Le maréchal de l'enfer

The clash of odd synth tones with old world castles and flutes is what keeps me tuned into this colorful piece of nonsense. Brutal murders of families, magic and alchemy, satanic rituals, horrible treatment of human kind. Well, that's about it but I enjoyed the humor of the absurdity of the film.

I tend to love everything the great late Paul Naschy (R.I.P.) ever was in. While not all films starring Naschy are great, they all have a specific charm that can be found nowhere but in Naschy-flicks, and they are always entertaining. There is no rule without exception, however, as "El Mariscal Del Infierno" aka. "The Devil's Possessed" (1974) proves. While the film does have the specific Naschy-flick-charm, it sadly drags far too much and gets really, really dull in-between. Naschy stars as the evil Baron Gilles De Lancré, who oppresses the people and uses black magic and bloody rituals to stay in power. When Gaston de Malebranche (Guillermo Bredeston), who fought side by side with Gilles De Lancré against the British, learns about the Baron's evil behavior, he decides to turn against his former comrade in arms and help the people free themselves from the satanic Baron's tyranny...

Directed by León Klimovsky, who is best known for directing Naschy in "La Noche De Walpurgis" ("The Werewolf Vs. The Vampire Woman", 1971), the film was scripted by Naschy himself. Naschy often scripted his own films, and one must say that he mostly did a better, more original job than it is the case here. "El Mariscal Del Infierno" is mostly built up as a historical adventure rather than a Horror film, and it gets quite boring throughout the middle. It often resembles the Sword and Sandal films from the 50s, only that this film is set in medieval times. The Satanic part was probably only added because the great Paul Naschy's name is linked to the Horror genre. The film has its good parts: Paul Naschy giving weird speeches, Paul Naschy looking weird, Paul Naschy doing Satanic stuff, Paul Naschy torturing innocent victims, etc. But sadly, most of the film concentrates on the boring hero and the good guys, and these moments are boring. The female cast members are nice to look at, but, unlike most Naschy films, this one features no nudity and sleaze. There is some gore, but it mostly looks clumsy and isn't as fun too look at as it is the case with most other Naschy films. Overall, "El Mariscal Del Infierno" is only worth a look for my fellow Naschy-enthusiasts. There are dozens of films starring the Spanish Horror deity which should be seen before this one, such as "El Jorobado De La Morgue" ("The Hunchback of the Morgue", 1973), "La Orgia De Los Muertos" ("The Hanging Woman", 1973), "El Espanto Surge De La Tumba" ("Horror Rises From The Tomb", 1973), "Latidos De Panico" ("Panic Beats", 1983), "Rojo Sangre" (2004), or any of the 'Waldemar Daninsky' werewolf films. R.I.P. Paul Naschy. Legends never die!

This misleadingly-titled film should not even really be classified as horror, despite the myriad diabolic invocations and torture scenes. It is a good-looking medieval epic with a plot which basically amalgamates Shakespeare's "Macbeth" (spurned nobleman Paul Naschy being egged on by his ambitious wife to seize power from the current ruler) with the legendary exploits of Robin Hood (opposition to the tyrant being provided by a band of outlaws) – cue numerous athletic action scenes, and there is even a jousting tournament in an effort to catch their leader (who happens to be the tyrant's former ally) but, rather than hide his identity, he smiles defiantly at Naschy's wife before taking on her husband in mortal combat!!

As usual, the star also penned the script – attempting to lend sympathy to his character by making him gullible rather than truly evil (he is also shown feeling remorse and being, economically but effectively, haunted by his victims)…though he still gets to lose an eye and, eventually, expires from a hail of arrows in clear imitation of Akira Kurosawa's own definitive "Macbeth" adaptation THRONE OF BLOOD (1957). Still, Klimovsky being no more than a journeyman director, the result is too often heavy-handed (if undeniably enjoyable) and, in any case, the countless references to the villain's lust for power as "The Great Work" is not a little silly (especially since he only sends for the man he himself dubs "the world's greatest sorcerer" to this end only after several other alchemists had failed – WTF?!). To add insult to injury, the latter is just another quack who even performs the "Wizard of Oz" routine of enlightening the hero through a dead man's skull (when, in reality, he is hiding behind some rocks nearby and talking through a primitive microphone)! Equally anachronistic is the fact that, while generally appropriately robust, the music score is marred by intermittent and completely incongruous electronic passages!

While Naschy's "Waldemar Daninsky" Werewolf effort CURSE OF THE DEVIL (1973) similarly adopted a medieval setting (as did the opening scene of his best outing in that popular series i.e. THE CRAVING [1980]), THE DEVIL'S POSSESSED – whose original Spanish title translates to HELL'S MARSHALL – was the first of a loose trilogy, to be followed by two the star directed himself (which he actually considered his own personal favorites and that I will be checking out in quick succession): INQUISITION (1976) and THE TRAVELER (1979).

