The Devil's Nightmare

1971 | 95 minutes | 6.3 ★ (42)

The Devil's Nightmare

Videos

User Reviews

See more
W

Wuchak

23 June 2021

***Fascinating and Chilling Euro Gothic Masterpiece from 1971*** Seven tourists are forced to spend the night in an eerie castle in Germany. A succubus is sent to kill each one that indulges in one or more of the seven deadly sins (lust, gluttony, greed, sloth, wrath, envy/jealousy and pride). “The Devil’s Nightmare” (1971) is a Belgium/Italy co-production and a real hidden gem of Gothic horror. It has a great cast & story and was filmed in a real castle. The people and the sins they indulge in are as follows: Pride - Alvin, the Seminarian. Envy - Corinne (the hot brunette), the collector of men. Gluttony - Mr. Ducha, the Tour Driver. Lust - Howard Foster, Corinne's last addition to her collection. Wrath - Mr. Mason, the curmudgeonly complainer. Greed - Nancy Foster, the gold-seeking angry wife. Sloth - Regine, the (hot) sleepy blonde. Some, of course, are guilty of more than one main sin, such as: Nancy Foster, the angry wife: jealousy (although her husband gives her good reason to be jealous), envy (of the beauty of the other women) and wrath (I don't think she smiles once, except when she's literally swimming in gold). Corinne: lust (lesbianism & adultery). Regine: lust (lesbianism). A handful of observations: If the bus driver was really THAT gluttonous wouldn't he be a lot heavier? (Like Fat Bastage from Austin Powers). If Regine were really THAT lazy how could she possibly have that hot body? Although the priest-in-training flirts with pride (listen to him during the chess match) and lust (for the redhead) he evidently never commits a mortal sin (or, if he does, he humbly & quickly repents rather than revel in it like the others). And shouldn’t Alvin know you can't make honest deals with the "father of lies"? Anyway, no one can argue that the film glorifies the various negative behaviors because, well, you’ll see. Also note that someone willingly sacrifices himself/herself, a potent example of agape love, illustrating a Christ-like heart. One of the top highlights is three of the women: a blonde, brunette and redhead, no less. The succubus is the redhead, played by Erika Blanc. All three are voluptuous; each possessing a distinctive beauty. Their NATURAL curvy-ness is refreshing in comparison to too many modern American actresses who often appear nigh anorexic and artificial, if you know what I mean. It goes without saying that, if you have a lust problem, you might want to skip this one, especially in light of a fairly overt lesbian scene. Another highlight is Erika Blanc's subtle make-up as the succubus combined with her amazing ability to contort her face from stunningly sharp to utterly hideous. It's pretty chilling. TECHNICAL INFO: Some versions of the film have a tasteless porno-horror "intro" tacked on. This lengthy "intro" is not part of the original picture and simply has no business being there; in fact, it really mars it. No doubt it was tacked on by some latter-day producer in order to excite pre-pubescent boys ("Oooh, that's cooooool!"). The version featured with "Messiah of Evil" on DVD doesn't have this silly intro, but the sound quality isn't very good. I saw another version that has the intro but the sound quality was fine. FYI: The original title translated to English is "The Long Night of the Devil" or "The Devil's Longest Night." I feel "The Devil's Nightmare" is weak and much prefer another alternative title (used on the VHS): "The Devil Walks at Midnight." FINAL WORD: Since this is a Euro film shot in 1970 it's understandably dated, dubbed and slow-paced. The viewer must keep this in mind to appreciate it. Many themes are touched on: Does God exist? What about the devil and his demonic servants? Can he be trusted to make a deal with? (Yeah, right). Is there such a thing as sin? And, if so, what are its consequences? Another fascinating theme is human nature and the continual conflict between spiritual and carnal qualities with which we can all relate. The film also powerfully addresses the self-sacrificial nature of agape love (e.g. Romans 9:3). Make no mistake this is a powerful piece of Gothic-horror cinema, perhaps even a masterpiece. The film runs 95 minutes and was shot at Château d'Antoing, Antoing, Hainault, Wallonia, Belgium. GRADE: A (keeping in mind its age and origins)

More Like This

My Wife and I Bought a Ranch

My Wife and I Bought a Ranch

A couple moves into their dream home in Idaho only to discover that a malevolent spirit inhabits their valley.

See more
Vibration

Vibration

In an effort to communicate with her dead mother, 16-year old Alexis accidentally summons a demon who tries to steal her soul. Does she have what...

See more
The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring

The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring

Young hobbit Frodo Baggins, after inheriting a mysterious ring from his uncle Bilbo, must leave his home in order to keep it from falling into the...

See more
The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers

The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers

Frodo Baggins and the other members of the Fellowship continue on their sacred quest to destroy the One Ring--but on separate paths. Their...

See more
The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King

The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King

As armies mass for a final battle that will decide the fate of the world--and powerful, ancient forces of Light and Dark compete to determine the...

See more
Princess Mononoke

Princess Mononoke

Ashitaka, a prince of the disappearing Emishi people, is cursed by a demonized boar god and must journey to the west to find a cure. Along the way,...

See more
Dracula

Dracula

British estate agent Renfield travels to Transylvania to meet the mysterious Count Dracula, who is interested in leasing a castle in London. After...

See more
The Dark Side of the Moon

The Dark Side of the Moon

It is the year 2022. A mysterious systems failure causes the crew of a spaceship to be stranded on the dark side of the moon, while rapidly running...

See more
Tenacious D in The Pick of Destiny

Tenacious D in The Pick of Destiny

In Venice Beach, naive Midwesterner JB bonds with local slacker KG and they form the rock band Tenacious D. Setting out to become the world's...

See more
Constantine

Constantine

John Constantine has literally been to Hell and back. When he teams up with a policewoman to solve the mysterious suicide of her twin sister, their...

See more
Silent Hill

Silent Hill

Rose, a desperate mother takes her adopted daughter, Sharon, to the town of Silent Hill in an attempt to cure her of her ailment. After a violent...

See more
The Ninth Gate

The Ninth Gate

An all-expenses-paid international search for a rare copy of the book 'The Nine Gates of the Kingdom of Shadows' brings an unscrupulous book dealer...

See more
Un Chien Andalou

Un Chien Andalou

Un Chien Andalou is an European avant-garde surrealist film, a collaboration between director Luis Buñuel and Salvador Dali.

See more
Nosferatu

Nosferatu

The mysterious Count Orlok summons Thomas Hutter to his remote Transylvanian castle in the mountains. The eerie Orlok seeks to buy a house near...

See more
From Dusk Till Dawn

From Dusk Till Dawn

After kidnapping a father and his two kids, the Gecko brothers head south to a seedy Mexican bar to hide out in safety, unaware of its notorious...

See more
Army of Darkness

Army of Darkness

Ash, a handsome, shotgun-toting, chainsaw-armed department store clerk, is time warped backwards into England's Dark Ages, where he romances a...

See more
Ghost Rider

Ghost Rider

In order to save his dying father, young stunt cyclist Johnny Blaze sells his soul to Mephistopheles and sadly parts from the pure-hearted Roxanne...

See more
Prey

Prey

After being put on a supposedly uninhabited island as a form of behavioral rehabilitation, a high school senior finds that he's not alone on the...

See more
The Demojordan

The Demojordan

A frightening creature from unknown depths rises to attack a lone teenager.

See more
Castle Freak

Castle Freak

After she’s permanently blinded in a tragic car accident, Rebecca receives some bizarre news: her long-lost mother has recently passed away...

See more