L'amante del demonio

You gotta love the 1960s and 1970s European horror flicks. Most of them, anyway. "L'amante del demonio" (alternately called "The Devil's Lover" and "Lucifera Demon Lover" in English) is too slow-moving, and much of it looks like scenes that they added to fill space. There's no shortage of sex, but the movie has so much wasted potential. I prefer it when these movies have lots of blood and guts, and this story of a young woman who goes to sleep in the 20th century and wakes up in an earlier century (where she sees all manner of evil things) just doesn't have enough of that. I recommend sticking with a Jess Franco movie or a Michele Soavi movie if you're looking for some classic Euro-horror.

I saw this on a recent, as of 2024, blu ray release and was shocked when I went to IMDB to discover that I guess I'd seen it. Now how could I forget the film, well after watching it I can see how. It's not memorable. I had given it a 6 but I've revised that more to a 4.

The problems are the script and directing, both by the same man who seems to have little talent at either. The performances are just ok, no one seems very committed to a role, other than Neri. There are a few really beautiful shots of her, how could there not be?, but she's had better parts and looked better in much better films.

There is very little style and the shots at times barely cut together. The music score is pretty good but it stops and starts at odd moments sometimes in mid scene, it all feels like no one with much experience was at the helm of the movie.

For something that's supposed to be shocking, the violence and nudity are few and far between, not a problem if the drama is compelling, but it's not.

There is one laughable scene with a red hooded guy popping, like in Bewitched, in and out in various places. The editing is sluggish so you can tell one actor is freezing in place while the other moves and they start shooting again. It's really half heartedly done.

There is a sword fight and well, uh, that's about it, I guess there sort of is another sword fight eventually.

It's all rather flatly done and pretty dull, for a film called The Devil's Lover the whole devil angle is also dull and almost silly the way it's done. A film that doesn't know how to be erotic horrific or compelling, decent production values raise it above worse films, but it looks like what it is, a producer directing and not knowing how.

In the Severin 2024 release there is an interview with actor Robert Woods who claims he was brought in to try to save the movie, to edit the film, be in it in a small role added later and to direct some of it. Even with all that he says it's not better than just ok and I'd agree.

The 2024 release looks and sounds very good, features a dull commentary track with lot of silence between not too interesting things to say.

Rosalba Neri and her two girlfriends visit a remote European castle that is supposedly owned by Satan himself.That night she comes across a portrait of a woman who looks much like her.While sleeping she has is transported back to the 16th century where she has nightmares of her past which include:cave dwelling rapists,sadistic vampires,inquisition and a mysterious red-hooded,cloaked,disappearing swordsman."L'Amante del Demonio" is watchable Italian Gothic nonsense.There is a bit of sleaze and nudity plus incredibly sensual Rosalba Neri,the Queen of Italian Gothic horror.The film mixes Satanic horror,vampirism,sex and torture,so fans of Italian exploitation should definitely check it out.However the action is suitably dull and the climax is terrible.A generous 7 out of 10.

This title basically sat on my 'can't find it' list for ages until it appeared on Youtube a week ago. Sadly, it didn't turn out to be such great shakes. Hmm...shame.

The confusing plot starts off with Rosalba Neri and her two mates parking outside a castle supposedly haunted by the devil when the attendant tells them they're closing, Rosalba uses her Neri charms not only to get inside but also manages to get a meal and a bed for the night!

While changing into a nightdress, Rosalba spots a strange painting on the wall that seems to depict herself screaming in pain and on fire. Just like anyone who sees a picture of themselves in a strange castle they've never been to before, this sets Rosalba up for a good night's sleep that seems to transport her back hundreds of years to a medieval equivalent of Eastenders.

This is where things get really confusing because it seems like Rosalba is now a virginal bride-to-be with (I think) two friends in the village but two separate sisters, but her friend back in modern times is now a jealous love rival who still loves Rosalba's groom, so the love rival uses her suitor Robert Wood to try and destroy Rosalba's relationship with the groom. The only thing that makes sense is Edmund Purdom as a randomly teleporting guy dressed as a flamboyant Klu Klux Klan member!

Edmund comes sniffing around Rolba and promises her all the sensual delights on offer if only she'll sell her soul to him or something, but before we get to that bit there's a long sequence where a witch lures either Rosalba's two friends or her sisters into a cave to be pounced on by two horny men and two drunken women that turns into a lesbian scene before a vampiress turns up and puts the bite on both of them. Then they turn up later and put the bite on Rosalba, but then this entire plot point is immediately forgotten about as we get back to Edmund teleporting while fighting Robert Wood.

Lacking in any excitement whatsoever, Lucifera: Demon Lover actually had me nodding off at certain points through all the drama and staring. Rosalba just sort of stares into space for the most part and although Edmund Purdom is alright, he doesn't really feature until later in the film. The ending renders the entire thing pointless too!

Strangely, director Lombardo seems to favour top heavy women, but seems to botch nearly every aspect of this film, including a tongue removal. Strictly amatuer hour all the way. It's short though!

Lucifera: Demon Lover (1972)

* 1/2 (out of 4)

Italian horror has three women (led by cult favorite Rosalba Neri) going to stay at a house that is said to be the home of Satan. They talk the caretaker in letting them spend the night when the Neri character sees a portrait that takes her back in time several hundred years where the three women are now in their own battle with the Devil. Fans of MARK OF THE DEVIL or THE DEVIL'S WEDDING NIGHT will probably be tempted to try this out as will fans of Neri but both parties are going to be disappointed because the movie is pretty much dull from start to finish. The entire story doesn't make a bit of sense and to make matters worse is the fact that director Lombardo didn't have much experience behind the camera and this clearly shows with the incredibly slow pacing. It also doesn't help matters that we have several Ed Wood moments where it will be light outside but then they'll cut to the next scene where it's dark and then cut back to light. This happens at least during two different scenes taking place at different times. The plot doesn't make a bit of sense but for this type of film that's really not overly important as long as we get good stuff. That good stuff being either violence, sex, nudity or in the best case all three. This film doesn't offer any blood and has very little nudity. We do get a pretty fun orgy taking place in a castle and fans of Neri and her nude scenes will have to wait until the very end to get just a little peak. The performances are all rather bland but you really can't blame them as I'm sure they were all aware that this thing wasn't going to turn out too well. Satan has invaded Italian horror films countless times but this here isn't the best out there and should pretty much be avoided by everyone unless they just have to sit through even the bad ones (like myself).