Un angelo per Satana

Fabulous b/w Italian Gothic that is beautifully shot and has a marvellously evocative soundtrack. Perhaps slightly too leisurely paced at the start with too many interiors but this is nit picking and very mean for a film that at times reminded me of Bava's The Whip And The Body. Yes, that sort of intensity and sexual tension. Oh and I haven't even mentioned what would have made the film so watchable even without all that. Barbara Steele! This has to be one of her most notable roles (dual roles, again, actually) and she shines both as the innocent and the depraved equally. Her pretty personal maid and the handsome co-star both work hard but become almost invisible when this woman is on screen. It's a well told tale set on an Italian lake with much ado about a statue salvaged from the waters and an associated curse. Great stuff. Magnificent ending.

1966's "An Angel for Satan" (Un Angelo per Satana) marked the final chapter in the Italian Gothic career of Barbara Steele, whose acting roles would decrease over the years, with occasional projects as producer for television director Dan Curtis. Playing to type as a bewitching beauty who casts spells over every male of the tiny lakeside village where a sculptor (Anthony Steffen) has been hired to restore a statue tainted by tragedy 200 years before, her features an exact likeness of its partially naked marble form. A shy schoolteacher, a bulky father of five, a mute gardener, and the captivated sculptor all become willing pawns in this game of bitterness and death, only to have a pair of plot twists wreck the finale after such a promising buildup. Barbara's Harriet is first introduced at the 16 minute mark, and so swiftly transforms into the wicked, luminous Belinda that we never really get to know her in either role, but she proves yet again to be an undeniably powerful presence on screen, actually removing her clothes in one scene, while later showing off her breasts through a sheer nightgown. Coming full circle since Mario Bava's "Black Sunday," effective performing either angelic innocence or seductive sorceress, this was as far as censorship would allow in the mid 60s, perhaps the right time for her to call it quits. This was one of the last films for director Camillo Mastrocinque, best remembered for the Christopher Lee vehicle "Crypt of the Vampire," reunited with pretty Ursula Davis, in a more benign role than before as Harriet's submissive maid. Decades passed before the dubbed version finally came to light, making this usually the last Steele vehicle that buffs got to see, now easily available in a pristine print that looks as though it was shot yeserday, even in black and white.

A beautiful b&w mystery movie, shot in 1966, but looks like having been made in the 40s - which is perfectly alright for me in this case. Sculptor Roberto (Anthony 'Django' Steffen) arrives in a small village to restore an ancient statue. He meets a woman (Barbara 'Mask of Satan' Steele) who bears an amazing resemblance to the statue. Mysterious cases of death happen, and soon she is supposed to be a reborn witch by the superstitious villagers. Roberto doesn't believe that and starts looking for another explanation... In case you were worried because Jan de Bont's 'The Haunting' used too many computer FX, you should check out this movie instead (that is, if you ever find a copy of this rare gem), because you'll realize how well this kind of story works without digital toys.

In AN ANGEL FOR SATAN, Sculptor Roberto Merigi (Anthony Steffen) arrives at a small village to restore a mysterious statue of a woman, rescued from the bottom of a lake.

Enter Harriet Montebruno (Barbara Steele), who just happens to bear a striking resemblance to the statue in question. Working together on the restoration, the seemingly supernatural spookiness begins almost immediately. When Harriet starts acting... differently, the real story unfolds.

Filmed in glorious black and white, the restored version of this movie is magnificent! Ms. Steele is at her wicked best here, playing her dualistic character with innocence and sadistic glee by turns. Her bewitching eyes add extra darkness to this, her most lascivious role.

A classic of the genre with a shocking double-twist ending!...

An Angel for Satan is the rarest, and therefore hardest to find of all the Gothic horror films that Barbara Steele made in the sixties; but hunting it down was certainly worth the time and effort as this film is right up there with Danse Macabre and Black Sunday as one of the best films that the horror icon made! Director Camillo Mastrocinque had worked in the Gothic horror genre previously with the somewhat less than brilliant effort Terror in the Crypt in 1964; but it would appear he'd done some homework on the genre since then as this film is much better. The story focuses on a little Italian village. A statue belonging to a rich family has been recovered from the local lake after a heat wave, and Roberto Merigi has been called in to restore it; which coincides with the return of Harriet Montebruno; the daughter of the statue's owner. There is a story of a curse surrounding the statue, and the locals believe that the village itself will become cursed if it is ever recovered from the lake. Strange things then start happening in the village.

The key thing for this genre, and indeed the best thing about this film, is atmosphere. Director Camillo Mastrocinque succeeds admirably in bathing the film in a thick and foreboding atmosphere; which is helped by a great score from Francesco De Masi. The plot is spread rather thinly and the film puts its main focus on the central characters, which works well. Barbara Steele is, of course, the star of the show and aside from looking better than ever, also provides the film with its main story lines. Starring alongside Steele is the great Anthony Steffen, who provides a strong male lead. The film is basically a mystery thriller with horror elements tied in; the horror of course coming mostly from the atmosphere and direction. The plot does flow well and the film is always interesting, though my only real criticism of the film comes from the fact that more isn't made of the curse. There's a gorgeous sequence explaining how it came about, but that's the only real mention and it's a bit of a shame. Otherwise, however, An Angel for Satan is an exceptional Gothic horror film and comes highly recommended to anyone that enjoys films like this!