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5
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10
= Highest Rating |
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SNEAK
PREVIEW
|
DVD Release Date: May
31, 2005 |
It's
no surprise that horror movies steeped in Catholic theology
and iconography would come out of overwhelmingly Catholic countries
like Italy and Mexico. What is surprising is that some
of these films —
especially those of the transgressive 'Nunsploitation' subgenre
inspired by Ken Russell's The Devils
—
were able to secure financing and get released in the first
place.
Set in a Mexican convent in the 17th or 18th
century (the time frame is never specified), Satanico
Pandemonium charts the spiritual downfall of a pretty
young nun seduced to the dark side by her carnal desires. Sister
Maria (Cecilia Pezet), beloved and admired by the other nuns
for her strong faith, empathetic nature and knowledge of herbal
medicine, would seem the ideal candidate for a future Mother
Superior. But everything goes to hell in a hand basket for her
when, out strolling the wooded fields beyond the convent one
day, she encounters a handsome nude man (Enrique Rocha). Totally
unashamed by his nakedness, the stranger greets her with a "Good
day, Sister" and a sardonic smile. Maria flees without a word,
only to encounter him anew —
clothed this
time — a
short while later. He offers her a bite from an apple (symbolism
doesn't get more obvious than that!) but she refuses and returns
to the convent.
Maria's
encounters with the mystery man immediately trigger a flood
of repressed desires. In the privacy of her room she ties a
belt of thorns around her waist and flagellates herself with
a whip. But instead of purging her of impure thoughts this painful
penance only gets her more hot and bothered! Another young nun
comes to her one night, professing lesbian love, and after a
halfhearted struggle she allows the girl to fondle and caress
her. Maria's really starting to get into it when the sapphic
sister is revealed to actually be the handsome stranger — Lucifer
himself — come to her in magically disguised form. He offers
her the promise of forbidden delights as he has his way with
her. Afterwards, no matter how hard she prays and punishes herself,
Maria is unable to control her urges, indulging in all sorts
of abominable sin. She tries to seduce another of the nuns as
well as a teenage shepherd boy. (In the film's most eyebrow-raising
scene, Maria strips and climbs into the bed of the sleeping
lad, and with his grandmother dozing nearby, proceeds to manually
stimulate him!) Soon she resorts to murder... Not just to cover
her tracks, but also just for kicks. Truly, the Devil is
inside her.
I can only describe
Satanico Pandemonium (also released
under the title La Sexorcista) as being both sleazy and
demure at the same time. You won't see some demon-possessed
nun masturbating with a crucifix but it can still be pretty
strong stuff, especially if one hails from a Catholic background
and is in any measure religious. Pezet is frequently naked,
given numerous opportunities to shed her habit in the throes
of lustful abandon. A bit of gore and sado-sexual torture is
tossed in for good measure, too, the latter a nod to the international
box-office success of 1970's Mark Of
The Devil. Still, the film could have easily gone a lot
further than it actually does. This can be either a good or
bad thing depending on the viewer's sensibilities. (European
Nunsploitation flicks, for example, tend to feature more explicit
lesbian sex scenes and take more direct swipes at the Church.)
Helmed by Mexico's
most prolific director, Gilberto Martinez Solares (Santo
& Blue Demon Vs. The Monsters), the film achieves a
dreamy gothic look via some Bava-style mood lighting and makes
good use of rustic, rural locations. The meager budget is betrayed
only by instances of less-than-convincing special effects and
a phony looking cave set that could've come straight out of
an El Santo movie. (And probably did.) A debauched revel at
the convent, seen near film's end, is poorly staged and marred
by some truly goofy music; this is unfortunate as it's a key
sequence in the narrative. The final resolution is also something
of a cop-out. Pezet is quite good as Maria, though, in both
virtuous and evil modes, which really helps sell the story.
Rocha makes for an appropriately smug and seductive Lucifer-as-Lothario.
|
|
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| Mondo
Macabro's upcoming DVD release utilizes a generally excellent
looking anamorphic widescreen (1.85:1) print, tarnished only by
a bit of dirt in the final minute of the film. The Dolby 2.0 audio
track isn't stereo as claimed on the packaging but is clear and
distortion-free. Optional, easy-to-read English subs are provided.
Extras include an image
gallery, a step-through text essay on the Nunsploitation subgenre,
a filmography of Mexican 'naughty nun' movies and a talent bio
of director Solares. Two featurettes really add value to the package.
The first, entitled The Devil Went Down To Mexico (15 minutes),
is an interview with Adolfo Martinez Solares, screenwriter of
Satanico Pandemonium and also the
late director's son. Speaking in English, he provides an interesting
overview of his father's lengthy career and discusses the making
of Satanico Pandemonium in particular.
(Turns out some of the background nuns weren't really actresses
but rather prostitutes hired from a brothel!) The other featurette,
House of the Writhing Nun (11 minutes), is an interview
with Briton Nigel Wingrove, managing director of Redemption Films.
It serves as a nice introduction to the subgenre and is illustrated
with clips from various Nunsploitation flicks.
5/18/05 |
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