Satânico Pandemonium

Satánico Pandemonium, also known as La Sexorcista, is a Mexican nunsploitation film that straddles the line between eroticism and the macabre. Directed by Gilberto Martínez Solares, it's a peculiar entry in the genre, both visually appealing and fast-paced. Here's what works and where it falls short:

Despite its low budget, Satanico Pandemonium boasts inherent beauty. The interior and exterior shots evoke a sense of vintage charm, reminiscent of classic horror films like Nosferatu. The film's visual appeal is one of its strongest points.

The plot revolves around a lily-white nun tormented by visions of Lucifer. Guided by these dark visions, she commits blasphemous acts-seducing young shepherd boys, engaging in lesbianism, and even murder. The film's irreverent dialogue and surrealistic ending add to its uniqueness.

While the story may seem a little silly, Satanico Pandemonium captures the spirit of 1970s exploitation cinema. It's a delightful mix of smut and art, with moments that will make you smile. The pacing keeps you engaged, even if some plot holes remain uncorked.

Weirdophiles won't find groundbreaking material here, but the film's vintage charm and over-the-top elements make it worth a watch. If you appreciate nunsploitation films that blend eroticism with the macabre, give this one a shot.

There's a bit of unintended notoriety connected with the title of this film. You have to see the 1996 Quentin Tarantino and Robert Rodriguez writer-director collaboration From Dusk Til Dawn, an un-P.C. film if ever there was one, to get it. The movie's characters have set up shop at a trucker's and biker's bar, the Titty Twister, to cool their heels. The M.C. announces a new entertainer for the stage, a woman named Santanico Pandemonium. The voluptuous actress Salma Hayek steps out draped with a huge snake and little else, and proceeds to rock her hips to the delight of every man who can see her. It's a stunning moment toward the middle of a not very striking flick.

Satanico Pandemonium isn't only exploitation; it belongs to a genre called "nunsploitation." The place is Spain and the time is most likely pre-1834. Sister Maria (Cecilia Pezet) is a devoted nun who finds herself visited by visions of Satan, or Luzbel. The devil appears as a man to Sister Maria, and using obvious Biblical symbolism, tends to carry a bitten-into apple. Sister Maria is startled and horrified by the series of temptations that happen to her via the film's faulty special effects. As another user has pointed out, this is an obsession scenario by an external devil.

One important observation should be stated. The actress playing Sister Maria is very beautiful with warm, bedroom eyes, and many of us (meaning men) wouldn't mind watching her getting robbed of her virtue - as well as tormented by particular sins. But what happens is with a little influence from Beelzebub, Sister Maria soon indulges in lesbianism, child seduction and heresy. The film has a church-like quality to the way it moves slowly and harps upon moments of less-than-dramatic value, and with its fantastic logic, Sister Maria turns into hell in a headdress. One scene in particular is actually quite disturbing, with Sister Maria covering her naked, bloody body with her uniform.

The flick isn't entirely baldfaced exploitation though, and has interesting questions about faith in its dialogue. That aside, the flick's appeal seems rather obvious. In life, most of us want what we cannot have, and the fantasy of despoiling such a person (i.e., a nun) can be very powerful. Satanico Pandemonium uses its subject matter effectively, and despite an unsatisfying story resolution, it packs quite a wallop.

SATANICO PANDEMONIUM is a "good nun gone bad" film from Mexico about Sister Maria (Cecilia Pezet), who, after an encounter with the Devil (Enrique Rocha), goes on a mad spree of sexual deviance and bloody homicide.

The main reason for this film's notorious reputation is due to Maria's lusting after an underage boy. This was pretty shocking for its day, but is less so in this era of desensitization via the internet and trash TV. Whether she's inside or outside of the convent, Maria is relentless in her search for debauchery, ultimately committing several murders to cover up her sins. It's fascinating to watch her transform from a Julie Andrews / Audrey Hepburn-type nun, into a full-on, eeevil maniac!

Unfortunately, the ending is a swindle, tacked on to placate the church and the censors...

I found this film rather interesting. It's as cheesy and campy as it could be, acting is rather bad, poorly plotted and special effects are simply ridiculous. However, I got hooked by it. It is a top expression of exploitation cinema (I mean, here in Mexico this flick was named "La sexorcista") full of fake blood, male audience oriented soft core lesbianism and ludicrous dialogs that seem to be copied from a Siglo de Oro play (Spanish Renaisence Theatre).

If you like exploitation films, give this one a try. It has its "artistic" aspirations but, as the director might have, you will forget them rather quickly. Fun fact: Here in Mexico, actor Enrique Rocha has grown a respectable reputation as a prime soap opera actor. By the way, one thing that really impressed me in this one was the lighting. For a 70's Mexican movie it is incredibly well lit!

One of the most faithful nuns in her convent, Sister Maria finds herself obsessed by the Devil. Obsessed, not possessed, because Satan is an external force in this film. A strapping and vampiric lad, the Devil brings out Sister Maria's inner desires for both sex and blood. Plagued also by her devotion to God, she tries to fight these forbidden desires and lusts with prayer and penitence only to have them come back ten fold. Sister Maria is suddenly caught between Satanic submission or death.

Satanico Pandemonium is a good nunsploitation effort in the vein of, the more celebrated, Juan Lopez Moctezuma'a Alucarda. It has sex, nudity, lesbianism, child seduction, self mutilation, blood, and death(not necessarily in that order, of course). The ending is clever and surprising following a bloody and ravenous climax. If you're a fan of nunsploitation and offbeat cinema, do yourself a favor and check out Satanico Pandemonium. You won't regret it.