuM07BSplQcy2WMSf9zR6_4KVs20l5Q4mrlsTo9ERgAqpotuXZW_0RpnBAR8oDxtYhj5Al/w400-h225/La+maschera+del+demonio_2.jpg" width="512" /></a></span><br /></div><p><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMkIEuaEwDmUr8E3OhoUnKG7kO_OFgfuSv9LdwLR_j9k_3_Od1QXVlOc2UDF_2N_smMt-PSYv2pz1pw0rdsHUD-jB8sPqVX-JrhdRj6mlKOJ8Q3_UM0tX5F-VYIeva5ZElAE9QJnzEyYgE/s1429/La+maschera+del+demonio_3.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="799" data-original-width="1429" height="283" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMkIEuaEwDmUr8E3OhoUnKG7kO_OFgfuSv9LdwLR_j9k_3_Od1QXVlOc2UDF_2N_smMt-PSYv2pz1pw0rdsHUD-jB8sPqVX-JrhdRj6mlKOJ8Q3_UM0tX5F-VYIeva5ZElAE9QJnzEyYgE/w400-h224/La+maschera+del+demonio_3.jpg" width="512" /></a></span><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"> <br /></span></div><p></p><p><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">The stage is set when one of them pulls a
spiked mask off of a frozen corpse: the centuries old preserved body of an
executed witch (one of several slick references <i>Lamberto</i> makes in this
film to his father’s <b>Black Sunday</b> (1960)). A curse is unsealed resulting
in an underground avalanche that kills one of them and forces the rest to flee
and stumble upon an ancient looking underground church/monastery that leads
outside to a seemingly empty snowy village. They run into a hostile dog and a
blind reclusive priest (the only person there), played by <i>Stanko Molnar</i> (seeing <i>Stanko Molnar</i>,
who I fondly remembered playing another blind character from <i>Bava Jr.’s</i> <b>Macabro</b>
(1980), was the first of several surprises). From here on out, it’s a glorious
mess of peculiar demonic possession, hyper-hedonism, and memorable horror
scenes, not to mention a BDSM exorcism and what feels like a love story
between man and demoness.</span></p><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3ELCG8Qskro2oLfemcArpEmMMjUju3so0h9_pVm76aFgIjwZ0KCMudvN_nQYq1ZTdGvOktOcSDD7MlUnqvhxrNjdX8gwsXSusLRQdwkzIzhLZNihvVb1eUYJtqvwZZomTzqNzQeGa4IiU/s1432/La+maschera+del+demonio_4.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="796" data-original-width="1432" height="283" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3ELCG8Qskro2oLfemcArpEmMMjUju3so0h9_pVm76aFgIjwZ0KCMudvN_nQYq1ZTdGvOktOcSDD7MlUnqvhxrNjdX8gwsXSusLRQdwkzIzhLZNihvVb1eUYJtqvwZZomTzqNzQeGa4IiU/w400-h223/La+maschera+del+demonio_4.jpg" width="512" /></a></span></div><p><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">The characters in this film seemed a little on the
one-dimensional side at first until the actors had more of a chance to shine
with the possessed side of the characters. They become more cartoonish with
interchanging shifts in behavior that’s a lot more fun and even kind of menacing
to the viewer at times. I can’t help thinking most of the cast had a blast in
this, acting like evil children. <br /></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEib4iBDfbOGCqcynP8Nvnkc8X90IgOeoabuFi7Q_P7dGksQ6BV7sI4IR4kieX6Eg83m2oRoHdr_w10k2qoR9q8P1WqSYxSVLDwPpWDmosbUOxecqPEwIZhF5GP4REdaw-Jt8lS2mBACNi9p/s1431/La+maschera+del+demonio_5.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="795" data-original-width="1431" height="283" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEib4iBDfbOGCqcynP8Nvnkc8X90IgOeoabuFi7Q_P7dGksQ6BV7sI4IR4kieX6Eg83m2oRoHdr_w10k2qoR9q8P1WqSYxSVLDwPpWDmosbUOxecqPEwIZhF5GP4REdaw-Jt8lS2mBACNi9p/w400-h223/La+maschera+del+demonio_5.jpg" width="512" /></a></span><br /></div><p><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEYvCxQgRerNrsLI3gKT2wPU4Z7VJ7cwfMb_4y3lWhOny_9Gf_CEcUzkhs-b7-U0vVWydiK-4q_F1IFH7v_o-YmAe2jl3N-IWciHgm0WiNRS4FOYnplrhNrtoiJCST5LQ8d1M6gedx2D2F/s1655/La+maschera+del+demonio_a.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="918" data-original-width="1655" height="283" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEYvCxQgRerNrsLI3gKT2wPU4Z7VJ7cwfMb_4y3lWhOny_9Gf_CEcUzkhs-b7-U0vVWydiK-4q_F1IFH7v_o-YmAe2jl3N-IWciHgm0WiNRS4FOYnplrhNrtoiJCST5LQ8d1M6gedx2D2F/w400-h221/La+maschera+del+demonio_a.jpg" width="512" /></a></span><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"> <br /></span></div><p></p><p><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">The peculiar duality of the possessed in this
film is illustrated remarkably in a brief moment when one of the characters,
Nora (<i>Laura Devoti</i>), is by herself and scared, calling out to her boyfriend
Andrea (<i>Ron Williams</i>), while travelling down a dark passage (pretty
typical at first). But when she briefly pushes her hair back with one hand
and mischievously grins into the camera before reverting back into her timid,
frightened state, it was like her inner femme fatale came out for just a second
before hiding away again. Perhaps the characters are not being possessed by
demons, but rather the witch’s curse is causing them to get more in touch with their
dark sides. I’m not sure why, but moments like this, and several others, make
me feel that, while the story is so-so, the movie is composed of so many unique
parts, like a treasure chest of special horror sequences.</span></p><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgyD8QVavq3ST0WJSyVDyBxvtOl-7t34o9Qh_N0OpEAY-pz8vP6KJhAoEbZy9ZFcG5uMKkAj61B_jOG_LKn7FsJAqb_evyNDDsSva-W2jGUuDFLYB_ATxOrSRNXizxQoyGEsmtecpgHUvE/s1667/La+maschera+del+demonio_6.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="936" data-original-width="1667" height="283" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgyD8QVavq3ST0WJSyVDyBxvtOl-7t34o9Qh_N0OpEAY-pz8vP6KJhAoEbZy9ZFcG5uMKkAj61B_jOG_LKn7FsJAqb_evyNDDsSva-W2jGUuDFLYB_ATxOrSRNXizxQoyGEsmtecpgHUvE/w400-h225/La+maschera+del+demonio_6.jpg" width="512" /></a></span><br /></div><p><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjynwgwrrejezknMKbwYcq93addOmk7u-LgTSJ0s7W_9DLjacRjGZdBohxVhcbwNNSkDLMjVRHboQF4sTLnXcb4zFCJrvDzfLGjAMnGCxQRa2hkeccdMd4hWnrCnLC42ioU0Bi44Ws0UOeQ/s1430/La+maschera+del+demonio_7.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="798" data-original-width="1430" height="283" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjynwgwrrejezknMKbwYcq93addOmk7u-LgTSJ0s7W_9DLjacRjGZdBohxVhcbwNNSkDLMjVRHboQF4sTLnXcb4zFCJrvDzfLGjAMnGCxQRa2hkeccdMd4hWnrCnLC42ioU0Bi44Ws0UOeQ/w400-h224/La+maschera+del+demonio_7.jpg" width="512" /></a></span><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"> <br /></span></div><p></p><p><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">One of my favorite segments that might be a little overdrawn is the set piece involving
the demonic chain around the confessional booth, where they try to overpower the
priest inside. The filmic magic is in how the actors lose themselves to the
possessed counterparts of their characters and the roaming camera that travels
around, and around, the confessional booth in a kind of unison, with the characters
swaying and convulsing as they hold hands in a spiritual chain while chanting
“Anibas.” It’s technically impressive, spine-chilling, and, yes, maybe even
kind of cringe with how long the scene runs, but this was when I first realized
that I was really loving this movie. Honestly, I could watch this sequence
forever. It’s hypnotizing, but it ends up shattered when the priest’s dog comes
to the rescue and breaks the trance the movie kind of puts you in here.</span></p><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaJm8MuiwFQOtIguEHc7meZKwQBrcr8SEJRf-fC07zxlbYrsMYI-jZQU-LNQHUBb3eOyyMhJIbkKDxCFv2mPe1tKgMAa62do2yVFnz7SFuVJYY4SiWtviPeFHUNmjE-_9otFjbfes_0t33/s1433/La+maschera+del+demonio_8.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="805" data-original-width="1433" height="283" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaJm8MuiwFQOtIguEHc7meZKwQBrcr8SEJRf-fC07zxlbYrsMYI-jZQU-LNQHUBb3eOyyMhJIbkKDxCFv2mPe1tKgMAa62do2yVFnz7SFuVJYY4SiWtviPeFHUNmjE-_9otFjbfes_0t33/w400-h225/La+maschera+del+demonio_8.jpg" width="512" /></a></span></div><p><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><i>Stanko
Molnar</i> returns to play another blind character for <i>Lamberto Bava</i>.
He’s an enigmatic, nameless priest who seems to exist as a failsafe in case the
witch ever tries to come back. He’s the only person in this realm aside from
the trapped skiers who he kindly takes in to his church, a setting that makes
up a large portion of the movie. It makes for a suitably dark and creepy set
that the filmmakers get a lot of use out of, particularly an epic religious
alter with celestial lighting, fog, and icy wind. <i>Molnar’s</i> priest
character is quite an innovative exorcist in that his methods include stuffing
frozen holy water in to the mouths of the possessed (I don’t think I’ve ever
seen that before).</span></p><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYpAYkweD6rv8UZ_1HGZUN1PQm4iJhMIOw7Q5h27RFXL-bcHlppNm16WqclKASZqneeWSQGcGw3ueb8UwjpYQz2ozUeVWJDNbTZVYvpKq3atsmLWH27y1HUj4pCftFgbPCHwrH0pAsctOO/s1428/La+maschera+del+demonio_9.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="795" data-original-width="1428" height="283" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYpAYkweD6rv8UZ_1HGZUN1PQm4iJhMIOw7Q5h27RFXL-bcHlppNm16WqclKASZqneeWSQGcGw3ueb8UwjpYQz2ozUeVWJDNbTZVYvpKq3atsmLWH27y1HUj4pCftFgbPCHwrH0pAsctOO/w400-h223/La+maschera+del+demonio_9.jpg" width="512" /></a></span><br /></div><p><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhq4YM0BpdJXbdBuiyzf1IA7xa7830yiF6rCifcjeuC8R6tZfFXSI51fznrrg5fvOUFOZd7jKPfoRiOHpqZvtuLwUBg1BVZuQu3xh4HF8DREMVNV39Fuu1qj9zGMofeBHq_1AmOfbAmYk5q/s1429/La+maschera+del+demonio_10.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="803" data-original-width="1429" height="283" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhq4YM0BpdJXbdBuiyzf1IA7xa7830yiF6rCifcjeuC8R6tZfFXSI51fznrrg5fvOUFOZd7jKPfoRiOHpqZvtuLwUBg1BVZuQu3xh4HF8DREMVNV39Fuu1qj9zGMofeBHq_1AmOfbAmYk5q/w400-h225/La+maschera+del+demonio_10.jpg" width="512" /></a></span></div><p><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">So, while most of the trapped skiers are losing
their minds to the unseen influence that makes them act like mischievous,
giggling imps, the lead Davide (<i>Giovanni Guidelli</i>) seems to be immune to
the personality changing influence of the witch’s curse. This is perhaps
because the witch Anibas seems to want to get close to him through his
girlfriend Sabina (<i>Debora Caprioglio</i>) (both of whose names hopefully end
up tickling Nilbog fans a little). It might also be because Davide is the only
one who is legitimately kind, without a dark side for the witch to exploit, so
she instead attacks him through his love. Sabina, claiming that it could be
their last chance, wants to get away from everyone so she and Davide can make
love in a barn outside of the church. This is where the witch really fucks with
him, causing Sabina to transform into this really cool looking monster in the
middle of their lovemaking, much to Davide’s eventual horror.</span></p><p></p><p><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiN8jLo44wLkgTBGXEHo6uWSnGDX1GXXlSWbYWSYgpjBMpVgOezJHPTg7S_raMgudmLK4ZFfng4BeTjSsEleMgpAle4jwPzyJfylWvYgWBGpH0ITmUxMjE0L0cGc0cZLr1UITUcGcMX6NXM/s1430/La+maschera+del+demonio_12.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="797" data-original-width="1430" height="283" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiN8jLo44wLkgTBGXEHo6uWSnGDX1GXXlSWbYWSYgpjBMpVgOezJHPTg7S_raMgudmLK4ZFfng4BeTjSsEleMgpAle4jwPzyJfylWvYgWBGpH0ITmUxMjE0L0cGc0cZLr1UITUcGcMX6NXM/w400-h223/La+maschera+del+demonio_12.jpg" width="512" /></a></span></div><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEUy-B0V053XtWjc2ogrxXhk8pRoL9QlnI5OEy5VkL3LcwG43E1YdbSmxh7naybgr3VvAA9zoSvCH38KHiIucOB91_XjIrxGiT3Oijaw4iP_ie8h431Il6FTKll3c65yEs16cFFLbC2pe7/s1432/La+maschera+del+demonio_11.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="805" data-original-width="1432" height="283" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEUy-B0V053XtWjc2ogrxXhk8pRoL9QlnI5OEy5VkL3LcwG43E1YdbSmxh7naybgr3VvAA9zoSvCH38KHiIucOB91_XjIrxGiT3Oijaw4iP_ie8h431Il6FTKll3c65yEs16cFFLbC2pe7/w400-h225/La+maschera+del+demonio_11.jpg" width="512" /></a><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"> <br /></span></div></span><p></p><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">The buildup goes
full melodramatic tragic love story that feels like a good stage play but also
drags a bit, with Davide being driven slightly mad due to this perceived
ambiguity between Sabina and Anibas that’s also disorienting to the narrative.
Davide ends up conflicted in a heartbroken way, in that he sees his girlfriend
Sabina but also knows that she could also be the evil Witch Anibas. He’s not
sure if she’s the woman he loves or a monster he has to destroy. Can he save
her, or will he have to destroy her to end the curse?</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSoKrHdEMwmJrszUydHaABZDXodFxaqWSRN-e8TxaAc-_jP-h_7bPkbonFsFO4oEgDREk7ykJ1xYCDyA2ww6iwYWinZjpJWsRuB-CRrJYilVUhY8S-WQKZwy8fPaYiYtQyAwVBCbbvXJBY/s1431/La+maschera+del+demonio_13.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="805" data-original-width="1431" height="283" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSoKrHdEMwmJrszUydHaABZDXodFxaqWSRN-e8TxaAc-_jP-h_7bPkbonFsFO4oEgDREk7ykJ1xYCDyA2ww6iwYWinZjpJWsRuB-CRrJYilVUhY8S-WQKZwy8fPaYiYtQyAwVBCbbvXJBY/w400-h225/La+maschera+del+demonio_13.jpg" width="512" /></a></span></div><p><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">Given some of the film’s <b>Evil
Dead</b> influences and the way Davide goes over the top, gets splattered in
the face with demonic body fluids, and becomes a demon killer of sorts with a torn-up
shirt towards the end, I have to admit that I was starting to see Davide, a
little, as the Italian Ash. </span></p><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">I admit to underestimating <b>Demons 5 </b>going in.
It exceeded my expectations and entertained and impressed me more than I
thought it would. It does have plenty of campy B-grade horror elements, but
there are a number of cool freak-out, disturbing, and scary sequences; the part
where the figures in the church paintings come alive and emerge mirrors a
childhood nightmare of mine. I also thought the tracking shots from behind of the cackling group of demons as they traveled through the dynamic corridors of the underground monastery set were amusing and a lot of fun. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><b>Demons 5</b> felt like an interesting evolution of ‘80s
Italian horror that I fear not enough fans have seen. Anyone who’s been
sleeping on this one might be pleasantly surprised by it. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">© At the Mansion of
Madness</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbUooTGhOz7GviUQhvSg3_1RlxNDCm1Buwe6TJ5Xfc-smfp5fH9mUqZI_7dr2DpK0EMBc7ytuqqOvo6rYRvAY32kAvwxt6c2wPeWOkhMn04QHleaVu_jRCB98dzR4kQ5nQEAUyTEP3PxzZ/s1429/La+maschera+del+demonio_14.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="806" data-original-width="1429" height="283" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbUooTGhOz7GviUQhvSg3_1RlxNDCm1Buwe6TJ5Xfc-smfp5fH9mUqZI_7dr2DpK0EMBc7ytuqqOvo6rYRvAY32kAvwxt6c2wPeWOkhMn04QHleaVu_jRCB98dzR4kQ5nQEAUyTEP3PxzZ/w400-h225/La+maschera+del+demonio_14.jpg" width="512" /></a></span></div><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHRDqehGGo34S2MZd04cPy-5i2F46p2NLcVQ_2hFH1LkXW7GuK6mB6Qw6fZll4OswBhf8UiJQHBWMBlBEW5UXfWNLhhh0oDw-6KlbuQ6r3LzvkL4dQazOqkXLWoDgL05dZyrBtd4Ihq11x/s1430/La+maschera+del+demonio_15.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="801" data-original-width="1430" height="283" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHRDqehGGo34S2MZd04cPy-5i2F46p2NLcVQ_2hFH1LkXW7GuK6mB6Qw6fZll4OswBhf8UiJQHBWMBlBEW5UXfWNLhhh0oDw-6KlbuQ6r3LzvkL4dQazOqkXLWoDgL05dZyrBtd4Ihq11x/w400-h224/La+maschera+del+demonio_15.jpg" width="512" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgs78pZqQY3k-wMHpgLOUdW5a_AJFk5UsUsbVodegTIZMn7VTbHI3Rj_RHtCZKV48KS-wicgyjbF0S6iT7ldef1j9LCpk1pQY1DrGhD2rQt9QViyO5iTOQbg57FvJ1F5YS90232ENarvK8x/s1428/La+maschera+del+demonio_16.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="802" data-original-width="1428" height="283" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgs78pZqQY3k-wMHpgLOUdW5a_AJFk5UsUsbVodegTIZMn7VTbHI3Rj_RHtCZKV48KS-wicgyjbF0S6iT7ldef1j9LCpk1pQY1DrGhD2rQt9QViyO5iTOQbg57FvJ1F5YS90232ENarvK8x/w400-h225/La+maschera+del+demonio_16.jpg" width="512" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1oauhlOSm5YYwvb-Rsa8fAm9izWrPb-QjeiLFemgETNfHZBR-Gki6keHeeIuhxVWrdYwIU6kdzFZQLLJhDLrhlArbhGY4H_gPQJne6G5zcyPJUA1FbqO6Dhre5HzU6TwEKIpX2HG93qQS/s1431/La+maschera+del+demonio_17.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="801" data-original-width="1431" height="283" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1oauhlOSm5YYwvb-Rsa8fAm9izWrPb-QjeiLFemgETNfHZBR-Gki6keHeeIuhxVWrdYwIU6kdzFZQLLJhDLrhlArbhGY4H_gPQJne6G5zcyPJUA1FbqO6Dhre5HzU6TwEKIpX2HG93qQS/w400-h224/La+maschera+del+demonio_17.jpg" width="512" /></a></div><br /> </span><p></p>
Giovanni Susinahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03253382939348997303noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2316228451187611813.post-65414499064611596212021-05-05T00:32:00.004-07:002021-08-11T15:52:17.399-07:00Zeder / Revenge of the Dead (1983)<p class="MsoNormal"><i><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"></span></i></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjNSBVreSj3DfJHY41_jTqdVGJu-xtJvIq3_V_lPfOylM1I3LGPy42KT2szBIGggK7EUkqPgjoxHyZL9b5Cjqg-VKTjQePLO3MZ_aisHSXBLa53hHcB7R7PAieN4cwUizw_YnO6S8qZSjg/s868/Zeder_Title.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="868" data-original-width="600" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjNSBVreSj3DfJHY41_jTqdVGJu-xtJvIq3_V_lPfOylM1I3LGPy42KT2szBIGggK7EUkqPgjoxHyZL9b5Cjqg-VKTjQePLO3MZ_aisHSXBLa53hHcB7R7PAieN4cwUizw_YnO6S8qZSjg/w276-h400/Zeder_Title.jpg" width="276" /></a></span></i></div><i><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">Pupi Avati’s</span></i><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"> <b>Zeder</b> has been
an odd enigma of an Italian horror film to me. I’m not really sure what it is
trying to do, but its mystique and mismatched place in the genre are part of
what make it special. While watching it, I usually wonder what it is we are
looking for or what the lead character is so obsessed and serious about, and yet I can't help always feeling drawn in. It’s a
movie searching for something deep and menacing, and it does eventually find it, but the journey along the way is a challenging, unsettling, and memorable one with an
impressively creepy payoff and a serious lead performance from <b>Deep Red</b>’s
(1975) <i>Gabriele Lavia</i>. I also like the way it alludes to a kind of
sinister underbelly to the city in a way that is similar to <b>Perfume of the
Lady in Black </b>(1974). </span><div><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></div><div><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">What I buy most about <b>Zeder</b> is the academic
and research side, fixating on knowing and overcoming death. The scientific field
approach, with shady occultist researchers and their cameras and experimental
equipment is pivotal to one of the best scenes. </span></div><div><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></div><div><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">Stefano’s (<i>Lavia</i>)
investigations become a paranoid obsession that he never really lets up on once
he starts on it. Being a writer and a college student (overdue for graduation
it seems), his focus feels like a thesis from hell.</span></div><div><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><span><a name='more'></a></span></span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_qwkVaYli_s_Gu9h2YFGtqstI_zLNFUxElRMCBWkEbBsK34D0Tzx1eudH01CqcG6BtoLL_NqzPMTp-SBiGhxMFH8awwfsxArcUagSkw1P0nmwzNYA1eajXbOegAeYrbmRku8wwOy8UUWR/s1430/Zeder+1.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="769" data-original-width="1430" height="275" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_qwkVaYli_s_Gu9h2YFGtqstI_zLNFUxElRMCBWkEbBsK34D0Tzx1eudH01CqcG6BtoLL_NqzPMTp-SBiGhxMFH8awwfsxArcUagSkw1P0nmwzNYA1eajXbOegAeYrbmRku8wwOy8UUWR/w400-h215/Zeder+1.jpg" width="512" /></a></span></div><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNJPTkPZupFK9aOOn6HHer78p4aP7RCwWZ3eupU3pL1SgiE80TSIiZOu5Sv7BEevtAtejUVsnkadjS75swooMw4YyJayvC4lou5ZNUyEcOxq5pRrm36Tv7_b-D6vwPi1DlHFivrKwX3aCT/s1429/Zeder+2.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="768" data-original-width="1429" height="275" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNJPTkPZupFK9aOOn6HHer78p4aP7RCwWZ3eupU3pL1SgiE80TSIiZOu5Sv7BEevtAtejUVsnkadjS75swooMw4YyJayvC4lou5ZNUyEcOxq5pRrm36Tv7_b-D6vwPi1DlHFivrKwX3aCT/w400-h215/Zeder+2.jpg" width="512" /></a></div><b> </b></span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><b>Zeder</b> is a fairly restrained
horror film with an unrestrained soundtrack (by <i>Riz Ortolani</i>), which
results in some strangely histrionic moments. Don’t get me wrong, it is badass,
with some dissonant violin string shrieking and heavy bass booms, but when the
music abruptly gets loud and scary, sometimes I wonder what’s happening that
would command such gravitas to the visual of two characters casually walking
along the street catching a taxi or Stefano starting into a sprint just to
investigate something vague. Even the start of Stefano’s investigations is
triggered by something that would seem like no big deal to most. Stefano’s
beautiful wife, Alessandra (<i>Anne Canovas</i>), gifted him a used typewriter
for their anniversary. One night while he’s typing, the ink ribbon comes undone,
and when he starts unspooling the ribbon, the imprinted macabre words, about
barriers of death and something called “K-Zones,” written by
the previous owner, catch Stefano’s attention (the way this is filmed and framed
makes unspooling an ink ribbon fascinating and alarming). A morbid curiosity
results, as he becomes unusually fixated on the writing, retyping it all on to
separate sheets of paper. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8QDuOnbUoxBQr5wZBekYOLMLdnv7qr7gHdcvbxc40eH6pnGMz9vm-_eD8JLiMdLwRYEA6ceMOgZka_IZZtMbH5cWOX6DrA5CYN8Yfes0FEYOfRPRrCK1iS_uYH41ZGkicocXNRQFC1BXM/s1428/Zeder+3.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="768" data-original-width="1428" height="275" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8QDuOnbUoxBQr5wZBekYOLMLdnv7qr7gHdcvbxc40eH6pnGMz9vm-_eD8JLiMdLwRYEA6ceMOgZka_IZZtMbH5cWOX6DrA5CYN8Yfes0FEYOfRPRrCK1iS_uYH41ZGkicocXNRQFC1BXM/w400-h215/Zeder+3.jpg" width="512" /></a></span></div><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZk-cjim-USC7tbuiKMbmYBP3O4y1N59MfHDAllYFwg6SyNWknSLN6svb4jHZa8kqifojbAm3WBhhVJqSeuqhn_dGCRf9R-fYwrscpy-clUlEf8UAiTunGJW1hyphenhyphenArbfHH1QYrdDH_enbDe/s1428/Zeder+4.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="771" data-original-width="1428" height="275" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZk-cjim-USC7tbuiKMbmYBP3O4y1N59MfHDAllYFwg6SyNWknSLN6svb4jHZa8kqifojbAm3WBhhVJqSeuqhn_dGCRf9R-fYwrscpy-clUlEf8UAiTunGJW1hyphenhyphenArbfHH1QYrdDH_enbDe/w400-h216/Zeder+4.jpg" width="512" /></a></div> </span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">Stefano later visits a lecturer on occultism at a
University, Professor Chesi (<i>John Stacy</i>), to look over his recorded
manuscripts. After reading them, Chesi reveals his familiarity of K-Zones which
allow the dead to return to life and that they were researched by a Dr. Paolo
Zeder (who had himself buried at the house during the intro flashback). Stefano later learns of his typewriter’s original
owner, a priest, Don Luigi Costa, with help from a police lieutenant friend,
Guido (<i>Alex Partexano</i>). The chase for the elusive and mysterious Don
Luigi Costa is essentially the primary goal of Stefano’s investigations, which
are met with loads of deception, murder, and conspiracy theories that makes this
zombie/giallo/Lovecraftian/Italian horror film a bit incoherent and quite
difficult to pin down, but I actually kind of enjoy it for that. In this case, for some reason, not really
being able to have a handle on the film makes for an interesting re-watch every
time, and I’m usually unsure of what I’ll make of it each time I watch it. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhY1Vrv1V3F1Ll47IkYRPb1cylDx1_APn-zZi6CT7bs4sGDQadVfM_WrTm6PMfvBgP2q8K0A02N27lgJuUrLFos7xqG7LEQiMbfebANDOfISxBEoZfyS1zXFnO7aCDMc4Gxn1stRLrLz2iK/s1428/Zeder+5.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="766" data-original-width="1428" height="275" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhY1Vrv1V3F1Ll47IkYRPb1cylDx1_APn-zZi6CT7bs4sGDQadVfM_WrTm6PMfvBgP2q8K0A02N27lgJuUrLFos7xqG7LEQiMbfebANDOfISxBEoZfyS1zXFnO7aCDMc4Gxn1stRLrLz2iK/w400-h215/Zeder+5.jpg" width="512" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCvrv4hObSSi41XAtVuJOPwUPPiUVHfUIjC2znLIpvFuiLSRgbpgM8Q5blpGauCJo0cX2wZnsCz4OH94hU4ejBKCsz44NPFRzV1C4DAv00OGb3BNxjs_FC6KX4OChjTqdfvlIRXIJx_Jyn/s1431/Zeder+6.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="773" data-original-width="1431" height="275" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCvrv4hObSSi41XAtVuJOPwUPPiUVHfUIjC2znLIpvFuiLSRgbpgM8Q5blpGauCJo0cX2wZnsCz4OH94hU4ejBKCsz44NPFRzV1C4DAv00OGb3BNxjs_FC6KX4OChjTqdfvlIRXIJx_Jyn/w400-h216/Zeder+6.jpg" width="512" /></a></div><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"> </span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">I’ve
always loved <i>Gabriele Lavia</i> as the unsettled alcoholic jazz musician
from <i>Argento’s</i> <b>Deep Red</b>, especially his drunken conversations
with a sober Markus Daily (<i>David Hemmings</i>) (for some reason I had found
these parts relatable and almost cathartic). So, I thought it was kind of cool having
<i>Lavia</i> as a disturbed lead in <b>Zeder </b>(I consider him to be a part
of Italian horror and giallo royalty thanks to roles in films like <b>Beyond
the Door </b>(1974),<b> Deep Red</b>, <b>Inferno </b>(1980), and <b>Sleepless </b>(2001)). Here as Stefano he is a bit reminiscent of the traditional giallo
protagonist: morbidly fascinated with what is going on but getting in over his
head, risking himself and those around him. Stefano is a pretty plain t-shirt
and blue jeans all the time kind of guy, but he is still compelling and dead
serious about his business. <i>Lavia</i> just has this intense glare that
really sells his character's interest and predisposition towards his investigations. Until
his obsessive quest takes over, he is good to his wife and does seem to care
for her, and Alessandra in turn is supportive of his writing and his
investigation and is usually there for him, more so than he probably deserves.
