Devil's Nightmare
by Jean Brism?e
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DVD details
Actor: Erika Blanc, Ivana Novak, Jacques Monseau, Jean Servais, Lorenzo TerzonDirector: Jean Brism?e
DVD: Region Code 0
Audio: English (Original Language), Dolby Digital 2.0 Mono; English (Dubbed), Dolby Digital 2.0 Mono
Format: Color, DVD-Video, Letterboxed, NTSC, Widescreen
Picture Format: Letterbox, 1.85:1
Running Time: 93 minutes
DVD Release Date: 1998-10-21
Audience Rating: R (Restricted)
Studio: Image Entertainment
DVD Reviews of Devil's Nightmare
DVD Review: Fascinating and Chilling European Gothic Masterpiece from 1971
Summary: 5 Stars
THE DEVIL'S NIGHTMARE (aka THE DEVIL WALKS AT MIDNIGHT)
YEAR: 1971
RUNTIME: 93 minutes
COUNTRY: Belgium/Italy
THE PLOT: Seven people are forced to spend the night in some eerie castle in Europe. The devil sends a succubus to kill each one that indulges in one or more of the seven deadly sins (lust, gluttony, greed, sloth, wrath [i.e. hatred, unrighteous anger & grumbling], envy/jealousy and pride).
COMMENTARY: Wow, this is a real hidden gem of gothic horror. It has a great cast and story and was filmed in a real castle. The people and the sins they indulge in are as follows:
(1.) Bus driver: gluttony.
(2.) Angry wife: greed, jealousy (although her husband gives her good reason to be jealous), envy (of the beauty of the other women) and anger (I don't think she smiles once, except when she's swimming in gold).
(3.) Husband: lust -- adultery.
(4.) Brunette: Lust -- lesbianism & adultery.
(5.) Blond: Sloth, lust -- lesbianism.
(6.) Old man: wrath -- excessive grumbling & negativity.
(7.) Priest-in-training: Although he flirts with pride (listen to him during the chess match) and lust (for the redhead) he evidently never commits a mortal sin (or, if he does, he humbly & quickly repents rather than revel in it like the others).
[MINOR SPOILER ALERT] Note that the minister willing sacrifices himself to perdition to prevent the other six from being damned. This is an example of agape love and displays a true Christ-like heart. Paul the apostle had the same spirit as evidenced in Romans 9:3. [END SPOILER].
HIGHLIGHTS: The film features three incredibly gorgeous women -- a blond, brunette and redhead, no less. The succubus is the redhead, played by Erika Blanc. All three are voluptuous; each possessing a very distinctive beauty. NOTE TO MEN: It goes without saying that if you struggle with lust you might want to skip this one, especially in light of a fairly overt lesbian scene (which they end up dying for, so no can argue that the film advocates the practice, no more than it advocates any other sin depicted, like gluttony, adultery, greed and grumbling).
Another highlight is Erika Blanc's subtle make-up as the succubus combined with her amazing ability to contort her face from stunningly sharp to utterly hideous. Seriously, I NEVER get frightened by horror films, but when Erika morphs into the succubus and hideously contorts her face, it's absolutely CHILLING.
TECHNICAL INFO: Some versions of the film have a tasteless porno-horror "intro" tacked on. This "intro" is not part of the original picture and simply has no business being there; in fact, it horribly mars it. No doubt is was tacked on by some latter-day producer in order to excite pre-pubescent boys ("Oooh, that's cooooool!"). The version featured with "Messiah of Evil" doesn't have this silly intro, but the sound quality isn't very good. I saw another version that has the intro but the sound quality was fine.
FYI: The original title translated to English is "The Long Night of the Devil" or "The Devil's Longest Night." I feel the title "The Devil's Nightmare" is weak and much prefer another alternative title "The Devil Walks at Midnight."
