Devils of Darkness

In Brittany, France, there are a couple strange murders, though the local police rule the deaths accidental. One is a cave explorer and the other a young lady who is found drowned--both were British tourists. Apart from harming the tourist industry, this was also bad because in reality this was the work of a Satanic vampire cult! When their friend vows to investigate further, the bodies disappear and it looks like his investigation is at an end...or is it?

This is yet another British vampire film from the 1960s, though instead of being a Hammer Studios production, it was made at Pinewood Studios. In many ways it is reminiscent of a Hammer film, though the acting and plot are a bit less sophisticated. Still, it's not bad and is watchable--just don't expect a lot of magic or suspense. In particular, the evil Count Sinistre seems a tad wussy and too pretty to be all that threatening.

Despite being a longtime fan of the British horror film, it was only recently that I learned of the existence of 1965's "Devils of Darkness," and now that I have seen it, I know why. This product of Pinewood Studios is a fairly undistinguished effort that just barely manages to entertain and is never even remotely chilling. In it, William Sylvester (who psychotronic-film fans will recall from such genre favorites as "Gorgo," "The Devil Doll" and "2001") runs afoul of a French vampire called Count Sinistre (born in 1588) and his immortal gypsy bride, Tania, while on holiday in Brittany. The filmmakers apparently felt that a vampire wasn't enough for this picture, so threw in a pack of devil worshippers as well, plus some voodoo trimming. Unfortunately, the resultant stew never quite comes together, and the fact that Hubert Noel as the Count is hardly a threatening presence only compounds the problem. A subplot that has him endeavoring to recover a missing talisman simply peters out by the film's end, and the picture's resolution is waaay too rushed and abrupt, I feel. On the plus side, Sylvester is as sturdy and dependable as ever, and the film's production values are fairly high. The picture contains a couple of strange British beatnik party sequences showcasing some subtly suggested marijuana consumption and lesbianism, and an energetic and atmospheric gypsy camp intro opens the film promisingly. Ultimately, however, "Devils of Darkness" turns out to be a rather tame, blah picture; not bad, but certainly nothing great. If you've seen all the horror films put out by Hammer and Amicus Studios, do by all means give it a try. This picture really is for British horror film completists only.

This is basically a Hammer Films knock-off, in terms of set decoration and production design. The result is a nice-looking movie with a muddled, incoherent story, weak acting, and limp direction. It's not exactly excruciating to sit through, but it's one of those films that makes you feel you could be doing something better with your time.

The plot is a mixture of vampire and devil worship, and although there are one or two good moments, there's not enough substance to make it particularly interesting.

If you're fond of campy/cheesy B-picture horror, you might want to give this one a look, but I wouldn't put it at the top of your list.

Armond du Moliere is really a 400 year old vampire called Count Sinistre and he heads a coven of Satanists in Brittany, France, with the story then moving to England. British horror movie from Planet Film Productions, I can remember being very excited by the prospect of vampires and Satanists (I love Hammer's The Satanic Rites of Dracula - 1973) but I also recall being rather disappointed with the film. I have just watched it for the second time (on a 41 year old VHS tape) and again it failed to impress. French actor Huber Noel plays the Count, he is very suave but also quite lame compared to Christopher Lee's menacing Dracula. I do not remember seeing one set of fangs and there is barely a drop of blood to be seen. The night scenes were obviously filmed in daylight (though Hammer did this too), the film is quite slow, the ending looks rushed and cheap but Tracy Reed does give some sex appeal and the Swinging Sixties party is quite entertaining. This movie was never going to Hammer a run for their money, it simply lacks bite, however it is still a reasonable watch.

This film is not grand but it's not down right horrible either - it's an in-between film - one of those movies you don't mind watching if there is not a lot on TV or you are just in the mood for something different to watch.

You can easily pass this one by without missing anything but if you do decide to watch it don't expect a lot from it. It's mildly entertaining. Watch it if you really want to see another film on the occult / witchcraft - otherwise you can pass it by.

I'm not downing this film - I found it a a bit enjoyable but there are much better films to watch and re-watch on the market.

5/10