Runtime: 96 minutes
Directed by: Terence Fisher
Starring: Christopher Lee, Charles Gray, Nike Arrighi, Leon Greene, Patrick Mower
From: Hammer
Both Christopher Lee and Hammer Horror seem a prerequisite for Spooky Season; plenty from the studio has been viewed through my life yet this was one that hadn’t. A copy was recently found-nevermind how-and now there are regrets that the film was never given a shot by me much sooner.
The premise sounds simple: Lee (as a hero instead of villain) and Leon Greene discover that their pal Simon-whose fathers they were compadres with-has fallen under the spell of Satanists, led by a Charles Gray I’ve never seen more terrifying. He is chilling to the bone w/o going over the top or yelling at the viewer. Rather, it’s his menacing stare and demeanor which is the source of his power for the viewer. For Lee’s Nicholas, Duc de Richleau and his pals, the powers of foe Mocata are supernatural & require much study and preparation in an attempt to counteract.
To echo the thoughts of others, the film is like a rollercoaster ride; the first 15 or so minutes present the plot-the rest is a push-and-pull where our heroes attempt to protect both Simon and comely young lady named Tanith from the Satanists. There are several great setpieces, chiefly when they are protected in a magic circle against all sorts of wild images and effects presented by Mocata. Lee is also great as the hero who was exhausted due to the effort it took to ward off the black magic. He and Gray commanded the screen, a pair of older gentlemen who are dominant over the younger supporting characters.
The Devil Rides Out uses its rural England in the late 20’s setting expertly. Both the woods and the houses/mansions provide atmosphere on their own, buttressed by the expert direction of Terence Fisher. Longtime Hammer composer James Bernard does a swell job with his score that enhances the movie. A key for me loving the film: the story was captivating. I was locked in, loving this macabre journey. This is atypical Hammer in that it’s not overtly sexual and there’s no bloody carnage to be seen… Rides is instead darkly engrossing, another quality adaptation from Richard Matheson. Judging by reading the Wiki synopsis for the original novel by Dennis Wheatley, its finale was even more insane than the one presented in the film, which was still bonkers.
Rides was a bold examination of Satanists w/ their supernatural abilities & black magic at the forefront. Once again, a gem even better than expected was viewed recently by me.
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