I read the Dennis Wheatley novel and thought it was dreadful - long and tedious with the occasional exciting bit. Despite this, when I saw that it had been made into a film, I decided to go and see it anyway, to see what they made of the book. I found that the film was vastly superior to the book. It boasts an excellent screenplay by Richard Mattheson, the author of the classic Sci-fi/horror novel I am Legend, which condenses the book to it's essentials, cutting out all the boring bits. The film also has a nice period (thirties?) atmosphere. Special effects are a bit ropy, but it must be remembered that this is a fifty year old movie made on a limited budget. Certainly one of the better films to be produced by Hammer.
Review of The Devil Rides Out
