The Demoniacs

A group of shipwrecked sailors brutally rape two young woman and the woman re-emerge after making a pact with the devil to get their revenge.

More of the same from Jean Rollin. The music is improved here, but the plot makes practically no sense. Some people have tried to defend the film by saying it should be seen as an "art" film. Rollin does indeed have a unique view of art.

If you want to see more of the same nude women and pointless sex scenes, this is for you... but as far as plots go, this is not one of Rollin's stronger films. But it does have a clown... so, I guess that might be good?

I have a problem with Jean Rollin films. Despite all the stylish surrealism, great French locations and nudity I still find his films incredibly boring. I do appreciate Rollin's persistence of vision throughout his string of poetic sex/horror exploitation films through the 70s (clowns, castles, twins, beaches) but my mind begins to wander during his films and this is no exception. The plot follows a dream logic known only to the director with too much time spent watching these sailors fight, rape or just sit in a bar. The one female in the sailor gang really does inject some gusto into the her part though.

Dear oh dear. It might be easy to take cheap swipes at M. Rollin, but this looks likes such an amateurish effort. Terrible acting, contrived and sloppy action, meandering plot, cheap props. I hate to twist the knife, but it certainly breathes new life into the expression "Z-grade".

The video blurb looked so promising - two girls raped by wreckers, take refuge in an abandoned abbey where they make a pact with the Devil to seek revenge. But Jean Rollin seems determined to disappoint. Way too much time is spent on watching people walking long distances, or labouring blindingly obvious plot developments (the psychic brothel madam excels at this!)

There is not nearly enough skin to compensate for having to sit through this, though some spiritied sex scenes do capture the attention. The biggest draw of the film for me was the female member of the wrecker gang (character Tina). I wish I knew who the actress was. Gorgeous, spirited, and great without clothes! Shame she can't act, but I may excuse her. I have a soft spot for beautiful girls who get sexually aroused by wicked deeds.

Bizarre points include the Devil's two attendants - a female clown, and a Rasputin look-a-like. And never did so much plaster statuary give its life for a movie!

In summary, only rent this video for the gorgeous female wrecker, fast forward through the rest.

This is not one Jean Rollin's greatest works, but it does have one shinning light, Joelle Coeur, the gorgeous female wrecker. Like all of Rollin's films (that I have seen) this one is full of all his artistic visions, but for some reason the film still seems slower in it's pace and is a little more difficult to get into. Like all Rollin's film it's worth watching, but in this instance, only for the gorgeous Joelle Coeur.

The first scene on the beach with the young girls rape and attack is very good and the next one in the bar with them appearing as ghosts too... Unfortunately the movie doesn't go on like that all the time. There are good and bad moments but the scenes of nudity with Joelle Coeur are erotically very good. The story of the demon in the ruins doesn't appear very clear, nor does the clown's and the ruin's keeper destinies... But all in all there is a good atmosphere even if some scenes are a bit too long and some of them are great, like the one where the religious statues fall one after each other on the ground. Jean Rollin knows how to mix sex and horror, as well as many other authors of that 70's era. A good moment but that movie could have been better again...