(1974 Devil's Possessed/ El mariscal del infierno DUBBED HORROR THRILLER/ HISTORICAL

A cross between "The Adventures of Robin Hood" and evil MacBeth starring Paul Naschy who was also credited as a writer as he plays the Baron, Gilles de Lancré allowing himself to be manipulated by his evil wife, Graciela (Graciela Nilson) upon listening to their alchemist's Sille (Mariano Vidal Molina) mythical way of using common peasants and farmers as a sacrifice toward his eternal life with hero, Gaston de Malebranche (Guillermo Bredeston) staging a rebellion. Low budget and does not offer anything new to the genre.

It's an adventure/action movie with sensationalistic scenes , Naif style and lots of blood , swordplay and witchery .Dark Ages , Gilles De Lancre (Paul Naschy) , former Mariscal of France , brave chief and courageous warrior is now a vengeful lord , helped by his nasty underling Sille (Mariano Vidal Molina) and his beautiful lover Georgel(Norma Sebre) . He falls into Occultist practices and spend his money looking the philosopher's stone by means of alchemy . A prisoner is beheaded and Gilles pronounces a curse against his enemies , meanwhile he continues a murderous rampage . Gilles longing for power and for his ambition on French crown , then he carries out criminal rampage . He commits ominous killings and injustices against his vassals . Gilles takes on Gaston of Malebranche who previously was under his command . As a valiant group of rebels (Guillermo Bredeston , Luis Induni) sheltered in woods -such as Robin Hood and his Merrymen- fight against the tyrant .

This terrifying exploitation picture displays adventures , fencing with bounds and leaps ,necromancy , grisly killing, satanism and lots of blood . B-entertainment with a fairly adventuring and horrifying story in which a prestigious Mariscal of France turns into craziness and undergoes a cruel slaughter . This tale about countrymen who are attacked by the malevolent knight begins well and grows more and more until a spectacular finale with duels and exciting fencing . Revolting, horrible scenes and nasty images take place on decapitation , and bloody murders with axes and arrows .The movie has a bit of ridiculous gore with loads of blood similar to tomato and is occasionally an engaging ¨sword and sorcery¨ movie full of thrilling sequences , witchery , beheading , and several other things . Sensationalistic and exaggerated performance of Paul Naschy or Jacinto Molina . It packs a colorful cinematography by Francisco Sanchez and atmospheric musical score . Filmed in location on Aldea del Fresno, Madrid, Belmonte, Cuenca, Castilla-La Mancha,Pelayos De la Presa, Seseña, Toledo, Castilla-La Mancha, Talamanca del Jarama, Madrid, Spain. The late Naschy was a good professional , writing, filmmaking and acting about hundred titles , mainly in terror genre. ¨Marshall of Hell¨ is written by Molina along with 21 screenplays as ¨Mark of Wolfman¨, ¨Night of Walpurgis¨, ¨Vengeance of the mummy¨, ¨Licantropo¨, among them . He directed 13 films as ¨The Cantabros¨, ¨Return of Wolfman¨, ¨The Beast and the magic sword¨ and several others. Years later , Naschy goes back with a similar character named Alaric De Marnac role in the film titled ¨Horror rises from the tomb¨ and ¨Panic beats¨ that acted , produced , wrote and directed in his peculiar style . This Spanish-Argentinian co-production is regularly directed by Leon Klimovsky . Rating: 5,5 . The flick will appeal to Jacinto Molina fans and Euroterror buffs .

The picture is based on historical character Gilles De Rais , the actual events are the following : Rais served as a commander in the Royal Army, distinguishing himself by displaying reckless bravery on the battlefield during the renewal of the Hundred Years War. In 1429, he fought along with Joan of Arc in some of the campaigns waged against the English and their Burgundian allies. He was present with Joan when the Siege of Orléans . In his confession Gilles maintained the first assaults on children occurred between spring 1432 and spring 1433. The first murders occurred at Champtocé-Sur-Loire; however, no account of these murders survives. Shortly after, Gilles moved to Machecoul where, as the record of his confession states, he killed, or ordered to be killed, a great but uncertain number of children after he committed sodomy upon them. Forty bodies were discovered in Machecoul in 1437. Gilles' body-servant Étienne Corrillaut, known as Poitou, was an accomplice in many of the crimes and testified that his master hung his victims with ropes from a hook . Taking the victim down, Rais comforted the child and assured him he only wanted to play with him. Gilles then either killed the child himself or had the child slain by his cousin Gilles de Sillé, Poitou or another body-servant called Henriet. The victims were killed by decapitation, cutting of their throats, dismemberment, or breaking of their necks with a stick . Rais's prosecution would be on charges which included murder, sodomy, and heresy. The precise number of Gilles' victims is not known, as most of the bodies were burned or buried. The number of murders is generally placed between 80 and 200; a few have conjectured numbers upwards of 600. The victims ranged in age from six to eighteen and included both sexes.Execution by hanging and burning was set and Gilles and his two accomplices made their way in procession to the place of execution on the Ile De Biesse. There, Gilles addressed the throng of onlookers with contrite piety, and exhorted Henriet and Poitou to die bravely and think only of salvation. Gilles' request to be the first to die had been granted the day before. The brush at the platform was set afire and Rais was hanged. His body was cut down before being consumed by the flames and claimed by "four ladies of high rank" for burial. Henriet and Poitou were executed in similar fashion; their bodies however were reduced to ashes in the flames and then scattered.