This is something he truly realizes towards the end, when grief and desperation
take over. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYT93sLqcAeg0p-5ZR7VKjbwjzDErscyeV1pG0WTcBdgNAl8S3taO6zgXWo_RLjSQbUsQx-94CsuijYd_xG8vVZ5Wf9tGNDRhzErc0GEUND4t9h47n6x4D21rJT7hw8u48kg27nnaFlI3K/s1430/Zeder+7.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="770" data-original-width="1430" height="275" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYT93sLqcAeg0p-5ZR7VKjbwjzDErscyeV1pG0WTcBdgNAl8S3taO6zgXWo_RLjSQbUsQx-94CsuijYd_xG8vVZ5Wf9tGNDRhzErc0GEUND4t9h47n6x4D21rJT7hw8u48kg27nnaFlI3K/w400-h215/Zeder+7.jpg" width="512" /></a></span></div><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5Q3yzd167DX2o5HxWtMNEp_heGN3fAB_iQBynu5_CYZwTi3W0kBK1HmXaPLbd0gROaDMEqDRrlOPp1f5krQJbsYYrM0jIRwnbBt_lfuhul-I7IWnbs6resdeLmNze-hIHJrcl5F-_8gQs/s1428/Zeder+8.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="764" data-original-width="1428" height="275" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5Q3yzd167DX2o5HxWtMNEp_heGN3fAB_iQBynu5_CYZwTi3W0kBK1HmXaPLbd0gROaDMEqDRrlOPp1f5krQJbsYYrM0jIRwnbBt_lfuhul-I7IWnbs6resdeLmNze-hIHJrcl5F-_8gQs/w400-h214/Zeder+8.jpg" width="512" /></a><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"> <br /></span></div></span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">I remember thinking that <b>Zeder</b> was really pushing the <b>Pet
Sematary</b> (1983) angle with the ending, only to be surprised later to learn
that <b>Pet Sematary,</b> the book, originally came out a few months after <b>Zeder</b>’s
original release in Italy (likely a coincidence, but still pretty cool for <b>Zeder</b>). </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><b>Zeder</b> is unpredictable and subverts expectations. Like <i>Avati’s</i> <b>Arcane
Sorcerer</b> (1996), it does have a few parts that gave me the jitters, and it
does get under your skin like <i>Avati’s</i> <b>House with the Laughing Windows</b>
(1976). The movie itself almost doesn’t seem to fit in with its Italian horror
brethren of the time, which doesn’t matter, because it is still pretty good, despite
being a bit slow and iffy at times. It’s different and somehow manages to hit
all the marks of a good ‘80s Italian horror film (atmosphere, gore [albeit
restrained], a bombastic score, zombies, killers, mystery, subtle gothic horror
influences, a faint <i>Lovecraft</i> influence, etc.). For me, it was like
nostalgia, familiarity, and novelty all at the same time. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">I also appreciate the
scientific angle that almost grounds it a little in reality at times so that
being presented with the unreal is all the stranger and more shocking (that
discovery that Paolo Zeder’s theories were well founded). It ends up being more
in line with what the mind would experience discovering horrors in reality.
Like the film, these realistic horrors would be difficult to grasp and pin down
but also quite hard not to obsess over. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">© At the Mansion of Madness</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEit7-G_-K48q0NPmLEkb1g0y4bnexexn8zyCRdkkjOfBHJuKGgERBwwQMSAlxTm5C9scjLs4RJn3eDJzl428eEdjmOu0_A5f9lCNDd-1S4nGKkwrYRjTqiRh27WtfDa_FprNZ_Ifj_BZJ42/s1430/Zeder+9.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="768" data-original-width="1430" height="275" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEit7-G_-K48q0NPmLEkb1g0y4bnexexn8zyCRdkkjOfBHJuKGgERBwwQMSAlxTm5C9scjLs4RJn3eDJzl428eEdjmOu0_A5f9lCNDd-1S4nGKkwrYRjTqiRh27WtfDa_FprNZ_Ifj_BZJ42/w400-h215/Zeder+9.jpg" width="512" /></a></span></div><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjONuvf1tQzbsTp6WN-xOsdZxn5RiOyjz5rB5Y6eZTK3h3DqxSQBlSJ_ky7fPr4uXVKlM-7Rg-weMK5_r0mJDSVvq6vHVK_zustyUImQp4fPKbFYahQ7sRmSlniKeKGVWgs0utgnoTsymZ0/s1430/Zeder+10.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="768" data-original-width="1430" height="275" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjONuvf1tQzbsTp6WN-xOsdZxn5RiOyjz5rB5Y6eZTK3h3DqxSQBlSJ_ky7fPr4uXVKlM-7Rg-weMK5_r0mJDSVvq6vHVK_zustyUImQp4fPKbFYahQ7sRmSlniKeKGVWgs0utgnoTsymZ0/w400-h215/Zeder+10.jpg" width="512" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibV-oJZMBA27gO5iEvXS2tPAT4K9M9YL_87WsMJcnJj2V1JKgoV_Cv8WFFA4U1dNxhlLsprrIh_P2OHjxeAv2yMpv409phggOmrhzBobD8Aar7Sau6KoIjq3Dkk-2nFOSAFnpJkmjTAQ7g/s1430/Zeder+11.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="767" data-original-width="1430" height="275" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibV-oJZMBA27gO5iEvXS2tPAT4K9M9YL_87WsMJcnJj2V1JKgoV_Cv8WFFA4U1dNxhlLsprrIh_P2OHjxeAv2yMpv409phggOmrhzBobD8Aar7Sau6KoIjq3Dkk-2nFOSAFnpJkmjTAQ7g/w400-h215/Zeder+11.jpg" width="512" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwCRnStKVSvdgpaRcZZs_ECOLSV1Cfi0mreAXU0FibZH3amNMbb2VnkK7wawXbSXedquA2TddXNIflVVqIotUmxJbDbiNCLnzRTx4CcAf4HWt_sB3TCsdp34vXRavmGSaji4TBoFMYxI0t/s1430/Zeder+12.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="770" data-original-width="1430" height="275" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwCRnStKVSvdgpaRcZZs_ECOLSV1Cfi0mreAXU0FibZH3amNMbb2VnkK7wawXbSXedquA2TddXNIflVVqIotUmxJbDbiNCLnzRTx4CcAf4HWt_sB3TCsdp34vXRavmGSaji4TBoFMYxI0t/w400-h215/Zeder+12.jpg" width="512" /></a></div><br /> </span><p></p>
</div>Giovanni Susinahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03253382939348997303noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2316228451187611813.post-73104768538972576192021-01-30T03:02:00.004-08:002021-05-05T00:14:38.733-07:00Vampyros Lesbos (1971)<p class="MsoNormal"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjDFHJViIi3FcOd8Vb17UHnZQ1B-iwI4tkRJRHt2UoRn4b_SdlUFU-08hv_EhEQw3Y4KZKOMnEAX67N9SxKj9V945Nszg1jecFO2qPaoiHeMs652udpjGcowd-qWmZO5pQfA3ESSFTtwDH/s700/Vampyros+Lesbos+Title.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="700" data-original-width="472" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjDFHJViIi3FcOd8Vb17UHnZQ1B-iwI4tkRJRHt2UoRn4b_SdlUFU-08hv_EhEQw3Y4KZKOMnEAX67N9SxKj9V945Nszg1jecFO2qPaoiHeMs652udpjGcowd-qWmZO5pQfA3ESSFTtwDH/w270-h400/Vampyros+Lesbos+Title.jpg" width="270" /></a></span></div><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">There’s no other experience quite like <i>Jess Franco’s</i>
<b>Vampyros Lesbos</b>, or even the alternate clothed Spanish version <b>Las
Vampiras</b>. I recall coming across the DVD of this film on the shelf in the
foreign-film section at (the now defunct) Hastings Entertainment, and, being a
newborn <i>Jess Franco</i> fan at the time, I knew I wanted it. I had just come
off of <i>Jess Franco’s</i> <b>Macumba Sexual</b> (1983) and was ready for
more. Only problem was I remembered being a little too self-conscientious about
looking like a weirdo bringing a film called <b>Vampyros Lesbos</b> up to
checkout, but I bit-the-bullet and proudly made my purchase. </span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">To tell you the
truth, I’d like to relate my first-time experience watching <b>Vampyros Lesbos</b>,
but I honestly cannot seem to remember a lot about it, other than that I noticed
some similarities to <b>Macumba Sexual</b>. I do remember that afterwards, I
quickly picked up <i>Jess Franco’s</i> <b>She Killed in Ecstasy </b>(1971),
which was made around the same time and also starred the sultry Spanish beauty <i>Soledad
Miranda</i> in another arousing but also sympathetic role. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">While re-watching <b>Vampyros
Lesbos</b> more recently, despite seeing it several times before, I noticed
that I had forgotten a lot of specifics to the storyline, but I still
remembered my favorite parts quite well while also realizing new favorite
parts. It just seems to become more enriching upon each viewing, opening itself
up further each time I revisit it. It never feels old, overwatched, or stale. Basically,
it’s a real keeper that should be kept close and revisited at least once a
year. Every scene is worth savoring.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><span></span><span></span></span></p><a name='more'></a><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"> </span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9dn-ji1ZFVMYp-7iFmJjnYX7YbaCcGFabCQ11f77LkB5Oof4_ngu_j-ojRKoEG0Gxp9QCg__2unbqX6UODPLHOm4Wf7ci7bJwtbysbaoB_kia_yOJFo3J0jfD7tEw3PBX4SnDsPi30Jv7/s1432/Vampyros+Lesbos+1.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="860" data-original-width="1432" height="307" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9dn-ji1ZFVMYp-7iFmJjnYX7YbaCcGFabCQ11f77LkB5Oof4_ngu_j-ojRKoEG0Gxp9QCg__2unbqX6UODPLHOm4Wf7ci7bJwtbysbaoB_kia_yOJFo3J0jfD7tEw3PBX4SnDsPi30Jv7/w400-h240/Vampyros+Lesbos+1.jpg" width="512" /></a></span></div><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"> </span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">I like to think of <b>Vampyros Lesbos</b>
as modern art made into film. It subverts tradition to experiment with new
vibes and moods, transposing its influences to the point that they become
hardly recognizable. It’s also one sexy movie. All the familiarities of <i>Bram</i>
<i>Stoker’s </i>Dracula are there, but on the surface, you can hardly see it at
all. It feels like they decided to recreate Dracula with a superb twist and all
the sensuality of an erotic and fetishized Carmilla tale, while on a sunny
vacation. <i> </i></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><i>Jess Franco</i> had a tendency to film erotic horror at these
gorgeous looking vacation spots, and the effect is sometimes what fellow <i>Jess
Franco</i> aficionados have referred to as “<a href="http://soledadmiranda.com/movies.html#vampyros" target="_blank">inverted gothic</a>,” and this really
is a spot-on description for <b>Vampyros Lesbos</b>. Night is day, the more
usual moonlit forested landscape is instead a sun-drenched tropical paradise,
the traditional candle lit dinner scene is over-looking a beautiful sunny beach
front, Dracula and Johnathan Harker are lesbians: Countess Nadine Carody (<i>Soledad
Miranda</i>) and Linda Westinghouse (<i>Ewa Strömberg</i>), who really do seem
right for each other. This gives the film a dissonant feeling, but it’s novel
and really works here. The only traditional gothic here is what has to be one
of the greatest erotic stage shows put to film, but even that is set in a hip
Euro-night club and is fused with zany jazz that ends up being really cool. So,
despite the inverted look, there are spots where you still kind of get your Victorian
fix, in a way.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjoPSWRJu16qoHU0VCijA7EulxGij1-tfwagwCNWunL8HoEcjXQm7BFs33ttGh-fiQUGqF6NoEUQQ-KtBjjlJk62CyWRgI7mV5nNYyc-8hEQYulsFEEdi-ebbYs6qYNEXViEWsfR3ky3mA/s1430/Vampyros+Lesbos+2.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="862" data-original-width="1430" height="307" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjoPSWRJu16qoHU0VCijA7EulxGij1-tfwagwCNWunL8HoEcjXQm7BFs33ttGh-fiQUGqF6NoEUQQ-KtBjjlJk62CyWRgI7mV5nNYyc-8hEQYulsFEEdi-ebbYs6qYNEXViEWsfR3ky3mA/w400-h241/Vampyros+Lesbos+2.jpg" width="512" /></a></span></div><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"> </span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">The film just delivers and keeps its promise right off the bat
with a tasteful and delicious erotic nightclub performance featuring the
Countess Nadine (<i>Miranda</i>) with her human mannequin/victim (played by an
unidentified actress whose face is obscured most of the time). Her performance
partner is literally frozen under her spell, and Nadine manipulates, dresses,
undresses and repositions her like a mannequin, like she’s her possession, and
it really is something else. It is a spectacle of such beauty, delight, and
sensuality. This immortal stage performance only makes up a small portion and
is briefly revisited later in the film, yet it is such a significant and memorable
part of the experience. I’m not sure if <i>Anne Rice</i> might have seen the
film, but it does consist of a victim being stripped naked and murdered/consumed
by a vampire on stage in front of an oblivious audience.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEjAYgqBCe3zmN6dFPFlBTEuuZ9m0YCPt8fIzAlEs2_PSE4jg5lN1fjsaXMfaEbl_98XRyMHzC9QoEMjknByP5XUjkNkc3YrF6_9IzGxCo8LvwsTmwhI8vGVjuvsBU3lR11pIpDzSl2NIb/s1429/Vampyros+Lesbos+3.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="860" data-original-width="1429" height="307" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEjAYgqBCe3zmN6dFPFlBTEuuZ9m0YCPt8fIzAlEs2_PSE4jg5lN1fjsaXMfaEbl_98XRyMHzC9QoEMjknByP5XUjkNkc3YrF6_9IzGxCo8LvwsTmwhI8vGVjuvsBU3lR11pIpDzSl2NIb/w400-h241/Vampyros+Lesbos+3.jpg" width="512" /></a></span></div><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"> </span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">The most seductive
addition that gives the film most of its memorability and staying power is
Spanish actress <i>Soledad Miranda</i> as Hungarian Countess Nadine Carody.
She’s beautiful, enchanting, terrifying, and sympathetic. She also has a
terrific fashion sense. Her long red neck shawl not only looks amazing, it
feels blood-fused and gives off the effect of blood hemorrhage in several key
scenes. In the German version Countess Nadine has a deep, languid, and almost
commanding voice, a real pleasure to listen to. She was dubbed by <i>Beate
Hasenau</i>.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYxrA-LROgkeiML2CJsFlLtxC2oyOPo5EgIOO4wmGZ_9_I4YFfx7w_0hpe8hMrn5vPPRKLv0SHDAKTzwJOJsKjw3Y8WwS8fNKxWraJ3nornSfC8SSy1HMrCX2DJJhkFd7GD4s3Q3jl5hHY/s1427/Vampyros+Lesbos+4.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="857" data-original-width="1427" height="307" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYxrA-LROgkeiML2CJsFlLtxC2oyOPo5EgIOO4wmGZ_9_I4YFfx7w_0hpe8hMrn5vPPRKLv0SHDAKTzwJOJsKjw3Y8WwS8fNKxWraJ3nornSfC8SSy1HMrCX2DJJhkFd7GD4s3Q3jl5hHY/w400-h240/Vampyros+Lesbos+4.jpg" width="512" /></a></span></div><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><i> </i></span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><i>Ewa Stromberg</i> is also delightful in this as well, as
Nadine’s lover/prey, Linda Westinghouse. They have the warmest, most tender
chemistry together. The Countess has targeted Nadine, transmitting sapphic
dreams to her that Linda claims to her psychoanalyst, Dr. Steiner (<i>Paul Muller</i>),
arouse her to orgasm. Dr. Steiner tells her that her dreams are the result of
sexual frustration, and it just means she needs to find a better lover. While
Linda and her boyfriend, Omar (<i>Andrea Montchal</i>), are at a nightclub, she
is bewildered to see that the woman performing the sexy stage routine is the mysterious
woman of her dreams. It’s really just part of the soundtrack, but there’s a
peculiar distorted and reversed vocal audio track used in several spots of the
film that sounds like a ham radio operator, which reminds me of an output
signal from one antenna to another, in this case Nadine to Linda, to receive
and respond to. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiimfIEMhlmbQqoPBmH-JR4OebChVvUAsNnmdO-ZZd67rfCB4ZdVhsi6q3gvDwtwLC1P9rDeYICxZjeb_lZFHn_OPtl9n9d7A_I7EY88t-6VIzvfP3XNRMQ5hAwbjqwI2zS3-5uz2ZHuctT/s1429/Vampyros+Lesbos+5.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="860" data-original-width="1429" height="307" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiimfIEMhlmbQqoPBmH-JR4OebChVvUAsNnmdO-ZZd67rfCB4ZdVhsi6q3gvDwtwLC1P9rDeYICxZjeb_lZFHn_OPtl9n9d7A_I7EY88t-6VIzvfP3XNRMQ5hAwbjqwI2zS3-5uz2ZHuctT/w400-h241/Vampyros+Lesbos+5.jpg" width="512" /></a></span></div><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"> </span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">It just so happens that Linda is a lawyer put on an assignment
from her place of employment, Simpson & Simpson, to travel and meet with
the Countess regarding a property inheritance from Dracula.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">During her journey
to the Countess’s lair in Anatolia, Linda stops to stay at a beach hotel where
she meets Mehmet, a disturbing sadistic side character played by <i>Jess Franco</i>,
who works at the hotel. It’s rather peculiar that even after Linda is shocked
to discover that Mehmet tortures a tied-up bloodied woman (<i>Beni Cardoso</i>)
he has imprisoned in the wine cellar, she runs away without telling anyone and
kind of forgets about it. I like to think that the Countess’s remote spell on
Linda is strong enough to cause her to forget the horror she saw and carry on
to her destination. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRUFzIKGtAxs2FRgjN7ccArm7buVT6m-KXi9vR2aGcXV3yK2sSrJXGLgfCiFnBLGqmju0Uhst8d6R9wKlCuLAKETATivY-Fo63EgRkRCV5VHYCyB__3Cjs_CLmiUZKck8CLcfkDl7-bw08/s1429/Vampyros+Lesbos+6.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="860" data-original-width="1429" height="307" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRUFzIKGtAxs2FRgjN7ccArm7buVT6m-KXi9vR2aGcXV3yK2sSrJXGLgfCiFnBLGqmju0Uhst8d6R9wKlCuLAKETATivY-Fo63EgRkRCV5VHYCyB__3Cjs_CLmiUZKck8CLcfkDl7-bw08/w400-h241/Vampyros+Lesbos+6.jpg" width="512" /></a></span></div><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"> </span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">When Linda finally arrives at Nadine’s tropical lair in the
“Kadidados Islands,” she comes upon the Countess sunbathing, and they break the
ice pretty fast, as Nadine playfully coaxes Linda to follow her for a casual
nude swim in the lake. Morpho (<i>Michael Berling</i>), Nadine’s hulking, mute
manservant, who I continually confuse for a horny voyeur every time he skulks
on scene, watches suspiciously from behind. When Morpho has his shades on, he
kind of gives off a beatnik poet vibe. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">We learn during Linda and Nadine’s daytime
candlelit dinner together on the beach that Nadine is the woman who Dracula
willed everything to after he was destroyed. They were in love and she was the
woman who made his life worth living. Colour me convinced. With Nadine’s dark
demigoddess look and seductive predatory methods, I have no trouble believing
she was Dracula’s love. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">Nadine offers Linda some suspicious red wine that puts her
to sleep at the table. Morpho carries her to a room and lays her in a bed. She
wakes up later seemingly alone. In a <i>Rollin-esque</i> moment the Countess randomly
enters the scene from behind yellow drapes to seduce and pray on Linda.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZEKZJNLvP6-ztx9mVDPyk5gyR8Hsmw7NAIjBRKP6mCbg5Wq6BIqr6BqN5g0d9ZTzYc3iUCGZTxTMLbFM3ED-mVxoWltp5uoDsh4dPuXjEFhpTWTEc9VVNG9Eho55iNkn-x49r8gy1Octv/s1429/Vampyros+Lesbos+7.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="856" data-original-width="1429" height="307" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZEKZJNLvP6-ztx9mVDPyk5gyR8Hsmw7NAIjBRKP6mCbg5Wq6BIqr6BqN5g0d9ZTzYc3iUCGZTxTMLbFM3ED-mVxoWltp5uoDsh4dPuXjEFhpTWTEc9VVNG9Eho55iNkn-x49r8gy1Octv/w400-h240/Vampyros+Lesbos+7.jpg" width="512" /></a></span></div><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"> </span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">Once
under her spell, Linda is at the mercy and control of Nadine, who gently guides
Linda and seduces her for blood nourishment. Linda seems conflicted, half
afraid, half attracted, or possibly frozen with bewilderment. Interestingly, the
music here is jazzy and full of life and love, which believe it or not is more
appropriate in this case, as opposed to something darker and doomy sounding. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">It
is truly a striking moment when Linda finds Nadine, the morning after their
blood copulation, appearing dead, floating face up in the pool looking bloated
with blood after a nice meal. This visual is both disturbing and beautiful and
is unforgettable. Again, clever use of the long flowing red shawl. Linda passes
out from the visual and wakes up later in Dr. Seward’s (<i>Dennis Price</i>) private
clinic with no memory of what happened.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTyd6e2xf67iQSIxd0xrXoclXDBkaWtS5WasBj6Wtm0-28JexpTxhVuU3bzDTRfSjeieHFaURs5NptwEmM8Yi5Cwd7uQ7ot-oa5TrHYKvPIJ5JYibqa5XT-jU6ZBFuqUM10bHlVxFVs6e2/s1561/Vampyros+Lesbos.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="938" data-original-width="1561" height="307" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTyd6e2xf67iQSIxd0xrXoclXDBkaWtS5WasBj6Wtm0-28JexpTxhVuU3bzDTRfSjeieHFaURs5NptwEmM8Yi5Cwd7uQ7ot-oa5TrHYKvPIJ5JYibqa5XT-jU6ZBFuqUM10bHlVxFVs6e2/w400-h240/Vampyros+Lesbos.jpg" width="512" /></a></span></div><p></p><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9k70OdiXfpMN_82AYk_NJDbYNVROSc8CM_GbfmWcQETTjAZi3BWsabg7AOaYeHhbSi1ZRcxFBagFFelo-dgHoOCX1krb1AdADfLQYzHOwUbdP4KCSJ1u7EoBvPIxKeLHVfcTaChibDUUz/s1428/Vampyros+Lesbos+8.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="855" data-original-width="1428" height="307" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9k70OdiXfpMN_82AYk_NJDbYNVROSc8CM_GbfmWcQETTjAZi3BWsabg7AOaYeHhbSi1ZRcxFBagFFelo-dgHoOCX1krb1AdADfLQYzHOwUbdP4KCSJ1u7EoBvPIxKeLHVfcTaChibDUUz/w400-h240/Vampyros+Lesbos+8.jpg" width="512" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">The clinic is a more dismal and depressing
affair. The film is set in modern day 1971, but it is a little hard to tell
from the inside of the clinic. It houses a mental patient, Agra (<i>Heidrun
Kussin</i>), who’s the female Renfield. She too is bewitched and under Nadine’s
influence and has an obsessive devotion to her from inside her cell. Agra is
prone to erotic and shouty fits of madness. It is with Agra that I get a sense
that Nadine is a vampire who truly loves her victims, as she is kind enough to
tenderly bid a heartfelt farewell to Agra, at one point, before leaving her forever.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwJFTgRO3wa9tTDt87BrDvOUXe-mO373I1SwjtaU00Oq_ukBQlDeljPaCqSJG_ffsmT5tn6T2OiUCxguu0SLWQ188DtaV0DKgcySkC1J7-YnSMSzsfPLCQ-n5JiGuokHwbgn_D-OizsUX_/s1429/Vampyros+Lesbos+9.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="856" data-original-width="1429" height="307" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwJFTgRO3wa9tTDt87BrDvOUXe-mO373I1SwjtaU00Oq_ukBQlDeljPaCqSJG_ffsmT5tn6T2OiUCxguu0SLWQ188DtaV0DKgcySkC1J7-YnSMSzsfPLCQ-n5JiGuokHwbgn_D-OizsUX_/w400-h240/Vampyros+Lesbos+9.jpg" width="512" /></a></span></div><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><i> </i></span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><i>Dennis Price’s</i> Dr. Seward here looks, feels and acts a lot like the Dr.
Frankenstein character he played in <i>Jess Franco’s</i> <b>Dracula, Prisoner
of Frankenstein</b> (1972). He seems to have an interest in the world of
darkness, reading dark tomes and writing about his attraction to the mysterious
world of vampires. Instead of trying to help the patients in his clinic, he is
instead using them to get to Nadine because he wants in to her world. One of
the parts with Dr. Seward that I remember most fondly is when he finally
gets to make Nadine’s acquaintance, and she deems him not worthy, revealing
that she’s actually come to kill him for keeping Linda from her. It’s hard to
tell if <i>Price’s</i> heart is in the performance, but I thought his response
to seeing Nadine here was actually pretty good.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8CohVPUBgz7PkLYVL5HW9vYuP2ce1qEW5FtLpoAYez78-JuY8DjUGy5jgZ9Qr-gIG4uzCujs7Zh10LVENSGadBiH_wlTr2pEFbUkaALY3e7YJrPZDwbUcS3QjiYNJH6RvXe99JiE1IVy3/s1428/Vampyros+Lesbos+10.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="861" data-original-width="1428" height="307" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8CohVPUBgz7PkLYVL5HW9vYuP2ce1qEW5FtLpoAYez78-JuY8DjUGy5jgZ9Qr-gIG4uzCujs7Zh10LVENSGadBiH_wlTr2pEFbUkaALY3e7YJrPZDwbUcS3QjiYNJH6RvXe99JiE1IVy3/w400-h241/Vampyros+Lesbos+10.jpg" width="512" /></a></span></div><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"> </span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">The Countess’s backstory is
quite intriguing. While lying in her modern crypt stretched out on a divan,
languidly exhibiting a certain ennui that likely comes with living so long,
Nadine melancholically reminisces to an attentive Morpho that centuries
prior she was saved from being killed by a marauding soldier who broke into her
home by non-other than Count Dracula himself and that they later fell in love.
