The Satanist

The Satanist (1968)

* 1/2 (out of 4)

A novelist has a nervous breakdown so his doctor recommends a vacation away from everything. He takes his wife to a house where they meet another woman who just happens to be a satanist and soon she has wicked plans for the husband and wife.

THE SATANIST comes from director Zoltan G. Spencer and is probably best remembered for being lost for several decades before a print turned up in 2014. If you're not familiar with Spencer's work then he basically made a handful of softcore titles, the type that would be released by Something Weird Video. This film here has a lot of press behind it when it was found but sadly the end result isn't all that good. Still, it's always great whenever any lost film turns up.

The greatest thing about this movie is the fact that it clocks in at just 61-minutes. That's actually a bit too long because there's not much going on here. Basically there are a bunch of softcore sex scenes that are never erotic and they really lack much of a bite. All of these scenes are pretty much drawn out and after a while we get some narration (the film was shot without sound) to try and explain any sort of plot.

The best thing about the picture are the beautiful women who were apparently picked for their parts because of their breast sizes. THE SATANIST isn't a good movie but if you're a fan of these type of low-budget sex pictures then you'll probably want to watch it but just don't go into it with high expectations.

The Satanist is a nudie cutie told through the guise of a moral tale about a pair of Newlyweds who leave the city for the country only to end up next door to a very beautiful, buxom Satanist. The husband of course is seduced by her and becomes obsessed with the woman after she gives him a spellbook. Eventually they couple figures out this strange woman could possibly be trouble, but are too polite to turn down an invite from her for a special get together on the Sabbath.

This beautifully shot oddity was produced right before films like this ended up going all the way. That and the fact that this film was shot in black and white was basically a death sentence for strange little film clocking in at barely over an hour. The Satanist was another favorite of the fest because the film was very well crafted for what it was and by the time the newlyweds end up at the party, which turns out to be a ritual the ending doesn't disappoint.

"The Satanist" is an ultra obscure 1968 sexploitation film directed by Zoltan Spencer, that was lost for decades until resurfacing earlier this year, courtesy of Exhumed Films. The rediscovered print was projected at their "Forgotten Film Festival" on July 20th.

I could be wrong, but I think this was the first sexploitation film to include satanism as a subtext. The comprehensive book, "The Satanic Screen", doesn't even mention this film.

Since this was 1968, there is no explicit sex, but abundant nudity, mostly topless.

The film opens with a couple making out in a car; a second woman appears in the darkness, then the woman in the car apparently kills the man (he falls backwards at her touch). She exits the car and walks away with the other woman.

Middle Eastern-type music plays on the soundtrack (played on a viola credited to "Moe"), then the title card "The Satanist" appears, with smoke and burning of the title.

A prologue informs us that "the events of this film are based upon annals of witchcraft as practiced in ancient times....and today".

We then see a bespectacled man in a wheelchair address the audience:

"Perhaps I am mad. Maybe you can help decide whether my story happened or is the product of an incurably sick mind".

The man and his wife are seen driving their car, and hit a woman riding a bike. She isn't injured, invites them to her house, and gives them a book on the occult, and invites them to be 'guests of honor' later that evening.

The events that follow include the wife attempting to return the book and witnessing the "witch" make a magic circle with salt and candles, the husband having an erotic dream involving the witch, and returning to the house at night and watching through the window as a succubus makes love to the witch and changes from female to male.

Finally, the time comes for them to be guests of honor, and they return to the house and find other guests wearing hooded robes and masks. The succubus passes out drinks, and does an erotic nude dance while the husband and wife watch.

The husband is tied up and forced to watch as the leader of the group dons a baphomet mask, and molests his wife. This leads to an orgy among the cult members.

The epilogue shows the husband again:

"The road back to sanity is a rough one. Now with help, I was finally able to see what happened was only a nightmare..."

We then see that the witch was actually his psychiatrist, and the man tells us that his wife and psychiatrist are close friends and are planning a homecoming for him...on the Sabbath.

This an interesting film, made at a time when satanism was becoming chic, and opened the door for other similarly-themed adult films in the 70s like "Suburban Satanist", "Angel Above, Devil Below", and "The Devil Inside Her".

This very low-budget but well-shot and -scored (with mixed jazz and psych-rock instrumentals) nudie offers what the genre usually did at the time: Provide a lot of bodacious women excuses to take their shirts off and writhe in various forms of non-explicit ecstasy. It's also true to the norm in having almost no synch dialogue at all, just the protagonist (a writer on his honeymoon) narrating the goings-on. He and his wife move in next door to a mysterious lady who invites them to "meet the neighbors" at a climactic party that naturally turns out to be ritualistic orgy meeting for her coven.

We get topless exotic dancing (exotic as in quasi-Middle/Far Eastern, not the twirling-tassles type), and that kind of softcore lovemaking in which the players get nearly-naked and act almost as if they were actually having sex, though not close enough to risk police raiding the theater. The women are duly attractive and top-heavy (no doubt with some silicone help). There's male semi-nudity too, particularly by the hero, who is in good shape for the era but is really, really hairy. (I.e. Not just his chest, but his back and shoulders.)

The pace is soporific, but then suspense is hardly the point--the "horror" elements are just a novel pretext here for the usual hubba-hubba stuff. So, an above-average adult movie of the period for its decent photography and soundtrack, but if you're watching this because it's "horror," be warned it is like watching paint dry. Sexy paint, that is. If you like this sort of thing, it's a pretty good one...which is to say it's fun in a sorta dullish-yet-pleasantly-campy way.

"The Satanist" (1968) is an obscure sexploitation film that delves into the realm of satanism and the occult. The premise is intriguing - a couple becomes entangled with a witch who introduces them to a satanic cult, leading to erotic and nightmarish experiences. The film's exploration of satanic themes was groundbreaking for its time, predating other adult films with similar subject matter.

While the film succeeds in creating an atmospheric and eerie vibe, it ultimately falls short in terms of substance. The narrative is thin, serving primarily as a vehicle for the occult imagery and nudity. The acting is mediocre, and the characters lack depth, making it difficult to become invested in their plight.

Despite its provocative subject matter, "The Satanist" is relatively tame by modern standards. There is no explicit sex, with the nudity limited to topless scenes. The satanic rituals and erotic sequences, while suggestive, lack the intensity and shock value that contemporary audiences might expect.

Overall, "The Satanist" is a curiosity that will primarily appeal to enthusiasts of cult and exploitation cinema. Its historical significance as an early exploration of satanism in sexploitation films is noteworthy, but its flaws prevent it from being a truly compelling or memorable experience. For those interested in the genre's evolution, it's worth a watch, but general audiences may find it lacking in substance and impact.