The 400 Tricks of the Devil

A carriage pulled by a skeletal horse is making its way to hell. The man in the carriage has signed a deal with the devil and must face the music. The backgrounds and the carriage itself are great fun. Of course, it's really cruel and deals with that old time religion. I don't know what this guy did, but he ain't gonna like where he's going. There are some pretty solid pyrotechnics which make it fun.

Visionary Director Georges Melies' THE 400 TRICKS OF THE DEVIL is about the fantastic journey of Crackford and his companion, John, through Europe, into Mount Vesuvius, into outer space, and ultimately winding up in Hell itself.

Considering the year in which the Director made this film, it's a marvel of special effects, slapstick humor, and acrobatics. The sets and props are simple, but add to the overall dream / nightmare atmosphere of the film, especially the magic train, the cadaverous horse and carriage, the trip through stars and comets, and the depths of the inferno. Mr. Melies saves the part of Satan for himself.

Highly recommended for lovers of fantasy, horror, and historical films in general...

Good old Georges Melies shows his talents again with The 400 Tricks of The Devil. The story is of a group of travelers who are tormented by Satan in various ways. Not 400 but quite a numerous amount of tricks are played on them. The most famous part of this film is probably the scene with the horse and wagon. I say this because on YouTube it was the thumbnail image for every way to watch it and it's the poster on this site. Melies of course shows off his normal great special effects that he is known for, and I have found to be prominent in all of his films that I've seen with the exception of Why That Actor Was Late. Although not as good as say A Trip To the Moon, I still say to check it out if you're a big Melies fan.

Merry Frolics Of Satan, The (1906)

*** (out of 4)

aka Les Quatre cents farces du diable

Entertaining 14-minute film from the French master has two gentlemen being haunted by Satan as they travel from one hotel to the next. Before long Satan throws them into a special carriage and takes them on a trip to Hell. The actual story here really doesn't mean too much because the real highlight here are all the special effects and various tricks that pop up. This here, thanks in large part to the title, remains one of Melies most popular films and it's understandable as there's a lot of fun to be had here. As with many of his longer movies, this one here features some narration and it's also hand colored, which is a big plus. The colors look great and they are used with quite a bit of imagination. Some of the best stuff in the film deals with Satan, painted red of course, popping out of various places and scaring the men. Another major plus is when we actually get to Hell and various other demons take form.

Two men are in a carriage being pulled by a skeletal horse. Satan comes along and begins messing with them...pushing the carriage into a volcano and then tossing it into space (this version of space looks much like it did in the director's earlier effort, "Le Voyage Dans la Lune" (1902). Then, the men fall out of the carriage and fall to Earth--crashing through the ceiling of some mansion and ruining the dining room. Soon Satan arrives and pulls one of them into Hell, where imps and pretty girls run about the place. Soon, they attach the guy to a rotisserie and roast him...and the film ends.

This is an enjoyable but disjoint and occasionally confusing film. And, as usual, the director, Georges Méliès, plays the Devil. It's clever and fun....and similar to a few of his other films. Worth seeing but far from a must-see picture.