6/10
Amusing curio.
4 November 2012
Warning: Spoilers
"Daughters of Satan" is nothing special, but is still hard to resist on the level of an entertaining "late show" feature. It *is* irresistible to see a young and studly Tom Selleck in a horror film, a Tom Selleck who's already sporting that famous moustache.

He plays James Robertson, an art expert working in the Philippines who purchases a painting for himself depicting the burning of three witches. One of the witches bears an uncanny resemblance to his wife Chris (Barra Grant). And that's just the beginning of the weirdness to follow, as both James and Chris start to encounter strange individuals, including Kitty (Tani Guthrie) and Juana (Paraluman). Also on hand is eternally jolly Filipino icon Vic Diaz as an art dealer as well as Vic Silayan as helpful doctor Dr. Dangal...not to mention a Rottweiler who's friendly to Chris but who always gives cat man James a hard time.

The opening sequence very much lets us know right from the start where this is heading, so suspense is limited. This film, produced by Aubrey Schenck ("Frankenstein - 1970", "Robinson Crusoe on Mars") and directed by TV veteran Hollingsworth Morse (now *there's* a name for you), is more about enveloping the audience in an appropriately odd and dreamy ambiance. It has some violence here and there and voyeurs will appreciate the breast shots from our leading lady. There's a lot of great scenery to enjoy, and a very '70s but effective music score by Richard LaSalle.

The movie is an acceptable diversion, as far as it goes, but it does rather get bogged down in talk sometimes. Still, some of the actors, especially Guthrie and Paraluman, are fun to watch, and Selleck is good as the frustrated, puzzled hero. Grant is less satisfactory (although she does look fine). Plus, the movie is worth sticking with just for the kind of downbeat ending common to cinema of the 1970s.

If you're a genre fan who loves seeking out obscurities such as this one, you should have a fairly good time with it.

Six out of 10.
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