The Devil's Nightmare

Horror at its best!!!!!! This movie is definitely one that earns the designation of HORROR!!!!! The atmosphere is chilling and the characters are zany and unpredictable. At first glance I thought that this movie would be another Italian slasher fest, but instead I was amazed to discover this eerie piece of cinema had a lot to deliver, most of all a frightening tale of sin and temptation. The devil in this movie is one that instills fear and curiosity, just as the devil should be portrayed. I recommend this film to horror fans and movie fans that don't like watching a typical film. Just a note of caution, this movie is not for the faint of heart. As is with many euro horrors of its day, the Devil's Nightmare pulls no punches when it comes to murder and mayhem. Enjoy!

What exactly would be considered a nightmare for the devil? Would it be going to heaven perhaps? Regardless of the confusing title The Devil's Nightmare has nothing to do with Satan's lack of sleep rather it concerns a family curse in the Von Rhoneberg bloodline which condemns the firstborn daughter to an existence as a Succubus. After the Baron sacrificed his daughter following the death of his wife during World War II he retires to the family castle where he studies alchemy in the basement. The story picks up some thirty years later as seven travelers become sidetracked by a road closure and are guided to the Von Rhoneburg castle to stay the night. Upon arrival they are each given rooms where the begin to act in the manner of whatever deadly sin is assigned to them, i.e. gluttony constantly stuffs his face, sloth is always sleeping etc. One of the seven happens to be a priest, which sin he represents I have no idea, who is wary of Lisa, another unannounced guest, who seems intent on corrupting the man of God. Turns out Lisa is a Succubus who dispatches the guests in the very act that defines each character. At least it starts that way as the glutton is fed a poisoned meal and the greedy woman is drowned in gold dust which if I'm not mistaken is what happened to Scrooge McDuck on the series finale of Ducktales. When the priest refuses the sexual advances of the Succubus, I would have failed in the first minute, he has to not only battle her but the Devil himself who more resembles a dying cancer patient rather than the living embodiment of evil.

At least Devil's Nightmare knows how to keep your attention as it features plenty of scantily clad women while the meandering storyline ratchets up the action. One of these tactics is a lesbian tryst between two of the doomed guests when the gorgeous blond refuses to sleep alone. Plots and story lines give way to bras and panties which I'm not complaining. What saves this film from the countless other Eurotrash horror movies is the performance of Erika Blanc as Lisa the Succubus. While either in her seductive form complete with her tight, flesh baring dress or the pale skinned monster herself Blanc absolutely commands every scene she's in. The makeup used to mark her darker side, while not much, is still pretty effective as she switches between sexy vixen and fearsome beast. My one complaint is taking away the main trait of the Succubus which is the loss of life via the act of sexual intercourse. Erika Blanc screwing to death the guests would have made a better film in my opinion. Still, this is one of the better Gothic horror movies with the right amount of sleaze and gore to keep you interested. Should of been called the Devil's Wet Dream.

This is an above average example of the type of metaphysical horror film that seemed to proliferate in Europe in the 1970's.

It's simply the story of the Devil, his minion (the succubus) and seven tourists (each representing one of the seven deadly sins) who are forced to spend the night in a sinister castle.

The first hour is rather plodding due to an over abundance of exposition and very little action. Viewer patience is rewarded however during the final half hour when Ilse (the succubus) starts doing what she does best.

Erica Blanc is superb in this role and her transformation from sexy seductress to ghastly succubus is a highlight. Another highlight is Daniel Emilfork as the Devil. His performance is a real stand out when compared to the rather wooden performances delivered by some of the other cast members.

Director Jean Brismee also deserves kudos for several delightfully imaginative flourishes during the death scenes.

All in all it's worth watching if you're a fan of this type of film, but it's definitely not one of my favourite Euro horror films from this era.

6 out of 10.

This is one of your better Italian Gothic horror films (maybe they should have done more co-productions with Belgium). The simple plot concerns a group of travelers who end up stranded in an eerie castle. The travelers supposedly represent the Seven Deadly Sins (although after "lust", "gluttony", and "greed" I kind of lost track of who was supposed to be who). They are picked off one by one by a sexy female succubus played by the sumptuous Erica Blanc. There have been a million movies like this over the years, but two things set this apart. One is the atmosphere of horror it creates. This film wasn't directed by any of the Italian Gothic horror greats like Mario Bava, Antonio Marghereti, or Riccardo Freda but it evokes their best works ("Black Sunday", "Castle of Blood", "The Ghost"). The second though is Erica Blanc who manages to be both very sexy and very scary (the latter with the help of some good effect make-up). Interestingly, Blanc has only some very brief nude scenes here, but she plays such a seductive and deliciously evil character so well (especially when she preys upon the hapless priest) that she manages to steam up the screen far more than the two Euro-lesbian characters who spend half their screen time cavorting in the nude. Along with her famous coffin strip tease in "The Night Evelyn Came Out of the Grave" this one of Blanc's most memorable roles and worth the price of admission by itself. It's also a pretty good movie though.

I found this movie when I was shopping at Sam Goody. It was on the Nightmares From the Crypt boxed set. What I expected was a crappy, badly dubbed 70s horror film. Instead, I watched a beautifully photographed, and demented horror film. I LOVED the music score! It was absolutely riveting! It managed to build up an atmosphere of dread and foreboding. The lady who played the succubus was just stunning, and the make-up she wore and her performance frightened me. I didn't care too much for the other characters in the film, however. They just seemed one-dimensional and cardboard. I recommend anyone who has respect for Eurohorror films to pick this up, it's quite a rare treat. However, keep this one away from the young ones. It's features a few sexual scenes that were "bold" for it's time, and some disturbing death scenes. Check it out. 9/10.