L'Ombre de Satan

In this 1965 British horror film from Planet Films directed by Lance Comfort ( a prolific B movie maker, this was his final feature), a writer and some friends encounter a satanic cult while on holiday in Brittany and are pursued by the leader, a suave count who turns out to be a 400 year old vampire. It's a hum drum Hammer by numbers kind of movie despite not being made by that company. Featuring non of the tropes that made Hammers horror movies so iconic, this along with movies like The Blood Beast Terror probably helped to damage the reputation of the company, their films getting tarred with the same brush. It does however appropriate Hammers lush use of colour, director Comfort making great use of it as the cultists wander through the woods in single file in their brilliant scarlet red robes holding torches. This and a few other moments of visual flair ensure that the movie isn't entirely devoid of any charm, but unless you are a fan of obscure British horror movies you're time is still better spent elsewhere.

Despite being a longtime fan of the British horror film, it was only recently that I learned of the existence of 1965's "Devils of Darkness," and now that I have seen it, I know why. This product of Pinewood Studios is a fairly undistinguished effort that just barely manages to entertain and is never even remotely chilling. In it, William Sylvester (who psychotronic-film fans will recall from such genre favorites as "Gorgo," "The Devil Doll" and "2001") runs afoul of a French vampire called Count Sinistre (born in 1588) and his immortal gypsy bride, Tania, while on holiday in Brittany. The filmmakers apparently felt that a vampire wasn't enough for this picture, so threw in a pack of devil worshippers as well, plus some voodoo trimming. Unfortunately, the resultant stew never quite comes together, and the fact that Hubert Noel as the Count is hardly a threatening presence only compounds the problem. A subplot that has him endeavoring to recover a missing talisman simply peters out by the film's end, and the picture's resolution is waaay too rushed and abrupt, I feel. On the plus side, Sylvester is as sturdy and dependable as ever, and the film's production values are fairly high. The picture contains a couple of strange British beatnik party sequences showcasing some subtly suggested marijuana consumption and lesbianism, and an energetic and atmospheric gypsy camp intro opens the film promisingly. Ultimately, however, "Devils of Darkness" turns out to be a rather tame, blah picture; not bad, but certainly nothing great. If you've seen all the horror films put out by Hammer and Amicus Studios, do by all means give it a try. This picture really is for British horror film completists only.

Nobody in their right mind would say that "Devils of Darkness" was a good film but this little known British vampire flic possesses its own charms even if they do belong to the 'so-bad-it's-good' variety. After an interminable pre-credit sequence in which a rubber bat bites bride-to-be Carole Gray, only to have sinister Count Sinistre resurrect her from her tomb, we cut to the chase when on All Soul's Night the so-called Devils of Darkness rise again. Yes, it's terrible in an am-dram kind of way and it does have some of the worst scenes of vampirism ever committed to film but as bad movies go it's still a lot of fun even if actors who should have know better do make fools of themselves. At least the gifted French actor Hubert-Noel does make Count Sinistre a sexy and suave vampire lending the film a very slight touch of class.

This film is not grand but it's not down right horrible either - it's an in-between film - one of those movies you don't mind watching if there is not a lot on TV or you are just in the mood for something different to watch.

You can easily pass this one by without missing anything but if you do decide to watch it don't expect a lot from it. It's mildly entertaining. Watch it if you really want to see another film on the occult / witchcraft - otherwise you can pass it by.

I'm not downing this film - I found it a a bit enjoyable but there are much better films to watch and re-watch on the market.

5/10

Armond du Moliere is really a 400 year old vampire called Count Sinistre and he heads a coven of Satanists in Brittany, France, with the story then moving to England. British horror movie from Planet Film Productions, I can remember being very excited by the prospect of vampires and Satanists (I love Hammer's The Satanic Rites of Dracula - 1973) but I also recall being rather disappointed with the film. I have just watched it for the second time (on a 41 year old VHS tape) and again it failed to impress. French actor Huber Noel plays the Count, he is very suave but also quite lame compared to Christopher Lee's menacing Dracula. I do not remember seeing one set of fangs and there is barely a drop of blood to be seen. The night scenes were obviously filmed in daylight (though Hammer did this too), the film is quite slow, the ending looks rushed and cheap but Tracy Reed does give some sex appeal and the Swinging Sixties party is quite entertaining. This movie was never going to Hammer a run for their money, it simply lacks bite, however it is still a reasonable watch.