She reveals herself to be a vampire convert and a protege of Dracula. With the
languor and exhaustion in her voice here, I get the sense that Nadine is tired
and done, almost like she is letting herself grow weak, setting herself up for
her own demise. I think she’s targeted Linda because she feels she will finally
be the one to end her afterlife, finding her overdue peace in death. There’s
something beautifully tragic about the culmination. As Nadine puts it, "But many have become my slaves. Many women too. But then I met Linda. And now I am under her power," as predator eventually becomes prey.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmpqm2oihf2wy4LrlEK_D-6dDdeQ0A-YsXw1lTwX8i5XqIcZlEdvk0dAGk-_NmisEkZ_rIHEXA1rdoNKmz3ACMdKMsg-_X0oVwVosWcdZbXSxcSziirhZCOPTOL7b9Zxril17oV4W974EL/s1429/Vampyros+Lesbos+11.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="860" data-original-width="1429" height="307" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmpqm2oihf2wy4LrlEK_D-6dDdeQ0A-YsXw1lTwX8i5XqIcZlEdvk0dAGk-_NmisEkZ_rIHEXA1rdoNKmz3ACMdKMsg-_X0oVwVosWcdZbXSxcSziirhZCOPTOL7b9Zxril17oV4W974EL/w400-h241/Vampyros+Lesbos+11.jpg" width="512" /></a></span></div><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><b> </b></span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><b>Vampyros
Lesbos</b> is an ingenious film that cleverly makes use of the natural locales
and small resources to great effect. There’s nothing artificial or cheap about
it. The cinematography from frequent <i>Jess Franco</i> director of photography</span>
<i><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">Manuel
Merino</span></i><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"> (<b>Marquis de Sade’s Justine</b>, <b>Eugenie</b>, <b>Count
Dracula</b>, <b>She Killed in Ecstasy</b>, …) is mesmerizing. I especially love
the shots where you can almost feel Nadine’s fingers touching you as she reaches
towards the camera in one of the film’s more prominently remembered images, digging
into your brain and calling out to you, like she does to Linda. There’s really not
a single dull or uninteresting shot. The way the film repeatedly cuts to
insects, flying kites, Mosques in Istanbul, and what looks to be some kind of anchored
fishing vessel give the film a kind of haunting presence. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">I’ve only had an increased
love for this movie over the years. It’s probably as solid as they come for a ‘70s
chic Euro erotica from <i>Jess Franco</i>. As much as I love traditional gothic
horror, it’s still pretty cool to flip it upside down and turn it inside out to
produce something so unlike anything else. It’s an excellent first timer
recommendation for the curious and a long held classic for the longtime <i>Jess
Franco</i> fan. But most of you already know that. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">© At the Mansion of Madness</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh64frTW5f4gzFGPSMnq0UNrQ5Nfsr0QPHsPknSb2sWU3RZOrexUcsSfCeN7jYTqgDAzKiWmQzdOReLd70O46b6sXfqB7NTsXLFRp1lmtGWAieLVofkqzMLrKEYxTgXNqyjolM_HKgJ-jrt/s1430/Vampyros+Lesbos+12.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="860" data-original-width="1430" height="307" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh64frTW5f4gzFGPSMnq0UNrQ5Nfsr0QPHsPknSb2sWU3RZOrexUcsSfCeN7jYTqgDAzKiWmQzdOReLd70O46b6sXfqB7NTsXLFRp1lmtGWAieLVofkqzMLrKEYxTgXNqyjolM_HKgJ-jrt/w400-h240/Vampyros+Lesbos+12.jpg" width="512" /></a></span></div><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5BKn_sdzzYa1SZlyc67CbGy3bs7MR7mXnOHMLOeBElZlkmH8P-voNG64sQaMmgFcQjrjclFk7-Gte4bItKgfwx7DmRnnTA6v9LdBo8sOnz-N5JhjeXOz6zdJpRClh_z1P1mbz8pRUYFtl/s1920/Vampyros+Lesbos+13.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1920" height="307" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5BKn_sdzzYa1SZlyc67CbGy3bs7MR7mXnOHMLOeBElZlkmH8P-voNG64sQaMmgFcQjrjclFk7-Gte4bItKgfwx7DmRnnTA6v9LdBo8sOnz-N5JhjeXOz6zdJpRClh_z1P1mbz8pRUYFtl/w400-h225/Vampyros+Lesbos+13.jpg" width="512" /></a></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhW-Xmf4LQ9yoYrhEN387UZudPLum-jdChUW0yMBCJ0e8-HaljrfSdv4XOrkGAMt7bUjTec51eIJuYsUtzHYkNjAN_nodh-_qKA-xCq2gvP5IPmWz8aYsOPPNf7YCCMDxvDgZLJxefySLG7/s2048/20201212_223719.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1359" height="800" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhW-Xmf4LQ9yoYrhEN387UZudPLum-jdChUW0yMBCJ0e8-HaljrfSdv4XOrkGAMt7bUjTec51eIJuYsUtzHYkNjAN_nodh-_qKA-xCq2gvP5IPmWz8aYsOPPNf7YCCMDxvDgZLJxefySLG7/w265-h400/20201212_223719.jpg" width="512" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The 1,000 piece jigsaw puzzle of Vampyros Lesbos released by Messed Up Puzzles that I managed to complete. Art by Wes Benscoter<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /> </span><p></p>Giovanni Susinahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03253382939348997303noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2316228451187611813.post-80829506342349761082020-10-26T00:18:00.005-07:002021-02-09T18:08:42.549-08:00Blood and Roses / Et mourir de plaisir (1960)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_RpO-ggqgAvuQadBB5f5clp9_X9hXyqrbmQGJEphAzf9hR55ALmMlYknpfZZevdmrxAU_-rBqAOJn_VynvMkFo8MQRm4Rwb4TtJh9paJzUq9PWwh59bkrNRi5IaSE_1bGlfcvrPkSXsy9/s746/Blood+and+Roses+Title.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="746" data-original-width="500" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_RpO-ggqgAvuQadBB5f5clp9_X9hXyqrbmQGJEphAzf9hR55ALmMlYknpfZZevdmrxAU_-rBqAOJn_VynvMkFo8MQRm4Rwb4TtJh9paJzUq9PWwh59bkrNRi5IaSE_1bGlfcvrPkSXsy9/w268-h400/Blood+and+Roses+Title.jpg" width="268" /></a></div><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">“<i>Roses always fade in a Vampire’s hand.</i>”-Carmilla (<i>Annette
Stroyberg</i>) </span><p class="MsoNormal"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">I’ve always loved the supernatural femme fatale Carmilla since I
was first introduced to her in <i>Vicente Aranda’s</i> <b>The Blood Spattered
Bride</b> (1972). There was something so appealing about the sapphic predatory vampiress
from <i>J.S. Le Fanu’s</i> 1872 novella, whose influence was all over the
erotic vampire films from the 1960s and 1970s I loved, and more. After I
reviewed <b>The Blood Spattered Bride</b>, naturally, I felt compelled to read <b>Carmilla</b>,
a short but marvelous piece of gothic literature. I loved the dark, forested
isolated castle setting and the peculiar relationship that develops between
Laura and Carmilla. After reading it, I felt I had hipster boasting rights to
tell people who never heard of it that I knew of and read a vampire book that
was written twenty-five years before the more well-known <i>Bram Stoker’s</i> <b>Dracula
</b>(1897). Now, the book, <b>Dracula</b> is much more developed, but it is
astounding how many story similarities there are between Dracula and Carmilla
(itself sharing similarities to <i>Samuel Taylor Coleridge’s</i> unfinished <b>Christabel</b>
(1816)). I don’t think there can be any doubt that Carmilla heavily influenced
Dracula. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">It’s been a delight to explore different adaptations of Carmilla, such
as <b>The Vampire Lovers</b> (1970) and <b>Crypt of the Vampire</b> (1964) as
well as movies influenced by Carmilla like <b>Vampyros Lesbos</b> (1971) and <b>Daughters
of Darkness</b> (1971). I remember thinking back in 2013 that the time was
right for new Carmilla movies. I must have been asleep the last seven years,
because I only recently learned that there have been new Carmilla films being
made, such as <b>The Unwanted</b> (2014), <b>The Curse of Styria</b> (2014), <b>Carmilla</b>
(2015), a Carmilla web-series that eventually got a follow-up movie called <b>Carmilla
the Movie</b> (2017), and most recently <b>Carmilla</b> (2019) from <i>Emily
Harris</i>. I just recently checked out the 2019 movie, and all I can say is,
what a powerful ending. I’d say it comes pretty close to the modern Carmilla
film I was hoping for.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><span></span></span></p><a name='more'></a><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"></span></p><div style="text-align: center;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6lVKC2LNZPAsZvPU3gstWmin5gT7Tmq8lLjjz0daqpMsl35-VOfehxuEp7Gc5U_LZ3hSg_AbwD55Pk0gxqNxrE_qyqZyHpiPJZzmWzjzEWCXv-UpUq73pvWtanYbdc_fSMO4fErfAej5d/s1428/Blood+and+Roses+1.jpg"><img border="0" data-original-height="606" data-original-width="1428" height="218" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6lVKC2LNZPAsZvPU3gstWmin5gT7Tmq8lLjjz0daqpMsl35-VOfehxuEp7Gc5U_LZ3hSg_AbwD55Pk0gxqNxrE_qyqZyHpiPJZzmWzjzEWCXv-UpUq73pvWtanYbdc_fSMO4fErfAej5d/w400-h170/Blood+and+Roses+1.jpg" width="512" /></a></span></div><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaEY-ut0k5DGxJ23bBiATubAeXpeatCq8AuwwUg7zT4NA5jqIIYmZ4murpNcFaTnDw_nFwGVf6AN7nGawZfgjVPjhwIO6RkcarP98Fgju8Vi83oNdY2nt8vNCjmxmW7spcyJIkt2a3ms64/s1429/Blood+and+Roses+2.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="606" data-original-width="1429" height="218" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaEY-ut0k5DGxJ23bBiATubAeXpeatCq8AuwwUg7zT4NA5jqIIYmZ4murpNcFaTnDw_nFwGVf6AN7nGawZfgjVPjhwIO6RkcarP98Fgju8Vi83oNdY2nt8vNCjmxmW7spcyJIkt2a3ms64/w400-h170/Blood+and+Roses+2.jpg" width="512" /></a></div> </span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">One adaptation that took a long time for me to finally
revisit was the French-Italian produced <b>Blood and Roses</b> from 1960,
directed by and co-written by <i>Roger Vadim</i> (<b>And God Created Woman</b>
(1956) and <b>Barbarella</b> (1968)). I recall being a little disappointed by
how modified the original story from the book was, and I remember having a hard
time paying attention a few times, but I’ve come to appreciate it for the <i>Roger
Vadim</i> film that it is. I also see it now more as someone’s own separate
creation, who used their knowledge of the book as a springboard to bring their
own vision to life, with little interest in retelling the same story. There are
certain elements to it that remind me of <i>H.P. Lovecraft’s</i> <b>The Case of
Charles Dexter Ward</b> (1943) as well. I’m thankful for the German DVD,
released around 2014, I believe, that really lets viewers fully appreciate <i>Claude
Renoir’s</i> lush and colorful cinematography. <b>Blood and Roses</b> has a
top-notch look and feel to it that would inspire many Eurohorror films to come.
<i>Joe Dante</i> said, “this picture practically invents the Eurohorror film as
we know it.”</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhi78F5q15x8E54uunTdWaDaUMglKcZh3QHJzt6HbrMEEsCLf25hMDUi0ik2xRrxUPEhbmnERRhpmWKriReMw24oKVfiwI_6uiQS8iKHkbJGiMPcQ2Eb-rXIZq0AMsOrUh1xTNjiQFquv8a/s1431/Blood+and+Roses+3.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="606" data-original-width="1431" height="218" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhi78F5q15x8E54uunTdWaDaUMglKcZh3QHJzt6HbrMEEsCLf25hMDUi0ik2xRrxUPEhbmnERRhpmWKriReMw24oKVfiwI_6uiQS8iKHkbJGiMPcQ2Eb-rXIZq0AMsOrUh1xTNjiQFquv8a/w400-h170/Blood+and+Roses+3.jpg" width="512" /></a></span></div><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><b> </b></span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><b>Blood and Roses</b> is Carmilla reimagined in the present day,
for 1960, in the Roman countryside, filmed in Tivoli, Italy at the Villa
Adriana, a Roman emperor’s retreat, constructed from 125 to 134 ce. This
ancient complex is really a marvel and is a generous locale for this kind of
visual movie. The place isn’t what you’d call a castle, but my brain kept
thinking it was a castle every time I watched the film. In the film, it is
where a grand celebration is being planned for the engagement of Count Leopoldo
De Karnstein (<i>Mel Ferrer</i>) to a judge’s (<i>Marc Allégret</i>) daughter Georgia
Monteverdi (<i>Elsa Martinelli</i>). Presumably along for the festivities is
Leopoldo’s relative Carmilla (<i>Annette Stroyberg</i>-then <i>Vadim</i>),
who’s friends with Georgia but has been close to Leopoldo since she was a
child. Carmilla seems
to display a melancholic unease over the engagement. Could she be jealous, and
if so, of who? Or is she just entranced in thoughts of emulating her supposed vampire
ancestor Millarca? <i> </i></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">(<i>Mel Ferrer’s</i> Count is an old school gentlemanly type
who can get pretty pushy at times. He ranges between likable to churlish. He
has a ballroom style dance scene with Carmilla that is really quite charming,
and his piano-side fisherman mime is a light hearted brief break from the
gloominess.)</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgc16EFrw_lHYC6EcqamaL7GvHaGE0nSrdvBq6m_24dFWAThNMszTUctR8h7XzaRTpPGmky5ORx7kHZbBGIgZfvWqQVAGrOHqCmTtHWsK2s-JJbwxwEqnSrHS-Z_9ph8_OfLdEmrVAoQMkQ/s1428/Blood+and+Roses+4.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="1428" height="218" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgc16EFrw_lHYC6EcqamaL7GvHaGE0nSrdvBq6m_24dFWAThNMszTUctR8h7XzaRTpPGmky5ORx7kHZbBGIgZfvWqQVAGrOHqCmTtHWsK2s-JJbwxwEqnSrHS-Z_9ph8_OfLdEmrVAoQMkQ/w400-h168/Blood+and+Roses+4.jpg" width="512" /></a></span></div><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBW60osK_7u4iQ0EYWFAMOfPV0RopCoQk9Zc60qLVOk_0QXSrQgXYE0kU10i60_fWyzcS_HI59n3RfFgMSDHFsGWAIQfW3knhGUKRcgsiZZeFuU8MLHl8FzqiJyABQOSwsjxsvY8qfa0Cb/s1429/Blood+and+Roses+5.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="606" data-original-width="1429" height="218" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBW60osK_7u4iQ0EYWFAMOfPV0RopCoQk9Zc60qLVOk_0QXSrQgXYE0kU10i60_fWyzcS_HI59n3RfFgMSDHFsGWAIQfW3knhGUKRcgsiZZeFuU8MLHl8FzqiJyABQOSwsjxsvY8qfa0Cb/w400-h170/Blood+and+Roses+5.jpg" width="512" /></a></div> </span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">I do like the way <i>Vadim et al.</i> put a ghost story spin on the
vampire tale. There is more emphasis on ancestral significance and Carmilla’s personal
connection with her long-entombed forebear Millarca, who was said to have been
a vampire and is rumored to still be entombed somewhere, waiting to return. I
love the early scene in the living room, where many of the characters have
gathered to discuss and plan the engagement party and the fireworks display. When the
conversation tuns to vampires, Carmilla foreshadows Millarca’s return with a
dreamy, reverb-heavy speech in a first-person, soft-focus, perspective that’s
done in a way that feels like Millarca herself is in the room, watching
everyone’s faces. A soothingly haunting harp theme is also heard that really
places a nostalgic tenderness to the supernatural threat in the film.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_rbPWImlg6Y1MamszzSCGar7dw1O-RaIIzoGJoQH2ymIDEVPlaMJbS-w8XGgCDtsaA3SfpK_X76AQAS4N4h4JDi1QNR8wn58hfPQKwoogO80XofJpWZ_OfdwPmJdl4jDDbUYYzgB-zj8t/s1431/Blood+and+Roses+6.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="607" data-original-width="1431" height="218" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_rbPWImlg6Y1MamszzSCGar7dw1O-RaIIzoGJoQH2ymIDEVPlaMJbS-w8XGgCDtsaA3SfpK_X76AQAS4N4h4JDi1QNR8wn58hfPQKwoogO80XofJpWZ_OfdwPmJdl4jDDbUYYzgB-zj8t/w400-h170/Blood+and+Roses+6.jpg" width="512" /></a></span></div><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgou172SMDhLrE6qZe44DdUcUcA_q4hF2pJBXyvrlMVunkT-C0orDdAoNTgQGXcNm3IDhc_U9Qx7VpFYy09nZfhJT3i5BFuCQp3hTUOtwnKFaZrIM_h7CbMIj323OqfTddi1npoZ1ztFnTC/s1429/Blood+and+Roses+7.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="606" data-original-width="1429" height="218" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgou172SMDhLrE6qZe44DdUcUcA_q4hF2pJBXyvrlMVunkT-C0orDdAoNTgQGXcNm3IDhc_U9Qx7VpFYy09nZfhJT3i5BFuCQp3hTUOtwnKFaZrIM_h7CbMIj323OqfTddi1npoZ1ztFnTC/w400-h170/Blood+and+Roses+7.jpg" width="512" /></a></div> </span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">On the
night of the celebration, where a medieval style costume party is taking place,
Carmilla, not feeling festive, is having her own one woman party in her room,
drinking and dancing on her bed, refusing to come down even when Leopoldo
reproaches her for her behavior, tossing a costume at her, ordering her to get
dressed and come down to the party. In a drunken daze, Carmilla visits the old
villa wardrobe where she is compelled to wear Millarca’s old white gown and
turn heads when she finally joins the party, resembling the woman from the ancestral
portrait in the villa, further foreshadowing Millarca’s return. People seem to think she is
acting out or showing off, but it starts to become apparent that something is
calling to her, and without really knowing it, Carmilla is heeding the call. <i>Stroyberg</i>
wandering, in a languid almost sleepwalker-like state, the smoky cemetery at
night in her white dress is one of the film’s most memorable and pleasing
visuals.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOtpqG9Y3MbGTTbNsEuvlMt3GImvhgJ7UXPQEUhMwfODjaQ48GZqnxpUzI6sirrrQ1j4rS2IEDGKW4q8urKaJZRuyO5VizJIWE-aGk9JOy81IttkYvkYGbROQh-6sZxJVdbTFhyN8ucJs2/s1430/Blood+and+Roses+8.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="608" data-original-width="1430" height="218" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOtpqG9Y3MbGTTbNsEuvlMt3GImvhgJ7UXPQEUhMwfODjaQ48GZqnxpUzI6sirrrQ1j4rS2IEDGKW4q8urKaJZRuyO5VizJIWE-aGk9JOy81IttkYvkYGbROQh-6sZxJVdbTFhyN8ucJs2/w400-h170/Blood+and+Roses+8.jpg" width="512" /></a></span></div><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"> </span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">Mines unknowingly leftover from WWII are accidently ignited from the
firework activity coming from the ancestral cemetery, which opens Millarca’s
tomb and draws in Carmilla unwittingly. Carmilla seems to come face-to-face
with an unseen deity that one presumes is Millarca. It’s ambiguous what really
happens here. Does Millarca possess Carmilla, does she kill and replace her,
having her exact likeness? Or is Carmilla just mentally unwell? I like the way
the film toys with all possibilities. What is certain is that Carmilla is never
really the same after returning from the ancestral tomb the morning after the
ball, and her attraction really starts to shift towards Georgia.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXrKQ8XduKK5ERnD06XAQbi4nuTFZyFluyXcTbdqlEMqjWLobujOcGgE2-JAZDh2ag14VAOtOQki1w-RpuZ6t8Y4DyBJ-buZNz9pwji3MG_hnRvIjtjS-XHHsdNXHmAhAJAZiqqPY8PngM/s1430/Blood+and+Roses+9.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="608" data-original-width="1430" height="218" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXrKQ8XduKK5ERnD06XAQbi4nuTFZyFluyXcTbdqlEMqjWLobujOcGgE2-JAZDh2ag14VAOtOQki1w-RpuZ6t8Y4DyBJ-buZNz9pwji3MG_hnRvIjtjS-XHHsdNXHmAhAJAZiqqPY8PngM/w400-h170/Blood+and+Roses+9.jpg" width="512" /></a></span></div><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"> </span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">Carmilla does
become deadly at this point, and usually when she’s alone with another woman,
she goes into a subtle predator mode. There’s a real striking scene where she
stalks Lisa (<i>Gabriella Farinon</i>), a villa handmaid, chasing her through
the woods like a familiar that refuses to detach from its fleeing master. The
doomed seamstress can’t shake her and ultimately yields to the seductress. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">It was only a matter of time before Carmilla’s perfectly
white dress was getting bloodstained, at least as a metaphorical image in a
mirror. Carmilla seeing blood on her dress in her mirror image is a little Lady
Macbeth-like, a reminder of Carmilla’s guilt or who she might really be. She
can’t wash it away, and when she rips the bloody dress away, her breast is
still fully covered in blood underneath.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiC0bksVd0p4IEhfufQaYBL5wsLwvnBCbRxP7TV5ir8pYzngMT5UzIiq_Ho8lqH_cDyrz7DF5OcBfveIhHGzqSIYFCF-vXrQpylf46P0OaLEvMg_56NavxdqA51edMute_ye1lJcLM7RwrE/s1431/Blood+and+Roses+10.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="611" data-original-width="1431" height="218" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiC0bksVd0p4IEhfufQaYBL5wsLwvnBCbRxP7TV5ir8pYzngMT5UzIiq_Ho8lqH_cDyrz7DF5OcBfveIhHGzqSIYFCF-vXrQpylf46P0OaLEvMg_56NavxdqA51edMute_ye1lJcLM7RwrE/w400-h171/Blood+and+Roses+10.jpg" width="512" /></a></span></div><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><i> </i></span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><i>Annette Stroyberg</i> portrays
Carmilla/Millarca with such grace and nuance. She daydreams a lot with an air
of languor and ennui. That part towards the end where Carmilla visits the
slumbering Georgia, and Carmilla can be seen lurking behind the bed frame, creepily
eyeing Georgia, and around to the bedside before it transitions in to a dream
sequence is really one of the most haunting highlights of the movie. It’s
quick, but it has a lasting impact, and it is eerie as hell. This is when I
realized that I had come to love <i>Roger Vadim</i> and co.’s interpretation of
Carmilla here.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh55I8SpDKsxSq5KiLyzm8YFP2qkalFsVLjJc5vGQojDfgVFagjIqn5S8AnVuHVznwNzM4vpBcwBjcABFNBE1BMCISDxYJMtrVamP8CiFTp1YvOostVdZXkZrlq4N8bEykBIpE4WP90WH_2/s1431/Blood+and+Roses+11.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="609" data-original-width="1431" height="218" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh55I8SpDKsxSq5KiLyzm8YFP2qkalFsVLjJc5vGQojDfgVFagjIqn5S8AnVuHVznwNzM4vpBcwBjcABFNBE1BMCISDxYJMtrVamP8CiFTp1YvOostVdZXkZrlq4N8bEykBIpE4WP90WH_2/w400-h170/Blood+and+Roses+11.jpg" width="512" /></a></span></div><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"> </span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">This Carmilla adaptation feels more like a ghost story than a
vampire story, but I do appreciate the way the film handles both elements. Most
of the time, it does feel like an era piece with only a few reminders of the
present day like the airplane scenes that bookend the movie, with the isolated
ancient villa setting making everything seem so timeless. The ending is
beautiful, subtle, and emotional, a bittersweet reminder of a tragic past
coalescing with a tragic present. Surprisingly the movie does feel longer than
its seventy-nine-minute run time, but that might just be innate to the
languorous nature of Carmilla and her affliction that she is doomed to endure. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">©
At the Mansion of Madness</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBnj5_0xD3qW4MRgAQDDHcJVb-SLa3U5lYOAzr-galySuznmjq-4bFuFyZYOYhvCe6OJL2mH3OdDLZZVfpoqG6JV3MRXqy7GiRnufhO4A_4DP1Hny5W4BBZX0I4yHbCHxCLa2SGtV1QUjU/s1431/Blood+and+Roses+12.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="607" data-original-width="1431" height="218" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBnj5_0xD3qW4MRgAQDDHcJVb-SLa3U5lYOAzr-galySuznmjq-4bFuFyZYOYhvCe6OJL2mH3OdDLZZVfpoqG6JV3MRXqy7GiRnufhO4A_4DP1Hny5W4BBZX0I4yHbCHxCLa2SGtV1QUjU/w400-h170/Blood+and+Roses+12.jpg" width="512" /></a></span></div><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi01fXzqZ69rckId3u51LuCmG9nFmG5941HpT3Jo3QfCEkyt3SNnItsqrulnx6hNdZIehSPQmvWV9p-ZYxOg8Nge-EKu6kESGfAByf9Omm8rDYyWASGJpLPrpuXbHHTQf1M2u7yexV6ZXnj/s1428/Blood+and+Roses+13.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="608" data-original-width="1428" height="218" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi01fXzqZ69rckId3u51LuCmG9nFmG5941HpT3Jo3QfCEkyt3SNnItsqrulnx6hNdZIehSPQmvWV9p-ZYxOg8Nge-EKu6kESGfAByf9Omm8rDYyWASGJpLPrpuXbHHTQf1M2u7yexV6ZXnj/w400-h170/Blood+and+Roses+13.jpg" width="512" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbWTEvuZDzjMN8VmJ3M8A_g_uK3C6sPEG3uAOeSRVe54L57LRun62sCUe4ldu2QF_ZsvffOuDjnqTnQ1JfBq0Va9XsliML9JBgy2WCdMeUGNnrCrqhMvUS-UBkUcoR_wvCTgOccwbfmzoN/s1431/Blood+and+Roses+14.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="608" data-original-width="1431" height="218" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbWTEvuZDzjMN8VmJ3M8A_g_uK3C6sPEG3uAOeSRVe54L57LRun62sCUe4ldu2QF_ZsvffOuDjnqTnQ1JfBq0Va9XsliML9JBgy2WCdMeUGNnrCrqhMvUS-UBkUcoR_wvCTgOccwbfmzoN/w400-h170/Blood+and+Roses+14.jpg" width="512" /></a></div><br /> </span>
<p></p>Giovanni Susinahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03253382939348997303noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2316228451187611813.post-54825367476946451602020-08-18T23:45:00.009-07:002021-05-23T00:43:43.964-07:00Emanuelle and Joanna / Il mondo porno di due sorelle (1979)<p><span face="" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span face="" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAjotW15heaIyZUhFnRzauGLh4kM9qbZ2zPV-bffwo5y04Ikbp1v8vAdA04TpDwm1BfEAkUD1skevzhy1MsYenrQnpQfaLzsclhzIlUcVYy5HaP5274dzxLJq0o7w4IY5Xy1l8dct9mUTB/s716/Emanuelle+and+Joanna+Title.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="716" data-original-width="500" height="413" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAjotW15heaIyZUhFnRzauGLh4kM9qbZ2zPV-bffwo5y04Ikbp1v8vAdA04TpDwm1BfEAkUD1skevzhy1MsYenrQnpQfaLzsclhzIlUcVYy5HaP5274dzxLJq0o7w4IY5Xy1l8dct9mUTB/w358-h512/Emanuelle+and+Joanna+Title.jpg" width="289" /></a></span></div><p><span face="" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">So, here we are, nearly ten years in to writing for this
site, and it would look like I’m finally getting around to covering an <b>Emmanuelle</b>
movie… Well, not quite… In fact, <b>Emanuelle and Joanna</b> seems to me to be an
anti-<b>Emmanuelle</b> movie, since I believe the literary <b>Emmanuelle</b> is
mainly about embracing and normalizing sexual taboos. Whereas the protagonist in
<b>Emanuelle and Joanna</b> is haunted by sexual taboos and is seemingly
punished for her altruism by providence, or the scriptwriter if you prefer. I
felt it was much too negative to be in line with the sexually positive but
still iconoclastic spirit of the writings of Emmanuelle Arsan (<i>Louis-Jacques
Rollet-Andriane</i>) and to me had a little more in common with the writings of
the <i>Marquis de Sade</i>. Emanuelle and Joanna, who I’m assuming are the two
women seen on the movie poster engaging in what is surely a kind of esoteric
sex ritual, aren’t even in the movie. The lead sisters, alluded to in the film's
Italian title, are Emanuela (<i>Sherry Buchanan</i>) and Giovanna (<i>Paola
Montenero</i>). I don’t feel duped at all though, because this is the kind of
shit I go for, a pleasing dark piece of dated erotica that sends its
protagonist down a rabbit-hole of perverts.</span></p><p><span face="" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><span></span></span></p><a name='more'></a><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span face="" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgh7T-N1f9KkXTfZt6Lsn3lw2m81IeIv2x4Lett5GKpObEBmCYRuIh5t_uRK0ENS3V1cpIWGjsP9a4vPKqdEdixc9Dq8xNHLlZMzmvjYhspMyeIlVcEsOU1W4YFfaK3b-jUH_Xonq6RQoEg/s1243/Emanuelle+and+Joanna_1.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="931" data-original-width="1243" height="383" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgh7T-N1f9KkXTfZt6Lsn3lw2m81IeIv2x4Lett5GKpObEBmCYRuIh5t_uRK0ENS3V1cpIWGjsP9a4vPKqdEdixc9Dq8xNHLlZMzmvjYhspMyeIlVcEsOU1W4YFfaK3b-jUH_Xonq6RQoEg/w512-h383/Emanuelle+and+Joanna_1.jpg" width="512" /></a></span></div><p></p><p></p><p><span face="" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"> </span></p><p><span face="" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">This trashy variation of <b>Belle
de Jour</b> is spoiled forbidden fruit that I’m not ashamed of indulging in. It
is cheap Italian sleaze, written and directed by <i>Franco Rossetti</i>, that I
would also like to argue still has artistic merit, mainly in how the dreams and
brothel scenes are filmed. The unlikely mix of the weird and randomly perverse
with the deep and emotional make this a curiosity worth hanging on to. The best
parts are, of course, Emanuela’s visits to her sister Giovanna’s brothel
funhouse and also Emanuela’s dreams and the way they portray her troubled
psych. </span></p><p><span face="" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">Emanuela is in a problematic marriage with her abusive creep of a
husband Roberto (<i>Brunello Chiodetti</i>). He’s a sociopath who thinks he can
jokingly charm his way through his faults, but everyone who knows him seems to
know how much of an ass he is and that he’s an unreliable husband to the sweet
and charitable Emanuela. She’s unhappily subservient to his whims. Sex with her
husband is non-negotiable, as he expects her to submit to him without
considering what she wants. He reminds me a lot of <i>Simon Andreu’s</i>
character from <b>The Blood Spattered Bride</b> (1972).</span></p><p><span face="" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span face="" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEil-PJY-nFHsw8A5kXn7neR2oIKFLME9bTU_n9OxMzjk_qEGb1BBor4KG9KGLcexJ7AXbA8q2zHkCT3eJFDUZi-vK7Wb4ewOfwuBpM78XPl4e4rv_4JMw2qwTh_lKFuwoYNDWWVBLOlSUQT/s1241/Emanuelle+and+Joanna_2.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="919" data-original-width="1241" height="379" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEil-PJY-nFHsw8A5kXn7neR2oIKFLME9bTU_n9OxMzjk_qEGb1BBor4KG9KGLcexJ7AXbA8q2zHkCT3eJFDUZi-vK7Wb4ewOfwuBpM78XPl4e4rv_4JMw2qwTh_lKFuwoYNDWWVBLOlSUQT/w512-h379/Emanuelle+and+Joanna_2.jpg" width="512" /></a></span></div><span face="" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5OtoLh609-dcDcpWi5ow3qjanmmahwTGi2orsuDgExszUCPR_mbHWbg3YNJ4aNJXxxtb0MjRYIk7Jnm-ozcony8_6YEe902auoVBjnL3ZjuxKeZj6gI0EmyD8-vZmWLPIMYC9KcTn5dD2/s1240/Emanuelle+and+Joanna_3.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="929" data-original-width="1240" height="383" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5OtoLh609-dcDcpWi5ow3qjanmmahwTGi2orsuDgExszUCPR_mbHWbg3YNJ4aNJXxxtb0MjRYIk7Jnm-ozcony8_6YEe902auoVBjnL3ZjuxKeZj6gI0EmyD8-vZmWLPIMYC9KcTn5dD2/w512-h383/Emanuelle+and+Joanna_3.jpg" width="512" /></a></div> </span><p></p><p><span face="" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">It’s rumored that she
tolerates him because she’s a masochist. This is incorrect, as it’s revealed
through her dreams that she is legitimately in despair, but there’s a ray of
light in her nightmare world in the form of a vision of a boy she longed for
from her college days. There's a relatable feeling here in Emanuela's dreams, a tendency
to retreat to a nostalgic past when the present makes you unhappy. But
sometimes the romanticized past isn’t always so great either. </span></p><p><span face="" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">Emanuela’s mother
(<i>Catherine Zago</i>) is concerned about Emanuela’s sister Giovanna, whom she
seems to have lost all contact with. One morning she is urging Emanuela to contact her sister. This scene is supposed to be serious, but to give you an
idea of the randomness of the silly sleaze on display, during this part, when Emanuela
steps out of the room, briefly, Emanuela’s young butler walks up to her mother
while holding a drink tray, and instead of reaching for a drink her mother
reaches under the tray for the butler’s crotch and begins to grope him, as the
butler starts to nervously quiver and the tray shivers and shakes. Emanuela
walks back in to the room and her mother quickly lets go of the butler and
grabs her drink, without Emanuela even noticing she just assaulted her butler.
