This one is also known as "L'ossessa" and "The Eerie Midnight Horror Show" (complete with Rocky Horror-style lips) it revolves around a religious statue of crucified Jesus purchased by Danila (Stella Carnacina). Luisa (Lucretia Love) It is obvious from the start that the "statue" is an actor (Ivan Rassimov) in heavy makeup but that is fine.
It is 1974, so the Exorcist is on EVERY Horror filmmaker's mind and this movie is no exception.
Danila is some sort of art expert so she is working with the statue. But while at a party she watches her mother, in some sort of S&M affair with a younger man she leaves to go back to work. There she is all alone with the statue. When he starts to move it is no surprise, but I wonder what the audiences in 1974 thought? Likely they saw the same things we do now. Eventually, the statue transforms into a human and in one stroke rips off ALL of Danila's clothes (neat trick that) they have very enthusiastic sex while the place burns...or not. It could all be in Danila's mind. But she does keep experiencing things and no one believes her.
Naturally, she is possessed and tries to seduce her own father. They bring over a psychiatrist whose professional opinion is that she is unduly affected by her work. They head out to the country ("Better than any medicine" according to the medical professional) but they get a flat and Danila wanders off into an "Etruscan temple to Baal" where she sees an ancient ceremony to Satan. In mid-hallucination, she is back in her own bed again freaking out. When the doctor examines her she does have the stigmata wounds inflicted on her in her hallucination.
I give the movie credit, they try really hard to make this a serious movie about an exorcism. They get a priest in and I can't help but notice her room is set up similar to Regan's in The Exorcist.
The later half is basically Danila going crazy and various priests trying to exorcise her and it sorta falls apart here.
Still, a neat idea even if not executed as well as the filmmaker might have liked.
Use for War of the Witch Queens
I love the idea of the old statue coming to life and the "Etruscan temple to Baal" just screams Orcus to me for D&D use.
Use for NIGHT SHIFT
All I could think of while watching this one was I need to figure out a way to do a psychiatrist or psychologist in NIGHT SHIFT.
October Horror Movie Challenge 2022
Viewed: 5
First Time Views: 4
No comments:
Post a Comment
Thank you so much for your comment. Due to high levels of spam I have comment moderation turned on. Your post will appear after it has been approved.