tavm Though I knew there were some DVD copies around, I guess I should thank YouTube for finally being able to watch this movie since that's where I discovered it. Having seen it, I can see why Warner Brothers sued and won their lawsuit against American International for blatantly copying WB's hit The Exorcist. Sure, the differences are that one involved a girl child and the other a grown woman but they both have shaking furniture and demonic possession in which they both say very vulgar things involving sex. Okay, with that out of the way, let me say what I think of it. I thought it was hilarious whenever the title character played by Carol Speed had-through the voice of Bob Holt-said all those blatantly provocative remarks to various people but after that, I managed to also find some genuine scares and thrills. Both Ms. Speed and William Marshall as Bishop Garnet Williams who tries to get the demon out of her provide great presence in their scenes together. But the supporting players of Terry Carter (Rev. Emmett Williams, Abby's husband and Garnet's son), Austin Stoker (Abby's brother Det. Cass Potter), and especially Juanita Moore (Miranda "Momma" Potter) also hold their own against them. If there's one thing I have a beef with, it's the print I watched. Perhaps because of that lawsuit, no one's bothered to restore it. So the one I saw looked washed out. Still, the sound wasn't bad so that's a plus. Really, all I'll say now is if you get the chance to watch Abby, go for it! P.S. How interesting that after not sharing a scene in The Mack, Ms. Speed and Ms. Moore played daughter and mother in this. And nice to hear Carol's writing and singing skills with the song "My Soul is a Witness".

tommy61986 I remember seeing this movie with my father as a teenager in Chicago.as a matter of fact we saw it 9 times in one day.from am to pm.glad we did because it was pull off by a lawsuit by good o warner bros.The Exorcist was good for the white folks and scare a lot of us.Abby was a version for the afro-American.just like Blacula version of Dracula.Carol speed did her best performance since The Mack.the late William Marshall playing the black priest leashing out the sexual demon from Africa..the f/x was cheesy but funny.what do you want from a movie that only cost $200,000 to make.William Girdler never get to see the $4 millions but wasn't afraid to challenge the exorcist or warner bros.this was all a races attack,because beyond the door wasn't attack as much as Abby.but i agree that Abby should be release on a good DVD remaster.Cinefear is okay but it's like watching a bootleg version.i enjoy Abby back then and i still enjoy Abby today in the good o tropical island..

Coventry Man, those big shots over at Warner Bros. have absolutely no sense of humor and/or brotherly spirit! Of course this Blaxploitation gem, as well as the Italian efforts "Beyond the Door" and "Lisa and the Devil", is an obvious rip-off of their smash hit "The Exorcist" ... Even the smallest child can see that. But was it really necessary to sue the makers and force them to take these drive-in favorites out of circulation? This is just my personal opinion, but these bizarre imitations are much more amusing than the real thing. The plots are far more over-the-top, the language & make-up effects are usually a lot more extreme and they always feature an (unintentionally?) comical atmosphere. "Abby" is a prime example of 70's fabulousness! The plot is nearly identical to "The Exorcist", but everything else is neatly adjusted to the "Blaxploitation" standards. We have a solid, experienced and charismatic cast, including William Marshall ("Blacula"), Austin Stoker ("Assault on Precinct 13") and Carol Speed ("The Mack") as the titular demon-possessed preacher's wife. When Bishop Williams accidentally releases the spirit of the malicious African deity Eshu, it somehow travels overseas and takes possession of the bishop's daughter-in-law Abby. The poor lady transforms from a deeply religious and loyal wife into a foul-mouthed, aggressive and luscious tramp. She talks with a deep voice, pukes all types of nasty-colored stuff and invades disco parties to seduce random black pimps. There's a minimum of tension and intellectual dialogs to be found in "Abby", but it's reasonably fast-paced and very entertaining. "Abby" is cheap and doesn't contain any real special effects (like rotating heads, for example), but still you should give it a chance. Perhaps I'm slightly biased, as I'm a giant fan of director William Girdler. He was one of the most versatile American horror directors of the 1970's, up until his tragic & premature death.

Casey-52 William Girdler, the king of Kentucky trash film-making, ran into legal hassles when this black version of Warner Brothers' THE EXORCIST hit theaters. Despite making tons of money at the box office, WB had the film withdrawn because of similarities to their Friedkin blockbuster and it's been tough to see ever since. Is it worth tracking down? Well, it has its crazy moments, but is no camp classic.Carol Speed (THE MACK, THE BIG BIRD CAGE) is Abby, the happy-go-lucky marriage counselor wife of the local preacher. When her father-in-law (William Marshall, BLACULA himself) unearths the remains of a demon in an expedition in Africa, for some reason the spirit of the denizen of Hell transfers itself to Abby's body back in the U.S. At first, Abby just does crazy things like slicing her arm with a butcher knife and coughing hysterically during her husband's sermon, but soon she's speaking in a deep baritone voice, sexually insatiable and spouting obscenities til the sun comes up. Marshall returns after a desperate phone call from his son, leading to a good-vs-evil showdown at the local disco (!).Girdler's film is one of those films which made the 70s so great. Lots of big Afro's, wacka-wacka musical score and the filmmakers throwing in everything but the kitchen sink to please the drive-in crowd. Yep, there's the typical EXORCIST-influenced puking and deep man's voice throwing out profanity; the quick-shots of the demon's face are even copied with Speed appearing in goofy green make-up. It's a goofy enough rip-off to provide enjoyment to fans of 70s exploitation, but just don't expect it to blow you away. Girdler sets up suspense quite well during the first 20 minutes, but lets it all hang out by the time Abby is possessed.The cast includes blaxploitation favorites Terry Carter and Austin Stoker, as well as Juanita Moore (IMITATION OF LIFE) as Abby's momma. But this is Carol Speed's movie all the way. She digs her claws into this role with a vengeance, and strangely this would be her last starring role before her early retirement. Did the film do damage to her career or did she call it quits for other reasons? Who knows... Worth tracking down, even on the unauthorized ugly quality DVD from Cinefear Video. The print is very red and splicy, but this is the only place you can get this; all other versions stem from their 35mm print.