Lisa and the Devil

Lisa (Elke Sommer) is a young woman as tourist in a Spanish old city named Toledo . She then is lost and taken by a marriage (Sylva Koscina and Eduardo Fajardo) and their chauffeur (Gabriele Tinti) . They find shelter into a luxurious mansion where inhabits strange characters , a countess (Alida Valli) , his son (Alessio Orano) and the butler (Telly Savalas).

The picture belongs to Italian horror genre , Mario Bava along Riccardo Freda (Secret of Dr Hitchcock , Vampires , The spectre) and subsequently Dario Argento (Deep red , Suspira , Inferno) are the fundamental creators of Latin terror genre . Mario Bava directed excellent horror movies (Mask of demon , Black Sunday , Black lace , Planet of vampires) and mediocre (Baron of blood , Bay of Blood , Shock) horror films . These movies are characterized by slick edition , usual zooms , special overblown use of colour in a glimmer red blood and utilization of shock-images . The film gets an attractive and enjoyable casting , a gorgeous Elke Sommer (The prize) , an enticing Sylva Koscina (Miguel Strogoff) , a veteran Alida Valli (The Paradine trial) and a sympathetic devil with lollipop included played by Telly Savalas (Kojak) . Magnificent and colorful cinematography by Cecilio Paniagua with intervention by the same Bava like is habitual in all his movies , as he's usually cameraman . The musical background was composed by Joaquin Rodrigo with his famous 'Concert of Aranjuez' and the score by Carlo Savina . There is another version called ¨House of Exorcism¨ for the American market adding some images about a priest (Robert Alda) , rip off from ¨The exorcist¨ , making spells , enchantment , exorcisms which results to be embarrassment and ridiculous . The motion picture will appeal to Mario Bava's hardcore fans .

Lisa and the Devil makes me think of Susperia. In fact, I think those sheer curtains with the appliqués that hang around the 4 poster bed were later used in Susperia. I've seen that film so many times I recognize those.

Anyway, Lisa and the Devil is very low on dialog and big on atmosphere. Much like Susperia, we have the strange lighting, gaudy set pieces, beautiful sets and props, many rooms with fancy wainscoting and molding, and acting that is just slightly off. Dubbing that doesn't quite match up in a subtle way and eerie, dreamy music while the actors stare off into the distance or right into the lens of the camera.

Dialog? Striped down to minimum. Story? Simple enough with a woman straying from her tourist group in a foreign city, wandering alone because she has heard some chimes. But what happens to her? She becomes ensconced in a surreal setting with people living in an old, Gothic mansion. But is it all real? Or is it all in her head? Are the murders really happening or did they happen many years ago?

It's up to you to decide what the ending means. You'll probably enjoy the ride but don't expect anything too, too intense or deep here.

After Bay Of Blood, Lisa and The Devil is my next-favourite Bava film, albeit so different in tone.

The 'girl getting lost' sequence is completely haunting and thence grabs you in. By the time characters are ensconced in fog or then creeping down arcanely-lit corridors, it's enthralling and eiedetic.

I could write an essay about the history of the film getting 'lost' and 'replaced' with a tacky remixed version 'House Of Exorcism' (which in itself is ironically still an OK watch).

Thank goodness we have the original, masterly, painterly version to savour. And ALIDA VALLI. Even Sommer is great here in a dramatic role.

Well I finally managed to get to see 'Lisa And The Devil' as Bava originally intended it, rather than the very dodgy 'House Of Exorcism' version I had previously seen, and the original is ten times better! Stripped of the tacked-on possession scenes and Robert Alda's priest role, the movie reveals itself to be a superior, atmospheric and stylish "nightmare on celluloid" movie. It reminded me a little bit of Jean Brismee's 'The Devil's Nightmare' in places, and at other times the work of Jean Rollin, without the overt eroticism. It's surreal touches and foreboding feel with probably appeal to fans of David Lynch or Herk Harvey's 'Carnival Of Souls' more than hardcore horror nuts. The cast are all good, but Telly Savalas gives a standout performance just on the right side of over the top, and Elke Sommer appears much more believable as the confused protagonist of this movie, rather than the unconvincing Linda Blair wanna-be of 'House Of Exorcism'. All in all one of Mario Bava's most original and interesting movies. Recommended.

I love Italian films from the 60s and 70s. I picked up Lisa and the Devil on DVD and then realized that the House of Exorcism is a re-edited, totally different version of Lisa and the Devil. I feel like I need to see the House of Exorcism now.

If you like Bava films, then you will surely enjoy Lisa and the Devil. This is a surreal piece of film making in that you are not quite sure what is reality and what is in the mind of the characters. There is no over the top gore, but Bava uses camera work and generates a creepy atmosphere. I may not reccomend

this film to Mario Bava "first timers" or "gore hounds". While I love to watch a Fulci or Bruno Mattei zombie fest anyday, I still enjoy a classic Bava film the same way I enjoy classical music. They both hit a chord, but a different chord.