Satanic and occult films

[Stumpy Pepys]

As a horror fan, I think this genre is probably my favourite. Even as a non-believer, there's something about satanic conspiracies which give me the creeps; probably the idea of evil under the surface of the mundane.

I can list the obvious ones: The Omen, Rosemary's Baby, Suspiria and The Exorcist. The Wicker Man, arguably. Hammer's The Devil Rides Out is really good – great performances from Christopher Lee and Charles Gray.

Anything else to recommend in this genre?

[evilC]

Satanic and occult films

'Bedazzled' (the original), featuring Pete & Dud as Noel & Liam Gallagher.

[evilC]

Satanic and occult films

'Angel Heart', 'Fantasia'

[Lucia Lanigan]

Satanic and occult films

Not in that genre, but El Diablo enthusiast Kenneth Anger's films are ... an experience. Beautiful in places but generally boring, unless you're on drugs perhaps. You get the sense he was always trying to do some Satan stuff somehow, although it's not always easy to say why. They're genuinely weird pieces, quite unsettling in places.

The short Invocation of My Demon Brother has a load of Satanic ritual type stuff. The soundtrack is basically Mick Jagger pissing about with his new keyboard. The film is made from the remnants of Anger's first attempt to make Lucifer Rising, which itself is worth a go. Poor old Marianne Faithfull looks seriously ill in it, though: they flew a far-gone heroin addict to the pyramids and sort of let her wander around a bit. Jimmy Page is in it somewhere too. He was due to do the score but fell out with Anger, who got Manson-trained murderer Bobby Beausoleil to make the soundtrack in prison. Strange days.

I think they're all on Youtube or Google Video or one of those.

I love Bedazzled too. Partly cause it's fascinating to see in passing how flat and war-damaged swinging London still was.

[igor tcherevchenko]

Satanic and occult films

Blood on Satan's Claw - Witchfinder General

Anything with Coffin Joe in

[Stumpy Pepys]

Satanic and occult films

I've been meaning to see Bedazzled for ages now, although I don't think it's exactly a horror film.

Ditto Fantasia. Even the self-styled Christian moral film reviewers of Christian Answers give Fantasia a moral rating of 'better than average'.

[delicatemoth]

Satanic and occult films

Race With The Devil is a real joy, though sadly the car on the cover does not actually appear in the film. Peter Fonda and friends are pursued through Texas by crazed satanists. Great ending.

[evilC]

Satanic and occult films

Stumpy Pepys wrote:

I've been meaning to see Bedazzled for ages now, although I don't think it's exactly a horror film.

Ditto Fantasia. Even the self-styled Christian moral film reviewers of Christian Answers give Fantasia a moral rating of 'better than average'.

Nah, those are light-hearted suggestions from me, really.

Re 'Fantasia', though, this site has this to say:

"...and Walt Disney’s Fantasia (1940) which has a stunning depiction of the Russian devil Chernabog for Mussorgsky’s Night on Bald Mountain symphonic poem – itself a Satanic classic."

[evilC]

Satanic and occult films

Oh, and btw - here's the Church Of Satan's recommended viewing list.

[hobbes]

Satanic and occult films

Dougal and the Blue Cat is out on DVD.
That shat me up when I first watched it. (Although I had necked 2 trips, admittedly.)

[Stumpy Pepys]

Satanic and occult films

evilC wrote:

Oh, and btw - here's the Church Of Satan's recommended viewing list.

I'm surprised the Church of Satan recommends The Snowman and Hans Christian Anderson, but doesn't list The Omen or The Exorcist.

[evilC]

Satanic and occult films

They're trying not to be obvious, I suppose. Either that, or they're just deliberately vexing you.

[Edie St Pierre]

Satanic and occult films

There's an old black and white episode of 'The Avengers' (a Honar Blackman one) called 'Warlock' that comes into this genre and is worth hunting down.

It's probably on youtube come to think of it.

[My Name Is Ian]

Satanic and occult films

It's in Series Two, if that helps anyone in looking for it.

[ian.64]

Satanic and occult films

There's an old black and white episode of 'The Avengers' (a Honar Blackman one) called 'Warlock' that comes into this genre and is worth hunting down.

And indeed there's a dog-eared old thing called Warlock with Richard E. Grant and Julian 'Chameleon' Sands, which is silly as you like but enjoyable.

[Edie St Pierre]

Satanic and occult films

Never seen that, you know. Or heard of it.

There are a lot of really tawdry films from the 70's that had satanism in them.

'Satans Slave' for a kick-off. It's kind of half a serious character study of a woman on the verge of a nervous breakdown, half 'Confessions' style cheesy 70's soft-porn. To be fair, your life won't be massively enriched by watching it.

Candace Glendenning and Micheal Gough are in it, who are both top actors though. And the bloke who plays that cockney twat Ben in Dr Who is in it too. He dies horribly.

[Stumpy Pepys]

Satanic and occult films

One film I forgot to mention was Blood on Satan's Claw, which would appeal to fans of The Wicker Man.

[Twisted Sister]

Satanic and occult films

I bought 'Black Death' last week. I was not expecting much but it turned out rather good. It has monks, a witch, Sean Bean & Captain Darling. Some nice Medieval gore as well.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_Death_(film)

[Guest]

Satanic and occult films

Igor already mentioned Blood on Satan's Claw. I quite like it, although actually I sort of have a softer spot for Beast in the Cellar.

[Twisted Sister]

Satanic and occult films

The appearance of 'Doom Tits' in Blood On Satan's Claw is very welcome.

[Toby Gymshorts]

Satanic and occult films

Doom Tits?

[Twisted Sister]

Satanic and occult films

Or 'Tits of Doom'

[bovril]

Satanic and occult films

doomed tits?

like old ladies

[Twisted Sister]

Satanic and occult films

Angel Blake tries to tempt Reverend Fallowfield with her tits. If he touches her tits then he will surly be going to hell and be DOOMED for eternity. Thus..Doom Tits.

Mrs Twisted Sister and I often act out this scene. :/

[Edie St Pierre]

Satanic and occult films

The best thing about 'Blood On Satans Claw' is the atmosphere. It genuinely feels as though it was shot in the late 17th Century and has a real sense of isolation, insularity and madness. Even the appearance of masses of British sitcom regulars doesn't deflate it. An incredibly unsettling film.

There's even a scene where Michelle Dotrice (playing a witch) is on the run from a vicious gang of witch-finders with dogs and clubs. Even though you keep expecting her to shout 'Frank, Frank' in a folorn and hopeless fashion, you're still completely hooked in to the reality of the scene.

The language of it is brilliant too:

'T'wernt no animal sire, t'were more like some fiend'

'She could never have been a fitting wife for you my boy, tomorrow the man from the Bedlam will come'

'Have no fear mistress, thy merely has some distemper as yet unknown to medicine'

and my favourite

'Megan, fetch Ralph! I want nails! And some wood!'

It does have some really nasty stuff in it too, to be fair. Along with the obligitaory - if occasional - 70's perviness.

'The Beast in the Cellar' is a blood deranged film isn't it? Great stuff though.