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THE DEVIL RIDES OUT [DVD] |
| This film has long been a favourite of mine. I even remember seeing it
for the first time as a young Lizard in a cinema in Belper, long since
turned into a bingo hall. At the time of its original release it was a
truly frightening film and it still packs a punch to this day although I
expect not for the jaded young cinema-goer used to effects-laden modern
films. Even for those who find it tame I would suggest that there is still
more than enough to enjoy in this film.
For many aficionados of the Hammer horror film, the "Devil Rides Out" was at the time of release, and remains to this day, the most impressive title they ever produced. Based on Dennis Wheatley’s novel of the same name the story revolves around a young man, played by Patrick Mower, who gets involved in black magic and the efforts of his friends to free him from his terrible mistake before it is too late. There are several set pieces in which the evil coven are confronted and a central passage where the key players have to spend the night in the protection of a magic circle whilst being assailed by such nasties as giant spiders and even the Angel of Death himself. Only the saintly Christopher Lee, for once the hero, can save them by using the deadly Satsuma ritual. (Actually its called something else but it sounds like Satsuma and that’s how I’ve always remembered it.) Whether you think the story is tosh or not you can hardly help but be impressed by the production values. The costumes, the sets, the attention to detail, the film stock are all perfection. Even Warrior Mouse would have to admire these things except she usually hides behind the sofa during horror films. The most disappointing aspects of the film are its special effects which, by today’s standards, are pretty poor and I would not have rated them better than competent at the time of the film’s original release. But effects aside I still rate this as a rattling good yarn, an effective horror film in the traditional sense (perhaps we should start calling them pre-ironic horror films) and a top notch display of eccentric British actors doing what they do best. For those interested in such things the evil Mocata in the film was modeled on the Great Beast himself, Aleister Crowley. Dennis Wheatley lifted most of the material on rituals from a copy of Crowley’s "Magick in Theory and Practice" which Crowley had sent to him. Despite what Christopher Lee has to say about Wheatley’s genuine deep knowledge of the occult it is the case that everything Wheatley used was second-hand knowledge and there is no evidence that he ever had any first-hand experience of the occult. Wheatley’s non-fiction book "The Devil and All His Works" is entirely a confection based upon a superficial reading of popular writers on the subject. Anyone requiring further enlightenment on the history of twentieth century occultism should apply directly to the Lizard. DVD Specific Features: For a film of this vintage (1968) the picture quality is absolutely outstanding. The clarity of the transfer is as good as any I have seen, rendering a colour palette which matches the one in my memory. If you’ve only ever seen the muddy versions that get shown on TV then you’ve never seen the film. The soundtrack has been redone in 5.1 sound. I was quite excited by this prospect but actually the result is pretty disappointing. The only real use of surround sound is during the car chase scenes. Extras include British and US trailers and an episode of "Hammer" narrated by Oliver Read. A full commentary on the film is provided by Christopher Lee, Sarah Lawson, who was one of his co-stars, and the co-author of a book on Hammer films. I listened to the whole thing and found my early admiration of Lee’s beautiful deep speaking voice giving way to a wish that he would just shut up by the end of the film. Lee is one of my favourite actors but as a person I can only conclude that he is unhinged as a reading of his autobiography reveals. In "Tall, Dark and Gruesome" he tells how his wife found it difficult to understand that his throwing rocks that missed her by inches was playful fun and this is just one of many incidents that he found highly amusing but others interpreted as the actions of a psychotic. In this film commentary he talks very loudly and either interrupts the other two or refuses to let them interrupt his words. There are many many times when you are longing to hear the end of a story that Sarah Lawson starts but is never allowed to finish. Eventually it becomes funny but it is difficult to come to any conclusion other than that Lee is a crashing bore, one of those people who find it necessary to be heard on every subject even when they plainly don’t know the first thing about it. Sorry Christopher Lee but I still think you should have been Gandalf. You wuz robbed. Mmm… I seem to have strayed into some strange bayous en route but I will conclude by saying that this is a really excellent package that fans new and old should enjoy. It is a mystery why this release was tucked away in the deep recesses of a Region 1 catalogue and why I can find no news of a Region 2 release. Review based on a Region 1 Disc. |