Serpent's Lair

Lisa B's most famous or infamous movie depending on your view of it. Jeff Farley is a successful executive who meets the tantalizing Lisa B who rather fascinated by him. His ego being flattered he sees another conquest like his career available. Except she appears to be rather dominant and leaving him more tired than he would wish in the morning. This film is an attempt to follow classics like Rosemary's Baby and The Omen. I saw this after some word of mouth and recommendations on the net. The most intriguing was some weird parallels that occurred outside this film but were related. Lisa B plays the demoness Lilith at the time she had a successful music carer and as a campaigning journalist. One of the people recommending this was the journalist, actor, occultism and composer Stephen Armourae who knew Lisa and has done a portrait of her since. His interest in Lilith and occult groups like 'Temple of the Winged One' meant I had to see this movie. Its funny how a little background information elevates an otherwise average film to something more chilling. And this film needs it. The best parts of it are the unintended comedy of Lisa having multiple orgasms as she is a Succubus taking his energy. Also that she would be so interested in someone who is not a big Hollywood star, he has no glamor or enough good looks for a role of someone who arouses a beautiful demon.

Here we have one of those nice young couples who have found the apartment they've been searching for, only it has a sinister past. But heck, they say, so what if a guy killed himself and wrote some strange words on the wall. We'll just throw a mirror over that. But there are also a few amenities they didn't count on, like a multitude of vaguely menacing cats. Plus the apartment comes equipped with its own sexy succubus--not what every wife would want for her husband.

There is more sex than scares in this movie, though neither will have you on the edge of your seat. But things do pick up a little toward the end. Jeff Fahey, B-movie vet, stars as the husband and Lisa B (didn't she used to play for Prince?) is the bedeviling demon lady. Taylor Nichols ('Metropolitan' and 'Barcelona') also has a small role.

Tom and Alex move into a new apartment, which was vacated suddenly by the suicide of the previous owner. Tom is visited by a friendly, black cat, but finds himself seduced by the beautiful, but deadly Lilith.

I don't think anyone will change my mind when I say that the early 90's was a pretty lame period for horror, and this is a gleaming example of my reasoning.

Lifeless, wooden, drab and boring, I can't really think of any positives, this film is laboured and long drawn out, the scares are thin on the ground, and it takes so long to open up, when it does you'll already be dosing.

There's not much I can think of to say, other than save yourself the time and effort.

Very poor.

3/10.

Released in 1995, considering the subject matter, is actually quite tame, and boring in parts. A man, Steven, kills himself in an apartment, and sets a fire. Later, Alex and Tom move into the apartment. There are still burn marks and red writings on the wall. And there is a black cat that seems to want to make their place his home. The cat manages to trip Alex down the stairs and sends her to the hospital. By this point, the music used really detracts from the film, not an asset to the film. Anyway, along comes Lilith, says Steven was her brother, and she is there to collect his things. The number of cats around increases, and so does the ardor of Lilith for Tom, and the make up used is quite good showing that his strength is being drained away, along with other things from him. She is a succubus, but will Tom be able to resist her long enough to survive? The copy I streamed was not particularly sharp.

This is a movie that attempts to combine horror with erotica. The horror aspect is the succubus and the erotic aspect is the succubus seducing a married man. There are a number of love scenes which are mildly erotic. Nothing to get too excited about. Good for teenagers.