Mais ne nous délivrez pas du mal: Don't Deliver Us From Evil

These girls like to play tough.

"I renounce forever Jesus Christ and all his works, and dedicate myself for eternity to Satan. We beseech thee, Satan, our Lord and Master. Help us to be ever more wicked; help us to do evil; and at the hour of our death, take us to your Satanic bosom."—Anne and Lore

Banned in France and only sporadically available since, Don't Deliver Us From Evil has earned a reputation as a controversial piece of cult cinema. Novice writer-director Joël Séria's tale of two teenage girls who dabble in Satanism is rife with images of blasphemy and taboo sexuality. It's unlikely that you haven't seen these themes explored before (and probably more explicitly and offensively), unless your media consumption consists solely of The 700 Club and Left Behind. But what Don't Deliver Us From Evil has lost in shock value over the years, it more than makes up for in enduring quality. Loosely based on the Parker-Hulme murder (which also inspired Peter Jackson's Heavenly Creatures), it's an oddly affecting art-house gem.

Anne (Jeanne Goupil) and Lore (Catherine Wagener) are two girls attending school at a Catholic convent. They are extraordinarily close friends, often sneaking into each other's beds furtively at night to read controversial literature under the covers. When summer break finally comes, Anne's parents leave her alone, and she enjoys her freedom by spending most of her time with Lore. The two go on long bike rides, seduce older men, and perform a Satanic ceremony with stolen Catholic vestments. But what starts as a game—a way of rebelling against the stifling, corrupt system they're stuck in—soon takes a turn for the sinister.

Summer break with a taste for the evil.

Abusive kids, who doesn't hate them?

Censorship in society often says more about the society itself than the censored content. The racially insensitive cartoons put out by Warner Bros. and Disney during World War II are verboten these days, but the audiences of the 1940s would be horrified at the modern prime time fare we barely bat an eye at. Bill Maher was thrown off ABC for making an off-the-cuff remark seen as offensive after Sept. 11; these days he can call George Bush a traitor without rousing any controversy outside a handful of blog posts. Basically, being the victim of censorship is about bad timing more than anything, and that's exactly the case with Don't Deliver Us From Evil: 35 years ago in France, it was not wise to make a movie with anti-Catholic overtones.

In 2015, it's a different story. Criticism and satire of Catholicism—and religion is general—is not only widely accepted, but increasingly passé. Madonna would rather discuss her newfound interest in Jewish mysticism than her Catholic past, and when's the last time anyone's heard anything out of professional organized religion critic Marilyn Manson? Don't Deliver Us From Evil certainly uses the then-hot topic of Catholicism to grab attention, but it's mostly used as a backdrop to set up the story. The film is really about a relationship between two girls who bond over their need to rebel.

We surrender our souls to Satan...

...and lust.

When we first meet the pair, they're in bed at the convent where they're educated. Anne is hiding under the blankets writing in her diary and putting on lipstick; Lore sneaks in to show her a book of lesbian erotica (presumably owned by a less-than-pure nun) she stole from the convent's attic. It only takes a few moments for Anne and Lore's situation to become clear: They are close to the point of obsession, troublemakers at the convent (albeit clever ones who know just how much they can get away with), and Satan worshipers. They seem to be each other's only friends; there are no other students they talk to (or who even have speaking roles).
Despite that, they are, externally, very much normal teenage girls. Make no mistake: These are not a couple of morose Goths. They're bubbly and constantly giggling. Their relationships with their parents are cordial but distant. (At one point, Lore exclaims that their parents "don't love" them, hinting at a deeper, unspoken degree of alienation.) During the summer vacation, when most of the film is set, they ride on their bikes, frolic outdoors, and have sleepovers. Even their love of exploring their sexuality through playing Lolita is relatively typical for girls their age (although they take it to dangerous extremes).

Let's tease daddy's workers!

Bad idea, even for an evil hairy pussy.

Because they are so young and outwardly cheerful, Anne and Lore come across as more innocent than I expected. The Sapphic overtones in their relationship—never acted upon physically but always lingering—seem to be more a case of mutual platonic infatuation than true sexual attraction. Their cruelest pre-meditated act is killing the birds kept by Anne's feeble-minded gardener, and Anne eventually expresses regret over that. When they finally murder a man, it's out of self-defense after he tries to rape Lore, not part of some Satanic ritual. It isn't so much that they're sympathetic, though—they're far too guilty to be—as it is that their situation is relatable. Anyone who remembers the confusion of adolescence will understand these girls' behavior, at least somewhat.