Emanuela actually catches him later in the movie at her mom’s dwelling, much to
her dismay.</span></p><p><span face="" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span face="" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOJ1kqasS9yZBYcBQF-4nhMrHj86jTOXse-xH4eEJKaJI_VIhJ5kBrghOLYHMnTP0zq0M23LdGuZ7vwd-DkfGuG1m1TaDLO3WB7B39hQnx-mdMdyvJlOWhEDFDsQWyRYBos7szjM-GlXoz/s1247/Emanuelle+and+Joanna_4.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="935" data-original-width="1247" height="384" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOJ1kqasS9yZBYcBQF-4nhMrHj86jTOXse-xH4eEJKaJI_VIhJ5kBrghOLYHMnTP0zq0M23LdGuZ7vwd-DkfGuG1m1TaDLO3WB7B39hQnx-mdMdyvJlOWhEDFDsQWyRYBos7szjM-GlXoz/w512-h384/Emanuelle+and+Joanna_4.jpg" width="512" /></a></span></div><span face="" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjb57WaYn8NPK4L-442AubxDhXCN00wk2yg9k3rC9OT1-VJ0iC2y-g3zOi0ZvwttuzjRHsl0PDEOH-rrdyJcJij6Kz8w0vNKho2Gjp6Caw9Fa8ySri3-ouPNpdgj8CZ223PpeyEqUDbM4XL/s1240/Emanuelle+and+Joanna_5.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="927" data-original-width="1240" height="382" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjb57WaYn8NPK4L-442AubxDhXCN00wk2yg9k3rC9OT1-VJ0iC2y-g3zOi0ZvwttuzjRHsl0PDEOH-rrdyJcJij6Kz8w0vNKho2Gjp6Caw9Fa8ySri3-ouPNpdgj8CZ223PpeyEqUDbM4XL/w512-h382/Emanuelle+and+Joanna_5.jpg" width="512" /></a></div> </span><p></p><p><span face="" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">On her mother’s insistence, Emanuela tracks her sister down at a
brothel that she happens to lord over. When she visits, Giovanna and her assistant
Angela (<i>Angela La Vorgna)</i> literally force Emanuela on a grand tour of
her brothel that is like a funhouse of random perversions and kinks. The scene
with the middle-aged man-baby is really something else. He is being nursed by a
dominatrix Rosella (<i>Marina Hedman</i>), someone Emanuela actually knows. Naïve
Emanuela is taken from room to room to be perturbed by a variety of sexual proclivities
she apparently was previously ignorant of. Every sexual taboo, associated with
certain characters, haunts Emanuela later that night in a fabulous menacing
dream sequence, where the brothel funhouse becomes more like a madhouse. It’s
all too much for her until the man-of-her-dreams, her old college crush,
appears front and center, emitting a virtuous light that drives back the dark
vice-filled perversions, seemingly offering her salvation from her twisted
life. Problem is, in reality, this person apparently died years ago.</span></p><p><span face="" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span face="" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicA9aRSeZ5TfFnavhyN6qWEHtFqdvsP-dtVxXF1Xq8wvrsX-sCaTzv76ruk8PmlfDb4QPe5WzPs8vwYTTnaWYBcemcmUpzzJ3RjgjNXdpuQeBsanzt7lvdsYK968tmPHeSRvJ2LSEc5PpI/s1243/Emanuelle+and+Joanna_6.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="930" data-original-width="1243" height="383" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicA9aRSeZ5TfFnavhyN6qWEHtFqdvsP-dtVxXF1Xq8wvrsX-sCaTzv76ruk8PmlfDb4QPe5WzPs8vwYTTnaWYBcemcmUpzzJ3RjgjNXdpuQeBsanzt7lvdsYK968tmPHeSRvJ2LSEc5PpI/w512-h383/Emanuelle+and+Joanna_6.jpg" width="512" /></a></span></div><span face="" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTPp6BYaZIuiad5lbjRJCL1ZLhCs9Yg-jT6gjEc_pB-yremhXc1T6sIB4HNz8EuwDi_6SEEwNiDyIp1ogPMMwiNEBXjxi7Bb_q7VJcq6c6QaccDgiAN4NHeEtgRcDkfsDnkjun7DeDGY-0/s1243/Emanuelle+and+Joanna_7.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="930" data-original-width="1243" height="383" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTPp6BYaZIuiad5lbjRJCL1ZLhCs9Yg-jT6gjEc_pB-yremhXc1T6sIB4HNz8EuwDi_6SEEwNiDyIp1ogPMMwiNEBXjxi7Bb_q7VJcq6c6QaccDgiAN4NHeEtgRcDkfsDnkjun7DeDGY-0/w512-h383/Emanuelle+and+Joanna_7.jpg" width="512" /></a></div> </span><p></p><p><span face="" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">When, one
day, at random, Emanuela comes across someone who has the exact likeness to the
boy-of-her-dreams, Paulo (<i>?</i>), she is instinctively generous to him, with
high hopes that he’ll be a part of her life. Paulo lives in poverty and works
the streets selling packets of coloring pens. Through her connections, Emanuela gets
him a job, and later during the celebration, Paulo and his hippie friends end
up repaying her in the cruelest way. Her shining light and savior actually
turns out to be just another scoundrel, possibly even worse than her husband. She
can’t seem to cut a break. The kind and caring Emanuela seems doomed to suffer
tortures dealt to her by providence. She’s a little like <i>de Sade’s</i> <b>Justine</b>
in this way. The only one who is welcoming to her, and not in the most helpful
way, is her sister.</span></p><p><span face="" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span face="" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFO6cXVRPsFn8J1GofUfKem8iN4Ke-cvwpDjAIUbbE2o_9il9_BITrGEjfqGS3CpDHN554KIfPG5xrIsv8cyc9NFR9GzjpjNyZHHVY2gjHhNBpMhB_dszfvWhBAzMp_B5i6-CxCOOFf5cV/s1247/Emanuelle+and+Joanna_8.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="934" data-original-width="1247" height="383" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFO6cXVRPsFn8J1GofUfKem8iN4Ke-cvwpDjAIUbbE2o_9il9_BITrGEjfqGS3CpDHN554KIfPG5xrIsv8cyc9NFR9GzjpjNyZHHVY2gjHhNBpMhB_dszfvWhBAzMp_B5i6-CxCOOFf5cV/w512-h383/Emanuelle+and+Joanna_8.jpg" width="512" /></a></span></div><span face="" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"> </span><p></p><p><span face="" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">Giovanna confesses to Emanuela that she is a simple
sadomasochist, claiming a need to inflict and receive pain, so much so that she
felt a need to manage, direct, and organize violence; hence her position as the
head mistress of one of the freakiest pleasure houses. She attributes the
origin of her hypersexuality to a time when she and Emanuela were children and
secretly witnessed their mother having a sexual affair with the gardener before
the mother goes upstairs to satiate her appetite even further by sexually
engaging with their, unknowing, father immediately afterwards. Giovanna then
suggests that both sisters were conceived from different fathers. The corrupted
born from the immoral affair, the other born from the sexual encounter within
the confines of marriage, bringing to my mind that de Sadean contrast of vice
and virtue, i.e. <b>Juliette</b> and <b>Justine</b>.</span></p><p><span face="" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span face="" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIK-Aq4PyQ32b_dIshTL494J96v18f2I8cy8dUu-903HtFkVC8ffmQcuH-bzeCxv3aKjmK57KEvVkes44nvxPfBzx09ORvvgfYL51Ouza1Qi0g4BUEu4EUBxDDUk79XuBx-uONig9Adtwf/s1243/Emanuelle+and+Joanna_9.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="932" data-original-width="1243" height="384" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIK-Aq4PyQ32b_dIshTL494J96v18f2I8cy8dUu-903HtFkVC8ffmQcuH-bzeCxv3aKjmK57KEvVkes44nvxPfBzx09ORvvgfYL51Ouza1Qi0g4BUEu4EUBxDDUk79XuBx-uONig9Adtwf/w512-h384/Emanuelle+and+Joanna_9.jpg" width="512" /></a></span></div><span face="" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"> </span><p></p><p><span face="" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">I also like to think there
is a quick ode to <i>Leopold von Sacher-Masoch’s</i> <b>Venus in Furs</b> here,
when Emanuela visits her husband’s work associate, Andrea (<i>Daniele Dublino</i>),
during the time she is trying to help Paolo find a job. Andrea, the bald and
graceful piano player, with a wicked scar under his eye, has a deep attraction
to Emanuela. (I honestly felt like he had a suspicious Ernst Stavro Blofeld
vibe to him). When she negotiates with Andrea to help her friend Paulo find
employment, Andrea, a little like Severin from <b>ViF</b>, responds by waxing
poetically about how attracted he is to Emanuela and thinks of her as a
Goddess. Emanuela is even draped in furs during this part. He then offers to
help her if she’ll permit him to indulge in a voyeuristic fantasy he’s always
had of spying on her through a keyhole while she is in the bathroom, to which
she obliges. The erotic POV shot through a keyhole frame during this part is pleasantly
tasteful.</span></p><p><span face="" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span face="" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBbblXM6hSU-WLUXZjKHA90V3ELVT3cU8mMjFjHyTXeoYspVjGHo7L1vlLjCkGZ63UH1vayRLHrRjtFRBZC4U0s65i97916v10tMlw5jDcPzgvaD7ngh1bq7mQ10DatLfDggG9LD3T6W6F/s1247/Emanuelle+and+Joanna_10.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="937" data-original-width="1247" height="385" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBbblXM6hSU-WLUXZjKHA90V3ELVT3cU8mMjFjHyTXeoYspVjGHo7L1vlLjCkGZ63UH1vayRLHrRjtFRBZC4U0s65i97916v10tMlw5jDcPzgvaD7ngh1bq7mQ10DatLfDggG9LD3T6W6F/w512-h385/Emanuelle+and+Joanna_10.jpg" width="512" /></a></span></div><span face="" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3cIfTKc-_4HwMjxUaoD60t57wEDJ3iMiVbBxw4MFNa5TnNKaxfWs4ewpv7iZE_RhrHeE5EcpgE57DWD9k9-t5PITU9oBLr0o8lM-HalgVJ5LebZpBI1fBlrlrCijzEJV2b10uA4cxUm6z/s1226/Emanuelle+and+Joanna_11.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="929" data-original-width="1226" height="388" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3cIfTKc-_4HwMjxUaoD60t57wEDJ3iMiVbBxw4MFNa5TnNKaxfWs4ewpv7iZE_RhrHeE5EcpgE57DWD9k9-t5PITU9oBLr0o8lM-HalgVJ5LebZpBI1fBlrlrCijzEJV2b10uA4cxUm6z/w512-h388/Emanuelle+and+Joanna_11.jpg" width="512" /></a></div> <b> </b></span><p></p><p><span face="" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><b>Emanuele and Joanna</b> does culminate into a kind of rape/revenge
style conclusion for Emanuela’s husband, while Emanuela submits to what the
title eludes to and likely what everyone watching this in the ‘70s and ‘80s was
hoping for. I can’t say it, because even I have my limits when it comes to
sexual taboos. The ending is more fleshed out in the Italian language version,
whereas a lot of the ending was edited out from the dubbed English version, yet
there are different parts cut from both versions, so it’s still best to watch
both, in that something missing from one version can still be found in the
other. </span></p><p><span face="" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">Much of the movie is made so beautiful by the piano theme by <i>Enzo
Petti</i> which is essentially the main theme to the movie. That recurring
romantic melody just moves my soul and gives some of the scenes a certain
grandiose feel that they probably don’t deserve. It’s so bitchin’ that I even
find myself sometimes air-pianoing to it. It also kind of reminds me of <b>Nadia's Theme</b> from <b>The Young and the Restless</b>. <br /></span></p><p><span face="" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span face="" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgl2_DRxp5dCgAg2RwM7E2a7q7HIwHZPcJTvYM7vDZKF_Ql3maGscwPdQXicjLfTGrn_BlLvSW6QCFS-_BkyaC0lITRA4OjjEfJosh38N2XWx6M91fOOqN4_0qVeMmmcFfm6rzYe3ph1UY0/s1243/Emanuelle+and+Joanna_12.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="931" data-original-width="1243" height="383" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgl2_DRxp5dCgAg2RwM7E2a7q7HIwHZPcJTvYM7vDZKF_Ql3maGscwPdQXicjLfTGrn_BlLvSW6QCFS-_BkyaC0lITRA4OjjEfJosh38N2XWx6M91fOOqN4_0qVeMmmcFfm6rzYe3ph1UY0/w512-h383/Emanuelle+and+Joanna_12.jpg" width="512" /></a></span></div><span face="" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"> </span><p></p><p><span face="" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><b>Emanuelle and Joanna</b> might seem
a little too cheap and sleazy for one to really try and find anything
meaningful in it, but despite this I thought there still ended up being many
meaningful and memorable parts, which is kind of what made it a surprising
delight to me. I thought <i>Sherry Buchanan</i> really played Emanuela with
such sweetness and vulnerability that you really do care about her. She’s
caring and kind-hearted and deserves so much better than the cruel existence <i>Rossetti
</i>has fabricated for her. <i>Paola Montenero</i> is a nice dark counterpart to
Emanuela as her vice-fueled sister Giovanna, who has this kind of cold
indifference about her. Her motives are questionable since she seemed to be
behind some of Emanuela’s torments and misfortunes, but Giovanna also offers Emanuela
help at getting back at her husband. Giovanna’s brothel and how it was
interpreted as a kind of freakshow by Emanuela was one of the biggest things
that kept me coming back to this movie and is largely why I’m trying to sell
it, although I’m quite aware that it probably isn’t for everyone, but if kinky
weirdness and partially forgotten (that should not be forgotten) Euro-erotica
are your jam, you might want to check this one out. </span></p><p><span face="" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">© At the Mansion of Madness</span>
</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPIafj_WLciQko2KcNPAmLqmnO2Yoq50L0ctODJbB-ilnTuz_CRm_sh9PxpQZlRH9EnkKS12pMNW7n8a6wRE8s-khiJt2Ss13QZRhsKd-xbkc2QdiMmvTXWEjzPKCLTiy0-tXi5z7jqGgB/s1237/Emanuelle+and+Joanna_15.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="931" data-original-width="1237" height="386" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPIafj_WLciQko2KcNPAmLqmnO2Yoq50L0ctODJbB-ilnTuz_CRm_sh9PxpQZlRH9EnkKS12pMNW7n8a6wRE8s-khiJt2Ss13QZRhsKd-xbkc2QdiMmvTXWEjzPKCLTiy0-tXi5z7jqGgB/w512-h386/Emanuelle+and+Joanna_15.jpg" width="512" /> </a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWKvd9n-hPkD8WEkYIfpc2pRDNBQOUdWe55wLvo94_rcqoYZAtomCEDqPq1iuR8awaHm6nRN7PvOXKus6uxcLoMGmWIVoIYkOFDK5KjUBhRFQWskGSDZApC9eFXLnTXIlWfDpT4Zo4c_6A/s1267/Emanuelle+and+Joanna_14.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="931" data-original-width="1267" height="376" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWKvd9n-hPkD8WEkYIfpc2pRDNBQOUdWe55wLvo94_rcqoYZAtomCEDqPq1iuR8awaHm6nRN7PvOXKus6uxcLoMGmWIVoIYkOFDK5KjUBhRFQWskGSDZApC9eFXLnTXIlWfDpT4Zo4c_6A/w512-h376/Emanuelle+and+Joanna_14.jpg" width="512" /> </a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeHHo9vvNyyoYnl5uihQJLwwhgGauxhI1HB61-ffKRFIopexwPwg7FwQ-lifCuJkWjWvvskM2TJDuhIx3xKzitYASTfbVJO8csW78-he1L-tlfk7XYdxvNWoNkS1QNEJbqcQOTtBRf0PoJ/s1245/Emanuelle+and+Joanna_13.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="932" data-original-width="1245" height="383" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeHHo9vvNyyoYnl5uihQJLwwhgGauxhI1HB61-ffKRFIopexwPwg7FwQ-lifCuJkWjWvvskM2TJDuhIx3xKzitYASTfbVJO8csW78-he1L-tlfk7XYdxvNWoNkS1QNEJbqcQOTtBRf0PoJ/w512-h383/Emanuelle+and+Joanna_13.jpg" width="512" /></a></div><br /><p></p>Giovanni Susinahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03253382939348997303noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2316228451187611813.post-67660180878559597462020-06-14T22:56:00.007-07:002021-11-01T01:24:56.936-07:00A Candle for the Devil / Una vela para el diablo (1973)<p class="MsoNormal">
<span face=""arial", sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBd8h2eYP4xeVLZ8E02Dx0t72z-Wdqqp9O9G4OJocfm5v85jIUHO8FD7H7OKshDOdOt-JL5xlSLjHgHALka02Q5vz8gjdMhO8fR5O8Fo5oceu5jEOrV2j9cRo807j20o16chfwgBBDuO15/s961/It+Happened+at+Nightmare+Inn+Title_1.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a> <span style="font-family: "arial";"></span></div><p></p><p></p><span face=""arial", sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPnKvLy0AWNEkmCTA0yZgd0VQT24QJgoVYkeu08OMFnFe0fBypjIi-5mROlu4_1Y4qoBEm7py90zNozVznOHfEB5S3exWurZjuWNZ_t_BUk18WDnVH6G0KxnNq6AhnmnziRttmOyLayYkB/s961/It+Happened+at+Nightmare+Inn+Title_1.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="961" data-original-width="695" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPnKvLy0AWNEkmCTA0yZgd0VQT24QJgoVYkeu08OMFnFe0fBypjIi-5mROlu4_1Y4qoBEm7py90zNozVznOHfEB5S3exWurZjuWNZ_t_BUk18WDnVH6G0KxnNq6AhnmnziRttmOyLayYkB/w289-h400/It+Happened+at+Nightmare+Inn+Title_1.jpg" width="289" /></a></div>“<i>The pleasures I tried to deprive myself of assailed my
mind more ardently…</i>” –Madame de Saint-Ange (<i>Marquis de Sade</i>)</span>
<span face=""arial", sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span><div><span face=""arial", sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></div><div><span face=""arial", sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">I feel like <b>A Candle for the Devil</b> (aka <b>It
Happened at Nightmare Inn</b>) from Spanish filmmaker <i>Eugenio Martin</i>,
director of the astounding <b>Horror Express</b> (1972) and the rare gem <b>Aquella
casa en las afueras</b> (1980), was that demented shocker I was always looking
for when I was channel surfing as a kid looking to satiate my thirst for
something twisted with big bloody kitchen knives and bloody nightgowns. It’s
also an intelligent and thought-provoking film with enough memorable moments to
prevent anyone who watches it from entirely forgetting about it. I had only
seen it twice, in its cut and uncut version, but for years it had been stored
in my memory as a truly special Spanish horror film that I knew I would revisit
someday to write about.</span></div>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 1;"><span face=""arial", sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 1.15;">After I first watched it, I remember feeling cheated out of
the definitive experience of <b style="line-height: 1.15;">A Candle for the Devil</b> after finding out
the version I watched titled <b style="line-height: 1.15;">It Happened at Nightmare Inn</b> from a bargain
DVD box set was heavily cut, omitting the graphic violence and nudity. I still
thought it was a pretty sweet film even in its censored form, but of course
that’s not the version I wanted for my collection, and so I later ordered off
for a DVD-R containing the uncut <b style="line-height: 1.15;">A Candle for the Devil</b>, with <i style="line-height: 1.15;">Esperanza
Roy’s</i> (from <b style="line-height: 1.15;">Return of the Evil Dead</b> (1973)) nude scenes thankfully intact.
The film has since been released on Blu-ray in 2015 by Scorpion Releasing.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 1;"><span face=""arial", sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 1.15;"><span></span></span></p><a name='more'></a><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span face=""arial", sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg__6ic2RGUmh_DPutBh91-F6Hnewz2VB5EUkIWkwqIfnIeNrJ6Rw9HcP3TWHEoy_Ew0dYIER9YdLmXJRb_U31Sja1M9R0a065Kk_qlfwsRfLdKOdv1Dy9DNnmDJndIdyYfkh1s8oIelzoy/s1430/It+Happened+at+Nightmare+Inn_1.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="766" data-original-width="1430" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg__6ic2RGUmh_DPutBh91-F6Hnewz2VB5EUkIWkwqIfnIeNrJ6Rw9HcP3TWHEoy_Ew0dYIER9YdLmXJRb_U31Sja1M9R0a065Kk_qlfwsRfLdKOdv1Dy9DNnmDJndIdyYfkh1s8oIelzoy/w400-h214/It+Happened+at+Nightmare+Inn_1.jpg" width="500" /><br /></a></div><div><span></span><span></span><span></span><span face=""arial", sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></div><div><span face=""arial", sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">I do like that the two lead characters, Marta (<i>Aurora
Batista</i>) and Veronica (<i>Roy</i>), are villains who don’t realize, or at
least stubbornly refuse to believe, they are the villains. The sisters commit unplanned murder, which Marta self-justifies in the name
of personal convictions that happen to be way out-of-touch. They are the
self-righteous who believe they are God’s right hand but are actually the real
problem. When they are fueled by their convictions, they have no trouble
slaughtering people in their kitchen, the same way they slaughter and cook lambs
to serve to their guests.</span></div><div><span face=""arial", sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"> <br /></span></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYdQuyIT7f431aoTzgzFevr24QUhT44Q2rZXd7YOF3gt1EZzD7G9b9JSJWc8EkuuZdRw_7pvxB6SU0ci-pnJYy7rUvBo0P8_fEX9MKm4U7g85uXt1Qq4bZgPaPuYbIu58WQgYimzMx2mEg/s1429/It+Happened+at+Nightmare+Inn_2.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="766" data-original-width="1429" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYdQuyIT7f431aoTzgzFevr24QUhT44Q2rZXd7YOF3gt1EZzD7G9b9JSJWc8EkuuZdRw_7pvxB6SU0ci-pnJYy7rUvBo0P8_fEX9MKm4U7g85uXt1Qq4bZgPaPuYbIu58WQgYimzMx2mEg/w400-h215/It+Happened+at+Nightmare+Inn_2.jpg" width="500" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-edx-Fei5YfVV2Hm3ktruBhNc4G82Gamaxb28Y4YkSY9-uGUbaQdeGIiRdVo6Ww0SSgnr9HnJTZl7gVbMQJ1s_Xf_C9D7d7cHfbYvF2YYdYaoWOJY5dt-Mup9wS7RgdQZ_S_RG6ko44US/s1428/It+Happened+at+Nightmare+Inn_3.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="761" data-original-width="1428" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-edx-Fei5YfVV2Hm3ktruBhNc4G82Gamaxb28Y4YkSY9-uGUbaQdeGIiRdVo6Ww0SSgnr9HnJTZl7gVbMQJ1s_Xf_C9D7d7cHfbYvF2YYdYaoWOJY5dt-Mup9wS7RgdQZ_S_RG6ko44US/w400-h214/It+Happened+at+Nightmare+Inn_3.jpg" width="500" /></a></div><span face=""arial", sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"></span><span face=""arial", sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></div><div><span face=""arial", sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">It isn’t made subtle at all that this is about religious
hypocrisy, with characters that don’t live up to their own principles. What’s
that saying about “throwing stones in glass houses?”</span>
</div><p class="MsoNormal"><span face=""arial", sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">Sisters Marta and Veronica are a couple of murderesses who
run a quaint little boarding house. The immodest behavior of the modern young
female tourists who stay at their boarding house does not jive with Marta’s old-fashioned
belief that decency and purity are better ideals for a young lady. After they
discover one of their guests May (<i>Loreta Tovar</i>) sunbathing on their
roof, much to the amusement of the local men, Marta, with Veronica’s help, very
rudely starts to physically force May out of her house. While Marta is pushing
her, May tumbles down the stairs and crashes into a stained-glass window and instantly
dies. This initially was a tragic accident, until Marta believes she sees a religious
sign in a broken, bloody piece of stained glass and assures her sister that
what just occurred was an act of God. Marta hides the body while Veronica answers
the front door to May’s sister Laura (<i>Judy Geeson</i>), who was supposed to
meet her sister at the boarding house. Laura spends her time trying to get to
the bottom of her sister’s disappearance while murders continue.</span><b><span face=""arial", sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhy4IK9QFl_BKAYBvCPBL-WiRvmcin8h-fB5wIWtjmTT4Q_MmiozJg4KiPKjs7pnDL4WOuDvGCFLhLQPJwVupzVc0flZR3uWCpAMMR143IbvbcnEKbPbi1NSU-IaVA1XEM72yUWYMz53HVz/s1430/It+Happened+at+Nightmare+Inn_4.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="766" data-original-width="1430" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhy4IK9QFl_BKAYBvCPBL-WiRvmcin8h-fB5wIWtjmTT4Q_MmiozJg4KiPKjs7pnDL4WOuDvGCFLhLQPJwVupzVc0flZR3uWCpAMMR143IbvbcnEKbPbi1NSU-IaVA1XEM72yUWYMz53HVz/w400-h214/It+Happened+at+Nightmare+Inn_4.jpg" width="500" /></a></b></div><b><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-hZzKKprKoO35KpoDwhwSv41M-FYTi24yNP3i7anDiH-1AJiXcnY1wy6SBUQBc8A8cJJhDcJ-D3Jt0LjqwaJmJwvkhQcnwwVtkTUoVWEZYuqF7uOy70gCeB7g_EGtuch4ZQNeMEO1zBcP/s1429/It+Happened+at+Nightmare+Inn_5.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="766" data-original-width="1429" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-hZzKKprKoO35KpoDwhwSv41M-FYTi24yNP3i7anDiH-1AJiXcnY1wy6SBUQBc8A8cJJhDcJ-D3Jt0LjqwaJmJwvkhQcnwwVtkTUoVWEZYuqF7uOy70gCeB7g_EGtuch4ZQNeMEO1zBcP/w400-h215/It+Happened+at+Nightmare+Inn_5.jpg" width="500" /></a></div></b><div><b><span face=""arial", sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></b></div><div><b><span face=""arial", sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">A Candle for the Devil</span></b><span face=""arial", sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"> is a
sort of non-mystery, where we the audience already know what’s going on while
we watch Laura and her companion Eduardo (<i>Vic Winner</i>) try to figure it
out. This is a relief to viewers who don’t like to be in the dark, but it might
be a little bit of a letdown to lovers of mystery. It does lead to an excellent
closeout scene that I always fondly remembered. There is also a lot of
interesting inner-conflict within Veronica regarding her compliance with her
sister’s deeds, and even more interesting is the exploration of the sexuality
of the sisters that makes their hypocrisy all the more damning.</span></div><div><span face=""arial", sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiC5f_QoggDJGtiXThjgzj7Fufj5lUJvoGm-CkYKJmJEASSWx5Rp5UDD3eb9l8dDfIWzbJuYG7c-wUbMwgxSe48xJsJ1xdwU6oAHzd29lqJdD8ZR2un3piPtJKiJ9pIbMlDApyKhBRDanKE/s1430/It+Happened+at+Nightmare+Inn_6.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="768" data-original-width="1430" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiC5f_QoggDJGtiXThjgzj7Fufj5lUJvoGm-CkYKJmJEASSWx5Rp5UDD3eb9l8dDfIWzbJuYG7c-wUbMwgxSe48xJsJ1xdwU6oAHzd29lqJdD8ZR2un3piPtJKiJ9pIbMlDApyKhBRDanKE/w400-h215/It+Happened+at+Nightmare+Inn_6.jpg" width="500" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhssNdL78c7GN_IuJXZx7jFZGGwK84xE4kBV48Le6q9cX6IJCPJ9sODrHRwuCMu61H_z5ou-QILZWn3Vzk1Geu4d6KFoYz5E0OFBZrK01zHka4zPSY-0cOcz9qZsdpspHGPC41Fnhv-c2Z9/s1430/It+Happened+at+Nightmare+Inn_7.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="762" data-original-width="1430" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhssNdL78c7GN_IuJXZx7jFZGGwK84xE4kBV48Le6q9cX6IJCPJ9sODrHRwuCMu61H_z5ou-QILZWn3Vzk1Geu4d6KFoYz5E0OFBZrK01zHka4zPSY-0cOcz9qZsdpspHGPC41Fnhv-c2Z9/w400-h214/It+Happened+at+Nightmare+Inn_7.jpg" width="500" /></a></div><div><br /><span face=""arial", sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">Veronica seems to be more in-touch than her sister and
questions what is happening but is still always game to take her sister’s side
despite the dilemma. She knows what is wrong, but she also knows whose side
she’s expected to take; that of blood. What is happening makes her wake up in
the night wanting to vomit. She recognizes evil in her own household but is
compliant with it. She excuses evil in bad conscience, even deluding herself
that the horrible things happening are right by way of mutual belief and a
shared bond, but even she knows that something’s eventually got to give before she
and her sister are caught.</span></div><div><span face=""arial", sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkoLXN8YfmOxYFbqjFxDH8qBikNlc9PqpjsHGri5_ZckptZNeyxBaCt0ljyatIl_3zUPyYxILBNe5J6Xy0DwzNbOop5Psz4ZijNocDEuaDm_8fgaE9tWDCkuOJ3IELKiKSb_aWH52DiCu6/s1429/It+Happened+at+Nightmare+Inn_8.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="766" data-original-width="1429" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkoLXN8YfmOxYFbqjFxDH8qBikNlc9PqpjsHGri5_ZckptZNeyxBaCt0ljyatIl_3zUPyYxILBNe5J6Xy0DwzNbOop5Psz4ZijNocDEuaDm_8fgaE9tWDCkuOJ3IELKiKSb_aWH52DiCu6/w400-h215/It+Happened+at+Nightmare+Inn_8.jpg" width="500" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6Xhp3Wn6HJIt8PHKDWNb8Vd1ty1YdcnF5lebuqjMVbzpBcvnD0nqqJEDqw1FFAOyaFBQUno05xGMrgqEblDPPjkY_evPH23pL_ZPsfH17bx-dhMETuinkg4i8-dFbHpTRn_XarmmSASoY/s1431/It+Happened+at+Nightmare+Inn_9.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="766" data-original-width="1431" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6Xhp3Wn6HJIt8PHKDWNb8Vd1ty1YdcnF5lebuqjMVbzpBcvnD0nqqJEDqw1FFAOyaFBQUno05xGMrgqEblDPPjkY_evPH23pL_ZPsfH17bx-dhMETuinkg4i8-dFbHpTRn_XarmmSASoY/w400-h214/It+Happened+at+Nightmare+Inn_9.jpg" width="500" /></a></div><span face=""arial", sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></div><div><span face=""arial", sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">One of the more intriguing components to the hypocrisy of
the sisters is that of sexual purity. Veronica has a lover twenty years younger
than her, whom she copulates with in secret and steals money from her sister
for, and Marta has a repressed hypersexual side that comes out when she
secretly watches nude young males playing in the river. As penance, Marta
trudges through thorny shrubbery, cutting herself on pointy dead shrubs along
the way. Almost as if revealing she is just like the young women she hates, Marta
can be seen later committing the sin of vanity, admiring herself in the mirror,
applying lipstick and perfume while wearing a provocative dress and unleashing
her inner seductress (because it’s ok when she does it). Despite this, Marta
and Veronica have no qualms with murdering the young “hussies,” one of which
includes a character played by <i>Lone Fleming</i>, who come through town supposedly
scandalizing the village with their provocative clothing. The deep-rooted
resentment Marta has towards younger attractive girls is really not even about
religion but rather linked to some other personal trauma that occurred in
Marta’s life (the real reason she hates young attractive females); she just uses her perverted view of her religion to clear her
conscience from the horrible things she’s done.</span><span face=""arial", sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"> She
has no issues with dehumanizing anyone who doesn’t fall into her ideal view of
morality. She believes her victims deserve what happened to them. She takes her
sister Veronica with her on her journey into being a delusional serial killer
fighting against sin by ironically being the ultimate sinner.</span><span face=""arial", sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><span><br /></span></span></div><p class="MsoNormal"><span face=""arial", sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh524b7EaVPKypnkAM1dWm1uV_9n-pHnxvSE4MPGErkPiwORE_Pr31g2G_awPhfIpjF-jJegMycWFdrB9tosKLPUFr2D4NVS-peRsi_m-YvXL2e2StR8yjJ5vs7SU0eyBbmJhK9q28qgLi_/s1429/It+Happened+at+Nightmare+Inn_10.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="764" data-original-width="1429" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh524b7EaVPKypnkAM1dWm1uV_9n-pHnxvSE4MPGErkPiwORE_Pr31g2G_awPhfIpjF-jJegMycWFdrB9tosKLPUFr2D4NVS-peRsi_m-YvXL2e2StR8yjJ5vs7SU0eyBbmJhK9q28qgLi_/w400-h214/It+Happened+at+Nightmare+Inn_10.jpg" width="500" /></a></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span face=""arial", sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">In the battle between the evocatively scandalous and the religiously
righteous, the sweet, mild-mannered Laura (<i>Geeson</i>) falls on neither side
and is tolerant of both. Despite some reservations, she does manage to get
along well with the judgmental sisters, and she is not offended by the
provocations of the younger flirty, sexy female tourists. Not possessing the
traits that offend Marta keeps her in the safe zone for a time, until her
sleuthing causes her to get too close to the truth. Laura is a kind, even-keel
character who mostly doesn’t have a whole lot to do but converse with the
sisters, the villagers, and hang around with Eduardo (<i>Winner</i>). Her
moment to shine comes in the final scene<i>.</i></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span face=""arial", sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKOonOX8QaDZ4mVdWmdbNpxvplc-yp77FFetYCctQQjaKxVW9BmzP8nGJ0dMTVSKJqfsxsg1bYSMoq26pkoiR6NKExv6Wc5LcZI_Kxw5CHY2n7QNXIFSPmfJ4TCa6itbw5FwYiRwf3yKj9/s1432/It+Happened+at+Nightmare+Inn_11.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="765" data-original-width="1432" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKOonOX8QaDZ4mVdWmdbNpxvplc-yp77FFetYCctQQjaKxVW9BmzP8nGJ0dMTVSKJqfsxsg1bYSMoq26pkoiR6NKExv6Wc5LcZI_Kxw5CHY2n7QNXIFSPmfJ4TCa6itbw5FwYiRwf3yKj9/w400-h214/It+Happened+at+Nightmare+Inn_11.jpg" width="500" /></a></div><i></i><p></p><i><span face=""arial", sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"></span></i><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><i><span face=""arial", sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">Bautista</span></i><span face=""arial", sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"> and <i>Roy</i> are terrific
in their roles and have exquisite chemistry together as killer sisters. The
actors play finely off of one another and do show off a good range of acting
talent from outwardly pious sisters by day to killers of sinful women by night.