FINAL ANALYSIS: Since this is a European picture from the early 70s, it's understandably dated, dubbed and slow-paced. The viewer must keep this in mind to appreciate it. Many themes are touched upon: Does God exist? What about the devil and his demonic servants? Can he be trusted to 'make a deal' with? (Yeah, right). Is there such a thing as sin? And, if so, what are its consequences? Another fascinating theme touched upon is human nature and the continual conflict between spiritual and carnal qualities that we can all relate to. The film also powerfully addresses the incredible self-sacrificial nature of agape love -- love in it's highest and purest form.
Make no mistake, this is a powerful piece of gothic-horror cinema, perhaps even a masterpiece.
DVD Review: One of the Best 70's Eurohorrors
Summary: 5 Stars
It has been some time since I've taken interest in horror. Last year I delved into Asian horror and was quite enamoured with it, but it's become stale and repetitive. I'm also not fond of American horror or most mainstream horror films. My best bet? Euro-horror, of course, but not in the mold I have been used to (Argento, Soavi, Rollin, Bava, and so forth). Instead, I've been picking up obscure little titles that sell for $5.00 as part of a "multi-pack" of movies. The one film from these bargain bin films that stands out as being effective would be "The Devil's Nightmare." The title alone may remind you of a certain film that came out by Rob Zombie recently, but it really has nothing to do with it, and rightfully so. "The Devil's Nightmare" is a real stand-out film, and mostly because of the actors Erika Blanc who plays the succubus who plys her dark arts for the devil, and a man with the most creepy yet enigmatic visage I've ever seen (I think it may be Daniel Emilfork; I think he also played a villain in "City of Lost Children") who plays The Devil. The film does have a surreal quality to it, but not in the tight, technical way of early Argento or Soavi, it has a more haunting quality, even in daylight scenes. The music also helps to convey a sense of the sinister, with all the aplomb of 70's soundtrack nostalgia.DVD Review: OK...it's not perfect
Summary: 5 Stars
It really isn't. But I should start by stating that I love "odd" films. I have a taste for D-horror films. And this one is truely a D-horror film!!! It's got a gothic mood. Some fun music and some interesting deaths. It's not the most exciting of films...but I'm personally ok with that 'cuz it's the kinda film I like. This film will not be for everyone. I've seen some reviews for this film that are not good...and those people are right. It's isn't a great film. But if you are in for a film with character...this is the one!DVD Review: Prepare yourself for pure EVIL
Summary: 2 Stars
A busload of morally ambiguous tourists are rerouted to the spooky castle of a former Nazi baron (formerly a Nazi, still a baron) in order to save the rest of the travel for the following day. Coincidentally, the baron's daughter, a succubus, shows up to condemn the tourists to varying circles of Hell, using the 'Seven Deadly Sins' as the guidebook.
Apparently, the Seven Deadly Sins consist of the following:
(1) Sin: Lust. Punishment= Cheating husband and insatiable brunette strumpet are killed by medieval torture devices.
(2) Sin: Greed. Punishment= Ugly frigid wife suffocates on gold glitter.
(3) Sin: Gluttony. Punishment= Gruesome slob is invited to a gigantic feast and then, after gorging himself and making any perspective viewer (such as myself) nauseous, chokes to death on a glass of wine.
(4) Sin: Guilty Of Being A Hot Bisexual Blonde Who Lounges Seductively In A Bed. Punishment= Death by python!!!!!
(5) Sin: Complaining Too Much. Punishment= Old creep kept awake all night and then thrown from a tower window.
So anyway, there you have it, all 5 of the Seven Deadly Sins and the corresponding Dante-style punishments. Additionally, this movie boasts the worst Satan of all time. Looks sort of like a convenience store clerk who doubles as the human pretzel at a carnival freakshow.
DVD Review: Not very thrilling
Summary: 2 Stars
"Devil's Nightmare" has an intriguing cult reputation, and some bizarre stills of the film's star Erika Blanc that are taken from it promise it to be quite a lurid thriller...sadly it isn't.