The power of Don't Deliver Us From Evil primarily comes from writer-director Joël Séria. A small-time actor who turned to directing after an accident, Séria has a natural gift for filmmaking that overshadows his lack of experience and budget. (A film by an unproven director that dealt with subject matter likely to get it banned had difficulty finding funding, for obvious reasons.) Structurally, it most closely resembles—and appears to be consciously modeled after—a classic Shakespearean tragedy. It lends an air of familiarity to the plot progression; in a strange way, it's almost like a twisted, Bizarro World version of Romeo and Juliet. Séria's style behind the camera recalls some of more daring and experimental European directors, particularly Bunuel. He drapes the film in a surreal haze that's constantly shifting between a dream and a nightmare.

Mirror, mirror, who's the sluttiest of them all?

An idle mind is devil's workshop.

Séria also had luck in finding Jeanne Goupil, an art student with no previous acting experience, to play Anne. A raven-haired Gallic beauty, she has dark, sultry eyes and full, pouty lips. As the dominant half of the pair, she delivers a natural performance free of self-consciousness. Catherine Wagener, a young blonde actress with only a few roles under her belt, plays Lore with a combination of wide-eyed naiveté and mischievous glee. She is far quieter than Anne is and generally submissive to her, although, paradoxically, she's more aggressive in sexually teasing men.

Mondo Macrabro has a knack for digging up obscure movies and introducing them to wider audiences. What they don't excel at, however, is restoring these movies and giving them proper treatment on DVD. Don't Deliver Us From Evil is presented in its original widescreen aspect ratio, but its transfer is lacking in every other way. The print has some very noticeable damage, including prominent scratches. The audio track is only marginally better. There are three interviews included on the disc: Joël Séria discusses the difficulties of making the film and his interpretation of it; Jeanne Goupil talks about her experience as an inexperienced actress starring in a feature film; and writer Paul Buck delves into the film's anti-Christian themes. Séria's interview was my favorite; he offers insight into the production as well as a unique angle on the film (framing it as a story of Anne's dominance over Lore).

Friendship on fire.

I was expecting Don't Deliver Us From Evil to be a cheap, gory horror flick only good for some gross-outs and laughs. So it's a pleasant surprise that it's almost the complete opposite: a relatively subtle, artful drama. It is haunting and strangely beautiful—an ode to the poignancy of doomed youth. This disc's only flaw is its less than perfect transfer, but even that can't ruin the joy of this obscure hidden treasure being unearthed. Seek it out; you won't be disappointed.

Here's the movie trailer:

PS: I know we promised an "Aliens" review in the previous entry. We're working on it, and honestly we couldn't resist the cravings from posting this magnificent french film first. Also, we have "Ant-Man" & "Pixels" reviews on their way, plus a couple of surprises for the exploitation lovers. Until then, stay tuned!

The Devils

This movie has serious balls.

The great Ken Russell, who just passed away at age 84, was doubtlessly one of the most uncompromising filmmakers, who enriched cinema with a variety of often controversial and bizarre cult films including Savage Messiah and Altered States. Even though I am not (yet) an expert on the man's filmography (having seen only three of his films), I think it is save to say that The Devils of 1971 is one of his most unique, imposing and unforgettable works. An atmospherically overwhelming cinematic experience, The Devils is Russel's brutal and brilliantly bizarre biographical story of the real-life unorthodox 17th century French priest Urbain Grandier. Due to its criticism of the Catholic church, bizarre sequences of religion paired with violent excess and orgiastic sexuality, the film was heavily censored and only available in mutilated versions after religious moralists had stirred controversy. As always, the controversy stirred by reactionary institutions had opposite effects: The Devils is maybe the most important film for the the rise of Nunsploitation, a sub-genre of mostly European and generally sleazy films about naughty and possessed nuns that engage in all sorts of sexual, violent and blasphemous behavior. In fact, the genre could never surpass the graphic brutal nature of which The Devils is made of. If there was a nunsploitation film I'd recommend it would most certainly be this Ken Russell's flick. However, that could be misleading, since the nunsploitation is rather boring and less shocking than expected.

You die in Jesus name.

Sinful sisters.