<i>Bautista</i> portrays Marta as a much colder killer while <i>Roy</i> gives
Veronica a semblance of guilt and remorse over what is happening. I’m not only convinced
they are sisters, but I’m also convinced they are psychotic. One of the kills I
thought packed an emotional punch, where some serious indignation is felt, is the
scene where they murder a mother, Norma (<i>Blanca Estrada</i>), of a baby essentially
because they wrongfully thought the mother wasn’t married. The moment is
heartbreaking when Norma is killed desperately trying to get her baby back from
Veronica.</span><span face=""arial", sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOLAqNq2uUrZ8khs93zZVmpf_eiKwEHA-cEf01cHpHGQNmCYtjn8PTZvcQXAT3yiDdEdtmW3FHJabZ47qKhBnMgrCmvOIUn6RnDTM_4tPfClYX24f5q5fWzqGKJqKG_Wxfpa7HI89RepYo/s1429/It+Happened+at+Nightmare+Inn_12.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="765" data-original-width="1429" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOLAqNq2uUrZ8khs93zZVmpf_eiKwEHA-cEf01cHpHGQNmCYtjn8PTZvcQXAT3yiDdEdtmW3FHJabZ47qKhBnMgrCmvOIUn6RnDTM_4tPfClYX24f5q5fWzqGKJqKG_Wxfpa7HI89RepYo/w400-h214/It+Happened+at+Nightmare+Inn_12.jpg" width="500" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUZbZViGmXXELFfMNBoSvM2LB8RnFiWEBQdKmhtW0H74UfP7GVUGeQBAF6xqzyMLRqvWNYt_pxfj3Oc3B8DPNZdlP__wMenWRHXSlxszg5w4ah5sI-VC3DkapZEObn4qv45FQqA6pteQqg/s1428/It+Happened+at+Nightmare+Inn_13.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="764" data-original-width="1428" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUZbZViGmXXELFfMNBoSvM2LB8RnFiWEBQdKmhtW0H74UfP7GVUGeQBAF6xqzyMLRqvWNYt_pxfj3Oc3B8DPNZdlP__wMenWRHXSlxszg5w4ah5sI-VC3DkapZEObn4qv45FQqA6pteQqg/w400-h214/It+Happened+at+Nightmare+Inn_13.jpg" width="500" /></a></div><b><span face=""arial", sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"></span></b><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b><span face=""arial", sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">A Candle for the Devil</span></b><span face=""arial", sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"> is a
pretty grim affair that also works as an entertaining horror movie. Its two
lead killers are memorable and should be considered more iconic in the history
of Spanish horror. After I first watched it, I had that same feeling of
enthusiasm that I had after first watching other noteworthy Spanish horror films
<b>La residencia </b>(1969) and <b>Tombs of the Blind Dead</b> (1972). The gore
is actually comic book level appealing, as an eyeball makes its way into a
customer’s, Beatrice’s (<i>Montserrat Julió</i>), food, and a severed head manages
to make its way into the basement wine cask, which makes for some fun stuff in
this sort of depressing film that hopefully won’t detract too much from the
seriousness of it.</span>
</p><p class="MsoNormal"><span face=""arial", sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">© At the Mansion of Madness</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjl-izlgCa159Udt_RttQaxTiUJshS_6WrWMwVEj6YtG88gQAAbsd28hgZpGRlwh8MDA4RQNDgvPDIont8GpCe_UppzCXYL6rryx4XJ8L2BBYk5paawUDwO2xhaFrIaePXREStKdjGHpm7i/s1428/It+Happened+at+Nightmare+Inn_14.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="761" data-original-width="1428" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjl-izlgCa159Udt_RttQaxTiUJshS_6WrWMwVEj6YtG88gQAAbsd28hgZpGRlwh8MDA4RQNDgvPDIont8GpCe_UppzCXYL6rryx4XJ8L2BBYk5paawUDwO2xhaFrIaePXREStKdjGHpm7i/w400-h214/It+Happened+at+Nightmare+Inn_14.jpg" width="500" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAVnyt6uYnMp8gtsbpvo8kjIlXh7a9Pe8shGPpJjzN4dMbShg2kex2QgJpZPIwnMjpSX6lKQE3if3PSpXLFjqXGVwSHgO995hE_GHCcxUtuu-bZUY53zKkP6iLBhRoDUFH0l9tefgH2XUL/s1430/It+Happened+at+Nightmare+Inn_15.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="767" data-original-width="1430" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAVnyt6uYnMp8gtsbpvo8kjIlXh7a9Pe8shGPpJjzN4dMbShg2kex2QgJpZPIwnMjpSX6lKQE3if3PSpXLFjqXGVwSHgO995hE_GHCcxUtuu-bZUY53zKkP6iLBhRoDUFH0l9tefgH2XUL/w400-h215/It+Happened+at+Nightmare+Inn_15.jpg" width="500" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjS5w0YoWJYMBXrpBr925YMJ3KolMHvTWOgeB-vn65hni60oTGbaee_rumor9jUBvOnMfYyP7n6YW94iP4TKKTb2lUes-VP9l3Z1wu2TzXumdij7pgtbHM6qMkzewBPOPRliism2T91ENcY/s1431/It+Happened+at+Nightmare+Inn_16.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="770" data-original-width="1431" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjS5w0YoWJYMBXrpBr925YMJ3KolMHvTWOgeB-vn65hni60oTGbaee_rumor9jUBvOnMfYyP7n6YW94iP4TKKTb2lUes-VP9l3Z1wu2TzXumdij7pgtbHM6qMkzewBPOPRliism2T91ENcY/w400-h215/It+Happened+at+Nightmare+Inn_16.jpg" width="500" /></a></div><span face=""arial", sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span><p></p>
Giovanni Susinahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03253382939348997303noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2316228451187611813.post-86605024203108440182020-03-25T23:07:00.003-07:002020-10-25T23:53:45.357-07:00Devil in the Flesh / Venus in Furs (1969)<div class="MsoNormal">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1pikUMqjIbed8G-qCfJyk7kNobh6nZbbDGaqyKwNZ7FxAJoxue94joDhS50wt6xIWrxwTliGutiZKXFSo3dx3vjq6O7_RJf0PoHGJAHAeqEcCRgXONUxU8l1KotaouSZp47rfznM2tUrQ/s1600/Venus+in+Furs_Title.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1170" data-original-width="780" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1pikUMqjIbed8G-qCfJyk7kNobh6nZbbDGaqyKwNZ7FxAJoxue94joDhS50wt6xIWrxwTliGutiZKXFSo3dx3vjq6O7_RJf0PoHGJAHAeqEcCRgXONUxU8l1KotaouSZp47rfznM2tUrQ/s400/Venus+in+Furs_Title.jpg" width="266" /></a></div>
<span face=""arial", sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">“<i>Have you heard about the lonesome loser, beaten by the
Queen of Hearts every time?</i>” -Little River Band </span></div>
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<span face=""arial", sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">The book by<i> Leopold von
Sacher-Masoch </i><b>Venus in Furs</b> (1870) is a great inspiration to those
of us who wish to be better poets for the women we love, the women we worship,
the women we want to be dominated and enslaved by in the bedroom. I found a lot
to relate to from <i>Masoch</i>’s writing, but I was kind of bummed that the
book turned out to be a cautionary tale in the end. (Way to kink-shame, Book.)</span><br />
<span face=""arial", sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"> <i> </i></span><br />
<span face=""arial", sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><i>Massimo
Dallamano</i>, cowriter and director of one of the best gialli ever made, <b>What
Have You Done to Solange?</b> (1972), directed a couple good modern adaptations
of Victorian era books: the aforementioned <b>Venus in Furs</b> and <b>The
Picture of Dorian Gray</b> (1890) by <i>Oscar Wilde</i>. <i>Dallamano’s</i> <b>Dorian
Gray</b> from 1970 really feels updated for its era, trying something a little
bit different while remaining faithful to the spirit of the novel. The same
could be said of the <i>Dallamano</i> directed <b>Devil in the Flesh</b> (aka <b>Venus
in Furs</b>, not to be confused with the <i>Jess Franco</i> film of the same
name, from the same year).</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span face=""arial", sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span><a name='more'></a></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span face=""arial", sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHvHNObb2aKiRjz-qdpXdXdVhvEIrt4g68A-RXS4hVYJ48AOzRmH9AQ85l73MkQTMdfSZCydDIXwE_z2qujqIRJWpLYRVzZxIIUa0Nwfsw3MCEDVQ4nUcYeQ4xESYSjpq62mO9PxLR3RWv/s1600/Venus+in+Furs_1.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="262" data-original-width="624" height="210" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHvHNObb2aKiRjz-qdpXdXdVhvEIrt4g68A-RXS4hVYJ48AOzRmH9AQ85l73MkQTMdfSZCydDIXwE_z2qujqIRJWpLYRVzZxIIUa0Nwfsw3MCEDVQ4nUcYeQ4xESYSjpq62mO9PxLR3RWv/s400/Venus+in+Furs_1.jpg" width="500" /></a></span></div>
<br />
<span face=""arial", sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">I had first watched <b>Devil in the Flesh</b> many
years ago as part of the POP! EROTICA FEST DVD-set from Shameless, which also
included <b>The Frightened Woman</b> (1969) and <b>Baba Yaga</b> (1973). With <b>Devil
in the Flesh</b>, I mostly remembered it being some kind of subversive romance
story about a guy, Severin (<i>Régis Vallée</i>), who meets an attractive
woman, Wanda von Dunajew<i> </i>(<i>Laura Antonelli</i>), who embodies his “ideal.”
He eventually marries Wanda while convincing her to oblige in his cuckolding
fantasy, born from a certain childhood trauma, by making him her willing slave
who consigns himself to embarrassingly pose as a chauffeur and serve her while
also having to endure her being with other lovers. These lovers don’t at first
know that the creepy servant hanging around is actually her husband. Voyeuristically
watching Wanda with other men seems to torment him in a way that also kind of
excites him too. She eventually hates him for it, and it ultimately becomes
apparent that this relationship was a bad idea from the start.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjoKtmFS1kuy2RlTs1EqqNs_i8b5nA5b9baaJPyIQTQzxQCWedGxNufxCQJx1CwCO6ruqcfDDoKx4MpHFUXH7k5Jtir4WcTSShto7sVNqZc-4Tqw7Yxkti5Qk5aDui2Z6XKfqdGomjuQUC/s1600/Venus+in+Furs_2.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="263" data-original-width="624" height="210" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjoKtmFS1kuy2RlTs1EqqNs_i8b5nA5b9baaJPyIQTQzxQCWedGxNufxCQJx1CwCO6ruqcfDDoKx4MpHFUXH7k5Jtir4WcTSShto7sVNqZc-4Tqw7Yxkti5Qk5aDui2Z6XKfqdGomjuQUC/s400/Venus+in+Furs_2.jpg" width="500" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhggqJ5u9MS04tl0GkML47biqa5DJlCq2iEfk9KL3k1z0aNAGTlpXP1a6OnL4PijPdEaREhXo3mrfl9ZvM6IvIDsgFSgsZNsGX4xgWKZ7rRwhhGnRVImxnxof9sTzcc_gX1cO6Wzao7dzsl/s1600/Venus+in+Furs_3.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="263" data-original-width="624" height="210" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhggqJ5u9MS04tl0GkML47biqa5DJlCq2iEfk9KL3k1z0aNAGTlpXP1a6OnL4PijPdEaREhXo3mrfl9ZvM6IvIDsgFSgsZNsGX4xgWKZ7rRwhhGnRVImxnxof9sTzcc_gX1cO6Wzao7dzsl/s400/Venus+in+Furs_3.jpg" width="500" /></a></div>
<br />
<span face=""arial", sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">It is not quite as
inspirational and poetic as the book it is based on, but the film <b>Devil in
the Flesh</b> is an interesting little curiosity from the sex revolution era
that relies, I thought, less on the idea of worshiping and being-a-consenting-slave-to-one’s-lover,
as in the book, and more on the extramarital sex aspect, particularly that of a
man who consents to his wife’s affairs and loves her all the more for it. This kind
of marriage/relationship dynamic was heavily covered and espoused in a lot of
the writings by Emmanuelle Arsan (<i>Louis-Jacques Rollet-Andriane</i>) and
framed by Arsan (as I remember and interpret it) as an iconoclastic ideal that
could lead to a higher form of love and the end of jealously, war, and strife. For
me, the theme was brought to beautiful fruition in the <i>Rollet-Andriane </i>written
and directed <b>Laure</b> (1976) with <i>Annie Belle</i>. Other films such as <b>My
Wife, A Body to Love</b> (1973) and <b>Devil in the Flesh</b> on the other
hand seem, to me, to warn against permitting/encouraging one’s wife to take
other lovers. In the former film, the husband who on the outside seemed
accepting of his wife’s affairs, we find out, was on-the-inside jealous the
entire time and eventually murders his wife’s lovers. In <b>Devil in the Flesh</b>,
despite their “agreement,” the wife, Wanda, eventually loathes and hates her
husband, Severin, for encouraging her to take other men and for what he’s made
her into as a result.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqRU6tUyLreev0b9vbZXtDnMTWR-QanbllyGuF14gi0-OJXGlUsXoMwX-KjwiBgmXMVZQbpKTvnunu9IBHsw2eQEbUSrovoPT1jZJuP7YdHn9M4idep41Ah6Xx1qWISCJ3wAOsp8_wm0bG/s1600/Venus+in+Furs_4.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="262" data-original-width="624" height="210" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqRU6tUyLreev0b9vbZXtDnMTWR-QanbllyGuF14gi0-OJXGlUsXoMwX-KjwiBgmXMVZQbpKTvnunu9IBHsw2eQEbUSrovoPT1jZJuP7YdHn9M4idep41Ah6Xx1qWISCJ3wAOsp8_wm0bG/s400/Venus+in+Furs_4.jpg" width="500" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwwarkQ6ODTD3Q3grkJ4w4QMKOnBceQjVZ7DLh1j1Zz2eDExujJstme62lotUEWJ_ogx7F2N_ysjh3ZIWw5TqbpEG5DDmDJLpe9I188pT1nQKrTGZ0aKFtPJ7uptuRyE8IOKlEkTpJuy9d/s1600/Venus+in+Furs_5.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="263" data-original-width="624" height="210" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwwarkQ6ODTD3Q3grkJ4w4QMKOnBceQjVZ7DLh1j1Zz2eDExujJstme62lotUEWJ_ogx7F2N_ysjh3ZIWw5TqbpEG5DDmDJLpe9I188pT1nQKrTGZ0aKFtPJ7uptuRyE8IOKlEkTpJuy9d/s400/Venus+in+Furs_5.jpg" width="500" /></a></div>
<br />
<span face=""arial", sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">Severin is a voyeur who falls for Wanda, before she even personally
knows him, while spying on her from next door through the wall of her flat while
she is undressed, draping herself in furs, or taking in a lover. She becomes
his ultimate fantasy, one he can look forward to coming true.</span><br />
<br />
<span face=""arial", sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">Early on in their
relationship and marriage, they shag on a regular basis. They like to get kinky
in the bedroom, as Severin enjoys being dominated and whipped by Wanda. Severin
also finds it more pleasing to take her immediately after she’s been with
another man, a quick interchange after the first man is done, to which Wanda
eventually replies to Severin, “you're right, I feel I’m yours all the more.” At
first, Wanda just seemed to want a normal marriage, but Severin’s sexual
proclivities bring out the tiger in her. He seems to regret the cruelty that
results in her. She legitimately beats the shit out of him with the whip at one
point, making Severin bed-ridden, after she unloads all of the pent-up hatred
and aggression she accumulated for being something she never really wanted to
be for him.</span><br />
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<span face=""arial", sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">The idea of being a slave to one’s cherished wife sounds appealing
as long as things don’t go too far or get too out of hand, which is where both
the book and the movie take things, in that wife and husband start to actually
become what they were only at first pretending to be. At the onset of things,
Severin has expectations that Wanda will be cruel, and, like a despotic queen,
dominate him without inhibition. He wishes for her to entirely consume him, but it's the age-old fable of be
careful what you wish for.</span><br />
<br />
<span face=""arial", sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">Of course, Severin's only happy when Wanda plays by his rules. He only starts to show jealousy when she dares to do things her way. </span><br />
<br />
<span face=""arial", sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">At one point Severin tells Wanda that she is free. But I often wonder if she really is free. She's led to believe she is free, but she is also made into what he wants her to be for him. I think it's apparent she may've never really been free at all but still under his control. In a way, even as her "slave," Severin still has the power in the relationship. That is until Bruno (</span><span face=""arial", sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><span face=""arial", sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><i>Loren Ewing</i></span>) comes along. </span><br />
<br />
<span face=""arial", sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><i>Laura Antonelli</i> is a fabulous choice to
play, what is to Severin, a goddess figure to love and revere, so much so as to
find pleasure in being a willing slave to her. Also, <i>Antonelli’s</i>
performance with a whip/crop in this movie should be considered the stuff of legend. </span><br />
<br />
<span face=""arial", sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">(<b>Devil in the Flesh</b> was one of a few films (see also <b>Bali</b> (1970)
and <b>Simona</b> (1974)) <i>Laura Antonelli</i> starred in before her breakout
role in <b>Malizia</b> (1973) that was rereleased/revived/revamped later under
a different title thanks to <i>Antonelli</i> becoming an Italian sex symbol.)</span><br />
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<br />
<span face=""arial", sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">The
theme of pleasure through experienced pain and suffering in <i>Masoch’s</i>
writing came to be the source of the term masochism. <i>Masoch</i>, like <i>Marquis
de Sade</i> got a pain-related word named after him. While <b>Devil in the
Flesh</b> does explore masochism, it does take a brief sojourn to the realms of
sadism in a fever dream sequence that Severin has after he is bed ridden from
Wanda’s vicious physical whip assault on him, suggesting that most masochists
when pushed will ultimately tap into their heretofore unrealized inner sadist
as well. </span><br />
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<span face=""arial", sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"> <b> </b></span><br />
<span face=""arial", sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><b>Devil in the Flesh</b> might come off as ridiculous to some or
given the tone of the film also kind of funny. It’s also very beautiful and
kinky. The playful and kitschy music (composed by <i>Gianfranco Reverberi</i> -<b>The
Reincarnation of Isabel</b> (1973)) has an odd flavor but works and really
transports you to the era. The whacky, rockin’ component to the soundtrack really
“slaps,” especially during a very de Sadean scene that takes place towards the
end, involving the dominant sadist Bruno, who was
literally picked up off of the street to be one of Wanda’s new lovers. Bruno
really stirs things up between the married couple. The ending does turn things
around a bit without entirely undermining the point of the book.</span><br />
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<br />
<span face=""arial", sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">I wasn’t
really moved by <b>Devil in the Flesh</b> when I first saw it a while back. It
was my interest in erotic literature that I developed, particularly the writings
of <i>Emmanuelle Arsan</i> and <i>Marquis de Sade</i>, which eventually led me
to <i>Masoch’s</i> book <b>Venus in Furs</b>, a book I savored and at least
attempted to fully digest. While reading it, I was looking forward to checking
out the film version directed by <i>Dallamano</i> again, and I have to say, I
appreciated it more as a lover of erotica, particularly of the more poetic and
philosophical kind. I think when I first saw it, I was hoping more for a giallo
or something more on the exploitation side and was kind of let down by how tame
and even kind of whimsical it came off as. I was not yet familiar with the
charms of <i>Laura Antonelli</i> either. Recently, I came to notice and appreciate a lot of
nice touches, particularly the rain storm that picks up during an outdoor love
scene that subsequently dies out when the sex is over. I thought this was
beautiful. I enjoyed recognizing little parts from the book that were at the
same time quite different in the movie. I also liked the way the story develops
like an experiment to test Severin’s theories about frustrations in monogamy. I
don’t believe the story necessarily yields an accurate outcome, but it
certainly is an entertaining one. </span><br />
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<span face=""arial", sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">© At the Mansion of Madness</span><br />
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Giovanni Susinahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03253382939348997303noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2316228451187611813.post-30645828121761831392020-01-07T23:43:00.002-08:002021-07-24T22:34:19.142-07:00Justine (2016)<div class="MsoNormal">
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<span face=""arial" , sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">“<i>Justine, your prison was my kingdom come.</i>” -Virgin Steele </span></div>
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<span face=""arial" , sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">Were
it not for <i>Jess Franco</i>, I probably would not have had even a passing
interest in the writings of eighteenth century troublemaker <i>Marquis de Sade,
Donatien Alphonse Franҫois</i>, but thanks to <i>Franco</i> films like <b>Marquis
de Sade’s Justine</b> (1969), <b>Eugenie</b> (1970), <b>Eugenie de Sade</b>
(1973), and this prominent S&M aesthetic very much characteristic to a lot
of <i>Franco’s</i> films (as well as <i>Renato Polselli’s</i>), it was only a
matter of time before I would wonder: “why the hell am I not reading <i>de Sade</i>?”.
Reading a book by <i>de Sade</i> had been on my bucket list for a good six or
seven years. (It didn’t help that I was partially turned off by <i>de Sade</i>
after watching <i>Pier Paolo Passolini’s</i> <b>Salo or the 120 Days of Sodom</b>
(1975) due to the film’s shocking depictions of cruelty and grossness that the <i>Jess Franco</i>
films rarely reached). </span><br />
<br />
<span face=""arial" , sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">Well, I finally read my first <i>de Sade</i> novel,
recently, titled <b>Justine, or The Misfortunes of Virtue</b> (1791), and it
was all kinds of fucked up. It was cruel, disgusting, evil, sickeningly disagreeable…
And I could hardly put it down. I won’t go as far as to call it a horror novel,
but a lot of the sadists poor Justine encounters are outright terrifying,
especially the head-cutter character. <i>De Sade</i> seemed to pull no punches.
He morally outraged to the extreme and probably intended to.</span><br />
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<br />
<span face=""arial" , sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">While reading <b>Justine</b>,
I would always hope for the perpetually imprisoned and tortured Justine to get
saved by someone (or at least administer some serious payback, rape-revenge
style), but there are absolutely no heroes in this tale, and whenever a faint
hope or relief presents itself, Justine is always thrown right back into
another wretched situation, almost always managing to top the one before it in
cruelty and harshness. Justine is <i>de Sade’s</i> creation to relentlessly torture
physically as well as intellectually for her steadfast loyalty to virtue and
religion, as <i>de Sade’s</i> sadistic libertine villains tended to debate with
Justine and give long winded manifesto-like speeches generally in support of
the story’s atheistic thesis involving the innateness of evil in nature and
providence rewarding vice and punishing virtue in a corrupt and godless world. I was
starting to worry a little that the book might have been desensitizing me and tapping
into a heretofore unrealized evil side to myself. To counteract this, I felt I
should instead try reading something with heroes in it or something that goes
in a complete opposite masochistic direction like <i>Leopold von
Sacher-Masoch’s</i> <b>Venus in Furs</b> (1870).</span><br />
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<span face=""arial" , sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">The movie <b>Quills</b> (2000),
with <i>Geoffrey Rush</i> as the Marquis de Sade, helped me understand a little
more about what it was that I liked about <i>de Sade</i>. I admire the way he
didn’t hold back as a writer in the eighteenth century who could shock and
appall more than any other writer that I’m familiar with. I feel his writing
exposes a certain truth that lurks beneath society. <i>De Sade</i> chose to
expose the beast rather than forget about it. I can’t help thinking that the socially
powerful sadists in <i>de Sade’s</i> stories are the same kind of people who
would feign morality to the public and who would likewise persecute <i>de Sade</i>
and his writing on the pretext of indecency, when really it was because he was
exposing them. He also happened to have been a really good writer.</span><br />
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<br />
<span face=""arial" , sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">Like many
enduring works of literature, <b>Justine</b> has been adapted to the screen
more than once. The aforementioned <b>Marquis de Sade’s Justine</b>, with <i>Romina
Power</i> as Justine,<b> </b>is a good <i>Jess Franco</i> film that brings an
interesting angle to the story by framing it around <i>Marquis de Sade</i>
(played by <i>Klaus Kinski</i>) writing the story from prison and being haunted
in a way by Justine. This version is also notable for <i>Jack Palance’s</i>
batshit insane portrayal of Antonin, a leader of a brotherhood of monks who
pursue pleasure above all things. <b>Justine de Sade</b> from 1972, with <i>Alice
Arno</i> as Justine, is an impressively faithful adaptation, in that it somehow
manages to squeeze almost the entire book near-verbatim into its one-hour and
fifty-five-minute run time. <b>Cruel Passions</b>, with <i>Koo Stark</i> as
Justine, from 1977 modifies the story while also remaining faithful to the
spirit of <i>de Sade’s</i> writing and really does a nice job at building new
ideas from the book. Among all of the classic literary figures making an
appearance in the deliciously gothic TV series <b>Penny Dreadful</b>, Justine,
played by <i>Jessica Barden</i>, makes an exciting appearance in season 3, and it’s
a very different take, where Justine eventually gives in to vice and starts to
resemble more her corrupt murderess sister Juliette. (<i>de Sade</i> also wrote
a massively epic book, based on Justine’s sister, <b>Juliette</b> (1797) that surpasses <b>The</b> <b>Lord of the Rings</b> trilogy in length).</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2_oIuvjIcoowyObK0vgh7o58BDUYEymVpURl1hyphenhyphenxII04Yse_4AqemOhGcYV6ZaQ0K4hrHg5wUgk01JdPODyvK8DKW8AdsnvTscCGNwhwAEdSs4GelMDn8cXYSIxg7m9tFCsAuVbyuS_dC/s1600/Justine_5.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="802" data-original-width="1431" height="279" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2_oIuvjIcoowyObK0vgh7o58BDUYEymVpURl1hyphenhyphenxII04Yse_4AqemOhGcYV6ZaQ0K4hrHg5wUgk01JdPODyvK8DKW8AdsnvTscCGNwhwAEdSs4GelMDn8cXYSIxg7m9tFCsAuVbyuS_dC/s400/Justine_5.jpg" width="500" /></a></div>
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<br />
<span face=""arial" , sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">There is a Bolivian
Justine film from 2016 written, directed, edited, and co-produced by <i>Jac
Avila</i> who also stars in it as the sadist Rodin. <i>Avila’s</i> <b>Justine</b>
nearly escaped my notice since it never came up when I was searching for
Justine films online. I accidentally came across the trailer on
YouTube. I was sold on the trailer and the tagline “A FILM MORE SADISTIC THAN
DE SADE HIMSELF”, a tagline that unfortunately is not true (it’s sadistic but does not dethrone the master), but this version does give us a terrific
Justine, played by <i>Amy Hesketh</i> who also co-produced the film.</span><br />
<br />
<span face=""arial" , sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><i>Avila’s</i>
<b>Justine</b> seems to me to meld <i>de Sade’s</i> <b>Justine</b> with <b>The
Passion of the Christ</b> (2004) and commits wholly to the sadism element by
mostly being a collection of prolonged torture sequences that are convincing
and hard to watch. This does also inevitably result in a certain level
of monotony at times, but the sets are always so creative and interesting, and
the performances are so spirited, that this ends up being forgivable. In fact,
it’s a little like watching a <i>Jess Franco</i> film at times (that’s a good
thing here), with how hypnotic some of the prolonged, repetitious nude torture
scenes can be. The dungeon torture scene to <i>Jean Rollin’s</i> <b>Requiem for
a Vampire</b> (1971) also comes to mind.</span><br />
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<br />
<span face=""arial" , sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">The proceedings are off to an
especially unnerving and brutal start with the wrongfully convicted Justine
being tied up and publicly punished with fifty lashes of the executioner’s cat o' nine tails whip
that are counted off one by one by an aristocratic audience over a very dramatic and doomy
theme composed by <i>Kevin Hatton</i>, and it is a slow and painful fifty
lashes. At around the thirty-sixth lash, Justine passes out from the pain.
Seeing this, the executioner wakes her with a rudely administered splash of
water to her face before recommencing the punishment. The film maintains this
unpleasant tone throughout its duration without ever really letting up.</span><br />
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<br />
<span face=""arial" , sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">One of
the aristocrats viewing Justine’s punishment from the crowd is Justine’s sister
Juliette (<i>Cortney Willis</i>), although neither one of them realizes it yet (they were separated when they were very young after their parents died).
