Escalofrío

It would appear that Spain is actually a more prolific producer of horror films than I had first thought. This film isn't very well known, and that's a real shame as it's undoubtedly one of the best that the country ever produced. Satan's Blood handles the ever popular horror film theme of devil worship, and it does it with a lot of style, blood and nudity; all of which ensure that the film is more than just your average satanic slice of exploitation. The way that the plot is put forward is fascinating as director Carlos Puerto keeps the action simple, and by concentrating on just a handful of characters, it's easy to buy into the sex-laden plot line. The story follows a young couple; Andres and Ana, who decide to travel with another couple they have just met to their lovely home in the country. The man of the pair says that he knows Andres from school; although Andres can't remember him, and there's a reason for that, as they've never met before and the couple whose home they're going to are keen disciples of the devil!

The film features a lot of interesting diabolical elements, from things such as Ouija boards to mass orgies on top of a pentagram. The more sordid elements of the film don't stop the director from telling an interesting story, however, as Puerto uses them to his advantage and the sordid elements help rather than hinder the film from a storytelling perspective. It is true that the film loses tension at times because of the breaks to show another sex scene, but many people will be tuning into this film to see sleaze; and they certainly won't be disappointed. Director Carlos Puerto also implements several things such as a creepy porcelain doll into the proceedings, which help to give the film more of a horror edge. There's a lot more nudity in this film than there is gore, but what there is in the way of blood is well used, and one scene in particular; which involves the couple's dog, is particularly nasty and liable to offend. Overall, even though Satan's Blood is heinously underseen, I personally wouldn't hesitate to rate it as a first class slice of Euro-horror, and it comes highly recommended.

I wouldn't have been surprised to find out that, Carlos Puerto, the obscure director of this Spanish horror semi-classic was actually a pseudonym for the more famous Spanish/English director Jose Larraz. Puerto is apparently a real guy, even though his film is eerily similar to many of those of Larraz with its plot of an innocent couple being lured to a remote house in the wilderness and being preyed on by a satanic coven of sexual degenerates.

The good news though is that this tends to eerily resemble a good Larraz film like "Symptoms" or "Vampyres" rather than a bad Larraz film like "Whirlpool" or "Black Candles". The bad news is that this suffers from the same problem of many (especially latter-day) Larraz films and many other films of the post-Franco "destapa" period--the emphasis on softcore sex and gratuitous nudity at times brings the story to a complete standstill and threatens to overwhelm any suspense or tension the story has built up. Luckily though the film is fairly skillfully done and the acting is good (I don't know who any of these actors are, but they're better than almost anyone Larraz ever worked with).

The ending is especially non-sensical even as far as Eurohorror goes, and dog lovers might not like the movie much, but it's still one of the better Spanish horror films I've seen from this period and the new DVD is widescreen and looks really good. Mirala!

It can be awkward when we are approached by a couple who swear they know us and we haven't a clue who they are. It must be a good deal worse if we accompany these people to their home to 'catch up' and we realise they are a couple of perverted demon worshippers who have some very grisly plans. This is exactly what happens to Andres (José María Guillén) and his pregnant wife Ana (Marianna Karr). Pretty soon their lives have taken on an extraordinary turn for the worse.

Directors Carlos Puerto and (an uncredited) Juan Piquer Simón make sure we're just as unnerved and anxious as the unfortunate pair. True to its 'euro-sleaze' trappings, the foreboding atmosphere is heavily punctuated with lingering scenes of sex that drag things down a little - but developments come thick and fairly fast. It's a tension-filled rollercoaster and a good way to spend 82 minutes.

I know that I should not have found anything good in this film. I know that it is just shy of an X-rating (at the time of its release.) I know the script was atrocious and the acting pretty darn bad. I know that its surprises were observed a mile away coming. But... I confess. I liked it.

A young, expecting couple depart for a weekend getaway when they are lured to a country villa by another couple under the guise that the male of the latter recognizes the younger man as an old college acquaintance. After some Ouija board dabbling gone awry, the young couple find themselves stranded by a storm and reluctantly agree to spend the night with their hosts. An orgy, dead dog, murder, suicide, and a couple of "return from the deads" later, our two protagonists successfully flee their captors only to find the nightmare may not be over after all.

"Escalofrío" aka "Satan's Blood" has some extremely erotic scenes, primarily so because of the lovely Mariana Karr who plays the young, mother-to-be wife. There are also a few disturbing scenes involving cannibalism and sexual sacrifice, not to mention poor Blackey's fate.

If you're a fan of Spanish horror, especially the 60-70's vintage, you will probably enjoy this film because it is the epitome of its ilk. If you're looking for the next "Silence of the Lambs," look elsewhere.

"Satan's Blood" has to be one of the most underrated Spanish horror films ever made.It's sleazy and genuinely creepy Satanic horror flick co-produced by Juan Piquer Simon and well-directed by Carlos Puerto.Andy and Thelma,a couple living in Madrid leave their apartment for a pleasant day around the city with their dog Blackie.They cross paths with Bruno and Anne,a strange couple who invite them to their eerie country estate.Unbeknownst to them,Bruno and Anne are devil worshippers...Very atmospheric chiller that offers plenty of sleaze and full-frontal nudity.The scenes with a creepy porcelain child doll scared the hell out of me.The opening scene of nasty rape-murder in a Satanists' coven is wonderful."Satan's Blood" is extremely hard to find,but if you are a fan of sleazy Spanish horror give it a look.10 out of 10.