Le regine

This rare French-Italian coproduction tells the story of David (Ray Lovelock), a young hippie, who meets three mysterious, but beautiful young women in the woods by a lake. They take him under their spell, and when he finds out, it's too late.

Tonino Cervi's film is an atmospheric horror movie with erotic moments and some psychedelic sequences. Ray Lovelock boosts one of his earliest sympathetic performances in an Italian genre film, and the three seductive women of evil, among them Ewelyn (Ida Galli) Stewart, are convincing as well. Too bad that the movie has an awfully long time to take off, the first part gets boring as it proceeds. But the second part repays well, especially the final 20 minutes that culminate in a really harrowing climax that should satisfy every horror buff. Rating: 6 out of 10.

By the way: Ray Lovelock also features as composer and performer of the film's two songs, which are quite nice to listen to.

This offbeat art/sexploitation flick is at once typical of an adventurous era in European cinema, and a sort of "fine--but what are you gonna do with it?" curio. Handsome Ray Lovelock (who sings a couple uninspired folk-troubador songs on the soundtrack) is a longhaired motorcyclist lured into the forest idyll of three classic Eurobabes circa 1970 (big hair/wigs, near-Kabuki levels of makeup, outré couture wear when they're wearing any clothes at all) living in a pop-art palazzo in the middle of nowhere for no reason at all. Of course, something supernatural is going on, and it's hardly a spoiler to say that once these three glam spiders have had their way with this male butterfly, he won't be riding off into the sunset but meeting a considerably grimmer fate.

Not as much fun as the Swinging London blowout "The Touchables" two years earlier, which had a similar Adam-held-captive-by-three-sexy-Eves premise, this takes its allegorical aspects just seriously enough to be rather ponderous, partly because it's a little too highly polished in presentation without quite being eccentrically individual enough in style. The aesthetic is a little like high-fashion advertising--skilled, artistic, but a little arid. When the violence finally arrives it is bracingly unbridled, but more attention to the creeping dread of the horror undertow and less mild, picturesque erotica would have made the movie seem less mannered and empty as it idles its way towards the inevitable. Still, if you're a fan of such vintage counterculture/Eurotrash kitsch, it's certainly worth seeing once.

It coud have been a good short film, or an acceptable medium-length film, but it is one of the most boring movies I've ever seen. Nothing happens in the movie before the last 7 minutes. There is no plot, no tension, no pace, no mood, it is not haunting, or trippy, or visually mesmerezing, or atmospheric. Nothing at all. And I am really into slow and long movies. I love low budget movies from the 70s, but I can not positively value a movie for having only a good final seven minutes.

Hailing from the hippie era, Queens of Evil is a warning to blokes wishing to lead a carefree life without the burden of rules, regulations and boundaries: beware of the bourgeoisie, whose supremacy is threatened by the hippie lifestyle, and of women who might seek to trap such men in a relationship and force them to betray their ideals.

Ray Lovelock (The Living Dead at Manchester Morgue) stars as handsome drop-out David, who stops his motorbike to help a rich man (Gianni Santuccio) fix a flat tyre on his car. The driver returns David's kindness by mocking the young man's lifestyle and surreptitiously pushing a nail into the front tyre of his bike. After fixing his puncture, David gives chase, demanding to know why the man was so mean; the wealthy man loses control of his vehicle and crashes into a tree. David sees that the driver is dead, so continues his journey. When he sees a police car on the road ahead, he takes another route that leads him deep into the woods, where he happens upon a cottage by a lake. David settles down for the night in a wood shed, and is woken the following morning by a beautiful young woman (Haydée Politoff), who introduces herself as Liv.

Liv invites David to stay for breakfast, and introduces him to her sexy sisters, Bibiana (Evelyn Stewart) and Samantha (Silvia Monti). He accepts Liv's invitation, and is surprised by the stylish decor of the cottage (there are massive portraits of the three women on the walls and countless scatter cushions). He is given cake to eat for breakfast ('let them eat cake'), after which he announces it is time for him to leave. The draw of three beauties is too much for him, however, and he returns, accompanying the women on a fishing trip. Bibiana shows David her hobby - embalming squirrels - and Samantha takes his bike for a joy-ride. Liv appears to be able to matter transport herself. Despite the sisters' obvious eccentricities, David stays, and beds both Samantha and Bibiana.

Waking in the night, David sees the three women talking to a man. He sneaks out of the house to follow the mysterious visitor, but is knocked unconscious by a lightning strike during a sudden storm, after which he has a very strange dream in which the sisters wear crazy wigs and body paint. Regaining consciousness in bed, having been found in the woods by the women, David enquires about the stranger: they tell him that the man is the owner of a nearby castle, and that they have all been invited to a party there that night. At the gathering, David feels intimidated by the rich weirdo guests and their incessant questions, and flees into the welcoming arms (and between the welcoming legs) of Liv. After shagging the youngest of the sisters, and renouncing his hippie principles, all three women turn on David, hacking him to death with a variety of sharp implements.

The final scene reveals the owner of the castle - the very same man who David met on the road at the beginning of the film - to be none other than the devil, who uses the three sisters to help him do away with hippie folk like David who have no moral code, for how can the devil exist if the concept of sin no longer exists?

Although not quite as wonderfully weird as The Spider Labyrinth, which was produced by this film's director Tonino Cervi, Queens of Evil features its fair share of fun strangeness, the film a dark, surreal art-house fairytale that must surely have involved mind-altering substances during its making. It's a frequently perplexing tale, the directorial style and bizarre story not always easy to decipher, but those who dig obscure cult Euro-horror should find enough to enjoy here.

I rate the film 6.5 random shots of a seagull out of 10, rounded up to 7 for that amazing kitchen.

I recently watched the Italian film 🇮🇹 Queens of Evil (1970) on Tubi. The story follows a motorcycle traveler who stumbles upon what seems like an oasis on his journey: three stunning sisters who eagerly welcome his company. At first, it feels like a utopia he hopes will never end-until their true intentions begin to unfold.

Directed by Tonino Cervi (Nest of Vipers), the film stars Silvia Monti (The Fifth Cord), Haydée Politoff (Bora Bora), Ray Lovelock (Fiddler on the Roof), and Ida Galli (The Psychic).

I really enjoyed the strong "hippie" vibes throughout-the outlook, the fashion, the free-spirited dialogue. The whole movie radiates flower child energy. The decor is top-tier, the settings are playful, and the women are absolutely captivating. While the acting is serviceable, the story is the real highlight, blending cult, witchcraft, and folklore in a way that keeps things interesting. The oddball tattoos had me cracking up, and the soundtrack and hairstyles are undeniably cool.

My main gripes are the lack of horror elements and the surprisingly tame approach to nudity, especially given the film's concept. Still, it was an enjoyable ride in its own quirky way.

In conclusion, Queens of Evil is a modest but fun entry in the horror genre. It holds your attention, but doesn't quite rise above the pack. I'd give it a 5/10 and recommend seeing it once.