The Other Hell

From its dark opening in a catacomb filled with stacked bones and skulls, to the gruesome autopsy in the lab -complete with bubbling green chemicals!- it's apparent that THE OTHER HELL is one of the more ghoulish of the nun exploitation films.

Indeed, the devil is loose in the convent, causing madness and bloody murder to reign.

Director Bruno Mattei fills his movie with gore and macabre trappings bathed in red and green light. If Bava or Argento had made this sort of movie, it would probably look a lot like this.

Far more serious and grim than most such epics, this movie plays up the horror aspects as much as the exploitative. Dreadful images and set pieces help to conjure up a bleak atmosphere of doom. Yes, nuns do go wild, but in a demonic frenzy, as opposed to the usual lustful abandon.

Religious symbols are used to great effect, adding the perfect backdrop for the satanic assault. Animals are also employed, along with hideous imagery. Watch for the cat, the owl, the bat, and the faceless nun. Never has a nunnery been more terrifying!

To be fair, this movie has its share of clunky moments, but it still works as one of the best examples of its sub-genre.

A wickedly good time...