October Horror Movie Challenge: The Antichrist (1974)

Another 1974 flick.  I was not kidding when I said it was a good year for horror.  But is this one a good movie?

It is almost like the creators of this movie saw The Exorcists and thought "yeah, that's good, but it needs more sex. And maybe a dash of incest too."

You would be excused if on the surface this one sounded like "Enter the Devil" from the same year. There are religious overtones, demonic possession, incest, psycharity, and lots of demonic activity. 

Briefly, Ippolita (Carla Gravina) was paralyzed in a car crash that had killed her mother. While she goes to holy shrines in hopes that God will heal her, her father Massimo (Mel Ferrer) is busy cavorting with his new young lover Greta (Anita Strindberg).  

All the doctors have told Massimo that Ippolita's condition is psychosomatic. So on the advice of his brother a Cardinal they take her to see a psychiatrist Dr. Sinibaldi (Umberto Orsini). Under hypnosis, Ippolita talks about her past life as a witch and how she was burned at the stake. The hypnosis is successful, Ipplolita is able to walk again, but she is possessed by her past life that gave her soul to Satan.  So in addition to walking Ippolita now spits up green goo, has telekinesis, and has sex with her own brother. You know. The usual. 

There are at least three different attempts to exorcise her. Meanwhile, she manages to kill a few people. Finally in the end the devil (or witch, it is unclear now) is forced out by church bells and puts her hands on an iron cross.

So. There are some neat things here and certainly an attempt at some special effects. 

It's not a bad flick, but suffers too much from Exorcism Envy really. It also has long stretches where nothing at all is really moving the plot forward.

Use for War of the Witch Queens

Like I mentioned with "Enter the Devil" there is not enough of the common folk being afraid of demons and devils for what they represent (Eternal Evil) and not as "Monsters with a lot of XP."

Use for NIGHT SHIFT

This would be a good history one too. Come back 48 years later. Ippolita had a daughter from her incestuous affair. They gave that girl for adoption to the church who tried to raise the demon child. One night she escaped. When she was discovered again she was pregnant. Now that baby, Ippolita's granddaughter, is back looking for her grandmother. Maybe she is now possessed of the same witch but can better control it. 

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