Friday, November 3, 2017

HALLOWEEN HANGOVER: THE DEMONS (1973) *** ½


A witch is burned at the stake and vows her daughters will avenge her.  Lady De Winter (Karin Fields) searches for the daughters and finds Kathleen (Anne Libert) and Margaret (Britt Nichols) in a nearby convent.  Since Kathleen is seen as the most hedonistic one, she is taken away to be tried and tortured as a witch.  That night, Margaret is visited by “her father”, Satan, who rapes her.  This turns Margaret into a full-blown witch and she sets out to get revenge for the death of her mother. 

Jess Franco’s The Demons plays like a combination of a witch hunt movie and a nunsploitation picture.  It’s filled with several memorable set pieces of sacrilegious sex and kinky torture sex scenes.  If horny nuns masturbating and seducing each other is your thing, you’re going to love it.  The scene where Margaret is raped by Satan is also jaw-dropping, even if the music sounds like fake Led Zeppelin.  The following sequence in which she tempts her Mother Superior into fornicating with her is equally scandalous. 

For me, the scenes with Lady De Winter were the most erotic.  I loved the scene where she gets so hot while watching witches being tortured that she makes her lover play kinky S & M witch hunt games with her in the bedroom.  The best part though occurs late in the picture when Margaret comes to her in disguise.  She doesn't recognize Margaret's face, but when Lady De Winter bends her over and lifts up her skirt, she recognizes her ass!  Pure genius!  

In short, this is one of Franco's best.  The only part that doesn’t work is the subplot involving the characters who want to overthrow the King and join up with Dutch resistance.  This dull palace intrigue should’ve been cut, but even with the two-hour running time, the film goes by quicker than you'd expect.  

AKA:  She-Demons.  AKA:  The Sex Demons.

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