The Devil's Possessed (1974)
** (out of 4)
Barón Gilles de Lancré (Paul Naschy) is an evil King who is searching for a jewel that will give him eternal life. When he's not doing that he's torturing people in a variety of ways so that they know who the boss is and that they should never try and cross him.
THE DEVIL'S POSSESSED is yet another Spanish horror movie that takes witchcraft and makes a full feature out of it. If you've seen MARK OF THE DEVIL then you've pretty much seen this movie as elements of it are thrown in with a touch of THE ADVENTURES OF ROBIN HOOD. This film is certainly far from being a bad movie but at the same time the genre is just so crowded and this film really doesn't do anything to set itself apart.
I think the best thing going for the film was its visual look. The atmosphere is just right and I thought that the director really nailed the setting. You really do feel as if you're watching a movie that captured the era just right. Director León Klimovsky does a very good job at making this film look a lot better than its budget would have normally allowed. The cinematography is quite good as is the music and overall it has a very professional look. I'd also add that Naschy is quite good in his role.
So, what's wrong with the film? I'd say it's just too bland for its own good. If you're familiar with the genre then you know there have been countless films like this. The problem here is that everything is just rather bland and there's nothing here that really jumps out at you. There's no real gore or major violence so those seeking that are going to be disappointed. The story doesn't offer anything original enough to make it stand out. Again, THE DEVIL'S POSSESSED is a mild entertainment but there's much more interesting films out there.
** (out of 4)
Barón Gilles de Lancré (Paul Naschy) is an evil King who is searching for a jewel that will give him eternal life. When he's not doing that he's torturing people in a variety of ways so that they know who the boss is and that they should never try and cross him.
THE DEVIL'S POSSESSED is yet another Spanish horror movie that takes witchcraft and makes a full feature out of it. If you've seen MARK OF THE DEVIL then you've pretty much seen this movie as elements of it are thrown in with a touch of THE ADVENTURES OF ROBIN HOOD. This film is certainly far from being a bad movie but at the same time the genre is just so crowded and this film really doesn't do anything to set itself apart.
I think the best thing going for the film was its visual look. The atmosphere is just right and I thought that the director really nailed the setting. You really do feel as if you're watching a movie that captured the era just right. Director León Klimovsky does a very good job at making this film look a lot better than its budget would have normally allowed. The cinematography is quite good as is the music and overall it has a very professional look. I'd also add that Naschy is quite good in his role.
So, what's wrong with the film? I'd say it's just too bland for its own good. If you're familiar with the genre then you know there have been countless films like this. The problem here is that everything is just rather bland and there's nothing here that really jumps out at you. There's no real gore or major violence so those seeking that are going to be disappointed. The story doesn't offer anything original enough to make it stand out. Again, THE DEVIL'S POSSESSED is a mild entertainment but there's much more interesting films out there.