While Justine is publicly displayed in a pillory, she recounts to Juliette her
misfortunate life and how she came to her present situation. During the
flashback/backstory scenes, Justine will frequently stop what she is doing to
look into the camera and narrate to viewers. I had mixed feelings on this at
first since the peculiar narrative technique kind of took me out of it and
would seem a little unintentionally funny or even almost a little cute at
times. But it’s also appropriate since, like in the book, Justine is telling
the story to her sister. I got used to it and grew to love it on re-watches.</span><br />
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<br />
<span face=""arial" , sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">The
dungeon torture set piece involving a spinning wheel gets a lot of play.
Justine and her fellow captive maidens, Rosalie (<i>Mila Joya</i>) and Omphale
(<i>Beatriz Rivera</i>), each get a turn to be spun on the wheel-of-torture
while being whipped by Rodin, which does kind of feel like repetitive padding
at times. It’s a cool idea, but it might’ve been milked too much here. I did
really like the innovative <i>Argento</i>-like camera work, where a camera is
attached to the spinning wheel for a really cool effect. It also looked like a
lot of fun for the actors. (There are a couple behind-the-scenes videos on
YouTube of everyone having a blast while testing out the wheel.)</span><br />
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<br />
<span face=""arial" , sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><i>Amy Hesketh</i>
gives it her all as Justine, particularly during the torture scenes. She is so
good at showing emotion. With each crack of the whip, her screams and cries effectively
sell a sense of legitimate pain and anguish to viewers. Her facial expressions
also portray the fear and misery that would be required for a character with as
wretched of an existence as Justine. (Note: <i>Amy Hesketh</i> is also a producer,
director, and writer who has made a number of interesting looking horror films
with <i>Jac Avila</i>, such as <b>Bluebeard</b> (2012), <b>Dead but Dreaming</b>
(2013), and <b>Olalla</b> (2015), that I’m interested in checking out).</span><br />
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<br />
<span face=""arial" , sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">The
actors playing Rosalie (<i>Joya</i>) and Omphale (<i>Rivera</i>) also
gracefully act the hell out of their roles as tortured and wrongfully
persecuted prisoners of Rodin alongside Justine. Between torture sessions the
three women provide bedside comfort to one another in order to recover enough
before the libertine monster they serve puts them through the gamut of torment
and abuse all over again. They form a certain kinship, like sisters who are in
it together.</span><br />
<br />
<span face=""arial" , sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><i>Jac Avila’s</i> portrayal of Rodin is kind of how I envisioned
him in the book: very cold, straight-faced, and libertine. He also acts like a
teacher to Justine, explaining his thoughts and meanings behind the torture
sessions.</span><br />
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<br />
<span face=""arial" , sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><i>Jac Avila’s</i> <b>Justine</b> does have a few unique directions
while essentially recounting the central story of <i>de Sade’s</i> <b>Justine</b>
but focusing less on <i>de Sade’s</i> heavy contrast of vice and virtue in
favor of a passion play and relating pain and punishment more to biblical
themes, with a female Christ who is suffering and dying for nothing (aside from her tormentors' amusement). </span><br />
<br />
<span face=""arial" , sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">A lot of episodes from the book are essentially condensed down to Rodin’s
torture dungeon in this film, with Rodin himself pretty much personifying the plethora
of rapists and libertine scoundrels poor Justine has to deal with throughout
the book. <i>Avila </i>creates his own torture scenarios, recreating very
little from the book, relishing heavily in repetitive whip lashing and
realistic skin markings. Nude figures full of gashed and marked up skin is a
major motif here.</span><br />
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<span face=""arial" , sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">As someone just coming off of the book, I found <i>Avila’s</i>
<b>Justine</b> to be a worthwhile experience filled with disturbing violent
imagery that also in its own way manages to be beautiful, particularly in the
way it is framed and filmed by cinematographer <i>Miguel Inti Canedo</i> and
edited by <i>Avila</i>. Plus, it is nice to have a modern Justine film to round
out the collection of available Justine films, which are mostly from the ‘60s
and ‘70s. Even though the movie is chock-full of <i>de Sadean</i> torture, once
you get accustomed to it, you’ll notice there’s also something kind of hypnotic
and moody about it, which might have a lot to do with <i>Hatton’s</i> mind-altering
soundtrack. It can be an enlightening experience, but more for those who might
understand <i>de Sade</i> more, otherwise you’ll likely wonder what the fuck
this shit is you’re watching. </span><br />
<br />
<span face=""arial" , sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">© At the Mansion of Madness</span><br />
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<span face=""arial" , sans-serif" style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"> <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
Giovanni Susinahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03253382939348997303noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2316228451187611813.post-11326347775470075652019-10-21T19:34:00.001-07:002020-01-07T22:20:37.953-08:00Assignment Terror / Los monstruos del terror (1970)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdsfpyGvCBxfZEk059SwjU02XncSaGy9K4QzfTErDz8hnziFEiVN7RX_Jx9WuQ6nidBAhq9Tdx0MxAC6MqN9cLGnqxCQ9EgHdfzmExVA_HX1T59su2KIN51dNTt5_5QXnkbUts5CRmdNKU/s1600/Assignment+Terror+Title.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1139" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdsfpyGvCBxfZEk059SwjU02XncSaGy9K4QzfTErDz8hnziFEiVN7RX_Jx9WuQ6nidBAhq9Tdx0MxAC6MqN9cLGnqxCQ9EgHdfzmExVA_HX1T59su2KIN51dNTt5_5QXnkbUts5CRmdNKU/s400/Assignment+Terror+Title.jpg" width="283" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Halloween always gets me in the mood for the classic
Universal monsters, so I thought I would revisit a Spanish monster mash-up (done in
the vein of <b>Frankenstein Meets the Wolfman</b> (1943) and <b>House of Frankenstein</b>
(1944)) that I had not seen in over ten years.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><b>Assignment Terror</b> is one
of the <i>Paul Naschy</i> films I revisited the least for some reason. <i>Naschy</i>
wrote and starred in it, but at the same time I couldn’t help thinking it
needed a little more <i>Naschy</i>. <i>Paul Naschy</i>’s scripts usually come
off as real personal projects, but, even with the presence of the Universal
monsters that inspired <i>Naschy’s </i>childhood love for horror, I didn’t
quite feel that as much with <b>Assignment Terror</b>. But to be fair, it is quite early
in <i>Naschy’s</i> filmography. Plus, I can see how <i>Naschy</i> might’ve
thought it best to have his tragic lycanthrope character Waldemar Daninsky step
aside a little to make room for the other classic monsters. In the end, it
still ends up being <i>Naschy’s</i> show and what I think is an alright old-school
monster movie that has got a few neat tricks up its sleeve. The whole thing is
of course messy and flawed but also kind of whacky and fun.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><i>Naschy</i> was
tasked by the production company Prades P.C. with writing a script for a big
budget monster movie. This ended up being filled with body snatching aliens and
alternate Spanish versions of Dracula, the Wolf Man, Frankenstein’s monster,
and The Mummy. In his memoirs, <i>Naschy</i> wrote that he also included a
golem monster, who unfortunately does not end up in the movie, aside from being
briefly referenced in a tome of monsters that is leafed through by the
inspector character (<i>Craig Hill</i>) in the film. The tome, titled
“Anthology of the monsters by Professor Alrich D. Farancksalan” actually
features really cool monster artwork. According to <i>Naschy</i>, the film was a
troubled production. It was first directed by <i>Hugo Fregonese</i> who walked out on the project only after a couple weeks and had to be replaced by</span> <i><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Tulio
Demicheli</span></i><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><i>Naschy’s</i> <b>Fury of the Wolfman</b> (1970), made
shortly after, combined sci-fi with horror, and also included some very interesting
werewolf S&M, whereas <b>Assignment Terror</b> opts for a much heavier
sci-fi approach, toning down considerably any gothic horror elements that one might
expect from this kind of film. There are space aliens looking to annihilate or overthrow the
human race in order to take over Earth, since their own planet “Ummo” can no
longer sustain them, and they plan to use mankind’s superstition and fear of
legendary monsters against them in order to achieve this aim. The leader of
this operation is Dr. Odo Warnoff (<i>Michael Rennie</i>), a very gentlemanly
bad guy. Together with his assistants,</span> <span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Maleva Kerstein (Bond girl <i>Karin
Dor</i>) and Dr. Kerian (<i>Ángel del Pozo</i>), they intend to use their highly
advanced technology to revive monsters that humans are all too familiar with
from legend. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">The inclusion of monsters similar to Dracula, Frankenstein, and The Wolf Man might seem
a little out of place in a ‘60s space-agey sci-fi, but this does still inevitably lead to some fun brawls
between the monsters, with the most memorable in this case being The Wolf Man
vs. The Mummy.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">I do like the compelling idea of making monsters through
science. It almost feels like the movie is asking the question: what if modern
science could one day render make-believe monsters (the familiar ones from
horror movies) real? </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">There isn’t much science to it though, since reviving the
monsters generally consists of removing a silver bullet or a stake, or using a
magic mirror. The science motif is more in the use of a colorful, vibrant, and
hokey laboratory, where the aliens do their work on mind control of humans and
monsters, as colorful chemicals smoke and bubble, flashy lights accompany
sci-fi sound effects, and servants are tortured with ultrasonic waves and electroshocked
into submission. Things start to feel a little episodic, and not necessarily in
a bad way, with the aliens travelling to different locales to recover the corpses
of the vampire (at a carnival) Count Janos de Mialhoff (<i>Manuel de Blas</i>),
the wolf man (in a cemetery) Waldemar Daninsky (<i>Naschy</i>), the mummy (in
Egypt) Tao-Tet (<i>Gene Reyes</i>), and the pages from the aforementioned tome
that contain the secret to creating El monstruo de Farancksalan (<i>Ferdinando
Murolo</i>).</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">I personally thought the Dracula figure, Count Janos de Mialhoff,
was quite terrifying in this. Like <i>Howard Vernon’s</i> Dracula, he doesn’t
speak but is still very dangerous even when tied down, as he will immediately
hypnotize anyone who looks into his eyes. There was just something extra creepy
about him and the way the film really imparts Dracula’s predatory prowess. When
he does get loose, as to be expected, he heads straight for the slumbering
Maleva Kerstein. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">The aliens in this are able to appear in human form, particularly
deceased humans. With gentlemanly elegance and psychopathy, Dr. Warnoff leads
the mission of growing an army of monsters in the lab in order to destroy
mankind while leaving the planet intact, hence the reason they pass on exploding
the nuclear weapon arsenal. He actually seems very kind and approachable but can
also be very cold and cruel, while warning his alien brethren to not allow
themselves to be weakened by human emotion, particularly that of love and emotional weakness.
Maleva Kerstein seems to struggle with these feelings whenever she is in
contact with a man, as she eventually falls for her co-worker Dr. Kerian. Their
attraction to one another while in their human bodies is entirely foreign to
them, which suggests sex and love do not exist on their planet. Dr. Warnoff of
course sees this as a threat to the mission and takes drastic measures.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">I
honestly thought <i>Michael Rennie </i>was pretty good in the role of Dr. Warnoff.
He seemed committed, playing it straight faced, despite how ridiculous things sometimes
got. I was convinced by his performance as a distinguished intellectual bad guy
with little sense of wrongdoing, since he is acting entirely in the interest of
his own alien race. By the way, the idea of aliens appearing as humans is cool
and all, but I’m a little disappointed we never got to see them in their natural
forms. Apparently there originally was supposed to be scenes filmed with flying
saucers that did not make it into the film for budgetary reasons. <i> </i></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><i>Paul
Naschy’s</i> wolfman performance is as sincere and brutal as always, even if
the victim count is a little low here, which is made up for with the Mummy vs.
Wolfman fight, where we kind of find out the obvious that a shambling mummy is
no match for a werewolf (well unless we’re talking about the mummy <i>Paul
Naschy</i> played in <b>La venganza de la momia</b> (1975)). El hombre lobo
puts that mummy in a centrifuge of fire, and it is pure madness. That mummy in
the spinning wheel of fire is what I remembered most about this movie. It’s not
just fire but g-force that defeats the mummy. How do they come up with
something like that?</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">The comely <i>Patty Shepard</i>, shortly before she was</span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Countess
Wandesa Dárvula de Nadasdy in <b>The Werewolf Versus the Vampire Woman</b>
(1971), is the love interest to Inspector Tobermann (<i>Hill</i>). She ends up
in peril and a prisoner to The Count.</span><b><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"> </span></b><br />
<br />
<b><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Assignment Terror</span></b><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"> has
got a real groovy score that is credited to <i>Franco Salina</i>. It’s easy to
conclude that the upbeat theme heard during the intro credits doesn’t fit, but
I love the different flavor it lends to the old-school monster motif; plus, it
reminds me a little of <i>Burt Bacharach’s</i> theme to <b>Casino Royale</b>
(1967). The soundtrack also contains the appropriate spooky music as well.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"> <b> </b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><b>Assignment
Terror</b> is obviously not the best in <i>Naschy’s </i>horror filmography, but
it certainly stands out, going more in the sci-fi direction while downplaying the
gothic horror aesthetic. It just barely does adequate justice to the classic
Universal monsters and really is just a charming Spanish revisit of the monster
mashup gimmick that feels so endearing during Halloween season that just
awakens my childhood love for all the classic monsters together in the same
story, which I believe for me is thanks to growing up with the <b>Castlevania</b> (1986)
video game and <b>The Monster Squad</b> (1987). If you’re a fan of <i>Paul
Naschy</i> and also thought <i>Jess Franco’s</i> <b>Dracula, Prisoner of
Frankenstein</b> (1972) needed a little more <b>Plan 9 from Outer Space</b> (1959)
thrown in to it, then by all means, have a gander at <b>Assignment Terror</b>.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">©
At the Mansion of Madness</span><br />
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Giovanni Susinahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03253382939348997303noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2316228451187611813.post-40241143644088681692019-08-06T00:32:00.002-07:002019-10-21T18:51:26.995-07:00Macumba Sexual (1983)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLgKdK1AXKRumuhWPQlb87eqobaf28odf563zKZQFYPc0yQ7NW9aUXR3HHiJ8fLtozk9S72xbNKCBP7tAPgLezLE5LOnbDzOCmdkVr_UDaosHoyd4iAlj6YvpnbNRqfRyRypvD9u_lC3YH/s1600/Macumba+Sexual_Title.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="550" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLgKdK1AXKRumuhWPQlb87eqobaf28odf563zKZQFYPc0yQ7NW9aUXR3HHiJ8fLtozk9S72xbNKCBP7tAPgLezLE5LOnbDzOCmdkVr_UDaosHoyd4iAlj6YvpnbNRqfRyRypvD9u_lC3YH/s400/Macumba+Sexual_Title.jpg" width="275" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">For me, going back to <b>Macumba Sexual</b> is going back to my <i>Jess
Franco</i> origins, as it was the second <i>Jess Franco</i> film I ever saw, the
first being <b>Mansion of the Living Dead</b> (1982). I came across both Severin
DVDs of these films at a video store in 2007 and took a chance with <b>Mansion</b>
first even though I was expecting it to be terrible (I had heard of <i>Jess
Franco </i>and a <i>not</i> so revered zombie movie by the name of <b>Oasis of
the Zombies</b> (1982)). At the time, I was desperate for something new, and I
was sort of fascinated by the cheap looking blind dead Templar rip-offs on the DVD
cover (Diet Tombs of the Blind Dead?). My expectations were low, but it turned
out to be a funny, sexy, ultra-weird, and surprisingly atmospheric horror movie
with a captivating lead actress, <i>Lina Romay (</i>born</span><span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 107%;"> </span><i><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Rosa Maria Almirall</span></i><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">). I shortly went
back to the store for <b>Macumba Sexual</b> and, despite some frustrations,
have been hooked on <i>Jess Franco</i> ever since (thanks Severin!).</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><b>Mansion
of the Living Dead </b>and <b>Macumba Sexual</b> both benefit beautifully from
the Gran Canaria filming locations in the Canary Islands. As with <b>Vampyros
Lesbos</b> (1971), <i>Jess Franco</i> once again does Dracula his way. With <b>Macumba
Sexual</b>, the Dracula storyline is whisked away, transformed, sexually
charged, and reborn in Las Palmas in southern Gran Canaria and retold in
eternal daylight (not a single scene in the movie is shot at night). Dracula is
now a Macumba Priestess, Princess Tara Obongo, played by transsexual actress <i>Ajita
Wilson,</i> who resides in her desert oasis lair furnished with African
artifacts and statues, where she remotely casts a spell and haunts
the sex life of two tourists: real estate agent Alice Brooks (<i>Lina Romay</i>)
and her (nameless) writer husband (<i>Antonio Mayans</i>).</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdH2RVT_8g-Bv-G8IP6aF7P0SLlGSA8BZa63cE3kCHu6zAYQSpacLkseBX4CVFoFmjLZ_b-tFkObErGDh9exu2NUqChOxqkWJYEQR_L_klnr8D-herbKtEeXKhS16H-tG4FgM311brv52H/s1600/Macumba+Sexual_2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="592" data-original-width="1428" height="206" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdH2RVT_8g-Bv-G8IP6aF7P0SLlGSA8BZa63cE3kCHu6zAYQSpacLkseBX4CVFoFmjLZ_b-tFkObErGDh9exu2NUqChOxqkWJYEQR_L_klnr8D-herbKtEeXKhS16H-tG4FgM311brv52H/s400/Macumba+Sexual_2.jpg" width="500" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">From her hotel room,
Alice has sun drenched nightmares of Tara and of being sexually ravaged by her human
beast servants. She wakes up shaken and horny and satiates herself by fellating
and then fucking her husband, but Tara haunts the vacationing couple’s coitus
in a way that appears to enhance it, as the Princess sexually possesses them
both and inserts her astral self into the act in a beautifully eerie way that
makes for a real witchy and haunting three-way. Neither Alice or her husband seem
to realize what transpired, while Alice slowly comes-to after an intense
orgasm.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_CIW3dwhxRmypf-e22nvT1CrnQ0BpDWu7OWT1ApxeSJDGsJ6wxq6gq1y2RelEH92vy272vZ3yHWSn7EfVVyiGTO8lf-yXmSMeRgoAUZAOl9oLUIW67k2RJo3LeRx1QqJiuixuVDS0Gxv3/s1600/Macumba+Sexual_3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="601" data-original-width="1432" height="206" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_CIW3dwhxRmypf-e22nvT1CrnQ0BpDWu7OWT1ApxeSJDGsJ6wxq6gq1y2RelEH92vy272vZ3yHWSn7EfVVyiGTO8lf-yXmSMeRgoAUZAOl9oLUIW67k2RJo3LeRx1QqJiuixuVDS0Gxv3/s400/Macumba+Sexual_3.jpg" width="500" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpcJKjRJXyilFlBWoOLC0hag7qKBSe-gVw5vtJh61TI6jz6IFM3Tyzj0IUS8pbvdOa6ex89-b3uL0o530qRcuqYl5DTJ5wxDyxkVtqhrOz_wBGSqCQcMiLBIyCROvbyIFnljv6p699de-6/s1600/Macumba+Sexual_4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="592" data-original-width="1428" height="206" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpcJKjRJXyilFlBWoOLC0hag7qKBSe-gVw5vtJh61TI6jz6IFM3Tyzj0IUS8pbvdOa6ex89-b3uL0o530qRcuqYl5DTJ5wxDyxkVtqhrOz_wBGSqCQcMiLBIyCROvbyIFnljv6p699de-6/s400/Macumba+Sexual_4.jpg" width="500" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Alice’s vacation is interrupted when she gets a call from her company
requesting her to take a boat ride to a nearby island to meet with a Princess
Tara Obongo, who is interested in buying a house in America from them. Could
that be the same Princess from her nightmares? You better believe it.<b> </b></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhK4iT5EjI_t8uJZu5Z3r4VVvN6F6rOTWCwzJglgliWPQRhmKVm5hBvnsuYwZ0d0oa2N1oqiTRYfdoRcxG5OWnKX_Jqhyphenhyphenzph19x7LjVSQePoVa_-uOnkFHcQj4QxwVQDmD-noky27fP4Qv5/s1600/Macumba+Sexual_6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="593" data-original-width="1431" height="206" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhK4iT5EjI_t8uJZu5Z3r4VVvN6F6rOTWCwzJglgliWPQRhmKVm5hBvnsuYwZ0d0oa2N1oqiTRYfdoRcxG5OWnKX_Jqhyphenhyphenzph19x7LjVSQePoVa_-uOnkFHcQj4QxwVQDmD-noky27fP4Qv5/s400/Macumba+Sexual_6.jpg" width="500" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><b>Macumba
Sexual</b> has its fair share of fever sex dreams, prompting fantasies of
ritualistic orgies on the hot desert sand that you never knew you had. The base
storyline is similar to <b>Vampyros Lesbos</b>, but here there are more elongated
sex scenes that drag down the pace a little. But it really is a wildly bizarre
world to get lost in for eighty minutes, and everything is always so hypnotic
and otherworldly that it is hard to lose interest. The three key players played
by <i>Romay</i>, <i>Wilson</i>, and <i>Mayans</i> do give great performances. Plus,
<i>Jess Franco</i> is also on hand indulging in his favorite acting role of
playing the fool, the hotel manager Mehmet, who almost feels a little like a
reprisal of Basilio from <b>A Virgin Among the Living Dead</b> (1971). Tara’s
animalistic sex slaves nicely round out the small cast. Speaking of Tara’s sex
slaves, during Alice’s nightmare, the shot of the Princess walking two of her human
pets on leashes is so brilliant and striking. It’s a BDSM nightmare visual from
another world, a simple idea that goes a long way.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWQ_WKxG-3MwRjNPmUlmEsDvlEmYbaJkROpCl6CCf8aiHxDg4b6ISTgtc5cSYGO9ZL7fOVHxKwcsfva4TXGA_ZWqIZO8U9yOT1A_i5ACdHzj3rMQWdFwJWaKmHdz_wVW0yO-xlLCsGXhe6/s1600/Macumba+Sexual_7.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="598" data-original-width="1429" height="206" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWQ_WKxG-3MwRjNPmUlmEsDvlEmYbaJkROpCl6CCf8aiHxDg4b6ISTgtc5cSYGO9ZL7fOVHxKwcsfva4TXGA_ZWqIZO8U9yOT1A_i5ACdHzj3rMQWdFwJWaKmHdz_wVW0yO-xlLCsGXhe6/s400/Macumba+Sexual_7.jpg" width="500" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">The sex scene between <i>Antonio
Mayans</i> and <i>Lina Romay</i> isn't half bad, but it’s <i>Ajita Wilson</i>
and <i>Lina Romay</i> who have terrific chemistry. <i>Mayans</i> and <i>Wilson</i> have scenes together, too,
and the Princess’s servants are thrown into the mix to explore further
combinations of orgies in the film’s particular brand of ritualistic, wild, and
surreal sex scenes, although it is a bit rubbish that the film excludes male-to-male
interaction, which <i>Jess Franco</i> did not shy away from in an earlier film <b>Sinfonia
erotica</b> (1980).</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWOu0Q93lR3MTWHzA7EUvfAEk4HzgUkmyKfGGsQUTxUWMI864KSlEVlsD6GtcyC1088FNLLGIZk5hy3yx0Qrca9Fmp8IB4lYD3eRl6ZerMu4aAJcyMJm4rVJOcTxRisiEmQ9Edh4T2lhZ8/s1600/Macumba+Sexual_8.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="597" data-original-width="1429" height="206" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWOu0Q93lR3MTWHzA7EUvfAEk4HzgUkmyKfGGsQUTxUWMI864KSlEVlsD6GtcyC1088FNLLGIZk5hy3yx0Qrca9Fmp8IB4lYD3eRl6ZerMu4aAJcyMJm4rVJOcTxRisiEmQ9Edh4T2lhZ8/s400/Macumba+Sexual_8.jpg" width="500" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">The soundtrack consisting of a lot of chanting and vocal cantations very much draws you in and helps engulf you in the film’s
world and atmosphere. The shamanistic vocals sound a lot like <i>Jess Franco</i>
(although there really doesn't seem to be any confirmation on this), who frequently contributes to his own
soundtracks.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">I really like the homage to <b>The Shining</b> (1980), mainly due
to a creepy subtlety. If you pause the film and look closely at the top of the typewriter text, in the particular scene, you’ll see Alice’s husband, who’s working on a novel, writing a
perfectly normal story at first, with dialogue between characters, that
suddenly transforms midway to “Tara, Tara, Tara” repeatedly for many lines,
pinpointing the exact moment he was bewitched/possessed by the Princess. It’s very creepy and
convincing.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEip2Pfl9wS0Y5A9_KH0oGIpSPjM5rnMmY_DdCE3SfzExtHnF5BtA92yO8Lhg-zt8rknldhwwEc8t2cuMWtp9R4XBJREXr1FTAqUcQDXAGOEyHItthNsMPIoR45MUXZ8X2KGg62Qv8cktcEh/s1600/Macumba+Sexual_10.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="596" data-original-width="1429" height="206" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEip2Pfl9wS0Y5A9_KH0oGIpSPjM5rnMmY_DdCE3SfzExtHnF5BtA92yO8Lhg-zt8rknldhwwEc8t2cuMWtp9R4XBJREXr1FTAqUcQDXAGOEyHItthNsMPIoR45MUXZ8X2KGg62Qv8cktcEh/s400/Macumba+Sexual_10.jpg" width="500" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><i>Lina Romay</i> proves that she is one of the greatest screamers
in cinema, especially her screams at the end of <b>Macumba Sexual</b>, which
are chilling but also work on an emotional and empathy-inducing level. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><i>Lina Romay’s</i>
wig in this, as I understand it, is not to everyone’s liking, but I thought her
bobbed blonde look was rather cute and rebellious (maybe even a little like a
blonde Valentina-now that I think of it, <b>Macumba Sexual</b> does have a few similarities
to <i>Guido Crepax’s</i> <b>Baba Yaga</b>). I’ve referred to it in the past as
the <i>Candy Coster</i> wig. <i>Candy Coster</i> was a screen pseudonym <i>Lina</i>
used during several productions in the early ‘80s timeframe (she went by <i>Candice
Coster</i> for <b>Sinfonia erotica</b> where she wore a long blond wig). Since
it somehow was thought that <i>Lina Romay</i> was in too many movies, she
changed her screen name, put on the wig, and became someone else. <i>Lina</i>
also appears in the same wig in <b>Mansion of the Living Dead</b>, <b>La casa
de las mujeres perdidas</b> (1983), and <b>Camino solitario</b> (1984).</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><i>Ajita
Wilson</i> is the most memorable and an incredible addition to the film. I
actually like to think that this is her movie. During the esoteric rituals with
runes and statues in the desert, <i>Ajita </i>gives it her all when she goes into
a mad, religious trance after fellating a phallic looking monk statue. These rituals,
as well as the shots of Tara standing outside of her lair, were some of the
most evocative images that stayed with me long after watching <b>Macumba Sexual</b>.
<i>Ajita s</i>hould’ve done more films with <i>Jess Franco</i>. I believe it
was just <b>Macumba Sexual</b> and <b>Sadomania</b> (1981). In the interview
that was included on the Severin DVD, <b>Voodoo Jess</b>, <i>Jess Franco</i>
refers to <i>Ajita Wilson</i> as "a kind of female <i>Christopher Lee"</i> who "was born
to make horror films" and was a “very expressive” “force of nature”. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">© At the Mansion of
Madness</span><br />
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Giovanni Susinahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03253382939348997303noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2316228451187611813.post-78221987322120277062019-06-11T21:14:00.000-07:002019-08-06T00:11:21.414-07:00Evil Eye / Malocchio (1975)<div class="MsoNormal">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSVDf1sguMkYrshkmf6ct433HyJmEmuSy1_ZMHfkHbkcb_CSaIiWpZjvVJJWlczrQVH58B6FnrgtFrqzp3VIqHJDlsUpv0zDru-WET9tkrRkieUd7l0L-oX-PCBfUUhxITYkprExgRXrGC/s1600/Evil+Eye+Title.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="625" data-original-width="437" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSVDf1sguMkYrshkmf6ct433HyJmEmuSy1_ZMHfkHbkcb_CSaIiWpZjvVJJWlczrQVH58B6FnrgtFrqzp3VIqHJDlsUpv0zDru-WET9tkrRkieUd7l0L-oX-PCBfUUhxITYkprExgRXrGC/s400/Evil+Eye+Title.jpg" width="278" /></a></div>
<b><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Evil Eye</span></b><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"> is that kind of movie that
gracefully tries to do it all but ends up not really knowing what to do with
itself afterwards. When looking at the film as a whole, it feels like a nice
recap of the enduring motifs of the giallo, occult, gothic horror, and erotica
film, and for that it will surely find a place in the hearts of Eurocult fans (it
certainly has for me), but it’s hard to tell if it is a work of genius, a
mistake of a masterpiece, or just an empty, routine cash-in. <span style="mso-no-proof: yes;">Is it great or not-great? I honestly have referred to
it as both.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="mso-no-proof: yes;"> </span> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">The Spanish, Italian, Mexican co-production <b>Evil Eye</b>
(aka <b>Mal de ojo</b> in Spain, <b>Malocchio </b>and <b>Eroticofollia</b> in
Italy, and <b>Más allá del exorcismo</b> in Mexico) is directed and co-written
by <i>Mario Siciliano</i>. It was also co-written by Spanish writers <i>Julio
Buchs</i> and <i>Federico De Urrutia</i>. Interestingly, <i>Buchs</i> and <i>De
Urrutia</i> have several co-writing credits together, such as <b>Alta tension</b>
(1972) and <b>A Bullet for Sandoval </b>(1969), many of which <i>Buchs </i>directed. <b>Evil
Eye</b> seems to be the very last film either writer worked on. <i>Julio Buchs</i>
died in 1973 before the film was released.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgN0Wx24KXpwerbq5RISn7EjOZkviPXwbCOSkpysPi9bT3fyuu6hShCqkAaigB47ICnUUhTkS02iN7RS9j7wqf3QGBEypR8VlFn7qc7TB_jWlHdv_DimLHl3lviNCOUv5uRzs5Hf6hCdyAG/s1600/Evil+Eye+Malocchio_2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="817" data-original-width="1428" height="289" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgN0Wx24KXpwerbq5RISn7EjOZkviPXwbCOSkpysPi9bT3fyuu6hShCqkAaigB47ICnUUhTkS02iN7RS9j7wqf3QGBEypR8VlFn7qc7TB_jWlHdv_DimLHl3lviNCOUv5uRzs5Hf6hCdyAG/s400/Evil+Eye+Malocchio_2.jpg" width="500" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">The leading man is Mexican movie
star <i>Jorge Rivero</i> (who, like me, graduated college with a degree in
chemical engineering) as nightmare-plagued, wealthy, debauched playboy Peter
Crane. Despite my issues with the direction of the story, I thought there was
something appealing about Peter and the way <i>Rivero</i> portrayed him with
minimal charisma and just the right amount of elegance, without seeming too
trashy or unlikable. I thought the opening when Peter wakes up (at 6 pm), after
having a nightmare about a terrifying cult that is seemingly menacing him,
looking absolutely hungover and partied out, surrounded by other passed out
partiers, in his own living room, really captured that hedonistic ‘70s vibe, as
does a few other parts of the movie. Peter has to walk over passed-out bodies in
order to find his servant, Walter, played by <i>Eduardo Fajardo</i>, who kicks the party guests out by first waking them up with loud music.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Peter actually reminds me
a lot of a 1970s Dorian Gray; he lives in excess, hosts parties at his mansion, is
wealthy but doesn’t work, lives alone with his servant/major-domo, has a
reputation for his not so wholesome lifestyle, and has a certain agelessness,
mainly thanks to <i>Jorge Rivero</i>’s weightlifter physique.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Peter is plagued
with nightmares of an otherworldly cult, and these nightmares are related to
blackouts, where he murders people and remembers it later as a dream. It
reminds me of the hypno-killer theme seen in many a <i>Jess Franco</i> film.