Seven tourists stay overnight at a large castle, and are regaled with gruesome history tales by the ghoulish butler. The host tells them the family is cursed by a succubus, whereupon an eighth guest suddenly arrives in the shape of the stunning Ms Blanc. No prizes for guessing what she is then! After bewitching the other guests with her sultry demeanor and revealing gowns, she gradually works her way through the lot of them, managing to lure them to various inventive deaths one after another, all of which are themed around each of the characters various sinful leanings (greed, lust, etc). Only a priest seems able to resisit the charms of the mystery woman...will he be able to break the terrible curse?
Yes I know that plot sounds like it could have been somehow worked into a stylish and shocking gothic horror, but something vital is really missing from this effort. I think it's down to a general lack of polish and care, and attention to laying down any sort of atmosphere. The castle where all the main action takes place is a stunning building on the oustide, but the interior is not nearly as impressive - especially the bedrooms that the guests are shown to, they are kitted out in the most appalling over-fussy floral decor, each one more hideous than the last. There's little sense of art direction, especially in hilariously bad scenes when the characters are supposed to be creeping around looking for a way out of the castle in nothing but candlelight, whereas in fact all these scens are visibly and harshly over-lit with industrial arc-lighting! The continuation and photography is also very poor with a great deal of obvious inconsistencies in the brightness of the sky outside. The English dubbing is also very, very bad. It makes a mockery of all the acting, although even good dubbing would not save the actor playing the priest, who gives the blandest, most wooden performance I have ever seen, almost single-handedly dragging what little tension there is towards the film's climax into the gutter.
On the plus side, Erika Blanc makes for a pretty dashing succubus, with her appearance altering to a pale, skeletal fright-face every time she is about her killing business. She also manages to pull off some very weird and wonderful contortions which verge on the pantomime, but luckily fall on just the right side of creepy. But the death scenes are all very cheaply handled and laughably unlikely. The behaviour of the guests is never anything less than totally vapid, even when faced with obvious danger. And to my total non-surprise (this being a European horror film from the 1970's), there's also a totally gratuitous lesbian sex scene that goes completely nowhere plot-wise...oh well, at least all the women in this film are very attractive so for those that want to see topless beauties doing the business, there's a small helping of that just for you. For anyone who is interested in plot, gothic atmosphere or just plain horror, this films serves up such thin helpings of each of those that it's really not worth the effort.
I'm sorry to be negative, and I was disappointed myself, but aside from Erica Blanc in what is probably her most memorable horror appearance, there's barely anything memorable in this.
Description of Devil's Nightmare
This is the first time this slice of demented Belgian/Italian sleaze has been available in it's full widescreen glory. Featuring a collection of shifty aristos, grumpy servants and a saucy homicidal succubbus played by the lickable Erika Blanc--this is seventies gothic at its campiest best.Seven travelers stranded in the Italian countryside accept the hospitality of a kindly castle lord, but what horror awaits them: the family has a curse on it that dooms the eldest daughter of each generation to become an agent of the devil, and guess who's coming home. After a striking opening scene (involving a Nazi officer in 1944 overseeing the birth of his child, which turns out to be... an accursed daughter!), this horror tale drags along at a glacial pace until the visitors settle in enough to take a little time out for sex, which serves as an appetizer to sadistic murders. The guests, ostensibly representative of the Seven Deadly Sins, die in appropriately thematic twists at first, though after gluttony, greed, and lust the point gets stretched. This low-budget example of horrotica has its entertaining moments, an appropriately lurid style (courtesy of Belgian director Jean Brismee), and even an appearance by former French matinee idol Jean Servais (Beauty and the Beast). Included are trailers for this and three other Italian exploitation films and an extended introduction by British horror hostess Eileen Daly (which was actually recorded for a different film!), a black-leather Elvira with a whip and a penchant for kink that may not be to the tastes of all audiences. -Sean Axmaker
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