Based upon a real story which happened in the 1630s France, the infamous French Cardinal Richilieu orders the destruction of French towns in order to prevent a rise of the Hugenots (French Protestants). The charismatic Urbain Grandier (Oliver Reed) is the priest of the French town Loudoun, and a womanizer whom women generally can't resist. Grandier sleeps with nuns and noblewomen alike, and manages to temporarily prevent the destruction of his town. The crippled, deformed and mad mother superior of the Loundon convent, sister Jeanne (Vanessa Redgrave) has fallen in love with the priest, and when he secretly marries another, hell hath no fury like this nun scorned. The nun's accusations against Grandier are welcomed by his powerful political opponents who send an obsessed Exorcist (Michael Gothard) who is to prove Grandier's association with the devil...

The Devils is a remarkable film in many aspects. It arguably marks Ken Russell's, Oliver Reed's and Vanessa Redgrave's finest hour. Oliver Reed was doubtlessly one of the greatest British actors in the history of the country's cinema, who is far too often remembered for his (cool and highly original) drunken antics instead of his brilliant performances. His charismatic performance as Urbain Grandier here is one of the finest ever given. Vanessa Redgrave is fantastic in her display of a disturbed woman who dabbles between devilishly vengeful intrigue, pure evil and pathetic desperation and insanity. Equally great is Michael Gothard in the his role of the obsessed religious fanatic Father Barre. The film is visually overwhelming, often beautifully disturbing and bizarre. Some sequences, such as the 'Christ' dream sequence are highly surreal to a unique point, comparable maybe only to Alejandro Jodorowsky's films.

Holy Schlock!

Don't worry, its OK doing it in front of the cross.

In The Devils we get: nuns ripping their clothes off and running around naked (pretending to be possessed), people burned at the stake, forced vomiting, nuns copulating with Jesus (just a hallucination though), physical torture of many different varieties. It's very in your face. However, the subject is topical (obviously) and it really deserves to be seen by more people.

Another great reason to see this movie is Vanessa Redgrave, who plays a hunchbacked mother superior. A very conflicted character attracted to Oliver Reed. I've never liked Vanessa Redgrave much, but she is magnificent in this movie. And her performance is one of the creepiest I have ever seen, rivalling Paul Smith's sweating smiling sinister jail-guard in "Midnight Express".

Even after forty three years this film stays in one's memory. The performance by Oliver Reed is so good that I keep hoping to see him doing something besides B-horror movies. He isn't to be found apparently. Based on the book by Aldous Huxley this is a MUST for anyone who enjoys the movies. 

I'm your savior.

Cum hungry nuns.

While it has some lengthier parts, The Devils is generally a film that overwhelms in all regards. It is a bizarre, often brutal and always uncompromising masterpiece that is visually stunning and magnificently acted. Along with Michael Reeves' equally uncompromising Witchfinder General (1968, starring the great Vincent Price) and Michael Armstrong's ultra-gruesome HEXEN BIS AUFS BLUT GEQUÄLT (Mark Of The Devil, 1970), The Devils was one of the films that spawned a trend of (especially European) Exploitation films about Inquisition and (mass-)murder in the name of religion. It is beyond me why decent DVD-copies of this great film are still difficult to purchase as it was mostly released in mutilated versions. A true must-see for every lover of uncompromising cinema, one of the great British films of the 70s.

Here's the movie trailer:

Le monache di Sant'Arcangelo: The Nun & The Devil

Nuns of Sin.

The Nun and the Devil, or Le Monache di Sant'Arcangelo in the original Italian, is an erotic 1973 French/Italian nunsploitation film directed by Domenico Paolella. It is also known as: Sisters of Satan (UK) and The Nuns of Saint Archangel (US). The action is set in the 16th century at the convent of Sant Arcangelo, near Naples, then under Spanish rule. The success of the film resulted in another period drama/nunsploitation film by Paolella released the same year, Story of a Cloistered Nun, an Italian/French/West German co-production starring Eleonora Giorgi which will not be reviewed today LOL

 

The coveted spot as Mother Superior is of great importance to three candidates who all yearn for such a position. Twenty minutes in Mother Julia (Played by Anne Heywood) must check between her niece's legs to see if she is a virgin. Sister Chiara (Martine Brochard), Mother Julia's secret lover, longs to have her vows revoked so she can leave the convent and not suffer emotional torment she currently endures.We see the cruelty of Catholic parents who force their daughters into the convent so that they will not run off with a boy they dislike. Mother Lavinia(Maria Cumani Cuasimodo), who many believes is first in line to the Mother Superior position has been gravely ill. Recently inducted into the convent against her will, Isabella(Ornella Muti) and the young man she loves, Fernando(Gianluigi Chirizzi), secretly court when time permits. There's a syrupy Romeo and Juliet romance between Isabella and Fernando. This is the time of arranged marriages and dowries so Isabella and Fernando's love is separated because of this.