Peter starts to look more and more disheveled as the body count increases.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">When
he starts to suspect there might be something wrong with himself, Peter visits and eventually checks into
a psychiatric hospital under the care of Dr. Stone (<i>Richard Conte</i>). The
film does tease with a loose insinuation that Dr. Stone might somehow be
involved with what is happening to Peter. Some of the parts where Peter is in the hospital under observation
seem wasted and uninteresting (except for when he’s sneaking out with one of
the female doctors, played by</span> <i><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Pilar Velázquez</span></i><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">),
where nothing about Peter’s dilemma seems to really be explored satisfactorily. He does
mention to his doctors about the people in his dreams and alludes to a
kind of “they made me do it” cult conspiracy. At least while he’s in the
hospital, Peter’s friend Robert (<i>Luis La Torre</i>) throws a party (consisting of a lot of extra cast members, including <i>Eva Vanicek</i>), where a very PG attempt at an
orgy takes place in his living room. (During the party,
a lot of times, you’re just like, “I don’t know who these people are or what’s
going on, but I kind of like it.”)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><b>Evil Eye</b> is a film that bleeds a
little bit of the occult horror into the giallo but only to a degree to where
it feels more like a mild accessory to the proceedings. It’s a minor novelty
that could’ve gone a long way given how creepy the occult moments are, but it
is too loosely/ambiguously integrated into the main plot. The
occult parts are awesome and unnerving, but aside from the photo of Peter Crane
used in a ritual, it is almost like they could’ve come from another movie or
been easily transferred to another movie to simply be nightmares to antagonize another
protagonist. (I really like <i>Johan Melle</i> of <a href="http://euro-fever.blogspot.com/2010/09/evil-eyemalocchio.html" target="_blank">euro fever</a>'s noticing the vague implication that the delirious and tormented
looking nude figures in Peter’s dreams are the souls of murdered victims who are
channeling energy to get revenge from beyond through Peter, but like a lot of
plot threads here, this is never really expanded on and ultimately discarded. Maybe
this is what happens when too many ideas are pushed in to the story; the stronger ideas get watered down.)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">One of my favorite
parts that I recalled the most when I first watched it was when the movie
decides to go on a haunted mansion interlude/side-quest, where Peter decides to
go for a long drive, alone, after getting a menacing phone call from someone. His car
breaks down in front of a spooky house that is occupied by non-other than
Italian low-budget cult movie icon <i>Luciano Pigozzi</i> (it really feels like
the movie is unknowingly paying fan-service here). It comes off like a
mini-vengeful ghost story. This little segment could be expanded into its own
movie. <i>Daniela Giordano</i> occupies the house too and is nearly
unrecognizable with bobbed red hair. Of course, the occupants seem to know Peter
well, but Peter doesn’t seem to know them. The lady of the house even fondly
remembers she and Peter spending a night together. Does he just score so much
that he can’t remember everyone, or is something else going on? <span style="mso-no-proof: yes;"> </span></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhO59nV5tgUTMnL8hUWZ1r_R3IKUtUtIGh0aECpQN6FbUOry__O1cfK7TA7cUJ0Opx4XIyed7_MCKccJtFaPDvoDp263gTzYrbul0eUzhapVWvQ2oGLGVusuOst06Tx_2i3sctvLJfd7dy/s1600/Evil+Eye+Malocchio_10.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="828" data-original-width="1430" height="289" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhO59nV5tgUTMnL8hUWZ1r_R3IKUtUtIGh0aECpQN6FbUOry__O1cfK7TA7cUJ0Opx4XIyed7_MCKccJtFaPDvoDp263gTzYrbul0eUzhapVWvQ2oGLGVusuOst06Tx_2i3sctvLJfd7dy/s400/Evil+Eye+Malocchio_10.jpg" width="500" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>The strange Elizabeth Stephens, who remembers having a passionate night with Peter despite his not remembering her, is played by <i>Daniela Giordano</i>.</b></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="mso-no-proof: yes;">For some reason, before I saw <b>Evil Eye</b>, I thought <i>Anthonny
Steffen</i> would be in the leading role, but </span></span><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="mso-no-proof: yes;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="mso-no-proof: yes;"><i>Steffen </i></span></span>comes in later as the good-guy side character Inspector Ranieri, who's newly assigned to homicide.
With Ranieri, the film takes opportunities to try and further explore the
supernatural elements by having unexplained hauntings and visions visit the
inspector that ultimately come off as ambiguous and insignificant. I don’t
believe Ranieri ever even meets Peter in person. I did still enjoy the haunting incidents the inspector endures,
particularly the grinning vanishing woman and the creepy sound effects when he
temporarily loses his hearing. Ranieri has a little bit of a side story with
his wife who paints an impressive portrait of him. She gives him a keychain-like charm of
an eye, which you’d think was the evil eye of the title, but it is actually for
his protection. (In
Italian superstition, the 'evil eye' is considered a curse, and in order to
protect oneself from the evil eye, a ‘horno’ charm pendent that resembles a
southwestern chile is worn, so having an eye as a protective charm, as in
the film, is kind of an interesting inversion of the legend.)</span></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYorYiCfN2oJb-2-HyWFEJW3aGoWgVrSzlp2EhI6W0OtKZMVixLa5fnXQ1G2yKS0A1t95waCaAEcsdrigzpHEfzsK8x-n00SIN3DNu9RDR45qaWkvHb3-nZQSaq7jhMFQE9HAxR0BCD2MH/s1600/Evil+Eye+Malocchio_12.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="830" data-original-width="1432" height="289" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYorYiCfN2oJb-2-HyWFEJW3aGoWgVrSzlp2EhI6W0OtKZMVixLa5fnXQ1G2yKS0A1t95waCaAEcsdrigzpHEfzsK8x-n00SIN3DNu9RDR45qaWkvHb3-nZQSaq7jhMFQE9HAxR0BCD2MH/s400/Evil+Eye+Malocchio_12.jpg" width="500" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><b><u>Spoilers:</u></b> I’m convinced the writers were not sure how to end the movie, or unsure of which of the many alluded possibilities to use to explain Peter’s nightmares, the hauntings, and the murders, and so they took
the easy way out with a throwaway ending that had me in disbelief. <i>Jess
Franco</i> films of the same nature do at least give far-fetched explanations.
But it is what it is, and I’ve come to accept the framing as a sort of ‘Peter
in Gialloland’ take on the genre. There is a certain amount of elasticity to
it, so that someone could probably develop their own interpretation. I believe
it is also suggested that events will repeat themselves only a bit differently,
as it is someone else calling Peter on the phone when he awakens. Perhaps by living his life as
a dream first, he can do better the second time around. <b><u>End Spoilers</u></b> </span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNZX5np0UO9i4wFKxWusEj2zYWmyks0r8O2N_BeCNfCF192jZ00XIug90Wne-jc6Pp2fkeLA2fGXLSfp8yTCJ0ZaTY9AwSg81yDMJIfSPVJvs_JLJ-602escwkQ4AWAAtt0GNWePVIHh9T/s1600/Evil+Eye+Malocchio_13.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="829" data-original-width="1432" height="289" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNZX5np0UO9i4wFKxWusEj2zYWmyks0r8O2N_BeCNfCF192jZ00XIug90Wne-jc6Pp2fkeLA2fGXLSfp8yTCJ0ZaTY9AwSg81yDMJIfSPVJvs_JLJ-602escwkQ4AWAAtt0GNWePVIHh9T/s400/Evil+Eye+Malocchio_13.jpg" width="500" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>One of Peter's more steady girlfriends Tanya is played by <i>Maria Pia Giancaro</i>, although she is often mistakenly thought to have been played by <i>Daniela Giordano</i>.</b></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnNW_oHLmp3xIXUywMuSJmnxx5Q_C29OFwwoI6Q72ibDSG2glThSCAlPAjvuUG_Qwfsse7785eGLb8lOROHJpC2fx57onL5kJG2YKm2a2GCx1dtt0FdIJjzZjtlU4dTnLlTieLlQ7DbWUd/s1600/Evil+Eye+Malocchio_14.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="835" data-original-width="1428" height="289" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnNW_oHLmp3xIXUywMuSJmnxx5Q_C29OFwwoI6Q72ibDSG2glThSCAlPAjvuUG_Qwfsse7785eGLb8lOROHJpC2fx57onL5kJG2YKm2a2GCx1dtt0FdIJjzZjtlU4dTnLlTieLlQ7DbWUd/s400/Evil+Eye+Malocchio_14.jpg" width="500" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>This doll really has nothing to do with anything aside from aiding in the movie's irresistible giallo aesthetic, and I am <i>so</i> here for it! </b></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">It also has to be mentioned that <i>Stelvio Cipriani’s</i> score, which ranges
from eerie to romantic, does help give the movie a little more emotional
substance and bite. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">To watch <b>Evil Eye</b> is to step outside of your life
for an hour and a half and put your problems behind you temporarily and take in
the beauty of the moment, savoring a period of sweet, relaxing intoxication. Everything
the ‘70s cult horror fan could want is here: cult-conspiracy, mystery, murder,
dream sequences, sex parties, mansion hauntings, etc. <span style="mso-no-proof: yes;">At times it seems empty, and at other times it seems like such a
beautifully woven nightmare.</span> There are a number of good directions that
either don’t pan out or are discarded. Despite my ambivalent thoughts on it, I
still have a lot of love for this film. It hits the sweet spot so many times
while also being an unfortunate mess. <b>Evil Eye</b> isn’t very well written
as a whole, yet it has so many well written parts, but unfortunately, in the
end, it just doesn't end up amounting to much. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">© At the Mansion of Madness</span><br />
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Giovanni Susinahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03253382939348997303noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2316228451187611813.post-77755348233123086392019-04-14T23:58:00.000-07:002019-06-10T23:41:14.007-07:00The Sex of Angels / Il sesso degli angeli (1968)<div class="MsoNormal">
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">This wicked looking poster for the nominally X-rated
Italian/German drama <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">The Sex of Angels</b>
and the Google plot synopsis, which reads “young women steal a yacht and kidnap
a young man and spend a weekend having sex and doing drugs,” really aren’t all
that misleading, although there’s a lot more to the story. The poster also
exaggerates the situation, as what is depicted is rather the result of a
conundrum brought on by irresponsibility followed by an even more irresponsible
course of action. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">The setup to <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">The Sex
of Angels</b> is, of course, an appealing one to the male fancy. Being seized by three
beautiful modern-day angels and taken on a boat ride into the endless summer of
’68? Why not? It sounds like a good time, and for the most part it is, but in
trying to postulate what the film might be trying to say with its outcome, I
can’t help but put it in the context of ‘60s youth counter culture and the sexual
revolution and see it as a cautionary tale of seduction and widespread use of LSD
and what I thought was a kind of critical impression of the behaviors of the “sexually
liberated.”</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"></span>
<a name='more'></a><br />
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<br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">The film is written and directed by <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Ugo Liberatore</i>, who also co-wrote and directed <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Damned in Venice</b> (1978) (see also <b>Bora Bora</b>, <b>Bali</b>, and <b>May Morning</b>). He has fewer directing and far more
writing credits to his name, which includes <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">The Witch</b> (1966) and <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">The Cruel
Ones</b> (1967). Music in the film is by <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Giovanni
Fusco</i> (<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">A Black Veil for Lisa </b>1968)
and (according to the intro credits) is directed by <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Bruno Nicolai</i>. Not surprisingly the music is a strong point,
consisting of acid-rock cuts and a bombastic, fanfare-y main theme that really
hits me in my 1960s sentimental core, almost in a similar way that the music in
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Barbarella</b> (1968) does.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTe_-CpW8NTkG841l_L3VZ34z4rTMSOOsGSqZV-Dxp5nOtfwqi1KIzXi9EpBg-5MNhHv5CbZhEKF4dvHyn3puQK0TzQmLjgmxYEC4SRA_rXJNtti9s_vQulik1P-W-ZEBycuX-6yj4tT1a/s1600/The+Sex+of+Angels+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="636" data-original-width="1428" height="222" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTe_-CpW8NTkG841l_L3VZ34z4rTMSOOsGSqZV-Dxp5nOtfwqi1KIzXi9EpBg-5MNhHv5CbZhEKF4dvHyn3puQK0TzQmLjgmxYEC4SRA_rXJNtti9s_vQulik1P-W-ZEBycuX-6yj4tT1a/s400/The+Sex+of+Angels+2.jpg" width="500" /></a></div>
<br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">I’m assuming
our trio of angels are college students on summer break, as Nora (<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Doris Kunstmann</i> - <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Seven Deaths in the Cat’s Eye</b> 1973) seems to be planning an
important trip on her father’s yacht with her two friends, Nancy (<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Rosemary Dexter</i> - <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Eye in the Labyrinth</b> 1972<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">) </i>and
Carla (<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Laura Troschel</i> - <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Four Flies on Grey Velvet</b> 1971). They
stop by an old mansion to pick up Nora’s lover, Luca (<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Giovanni Petrucci</i> – <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">The Man
with Icy Eyes</b> 1971), who Nora wants to take along for their private
pleasure cruise. Luca is not too keen on the idea of leaving his work post to head
out to sea with Nora and her crew earlier than planned, and so the girls ditch
him and leave the mansion. Here, it’s almost like the film is saying, “nope,
we’re not setting this story in a mansion this time around.”</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiC-pxd-EtPmqHN0Igp5GEyRAWmtrXuXm8D-FqNKtfMCui6X8216KSYwRrgQ3h4JoEsXj58K929Phdp6ZrOgZvGPwSgW688Fr9CmdgupSNDa9uWjrEOijw0v4OiT6uja9pKC_iIZLj3UjEl/s1600/The+Sex+of+Angels+3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="637" data-original-width="1428" height="222" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiC-pxd-EtPmqHN0Igp5GEyRAWmtrXuXm8D-FqNKtfMCui6X8216KSYwRrgQ3h4JoEsXj58K929Phdp6ZrOgZvGPwSgW688Fr9CmdgupSNDa9uWjrEOijw0v4OiT6uja9pKC_iIZLj3UjEl/s400/The+Sex+of+Angels+3.jpg" width="500" /></a></div>
<br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Instead of having
an all-girls vacation at sea, the angelic-three seem to need to bring a male with them for
unclear reasons. They head over to a beach side club, where all the young, cool
people on summer break populate to hit the dance floor. It’s here that they
spot the perfect male companion for their trip, the blond golden boy Marco (<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Bernard De Vries</i>), a third-year medicine student. When Marco’s girlfriend steps aside, Nancy moves in for the capture by
asking him a bunch of personal questions before asking him if he’d like to "make
it" with her. Because this is a time of loose sexual morals, Marco shows casual
interest and agrees to meet her at some private place out on the water, where later
Nora, Nancy, and Carla pick him up on their yacht. As they sail off,
unbeknownst to Marco, he has just agreed to leave with them to Yugoslavia.</span><br />
<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7JZ5lKLG8nKuSSoF6pHLjBk3iLhWbX4EwpvY_ydiaFQBVuFS7vUpgNasvyqUEW_NqNvKZcUV_mGrouVeQ_3RSXgNI7kLA2R0Rct1JVUv7eJtoKLFFbNM-XgoOsXn4ri16IOrAg-QTLdr3/s1600/The+Sex+of+Angels+4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="643" data-original-width="1430" height="222" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7JZ5lKLG8nKuSSoF6pHLjBk3iLhWbX4EwpvY_ydiaFQBVuFS7vUpgNasvyqUEW_NqNvKZcUV_mGrouVeQ_3RSXgNI7kLA2R0Rct1JVUv7eJtoKLFFbNM-XgoOsXn4ri16IOrAg-QTLdr3/s400/The+Sex+of+Angels+4.jpg" width="500" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2r5VAaDly9Lr7jJwMEsSebURjih-B1kdPbcv3Qigo-xAwezhbYH5_f1wn6sWCgZsTMDzZ3A4VhyphenhyphenrAvPfOPvDpMQ_4E74I-jasezzyOkQop1O3nonBBDW0lUmd0Mpt2v6UXtMY9RIDU3Kw/s1600/The+Sex+of+Angels+5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="642" data-original-width="1429" height="222" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2r5VAaDly9Lr7jJwMEsSebURjih-B1kdPbcv3Qigo-xAwezhbYH5_f1wn6sWCgZsTMDzZ3A4VhyphenhyphenrAvPfOPvDpMQ_4E74I-jasezzyOkQop1O3nonBBDW0lUmd0Mpt2v6UXtMY9RIDU3Kw/s400/The+Sex+of+Angels+5.jpg" width="500" /></a></div>
<br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">I’m
not sure exactly why they needed to trick a boy into coming with them, other
than, I guess, the fun of having a good-looking guy around, and being a horny
guy, Marco is game to play along. Nancy refers to Marco as “our Neptune,” the Roman
god of the sea. Seems fitting…</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Young people dream of getting away, without
chaperone and with total freedom (what better than the open sea). It reminds me
of when I always wanted to get a car so me and my friends could drive a long
distance away to have a fishing trip with plenty of beer and cigarettes. There
was something appealing when you were much younger about the idea of travelling with friends, farther than you’ve ever gone before, without
parents, to be free to make a lasting memory that for many would usually
involve sex and drugs. I’m thinking this is sort of related to what Nancy,
Nora, and Carla have in mind.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBTHLOEEcHAY3-AKFyuHfHb7J_kf7eDUWBETO_1x0x6kgDQVQ_kccCUy9Orgacx72yMY7Ac64stgQpEKu43TBTUGHwK0RmeJ8KGWRouPE5CzZmcyjlZCa2jvHMkc3XbBl6FCIlwPdVgdT-/s1600/The+Sex+of+Angels+6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="636" data-original-width="1430" height="222" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBTHLOEEcHAY3-AKFyuHfHb7J_kf7eDUWBETO_1x0x6kgDQVQ_kccCUy9Orgacx72yMY7Ac64stgQpEKu43TBTUGHwK0RmeJ8KGWRouPE5CzZmcyjlZCa2jvHMkc3XbBl6FCIlwPdVgdT-/s400/The+Sex+of+Angels+6.jpg" width="500" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkADBYhelk-DSPw_VRA8zn5gs3GFXM56AjpI_dOKD_8WQJhxLFxmofX3izhKR_kKvqZDaQCwIfcf7c9qCfQDMILdh7WfcsqW3k_VsXrS02Nv-t4EeCG_RUEwc08li4r1z2lOmnhQYyIOnT/s1600/The+Sex+of+Angels+7.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="642" data-original-width="1429" height="222" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkADBYhelk-DSPw_VRA8zn5gs3GFXM56AjpI_dOKD_8WQJhxLFxmofX3izhKR_kKvqZDaQCwIfcf7c9qCfQDMILdh7WfcsqW3k_VsXrS02Nv-t4EeCG_RUEwc08li4r1z2lOmnhQYyIOnT/s400/The+Sex+of+Angels+7.jpg" width="500" /></a></div>
<br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Marco doesn’t seem to mind being kidnapped, too much, in this case, given the lovely company, and as consolation he’s taken
it upon himself to try and have a brief love affair with each girl. Although, if
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Queens of Evil</b> (1970) taught us
anything, this is not a good idea.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">He’s eventually peer-pressured into joining
his kidnappers for an LSD session, locked in a cabin with them and a tape recorder in case any of them experience amnesia. The buildup to the trip with LSD laced sugar
cubes almost seems magical, until the next morning when reality sets in. They
wake up without any memory of what went down, <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">The Hangover</b> (2009) style. The post LSD trip section of the movie
becomes uncomfortable, starting with Nora’s moans and cries for her father
during her morning hangover, which for me had a visceral level to it that
nearly made me feel her pain and nausea.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYq6xDKFDPysnEt86-FDJkO85kWF-uEUeOkdZKMELq9fmDHu-L1yUXAbvwDi7C30G8oblkPBLxgerHpEjVa3EU8sCA1FSF-lNyJUyU3czHwOSo72Q9-1Wzg9sWg191NI0CMYkoED6uZKwe/s1600/The+Sex+of+Angels+9.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="641" data-original-width="1430" height="222" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYq6xDKFDPysnEt86-FDJkO85kWF-uEUeOkdZKMELq9fmDHu-L1yUXAbvwDi7C30G8oblkPBLxgerHpEjVa3EU8sCA1FSF-lNyJUyU3czHwOSo72Q9-1Wzg9sWg191NI0CMYkoED6uZKwe/s400/The+Sex+of+Angels+9.jpg" width="500" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizDlOhm6H4Olk2LvkxHGyoQsIq_jvKmJqFbZLjEpKRqJeor2PqL0z6tHK251cETr9mFEokr2IfQ7FDsRXD-RINmS06RMt3pi2R2_EJ4bGSBU56VbGVnKtDp91-H65YVLvZSWEf1SHJ3WJY/s1600/The+Sex+of+Angels+8.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="636" data-original-width="1428" height="222" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizDlOhm6H4Olk2LvkxHGyoQsIq_jvKmJqFbZLjEpKRqJeor2PqL0z6tHK251cETr9mFEokr2IfQ7FDsRXD-RINmS06RMt3pi2R2_EJ4bGSBU56VbGVnKtDp91-H65YVLvZSWEf1SHJ3WJY/s400/The+Sex+of+Angels+8.jpg" width="500" /></a></div>
<br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">We spend most of the film on a boat
with the same four characters, and it eventually feels claustrophobic despite
mostly taking place on the open sea. Sort of like in <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Top Sensation </b>(1969), they end up with a bit of a conundrum on the
boat, and shit gradually goes from sunny to dark. No one really meant for anything
bad to happen; it’s just the result of irresponsibility compounded with
stupidity. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">I feel like <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Liberatore</i>
may’ve embedded the script with a counter sex revolution argument that the new
generation of females are being irresponsible with their new freedoms, and it
is men who pay the price. But on the other hand, Marco made a number of stupid
decisions that helped put him where he ended up. Marco’s also pretty boorish himself
and not a good guy.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4OcXDPaENi69hBt-6xX8c054xU00aZ-XNXOnHK-lE0AQdRs5l_6A84JjDggK3ZIFquEU_T9NxzgHec6SzLpHvpAAtaEkgOAfd91HpY1nJOiy8zo-VToQajSdhuPrwQzTu0eRoqqcV5HgC/s1600/The+Sex+of+Angels+10.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="645" data-original-width="1431" height="222" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4OcXDPaENi69hBt-6xX8c054xU00aZ-XNXOnHK-lE0AQdRs5l_6A84JjDggK3ZIFquEU_T9NxzgHec6SzLpHvpAAtaEkgOAfd91HpY1nJOiy8zo-VToQajSdhuPrwQzTu0eRoqqcV5HgC/s400/The+Sex+of+Angels+10.jpg" width="500" /></a></div>
<br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">For the record, I don’t agree with the potential message,
but I still enjoyed <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">The Sex of Angels</b> for its summer aesthetic, music, characters, and story.
