ChanFamous
I wanted to like it more than I actually did... But much of the humor totally escaped me and I walked out only mildly impressed.
Payno
I think this is a new genre that they're all sort of working their way through it and haven't got all the kinks worked out yet but it's a genre that works for me.
drystyx
This is a horror movie which seems to be unpretentious, and yet has some inventive quality about it.It's hard to say who the central character is, because while there are two main characters, many of them share the spotlight. A woman is hypnotized into reliving her past.To say more will "spoil" the film, I think, because there are many subplots going on here, along with the two chief plots.While it definitely goes for "unpretentious camp", particularly with the imp and the beautiful evil witch, there is more than meets the eye in the story. Devon purposely hams it up as the Devil, because we've seen Devon do some great acting work in movies like "The Comancheros", and here he just has a blast. In fact, the movie looks like a "Monster Mash" type of blast for the supporting cast.A few things ruined what could have been great. While a certain character was asking for a come uppance, the fact that she was an unarmed woman killed by the leading man was too much for any heterosexual male to enjoy. Women will like it, though, and most movies by Corman and his breed are made for women.Mixed feelings, but not a bad flick. It helps when everyone seems to be having a good time. It makes the film more of a joy to watch.
MartinHafer
I liked how when the film began, it had a little prologue where the Devil himself talks to the audience. In most films, this would be a negative, but for a Roger Corman horror film, this sort of thing worked well--after all, these sort of films should never be taken too seriously. And, later in the film, this same silly spirit remained--with witches appearing and disappearing, changing form into animals and doing all kinds of incantations! And, an adorable pointed-eared Billy Barty was also on hand as an imp!! You really can't take this film very seriously--and I liked that.The film begins at the present day. Two psychic researchers are trying a strange experiment using a prostitute ( no, not THAT sort of experiment--you sicko). They use hypnosis to take her to past lives to prove that reincarnation is possible. By the way, this is actually the plot of an Ed Wood (BRIDE AND THE BEAST) that was made just a year earlier--though the lady was not a prostitute AND it turned out in a past life she was a gorilla!!). Unlike the Wood film, most of the film is spent in the past--seeing her past life acted out for the audience. And, late in the film, one of the researchers himself goes to the past to rescue her when she is in peril! When they use regression, it seems that the prostitute was a French woman who was accused of witchcraft centuries ago. It turned out that real witches framed her in order to get her out of the way. A female witch wanted the lady's boyfriend and framing her of consorting with the forces of darkness was a convenient way to get rid of her. And, because the psychic researchers somehow interfered with time, they must go back and correct any changes their study has made--and battle the Devil himself along the way! Explaining the plot any further would probably confuse you--it is pretty weird and incomprehensible.The film's strengths are it unusual plot, very odd ending and self-deprecating humor. Minuses are the cheesy special effects (at times), such as the bats with very obvious wires supporting them as well as the confusing explanations as to how time will be affected by the woman's life or death. Overall, it's a cheesy movie that actually works pretty well and is very watchable--much more so than most of Corman's films of this era.
FrankAlamia
This film is one of the scariest horror films I've ever seen. Watch it at midnight, alone in the dark. The horror is not like the cheap theatrics of "Scary Movie" but is deeply psychological. The reincarnation theme is sophisticated for its time and the Devil is down right creepy.How this movie got such a low rating here is beyond me, but anyone wishing for a truly excellent taste of 1957 horror, this movie is for you.This movie was also featured on Mystery Science Theater 3000 during its 8th season, but watch the film first before you venture into the comic commentary of MST3000.
dain_bramaged_926
I'm a huge MST3K fan, and I love watching the show to see just how bad the movies they're making fun of can get. However, when I saw this one the other day, I was surprised that it had even been picked for an episode! It wasn't at all the usual rubbish that is usually shown on MST3K.The acting was quite good, the dialog was well done, and sometimes touching. Even the cinematography was pretty good. There were a few very badly done special effects in the film, but it didn't make too big a difference.I thought that the ending of the movie was very good, and I really felt for the main character, who had to decide between her own life and the lives of others yet to come.SURE, it was a corny fifties witchcraft film. SURE there were times when the plot made little to no sense, but really it was fine, and I wouldn't mind watching the original version some time.
