1973 macabre fantasy
Rating: 16/20
Plot: Tourist Lisa wanders off from her tour group where she is creeped out by a bald guy buying a mannequin. She’s picked up by a couple and their chauffeur, but their car breaks down in front of a dilapidated mansion where that bald guy works as a butler. Oh, snap! Murder, confusion, a musical carousel, necrophilia, and cake with sprinkles invade her walking nightmare.
A note: This is another Bava movie that was apparently butchered for a U.S. release–House of Exorcism. That title was meant to capitalize on the success of The Exorcist and makes no sense unless the American version manages to actually work exorcism in somehow. The Devil version has nothing to do with exorcism. Both of the versions are currently on Netflix, but this one seems to be the one to watch if you decide to have your own Mario Bava Fest.
This one substitutes atmosphere–although it’s not entirely sans Bava’s atmospheric showiness–for mystery. Looking for the logic in the storytelling is frustrating as it seems like it’s all made up as they go. However, there’s a dreamy vibe, and the wandering, oft-illogical stream-of-consciousness flow helps this all make about as much sense as that weird dream that you had last night but can’t quite remember. This is Mario Bava getting his surreal on, from a scene near the opening where Telly Savalas as the titular devil purchases a mannequin to the truly what-the-fuck-just-happened ending that may or may not reveal that Hell is actually not where everybody thinks it is. Elke Sommer is the stunning straightwoman in this comedy of terrors. No, it’s not a comedy, but I would bet the devil would find it really funny. This is Satan’s slapstick, and I’m also willing to bet he’d get a kick out of the kinky little nude scene Sommer has, too. Man, Bava can film his women, but he can also film the hell out of bald men. Savalas’s butler/devil is creepy enough and would have had a chance to be a horror icon if it wasn’t all played so low-key. And maybe if there were less scenes where he’s offering people lollipops or talking to taxidermied hares or singing, “To all acquaintances and dashing through the snow.” See, that’s the kind of stuff that gets Beelzebub cracking up. This is the type of movie that would be a little too beguiling and frustrating for a lot of people, but for cinephiles who don’t need their movies to make a lot of sense, this will wind up being a nifty little puzzle that might keep them up for a little bit longer the night they watch it.
Blog note: I seem to be giving all of Bava’s movies a 16/20. What’s the mean?