Conflict-wise, I also think it is well-written, if underdeveloped in certain
areas. I also ended up pleased with the contrast between the setup and
direction. It goes from, “where could this possibly be going,” to “hey,
this has gotten pretty good,” as it eventually starts to seem that our trio of
seafaring angels may actually be more like demons, as I recall the old saying that evil
or bad luck comes in three. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">© At the Mansion of Madness</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjb7ckSF7JktvlxxA_bvcZVyljnbrEeQ2kTN9MDpPRNeWbjjINSuN-ZEAN3DGro0j0mjOtDYmeD0YcWihRJ1yUrFp5IOOlJOirpaNUdPQXgc1igYx8ax-G6FO-TtCVDYugnNwwlRVCZkS13/s1600/The+Sex+of+Angels+11.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="637" data-original-width="1428" height="222" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjb7ckSF7JktvlxxA_bvcZVyljnbrEeQ2kTN9MDpPRNeWbjjINSuN-ZEAN3DGro0j0mjOtDYmeD0YcWihRJ1yUrFp5IOOlJOirpaNUdPQXgc1igYx8ax-G6FO-TtCVDYugnNwwlRVCZkS13/s400/The+Sex+of+Angels+11.jpg" width="500" /></a></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGEhFQSXl_iy1Hhyphenhyphen8nnzvnzMM1hFXKgIewzwAGF9hsiGFA3CnD4yOaIJACVlizqHcIoS4cZ4ynjqC2M8L8_AgJyNSV4rmlDf2N1IHPlrs5NbveQGkE9THfb9ZsRsCzGxexzlrRTH_EjeOj/s1600/Hear+no+Evil.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="638" data-original-width="1429" height="177" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGEhFQSXl_iy1Hhyphenhyphen8nnzvnzMM1hFXKgIewzwAGF9hsiGFA3CnD4yOaIJACVlizqHcIoS4cZ4ynjqC2M8L8_AgJyNSV4rmlDf2N1IHPlrs5NbveQGkE9THfb9ZsRsCzGxexzlrRTH_EjeOj/s400/Hear+no+Evil.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>HEAR NO EVIL</b></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKawGbf219JK1WXXDApi8FnlRKtjPxvZTLqH2iS43oZyi4yiEwV7u8IHrEg7Sg0MEAIfQcy4sSfNDajUzXF45FSWlc3YiENn3eGk18fv3iB7h1N2ogGq9pXCSM47S3sobcb5w79U1hUm1y/s1600/See+No+Evil.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="719" data-original-width="1600" height="178" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKawGbf219JK1WXXDApi8FnlRKtjPxvZTLqH2iS43oZyi4yiEwV7u8IHrEg7Sg0MEAIfQcy4sSfNDajUzXF45FSWlc3YiENn3eGk18fv3iB7h1N2ogGq9pXCSM47S3sobcb5w79U1hUm1y/s400/See+No+Evil.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>SEE NO EVIL</b></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhd84UDwbqznl46AmqLoTWkDY6bmLN8NDxVyrpAJ8CK2iL86uBuzrog7-RKBFH9iI1NJArD08DS2OlUu1hI69dl8v9Osd-qbMyOMAgwF81z7AOIVOJ0o8LrYfGO-Kci0kpz6qglWD6VfdJ5/s1600/Speak+no+Evil.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="637" data-original-width="1431" height="177" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhd84UDwbqznl46AmqLoTWkDY6bmLN8NDxVyrpAJ8CK2iL86uBuzrog7-RKBFH9iI1NJArD08DS2OlUu1hI69dl8v9Osd-qbMyOMAgwF81z7AOIVOJ0o8LrYfGO-Kci0kpz6qglWD6VfdJ5/s400/Speak+no+Evil.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>SPEAK NO EVIL</b></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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Giovanni Susinahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03253382939348997303noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2316228451187611813.post-57243043661914921662019-02-16T22:20:00.000-08:002019-04-14T23:41:43.307-07:00Alice or the Last Escapade / Alice ou la dernière fugue (1977)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgc2brn1GRVnOSiITvrc4IU3SknCuYy3lIww3PHQ_q6gfCZ-k5l0PHqUBQolrabRDUy5Rr2e8Ez0u_nAG9fV09lWcO4UahoDDY07qQa85hkkZt5TNmdYpJV9nv0g2eiiGhPhcVV_iX1wXv/s1600/Alice+or+the+Last+Escapade+Title.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="600" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgc2brn1GRVnOSiITvrc4IU3SknCuYy3lIww3PHQ_q6gfCZ-k5l0PHqUBQolrabRDUy5Rr2e8Ez0u_nAG9fV09lWcO4UahoDDY07qQa85hkkZt5TNmdYpJV9nv0g2eiiGhPhcVV_iX1wXv/s400/Alice+or+the+Last+Escapade+Title.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">I’ve been a fan of <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Alice
in Wonderland</b> since I was a kid, although I didn’t read <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Lewis Carroll’s</i> Alice books until I was an
adult, which was prompted by my first viewing of <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Jan Svankmajer’s</i> <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Alice</b>
(1988), and ever since reading them I’ve been pretty enthusiastic about keeping
an eye out for films inspired by or adapted from the books, which was what
attracted me to the French surrealist film <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Alice
or the Last Escapade</b> in the first place. I thought the film did a pretty
good job at creating an interesting new take on <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Alice in Wonderland</b> (without actually being about <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Alice in Wonderland</b>) while also being a
bit derivative and having an ending that viewers will no doubt have seen before
that I still thought was beautifully executed. It’s also very much of the ‘70s
Eurocult sensibility and a product of its time, but it feels like there’s also a
little something here for everyone, including the curious <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Alice in wonderland</b> fan (who doesn’t mind a lightly inspired
non-adaptation), and even the surreal, the arthouse, or even the gothic horror
fan.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"> </span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"></span><br />
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<br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">I’ve only seen a few films from French New Wave filmmaker <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Claude Chabrol</i> (specifically <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Alice or the Last Escapade</b>, <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Le Bonnes Femmes</b> (1960), and <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">This Man Must Die</b> (1969)), but from
what I understand, <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Alice or the Last
Escapade</b> is supposedly a departure from <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Chabrol’s</i>
usual style and is a foray into the more aesthetically surreal brand of
storytelling/filmmaking involving a beautiful albeit tragic female muse-like lead
and a co-starring mansion, sort of along the lines of <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Jess Franco’s</i> <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">A Virgin Among
the Living Dead</b> (1973) and <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Mario
Bava’s</i> <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Lisa and the Devil</b> (1973)
but without most of those directors’ particular characteristics.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVJxAB7jDxq4xFzaMyh471zTT8ZLwb7HhyphenhyphenZ2YPoHXc4dXd6D4GfRcDbCZQPXNISyUo8v4NOLwr-QRAc1aOfyTu16iRrwSzFV-WvmKCnKXGqXw3BtDHcruLyt_8EEo5yc-AqAAns1EVfbin/s1600/Alice+or+the+Last+Escapade+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="934" data-original-width="1569" height="295" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVJxAB7jDxq4xFzaMyh471zTT8ZLwb7HhyphenhyphenZ2YPoHXc4dXd6D4GfRcDbCZQPXNISyUo8v4NOLwr-QRAc1aOfyTu16iRrwSzFV-WvmKCnKXGqXw3BtDHcruLyt_8EEo5yc-AqAAns1EVfbin/s400/Alice+or+the+Last+Escapade+2.jpg" width="500" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4hONqU2hnMa8M_3ETC9wMu1c5j8YQGoUxcTHjedWfdHi0T9rA9rwiixY7Arj5pcXyJ9pdsMMENTF0AnoVAufJGB-SLZV0D4vY1d2a-TI22jrOp4S5IG3jwZqA_vcgDwWFMefDjqe4sxpd/s1600/Alice+or+the+Last+Escapade+3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="854" data-original-width="1430" height="295" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4hONqU2hnMa8M_3ETC9wMu1c5j8YQGoUxcTHjedWfdHi0T9rA9rwiixY7Arj5pcXyJ9pdsMMENTF0AnoVAufJGB-SLZV0D4vY1d2a-TI22jrOp4S5IG3jwZqA_vcgDwWFMefDjqe4sxpd/s400/Alice+or+the+Last+Escapade+3.jpg" width="500" /></a></div>
<br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Being a fan of
so many different genres in movies, music, and video games, I’ve honestly never
been bothered by seemingly endless different takes on the same trope; it’s how
the creators approach it with new interpretations, developments, and personal signatures that help keep the product from seeming too cliché, and despite
the familiarities that are all over the place, <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Alice or the Last Escapade</b> manages to hardly ever feel too cliché.</span><br />
<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPMOLI8q0bcnHLdpb1iirGHyVoQ-g8B0KzTd2iw6L-sDGS0tBBAISdLwliOtqnmYoYDrvuhrlTMTA62T5PW99QDdRc8itLue6fIqsEpCEYlKJvSgKio-WqENcRHVDsvIXczYrERZ_f2xTV/s1600/Alice+or+the+Last+Escapade+4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="936" data-original-width="1577" height="295" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPMOLI8q0bcnHLdpb1iirGHyVoQ-g8B0KzTd2iw6L-sDGS0tBBAISdLwliOtqnmYoYDrvuhrlTMTA62T5PW99QDdRc8itLue6fIqsEpCEYlKJvSgKio-WqENcRHVDsvIXczYrERZ_f2xTV/s400/Alice+or+the+Last+Escapade+4.jpg" width="500" /></a></div>
<br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Another
major draw here is the appealing presence of <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Sylvia Kristel</i> in the leading role as Alice Carroll. Viewers do get
to spend the entirety of the film with <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Kristel</i>
during her escapade into a sometimes startling but mostly relaxing sojourn of isolated
leisure and interspersed encounters with poor conversationalists, who seem to
be trying to be as enigmatic and least helpful as possible. She’s seemingly trapped
in a kind of beautiful green but still nightmarish at times dreamland, with a
mansion at its core that itself is quite generous, laying out food and tea for
her, and even fixing her car, not to mention classical vinyl records and a
plethora of books for her to consume. Her windy, spooky first night at the
mansion suggests that horrors await her, but come morning, she’s all alone in a
sunny, well-tended mansion and there’s bread and butter and tea laid out for
her, and later she’s greeted with raw pork chops that she gets to butter and
cook to her liking.</span><br />
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<br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Understandably, Alice is not happy. After a few futile
attempts to escape the mansion grounds, repeatedly ending up in the same place or following an insurmountable wall and coming full circle, she
seems to reluctantly accept her situation for the time being. The place won’t
let her go (a little like Hill House not letting Eleanor go). Is being trapped
in a reality of leisure and peace, isolated from the real world, really a life
worth living? How long will it last before you’d become permanently detached
from reality?... Here I am, asking questions, a violation of the film’s central
rule, NO QUESTIONS, as several characters who appear out of the blue remind
Alice whenever she questions her startling new situation, kind of like the
first and second rule of Project Mayhem ;).</span><br />
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<br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">The pendulum clock in her bedroom
seems to be an indicator of when the hauntings come. Things get tumultuous when
the pendulum starts to swing, and Alice gets the idea one day to try and flee
the mansion when the clock starts up, and whatever it is that’s keeping her
there tries to hold on to her, as space and time distort (an interesting visual
post-editing effect<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">)</i>, and Alice is pulling herself against indoor wind along the
floor to get out. She floors her vehicle out the gate in time, eventually
leading up to what I thought was the most memorable and funny part, involving a
bonkers crowd at a homely looking restaurant she stops in (a tea party
counterpart?), where Alice pretty much realizes she’s still a prisoner in
whatever reality has trapped her (like a never-ending trip or dream) before
consigning herself back to the old mansion again.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLX8dfvhi_qXy7N1cmoSSpKRWsPy9LW0gCPGnCkCdK51ShEUpir7Fk21P2e4aBVUnpKlwbZhWRP8_iN_11QiRCnpIw6ika4Jm80PIiLlOCF6z6lugYJUq3nZ_WN0qmiOvKspEd5_X6lLIj/s1600/Alice+or+the+Last+Escapade+8.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="933" data-original-width="1574" height="295" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLX8dfvhi_qXy7N1cmoSSpKRWsPy9LW0gCPGnCkCdK51ShEUpir7Fk21P2e4aBVUnpKlwbZhWRP8_iN_11QiRCnpIw6ika4Jm80PIiLlOCF6z6lugYJUq3nZ_WN0qmiOvKspEd5_X6lLIj/s400/Alice+or+the+Last+Escapade+8.jpg" width="500" /></a></div>
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<br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">There might be a little too
much <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">not </i>going on most of the time,
but I really enjoy the surreal nature and ambiance of the entire film, and <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Sylvia Kristel </i>is an absolute delight;
she really is wonderful for the part, and you do get a sense of concern for
her. I like Alice’s way of rebelling against some of the other characters by staying
hardened and not answering any of their questions either; they seem to admire
her for this.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7DYT3MTJz4pRUh0Kv1AmZLiZRUqmtkdVJOVOw5QgPaFoOYe_6zE6GCgL5mDXTCYbe8I5Z3L0wsSdWO-7zzLH5bFGuUDoCE7qkLz9ZUZbvd3t6db9P8I8uj1ZgTD2owlCLwRedV3u4z6vk/s1600/Alice+or+the+Last+Escapade+10.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="933" data-original-width="1572" height="295" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7DYT3MTJz4pRUh0Kv1AmZLiZRUqmtkdVJOVOw5QgPaFoOYe_6zE6GCgL5mDXTCYbe8I5Z3L0wsSdWO-7zzLH5bFGuUDoCE7qkLz9ZUZbvd3t6db9P8I8uj1ZgTD2owlCLwRedV3u4z6vk/s400/Alice+or+the+Last+Escapade+10.jpg" width="500" /></a></div>
<br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">The film really is a visual masterpiece. Elegant, classical images
are presented in all their brilliant luster, as cinematographer <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Jean Rabier</i> follows <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Kristel </i>in varying wardrobe with his camera, exploring the mansion
and its grounds, overgrown with green, inside and out, a strange reality that
seems to be in operation just for her. At one point, Alice strikes a nude pose that
resembles <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Sandro Botticelli’s</i> <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">The Birth of Venus</b>. </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYLnKiVQiAYpt-VKBRvArck0WEVVhpFdtexNaKXn6iLaf5KBPu16XXJo7aFijb1k7XH2zLL8kz_8VODb0C5STI9ewWPe8ZSKtxLswh9z-alO6kgyGpD5L2Nh_pQPiEuUkPK23TpKbCvIdc/s1600/Alice+or+the+Last+Escapade+11.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="935" data-original-width="1575" height="295" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYLnKiVQiAYpt-VKBRvArck0WEVVhpFdtexNaKXn6iLaf5KBPu16XXJo7aFijb1k7XH2zLL8kz_8VODb0C5STI9ewWPe8ZSKtxLswh9z-alO6kgyGpD5L2Nh_pQPiEuUkPK23TpKbCvIdc/s400/Alice+or+the+Last+Escapade+11.jpg" width="500" /></a></div>
<br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">So, what is the
movie trying to say? Or, what does it mean? Of course, it could mean a lot of
things, especially to different viewers, and I enjoy finding meaning in movies
as much as anyone else, but I’m going to sit this one out and choose to play
along with this movie’s game and cease asking questions at this point. A reader
and friend of mine Terence once pointed out to me that there is a
reference to <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Rene Magritte’s</i> <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Therapist </b>painting during the part
where Alice talks to the enigmatic boy who carries a bird cage dressed-up like
that resembling the one from the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Magritte</i>
painting. The boy likes to liberate birds in his cage one at a time; I like to
think he is freeing souls from captivity. He too does not answer questions. As
another character puts it, “questions are useless… when there are no answers.” There’s
a quote from <i>Magritte</i> that resonates with this film: “when one sees one of my pictures, one
asks oneself this simple question 'What does that mean'? It does not mean
anything, because mystery means nothing either, it is unknowable.” -<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Rene Magritte</i> </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">© At the Mansion of
Madness</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"> </span>
Giovanni Susinahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03253382939348997303noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2316228451187611813.post-91113454042301084782018-12-21T01:23:00.001-08:002019-02-16T21:55:11.690-08:00House of the Damned / La loba y la Paloma (1974)<div class="MsoNormal">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjA48HpQ_mRmIyUco4LwSJFVJOtHycC4QBC9j8t-CnBhTrw_aCtmEYNrlQpviQW_2H_GgfEW8F7j7RsnaYT5V8heMYlqmrovStaMUjYxJfJIchLYOzO-KSMiDH77wnFx3N7sWHXRiTdWlCN/s1600/House+of+the+Damned+Title.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="709" data-original-width="500" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjA48HpQ_mRmIyUco4LwSJFVJOtHycC4QBC9j8t-CnBhTrw_aCtmEYNrlQpviQW_2H_GgfEW8F7j7RsnaYT5V8heMYlqmrovStaMUjYxJfJIchLYOzO-KSMiDH77wnFx3N7sWHXRiTdWlCN/s400/House+of+the+Damned+Title.jpg" width="281" /></a></div>
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">House
of the Damned</span></b><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"> is that generically titled, sort of
misleading, pleasant delight that reminds me of why I still enjoy exploring
near-forgotten Eurocult films from decades past with the word “House” in
their titles. It’s far from the traditional haunted house horror and is more of
a peculiar seaside murder drama that still hits a lot of the right notes for Spanish
horror fans. The translation of the Spanish title is something like <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">The She Wolf and the Dove</b>, which I
think is referring to Sandra and Maria (played by <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Carmen Sevilla</i> and <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Muriel
Catalá</i>), the two main female characters who are also featured on the different
regional title posters.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Which one of them is supposed to be the wolf and which
one is the dove? </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivxMjvC-TlVGSkN1YEn6E0jr8BuOWza5i5oQH7aZ3SPWBG8xvjiDlYSaDg7rdbrsjLbpF2-y3TPM_gfab5wrJhP4u2cknJt-r237WtMLM7hZHlOEcJ7JTZ8UyHYp6woQIjrRDrOSbNJXMF/s1600/La+loba+y+la+Paloma_1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="926" data-original-width="1249" height="370" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivxMjvC-TlVGSkN1YEn6E0jr8BuOWza5i5oQH7aZ3SPWBG8xvjiDlYSaDg7rdbrsjLbpF2-y3TPM_gfab5wrJhP4u2cknJt-r237WtMLM7hZHlOEcJ7JTZ8UyHYp6woQIjrRDrOSbNJXMF/s400/La+loba+y+la+Paloma_1.jpg" width="500" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">There are some notably fascinating characters in <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">House of the Damned</b>, as everyone comprising the small cast of characters seem to have peculiar and memorable
performances. I especially enjoyed <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Donald
Pleasence</i> as Martin Zayas. Also, every shot of Maria, who is a seemingly
mute character, is just fantastic. The framing, the intense melancholic
expression and blank stare (it's a total mood), she is silenced innocence among scoundrels. There’s also something quite angelic about her.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">House of the Damned</b> was co-produced by <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Harry Alan Towers</i> and filmed on multiple locations in Oviedo,
Asturias, Spain, the homeland of the film’s director and co-writer <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Gonzalo Suárez</i>, who is still active in making
films, having just written and directed <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">El
sueño de Malinche</b> (2018). <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Suárez</i>
also co-wrote <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Vicente Aranda’s</i> <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Left-Handed Fate</b> (1966) and <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">The Exquisite Cadaver</b> (1969). </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">The music
in the film is by British film composer <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Malcolm
Lockyer</i>, whose orchestral compositions infuse it with a kind of magic. <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">House of the Damned</b> looks to be the
last film he composed music for before his death in 1976; decades later his
compositions have appeared on the soundtracks to a surprising number of TV and
movie productions such as <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Mallrats</b>
(1995) and <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Seinfeld</b>.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">House of the Damned</b> is set around a charming
fishing village that’s a short boat ride away to the grounds of a pretty
rundown but still marvelous looking waterside house, where our “damned”
characters reside. The storyline isn’t convoluted but rather simple and easy to
follow, and it utilizes the classic "MacGuffin" technique. An ancient solid gold
statue is the object behind the characters’ motivations. A small but good cast
of characters pretty much treat each other like crap, as they murder, abuse,
manipulate, and deceive one another over this valuable
artifact. A young girl, Maria (<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Catalá</i>),
the last one seen with the statue, is believed to be the only one who knows
where it is, only she seems to have been rendered non-communicative, having
spent many years in an asylum after witnessing her father being murdered over
the statue.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiL5l2ysdmiW0BySOgpP4EE6eWmJt90onoc9rtS4KKUdUqYbn7q85YijVH_KRcMWg-BnP4gDU_yGZ9s9NE8g5bL6Kcie9fIoJ1Z9DLj2rrjozRf13iYiTIkEjwqZXwUwxYKgeNkpbsvbqWy/s1600/La+loba+y+la+Paloma_4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="924" data-original-width="1251" height="370" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiL5l2ysdmiW0BySOgpP4EE6eWmJt90onoc9rtS4KKUdUqYbn7q85YijVH_KRcMWg-BnP4gDU_yGZ9s9NE8g5bL6Kcie9fIoJ1Z9DLj2rrjozRf13iYiTIkEjwqZXwUwxYKgeNkpbsvbqWy/s400/La+loba+y+la+Paloma_4.jpg" width="500" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Everything is setup quickly with a prologue that initially feels
more like an adventure genre film before things get pretty serious. Two
childhood friends, Acebo (<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">José Jaspe</i>)
and Zayas (<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Pleasence</i>), are seen venturing
out to an island before they moor their small boat at the entrance to a water
cave. Zayas seems super focused as he hops into a cavern while consulting a map, obviously looking for buried treasure.
This ain't no <b>Treasure Island</b> or <b>Goonies</b>, because it doesn’t take long before Zayas finds the gold statue they’ve been searching
for, which he hands off to Acebo before falling off a ledge and breaking his
foot. Acebo, hearing the painful cries of his friend, flees with the statue,
leaving Zayas for dead </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">(when <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Pleasence</i> can be heard screaming, “my fucking foot!” it almost
seems a little funny, like he’s hamming it up a little)</span>.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKiMniipexN61zytwSBLanvBa8XzXX0ftyETyKbHuewDW_SG3-DTl1bhFQslUJ_KjvZW96X6NQCeAfvtWUcylIahW2DwuJpgtWJT8XA2uw38j2KCI4IejR2I9eQqjR8tWIP6j1L2RwvTzv/s1600/La+loba+y+la+Paloma_5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="925" data-original-width="1252" height="370" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKiMniipexN61zytwSBLanvBa8XzXX0ftyETyKbHuewDW_SG3-DTl1bhFQslUJ_KjvZW96X6NQCeAfvtWUcylIahW2DwuJpgtWJT8XA2uw38j2KCI4IejR2I9eQqjR8tWIP6j1L2RwvTzv/s400/La+loba+y+la+Paloma_5.jpg" width="500" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZsfKLy2WREBFvmm8jmbVVdTeW2tm6FqZjnbTc8lrjB6UgdXLvpWMDjDI-vNSSQ5nogetbqH298ZbcwGyApFbzJlBFe2-bW70hKDIK-nsfek0DcveZOCtn7-dkyUAmtleuSSJ0vBxDBQHb/s1600/La+loba+y+la+Paloma_6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="928" data-original-width="1250" height="370" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZsfKLy2WREBFvmm8jmbVVdTeW2tm6FqZjnbTc8lrjB6UgdXLvpWMDjDI-vNSSQ5nogetbqH298ZbcwGyApFbzJlBFe2-bW70hKDIK-nsfek0DcveZOCtn7-dkyUAmtleuSSJ0vBxDBQHb/s400/La+loba+y+la+Paloma_6.jpg" width="500" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Later
that night, while having dinner with his daughter Maria, Acebo’s guilt follows
him home as he hears the cries of Zayas outside, who's managed to swim back from
the island, bloodied and barely able to walk. Despite being completely
disheveled, Zayas only expresses a desire for the statue. Acebo assures him
that it is in a safe hiding place, but when he shows Zayas the hiding place, the
statue is gone. Zayas, not in his right mind, thinks Acebo is trying to cheat
him. A scuffle breaks out, and Zayas murders Acebo. Maria witnesses this as she
is standing on the stairs holding the statue (she had taken it thinking it was a
toy). Zayas sees her with the statue, after mistakenly killing her father, but
passes out cold as Maria crouches in the corner holding the statue. It’s nutty,
but I love this prologue.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiO0dw0kASxe5YoJKo7nCrDzhR4jK5nAbDsdq9UmXB15O8cbVpkOKsmGhKNzfnbKMgLPwED5bqX8fc7JcQYYwEaLJYFw4BnYeEL-ZlqUgn78ouRhHPZdDzcFx89kCOcgpVWiYmvHLefTF38/s1600/La+loba+y+la+Paloma_10.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="924" data-original-width="1249" height="370" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiO0dw0kASxe5YoJKo7nCrDzhR4jK5nAbDsdq9UmXB15O8cbVpkOKsmGhKNzfnbKMgLPwED5bqX8fc7JcQYYwEaLJYFw4BnYeEL-ZlqUgn78ouRhHPZdDzcFx89kCOcgpVWiYmvHLefTF38/s400/La+loba+y+la+Paloma_10.jpg" width="500" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">I like the way the camera roves under the mansion mote,
over flowing water, to denote the passage of time, reminding me of the old
adage, “water-under-the-bridge”. We flash forward in time and now that what’s-done-is-done,
Zayas is out of prison, holding a small sack of his belongings, traveling back
to that house on the water, but not before ironically paying respects to the
grave of the man he murdered. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">With grey neck
beard, instability, and constant focus on the statue, <i>Donald </i><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Pleasence</i> is gritty, intense, and (for me) memorable in this. He
goes all out as Zayas who seems like a team player, true to his word, but he’s
so untrusting of others and acts before he thinks. Despite being a murderer,
he’s oddly likable and seems to be the most trustworthy. Just don’t cross him
and you’ll be just fine. He just wants his share.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Breaking-and-entering is
probably not the wisest thing to do as soon as you get out of prison, but it’s
pretty obvious Zayas must’ve been brooding over that gold statue his entire time
in the slammer, and it's probably the only thing that matters to him. When Zayas enters
the house, the old place looks the same, but he’s about to find out that some
things have changed. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">It seems like no one is home, as Zayas helps himself to a
bottle of rum, but then a small man peers out of the interior kitchen window.
This man is Bodo, and he is played by <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Michael
Dunn</i> (Dr. Miguelito Loveless in <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">The
Wild Wild West</b> 1965 – 1968), an actor with medical dwarfism. When Bodo
comes out of the kitchen to confront him, Zayas is rude to Bodo and intimidates
him with hisses and grunts, taking advantage of Bodo’s small stature, and
looking amused with himself after he orders Bodo around. I’m not sure what it
is, but the food Bodo serves Zayas looks good and kind of reminds me of potatoes
in yellow curry sauce.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">When the current owners of the property show up, new
characters Sandra (who's Bodo’s
sister and Maria's cousin) and her husband Atrilio (played by Spaghetti Western
bad guy <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Aldo Sambrell</i>), things start
out tense but turn out to be a little comical because of how Zayas handles the
encounter. Zayas even gets sarcastic with Atrilio when Atrilio starts shoving
stuff around, trying to intimidate Zayas who’s helped himself to a hospitality
that was never offered to him. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Sandra knows
who Zayas is and that he murdered her uncle, and yet she doesn’t seem to be
bothered by his presence, oddly enough, even when he keeps asking where Maria
is, who we find out was sent to a mental home after she was found, half dead, two days after the night she saw her
father murdered.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjrlDZZqcb95JKrhprDWNzmmSnZ2zJCw5RU8HGbxD4EfXRIvlm-BiTIbj51BfHNuayXx5j1HCujgdFe2H_NuQCZw6tsV5Jajwbv-sDCGk1A80pyH6qMaHrzHPUE3GQW1PcHr91F_g6xxP4/s1600/La+loba+y+la+Paloma_11.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="927" data-original-width="1250" height="370" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjrlDZZqcb95JKrhprDWNzmmSnZ2zJCw5RU8HGbxD4EfXRIvlm-BiTIbj51BfHNuayXx5j1HCujgdFe2H_NuQCZw6tsV5Jajwbv-sDCGk1A80pyH6qMaHrzHPUE3GQW1PcHr91F_g6xxP4/s400/La+loba+y+la+Paloma_11.jpg" width="500" /></a></div>
<br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">They all break the ice pretty quickly and are soon breaking
bread together at the dinner table when Zayas lets them in on the reason for
his showing up. He lets them know of the precious golden statue Maria was
holding the night he murdered her father. This convinces them to fetch the mute
Maria from the asylum to bring her home to see if they can somehow get her to
talk about where she may’ve hidden the statue. Obviously, all of this greed and
lack of trust isn’t going to end well. </span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Maria never smiles, given her dreadful
circumstances she has no reason to. Zayas varies from patient to impatient with
her and has hope she’ll eventually come around. Everyone tries to get through
to Maria in their own way. </span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Bodo tries to warm up to her as a friend and
entertainer, treating her like she is some kind of precious fairy princess and
using puppet shows as a way to better communicate with her and earn her trust,
but he’s really no friend. Sandra seems to take on being a kind of protective mother
figure to Maria, although she’s oddly compliant to a lot of abuse but does
redeem herself in the end, but kind of like Lady-Macbeth isn’t able to live
with her guilt. Atrilio is the meanest and the biggest threat to her. Being
violent and abusive to those physically weaker than him makes him feel more
like a man (toxic masculinity much?).</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnxtp8y_7G8sE9A8ilE3Iv31vg7kMoCHYPHUBLxV8cgeKyLKwiYtq1eDjKifijouuDck1ELBbblIZCdveyh_BDi4jHVW7rAa1JZaWINd09wHr06lvCfWPVC3oAeXTv-Vyk1J67m2NJvkO2/s1600/La+loba+y+la+Paloma_16.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="934" data-original-width="1248" height="370" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnxtp8y_7G8sE9A8ilE3Iv31vg7kMoCHYPHUBLxV8cgeKyLKwiYtq1eDjKifijouuDck1ELBbblIZCdveyh_BDi4jHVW7rAa1JZaWINd09wHr06lvCfWPVC3oAeXTv-Vyk1J67m2NJvkO2/s400/La+loba+y+la+Paloma_16.jpg" width="500" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">I do like that Bodo isn’t portrayed as a
dumb or moronic servant (his family treats him like he is, though), but he’s actually articulate and well cultured. Bodo
does have moments where he gets to act a little on the nutty side too, with clownish giggling and a tendency to hide in the bushes and spy on
people. </span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">I thought that Bodo’s narration during his puppet story time segments
to Maria were actually pretty good. Even Maria lightens her usually somber
expression a little. <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Dunn</i> has a
talent for narration. I’ll always remember “the great Bodo, king of the seven seas
and lord of the thousand winds.” <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Michael Dunn</i>
received an Oscar nomination for best supporting actor for his role in the powerful <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Ship of Fools</b> (1965).</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgD-0_taynxd_pMZEX04KwrgQrZAd94ziDfx7VPddcH0tOlD-usChQFNh_rSVNXw4l-q6r0RL7lKp4Nm-4sOtNQmUiOrUukFcnE23wr3P9HC1Ca3WlGWp0wukhuCBlbpfINOkA9Igd8-LLB/s1600/La+loba+y+la+Paloma_14.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="928" data-original-width="1254" height="370" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgD-0_taynxd_pMZEX04KwrgQrZAd94ziDfx7VPddcH0tOlD-usChQFNh_rSVNXw4l-q6r0RL7lKp4Nm-4sOtNQmUiOrUukFcnE23wr3P9HC1Ca3WlGWp0wukhuCBlbpfINOkA9Igd8-LLB/s400/La+loba+y+la+Paloma_14.jpg" width="500" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"> <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"> </b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">House of the Damned</b> is such a well-done
film. My favorite part is during the storm in the old cathedral when Zayas
desperately pleads with Maria to talk, encouraging her as well, guiding her
back to reality in a sense, almost like a spell is being lifted. The scene is
so intensely dramatic that it gives me the chills.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhm7-NVHhvA9YHxB_SSkluJrZFFt2_3WPB4FU9E26rBtFZkzLWtWk4xQC5k9N5noR_r64B2NQVJyBqc8g4mDnYe-fDDZf_5nwyVIgUQevxJhyphenhyphenPNVY0pSQIEdRZb9K5CgNfR9eiEU1TS6wVX/s1600/La+loba+y+la+Paloma_12.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="927" data-original-width="1251" height="370" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhm7-NVHhvA9YHxB_SSkluJrZFFt2_3WPB4FU9E26rBtFZkzLWtWk4xQC5k9N5noR_r64B2NQVJyBqc8g4mDnYe-fDDZf_5nwyVIgUQevxJhyphenhyphenPNVY0pSQIEdRZb9K5CgNfR9eiEU1TS6wVX/s400/La+loba+y+la+Paloma_12.jpg" width="500" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Zayas is an asshole to Sandra,
but for some reason Sandra can’t resist cheating on her husband and going to
Zayas’s room at night to reward his boorish behavior with a little adultery. The
very brief sex scene between <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Carmen
Sevilla</i> and <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Donald Pleasence</i> was
apparently a selling point to <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">House of
the Damned</b> at the time it was released. The director even claimed that <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Sevilla’s</i> nude scene, where one of her
breasts was exposed at a time, to have been </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><a href="https://elpais.com/diario/1986/08/24/radiotv/525218404_850215.html" target="_blank">"the first tit in Spanish cinema."</a>
Unless I'm confused or there's something lost in translation here, I’m afraid <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Suárez</i> may've been mistaken, as there
are earlier Spanish films consisting of exposed breasts, such as <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">The Blood-Spattered Bride</b> (1972) and even
in <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">The Exquisite Corpse </b>(1969),
which<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"> Suárez</i> co-wrote. Perhaps what he might've meant was that it was the first tit in Spanish cinema from a Spanish actress in a Spanish location. </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHVB3pzTr-uzKVun_X4_DQigxJXywFpjIzVZl9zPPxvwe41yunERaT5pFoWO1cgSyxiG4I088zFHoOdAOAU6dIE5_x71x21oULkFBB_I28wT8aFnJYOAlP2J76J04-XAr0KM0N6BLrhECB/s1600/La+loba+y+la+Paloma_13.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="928" data-original-width="1250" height="370" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHVB3pzTr-uzKVun_X4_DQigxJXywFpjIzVZl9zPPxvwe41yunERaT5pFoWO1cgSyxiG4I088zFHoOdAOAU6dIE5_x71x21oULkFBB_I28wT8aFnJYOAlP2J76J04-XAr0KM0N6BLrhECB/s400/La+loba+y+la+Paloma_13.jpg" width="500" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">I do like the
way things end up working out and the overall direction, even if a certain clue
to the mystery ends up being painfully obvious. <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">House of the Damned</b> is a satisfying experience even coming into it
expecting a Spanish horror/thriller but getting a quasi-Shakespearean character
drama instead. The old-timey sea element and a beautiful, surreal beach
shot really does give it a pleasant and unique feel for something that kind of
presents itself as a house-thriller of sorts. <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Pleasence</i> and <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Dunn</i> are a
couple of expert actors in top form (even if both are hamming it up at times)
who fortunately also lend their real voices in the post-dubbing. The other
actors aren’t bad either. The story isn’t altogether that unique, but there’s
enough peculiarities with the characters to make it seem pretty different, nonetheless. It
feels like a near-forgotten film, a status it doesn’t deserve, as far as I can
tell. The good characters, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Pleasence’s</i>
intense performance, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Lockyer</i>’s score,
and the seaside locations is probably what gives <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">House of the Damned</b> its legs; it has a potential for renewed
discovery. It’s heavy-handed but also a good time too. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">© At the Mansion of
Madness</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEELQ0LdinAKdbPiZ-2TmhbJFjeB0aQdtB0lCio_PkN7ddgcTbSYPHjc2E7oTGdrsAwYMcHk7EdnKN2oLG0XhgL2uM9G6ILE5rUvWir1oAQjA2eNEb34cL3My0Lu9wVvQdPTl71FRwTedw/s1600/La+loba+y+la+Paloma_15.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="929" data-original-width="1254" height="370" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEELQ0LdinAKdbPiZ-2TmhbJFjeB0aQdtB0lCio_PkN7ddgcTbSYPHjc2E7oTGdrsAwYMcHk7EdnKN2oLG0XhgL2uM9G6ILE5rUvWir1oAQjA2eNEb34cL3My0Lu9wVvQdPTl71FRwTedw/s400/La+loba+y+la+Paloma_15.jpg" width="500" /></a></span></div>
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Giovanni Susinahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03253382939348997303noreply@blogger.com9