☆ ☆ ☆ ☆
The
Devil Rides Out (1968) – T. Fisher
Hammer
Films hired Richard Matheson (adept in the horror/supernatural genre) to adapt
Dennis Wheatley’s novel about Satan worshippers for the screen. The result
takes for granted that evil powers exist and that men (such as Aleister
Crowley) could tap into them and use them for their own purposes after much
study of the ancient arts. In this film,
that man is Mocata (Charles Gray) but he also appears (called Karswell) in my
favourite film of this genre, Curse of the Demon (1957), played by Niall
MacGinnis. The editing in The Devil
Rides Out is tight and often cuts out the exposition – we jump right in to find
that the Duc de Richleau (Christopher Lee) and his friend Rex Van Ryn (Leon
Greene) are worried about a friend who has been keeping too much to
himself. They drop by his house to
discover that he has recently joined a Satanic circle and then the plot
launches from there, as Richleau and Van Ryn tangle with evil in an attempt to
rescue their friend Simon and another girl Tanith before they are baptised on
the evil Sabbath. The film blends
references to arcane rituals with spooky (though fake-looking) special effects
with rip-roaring adventure story action.
Christopher Lee is his usual commanding presence – and fortunately he is
on the side of good, rather than evil; otherwise, the Goat of Mendes might have
won. As usual, the Hammer production
values are top notch (those amazing cars and mansions) and this is one of their
best releases.
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