quridley I was impressed with so much of this film. Based on what sounds like a very clever and well-researched occult fiction novel, this is just as straight-forward and paced to thrill lightly. Luckily the film is full of creepy but gorgeous atmosphere and benefited from a solid cast. Its tame by today's standards of extremity, but thats its charm. This is one of Hammer Films' more watchable and smart movies.But its not all roses. There is religious paranoia, appallingly open racism early on and builds to a appropriately vicious and insane revelation that its all been conservative Protestant propaganda meant to brainwash, scare and sabotage politically. This would explain the very unhappy and un-arousing tone of every moment.The insulting exploitation and dated correctness spoils the rewatchability of the film, no matter how well made and cult-worshiped it is. I recommend to audiences who can not only overlook the stupidity and lameness of the message to appreciate the formal aesthetics of the artistry, but can also put it in the right context (AKA not young people!).

dougdoepke For fans of old roadsters, circa 1925, and one lane English country roads, the movie's a gold mine. I love the driving here and there in those stylish old flivvers. I guess drivers didn't have to worry about oncoming traffic or they'd just pull off into a field if they met any. It's an okay horror flick, heavier on the mumbo-jumbo than blood and guts. The Duc (Lee) has to protect his circle of family and friends from an assault by the satanic Mocata (Gray) and his coven of devil worshipers. Good thing the Duc knows the right moves, whether invocations, symbols, or where to look.What atmosphere the horror flick has comes mainly from staging rather than lighting, which is mostly high-key Technicolor. I can't help thinking b&w with proper shading would have lent more menace. Then too, the commanding Lee would definitely have projected more menace as Satan's henchman than the rather dull Charles Gray. But maybe Lee was tired playing evil types, besides the good guy here has to have Lee- type gravitas to go one-on-one with the forces of darkness.I guess the movie's high-point (outside of the sudden slam-bang climax) would be when the coven goes party crazy. Too bad they don't doff their robes and go for an orgy, which I suspect is what the movie-makers would have preferred. Oh well, we get the idea, anyway. At times the various black magic-white magic maneuverings are hard to follow, the script not being heavy on exposition. Still, the production's slickly done and doesn't drag, with a wrap-up that should please church-goers.

lemon_magic I'll just say it: Without an actor of Christopher Lee's caliber, this movie would have been somewhere between corny and laughable. But the director, and Lee, and a cast of talented, hard-working supporting actors, managed to pull this off and created a classic of horror. What's amazing, when you think about it, is that the creators had a screen play that just pulled out one worn supernatural cliché or gimmick after another - ritual sacrifice, satanic possession, rising winds, mental domination and hypnotism, séances, demons appearing in flames,you name,it was in there...all without any back-story or exposition. And the ending was a Deus-ex-machina that should have made me howl in disbelief, But it was all done so briskly and in such a matter-of-fact way that I just went along with it all and applauded at the end.Yes,some of the overt special effects were clumsy and even laughable (vis the giant spider). But most of the time events were simply suggested by the way the actors widened their eyes or grimaced or flinched...and THOSE moments were utterly convincing. I really, really like this one, and am glad I finally had a chance to see it.

george.schmidt THE DEVIL RIDES OUT (1968) *** Excellent horror film from Hammer Films with their star attraction, Christopher Lee in rare form as a well-versed duke who discovers a friend in peril with a Satanic cult enduring all of his free will and knowledge to battle the nefarious leader (Charles Gray) (literally) hell bent in taking his friends' souls (including the friend's girlfriend) with a battle royale. Sterling script adaptation by legendary Richard Matheson based on a novel by Dennis Wheatley with impeccable direction by veteran helmsman Terence Fisher and resplendent production design by Bernard Robinson. More suspenseful than scary yet told with great flair and visual elegance.