Satansploitation
From the earliest days of cinema, the Devil has loomed large on screen – F. W. Murnau’s Faust being a great foundational example. But it’s not always Lucifer who steals the show. It’s his eerie acolytes who gave rise to a distinct sub-genre: Satansploitation. Films like The Black Cat (1934), The Seventh Victim (1943), and especially Rosemary’s Baby (1968), shifted the focus to secret cults and sinister followers. Roman Polanski’s horror masterpiece, famously featuring the Time magazine cover “Is God Dead?”, tapped into a growing cultural obsession with demons and Satanism – which reached fever pitch with The Exorcist and its many imitators (see Exorcist and Friends for a devilish roundup). As this fascination intensified, so too did the rise of religious fundamentalism and the mass hysteria of the 1980s Satanic Panic.
All along the way, filmmakers were on hand to dance with the Devil, stoking fears that Satanists lurked in every shadow, ready to serve the Fallen One’s dark agenda...
Links take you to the IMDd. Circled titles: A Point Blank Films fav!
976-EVIL (1988) 7/10
Robert Englund hopped into the director’s chair for this over-the-top horror comedy with hokey FX about a terrorized teen exacting revenge with a little help from a Satanic phone line.
All the Colors of the Dark (1972) 7/10
Edwige Fenech loses her baby, is plagued by nightmares and pursued by a blue-eyed Ivan Rassimov in delirious giallo that owes a debt to Rosemary’s Baby. aka They’re Coming to Get You! See also Giallo
Angel Heart (1987) 8/10
Complex if convoluted neo noir starring Mickey Rourke while he was still palatable, with a nightmarish atmosphere and high style that makes it a memorable thrill ride.
Black Candles (1982) 5/10
José Ramón Larraz returns to England for another sleazy horror with lesbianism, incest, S&M, bestiality, and plenty of Satanic shenanigans. aka Hot Fantasies
The Brotherhood of Satan (1971) 6/10
This was made on a dime by a TV director but is an underrated folk horror about a weird cult of senior citizens in a sun-drenched desert town – worth a look.
The Chosen (1977) 7/10
Well-made, fun rip-off of The Omen with Kirk Douglas bringing credibility and full-frontal nudity. aka Holocaust 2000
An uncharismatic William Holden takes over from Gregory Peck in this worthy sequel that ups the inventively gory death scenes (the scene under the ice being particularly notable). aka Omen II
A blind boy has visions about the Antichrist – and while the Omen/Rosemary’s Baby influences are obvious, this has an atmosphere all its own, with shocking moments, and grimy Venetian locales.
Entertaining nonsense with Ernest Borgnine hamming it up, William Shatner over emoting, and Anton LaVey as technical advisor; essential viewing for trash fans. See also Body Horror
Don’t Deliver Us from Evil (1971) 8/10
Banned in France for blasphemy, this tale of two schoolgirls who become increasingly cruel harks back to New Zealand’s Parker-Hulme murder case, and is provoking, riveting, and genuinely shocking.
Evilspeak (1981) 7/10
A bullied army cadet gets revenge Carrie-style via his devilish computer resulting in a lively horror that ended up on the video nasty list amid the Satanic Panic of the 1980s.
The Final Conflict (1981) 7/10
Finale to the Omen series; the formula was becoming a bit tired by this point, but Sam Neill’s performance raises this film to above average, as he’s a rather likeable Antichrist. aka Omen III: The Final Conflict
Incubus (1981) 7/10
Nasty horror with too many red herrings that was savaged by the critics but has a lot to recommend it, especially the creepy performance by John Cassavetes. aka The Incubus See also Canuxploitation
The Mephisto Waltz (1971) 6/10
Fairly routine Rosemary’s Baby knock-off with chilling moments and a good ending; Alan Alda is a bit dull, but Jacqueline Bisset and the supporting cast excel.
Skin flick masquerading as a horror (there’s a hardcore version…), with spooky paintings, orgies, lesbianism, and a woman molested by a giant spider; sluggish but with atmospheric moments.
The Omen (1976) 8/10
Iconic 70s horror with a good cast (especially Billie Whitelaw), great score (Jerry Goldsmith), and excellence in all departments – delivering the shocks without straying too far from believability.
Prince of Darkness (1987) 7/10
John Carpenter’s return to horror is a little slow and talky, but aided by a quasi-intellectual script, ominous atmosphere, great cinematography and score by the maestro himself.
The Pyx (1973) 7/10
A police detective uncovers a sinister cult in interesting Canadian horror starring Karen Black (playing a heroin-addicted hooker) – menacing, unsettling, and worthy of reappraisal. aka The Hooker Cult Murders See also Canuxploitation
Rosemary’s Baby (1968) 10/10
Roman Polanski horror masterpiece with many destabilising moments reflective of its time but without losing an inch of impact over the years; cinema’s greatest nightmare.
Satanis: The Devil’s Mass (1970) 3/10
This doco about Anton LaVey might have raised eyebrows at the time but nowadays feels like a silly costume party with nudity; a notable but dull exploitation relic.
Remake of Malabimba that has soft and hardcore versions, but both are boring and ineptly directed; it did have great 80s video cover art, however. aka A Girl for Satan See also Nunsploitation
Satan’s Blood (1978) 5/10
Sleazy Spanish shocker originally rated ‘S’ for sex – the slight storyline is made up for with orgiastic sex scenes, but this is about on par with José Ramón Larraz’s Black Candles. aka Don’t Panic
Satan’s Slave (1976) 5/10
A woman becomes involved with Satanists who believe she's the reincarnation of a witch in censor-baiting horror by Norman J. Warren that delivers the sleazy goods (while not being very good). See also British Chillers
Sinthia: The Devil’s Doll (1970) 2/10
Ray Dennis Steckler tries his hand at a Kenneth Anger-esque acid trip, and the result is a colourful but boring psychosexual drama; hard to know who it was intended for.