Alucarda, la hija de las tinieblas

The movie is a little hard to follow, but that doesn't take away from the eerie creepiness of the whole film. The best and most memorable part of this movie was the costumes. The nuns were wearing what looks like white, layered cheesecloth or that material you wrap around your sprained wrist. They have it wrapped around their heads, necks and chest, while it flows out into a dress in three layers down below. Seems very course, tight and uncomfortable. Every nun has her own tinges of dirt and blood on her dress. Mostly blood has lightly gotten all over the dresses to give the convent a feel of filth, stench and poverty. Mystery, too, as you wonder why the dresses are so bloody in the first place. Is it their own blood? In the front/middle of the skirt, there is always a very high concentration of blood, as if the nuns wiped their hands on this apron or even menstruated on it! It's quite disturbing and odd. Do Mexican Catholic nuns wear uniforms like this?

The other very memorable part of this movie is the character Alucarda. This actress is amazingly good. She plays the devilish child role extremely well. Her eyes sparkle with dark evil glances and she moves and dances in a possessed and spooky way! Like a little girl who is totally absorbed in herself. This actress was really impressive and her long, dark, fluffy hair really added to her charm.

This movie is worth watching for these two reasons. You will never see such a good demon-child or such discomforting costumes in any movie. Recommended!

...Moctezuma was heavily influenced by the Silent films of the teens and 20's and it shows in this film..for its strong points are clearly the beautiful eerie images throughout..THe abstract Convent set in dark creative lighting..the Nuns in their Mummy like shrouds (they are more disturbing than the blood and gore..of which there is plenty)...The Erotic scenes between Alucarda and Justine..beautiful Images of Alucarda in her funeral black Victorian dress.My favorite Image from this film..possibly.. is the initial introduction of Alucarda as she turns around from the shadows to greet her new friend Justine whos newly arrived to the Orphanage..Its a quick creative dreamlike tidbit..the likes I've never seen in film before..Alucarda and Justine's early scenes have a poignancy and loneliness not unlike Soledad Miranda and her playmates in Vampiros Lesbos....It can be touching..Tina Romero(Alucarda)..I'm happy to say is still quite attractive and can be frequently seen in the current Telenovelas(Spanish Soaps)...I say grab a copy of Alucarda from Mondo Macabro..for a little taste o 70's Mexico..its a good little collectors piece...Christopher,2006

First things first: although the name 'Alucarda' spells 'a Dracula; backwards, this film has nothing to do with vampires—it's simply the name of one of the characters, whose parents obviously didn't consider the possibility of bullying at school (not that the young lady cursed with such a silly moniker would have have stood for any nonsense from her peers: like Stephen King's Carrie, Alucarda is able to deal with those who vex her in spectacularly fiery fashion).

What the film does offer is demonic possession, strict Catholicism, nudity, self-flagellation, lesbianism, torture, orgiastic sex, and more screaming, wailing, and fainting than in the front row at a Take That concert. In short, its a prime slice of 70s nunsploitation, served up Mexican style ie., it's surreal, bloody, and more than a little bit bonkers (not surprising, I suppose, since it was directed by Juan López Moctezuma, the man who produced Alejandro Jodorowsky's equally insane El Topo).

Mixing elements borrowed from The Exorcist, DeSade's Justine, Ken Russell's The Devil's and the aforementioned Carrie, Moctezuma's medley of Mexican madness sees the titular character (played by menacing brunette Tina Romero) seducing pretty young blonde Justine (Susana Kamini) after she joins the convent at which Alucarda is staying. The two girls form a close bond, making a blood pact to die together, and eventually allowing themselves to become host to a demon (or possibly the Devil himself). This obviously upsets the nuns, who call for an exorcism. which in turn, upsets Alucarda. Cue flaming nuns, a collapsing convent, and a whole lot of histrionics!

Amongst the general lunacy, and the incessant screaming, the film offers these particular delights to those with a taste for the truly bizarre: an old hag with more straw in her hair than Worzel Gummidge; a gypsy who is the dead ringer for TV's Catweazle; nuns wearing dirty ra-ra habits (which are like a ra-ra-skirt, only full length, with a cowl, and dirty); a knife made from the tear of a gypsy girl (?!); an orgy attended by women with more hair than Cher, Tina Turner and Amy Winehouse combined; the exchange of blood during a Satanic ceremony; a reanimated dead nun being beheaded; blasphemy during a bible class; death by holy water; and lots and lots of nekkidness.

If that sounds like your cup of tea, and you think you can endure the wall-to-wall cacophony of screams, I say 'go for it'; the film proved a little too avant garde (and noisy) for my taste, but if nothing else, it was certainly a unique experience.

"Alucarda" is one of those interesting horror titles that successfully blends art with trash. It has a somewhat limited colour palate - reds, browns, tans and the like - and director Juan Lopez Moctezuma creates a remarkable gallery of truly disturbing imagery. It treads on fairly familiar ground in terms of religious horror, yet it is compelling in its own sordid way. A well chosen cast delivers deeply committed performances, although some of the ladies do so much screaming that it may well put off some viewers. It's pretty short at only 78 minutes, and doesn't really have that much story. But Moctezuma just drenches the whole thing in real doom and gloom atmosphere.

Alucarda (Tina Romero) and Justine (Susana Kamini) are two young ladies who meet at a convent and soon develop a turbulent relationship. The more headstrong Alucarda decides that they will defy and question their religious teachings, leading to much conflict with the priests and nuns. Soon, it is determined that the girls must be possessed and that exorcisms will have to be performed.

One nice touch is to have the heroic Dr. Oszek (Mexican icon Claudio Brook), a man of science, begin to believe the same things as his counterparts, and fear for the life of his daughter Daniela (Lili Garza). Everything builds and builds to a very intense finale with lots of death and destruction. Some horror fans will delight in the frequent nudity and the heavy doses of blood. Our two main actresses Romero and Kamini are both quite attractive and alluring.

This comes recommended to fans of this sub-genre.

Seven out of 10.

This deliciously sacrilegious and surreal bit of insanity from 1978 is pure exploitative gold. They just don't make them like this anymore!

The sets are imaginative and quite impressive. The convent has the appearance of a cave and the multiple tiered Christs hanging from the ceiling is one of the most brilliant props I have ever seen! Instead of traditional habits, the nuns are clothed in what appears to be torn bloodied bandages. Tina Romero, who plays Alucarda gives a brooding and wonderfully wicked performance. When the action starts, it keeps a spirited pace right through to the end. There is more hysterical female screaming then I've ever witnessed in a single film! The dialog is over dramatic at times and there are a few moments that are bordering on cheesy but Moctezuma's strange, daunting and moody presentation keeps it from slipping into silliness. There is some great bonus material on the DVD, including a brief doc on the films director, Juan López Moctezuma and an interview with Guillermo Del Toro. You will be treated to bizarre images, flagellating nuns, satanic rituals, copious nudity, lesbianism, and bloody violence. It is all complimented nicely by some trippy organ music. This little gem from Mexico City is a must see for horror fans! Highly recommended!