Check that virgin twat!

Is your beaver wet enough?

In the NUNS OF SAINT ARCHANGEL, the theme very present is forbidden love. Trapped in the convent, it's not surprising that desire would arise and remain. Anyway, Julia so craves the Mother Superior position she'll poison bedridden Lavinia and send young virginal Isabella to a sleazy scoundrel named Don Carlos who arranged a passage through his connections to give her access to the top. Julia is such a deplorable creature she almost breaks out in glee as she informs Lavinia she plans to have her placed in an isolation cell(while informing her entourage where she plans to place her family's coat of arms on the wall of Lavinia's room!). And, to send your own niece to town, into Carlos' lair to be sodomized, shows the depths of her deprivation. When the Arch Bishop allows Carafo to visit the convent of Saint Archangel, Julia's whole world comes crashing down.

As nunsploitation goes, THE NUNS OF SAINT ARCHANGEL isn't as titillating as you might expect. It's more a serious look at immoral pursuits to secure the hierarchy of a church position. Carlos is a real creep who, we can imagine, is used to getting what he wants, considering his rank. Incorrigible, hypocritical activity by those who are supposed to be serving God is often exposed in the nunsploitation genre which is why it maintains such a cult following. Anne Heywood becomes so incredibly cold-blooded while obtaining her position, I reckon many will root for her downfall and as it comes, will cheer for her eventual disgracing. Though, to the director's and Heywood's credit, her fate actually somehow garners sympathy once she is given a platform to address those in charge, whose power can lend to cruel and unusual punishment to get the desired information to instill their brand of justice. I imagine some would be appalled with certain torturous methods in order to achieve confessions. 

Let's pray.

I'll rape this body in God's name.

It is almost a shame to call this one "nunsploitation", because that term may imply that it is not a film of high standard. Yes, there are some nunsploitation elements here; the seemingly evil Mother Julia, with her lesbian tendencies and her hunger for power within the confines of the nunnery, for example. However at the end of the film, when Mother Julia, played beautifully by veteran actress, Anne Heywood, is condemned to death, her human side comes out. She explains, very eloquently, her reasons for her actions. The rigid rules of convent existence in the 17th century must have been unbearable for these women. At least for the girls who were there against their will. And many of these girls were placed there by domineering families, to keep them away from lovers and other such "temptation", as in the case of young Isabella, played by Ornella Muti. Her character was neither in love with god, or with the idea of giving up her freedom to live under such constraints. 

Who needs dicks anyways.

This film deals with the subject beautifully. And although there is some nudity in the film, it is never gratuitous; There are no scenes where a nun removes her clothes unless it is absolutely relevant to the storyline. So one should be aware before watching such a film, that if they are looking for endless scenes of fetishistic "nun-sex", than this is probably the wrong film for them. The sets/cinematography are gorgeous, the nuns dress is totally authentic looking, and there is much attention given to these details. Certain scenes in particular stand out; for instance, the scenes in the flower garden, with the nuns in white walking with the blood colored roses, and the scene in the chapel, where the white sheet is lifted to reveal the new "brides of Christ", in all their "majestic virginity". That is real eroticism! And all this, accompanied by lush music and stylish film technique. It is obvious here, that the director, cared a great deal about his creation. It shows in this beautiful film. It bothers me somewhat to hear these films referred to as trash, and exploitation. In this film fans humble opinion, it is the Hollywood productions, the movies with the over paid stars, and the obscenely inflated budgets, that are the real "trash", and usually age very badly. 'Le Monache di Sant'Arcangelo' however, remains a gorgeous and timeless piece of film-making. Surprisingly, i did not really like Dominici's other nun film, "Diary of A Cloistered Nun." But I recommend this one. 

Here's the entire film (it is public domain now, so it's legal to share it) courtesy of a youtuber:

Flavia La Monaca Musulmana

Love, Sex, Pain, Satan!

The nunsploitation genre was something you would either read about or hear from connoisseur friends every once in a while. However, experiencing such genre without a proper guide can be brutally misleading as most of the films that fit the genre are a complete frantic boredom. Nevertheless, there are places you can go to get an education on the matter, and yeah, this is one of those places. 

it's funny how I got my hands onto Flavia, La Monaca Musulmana, AKA, Flavia The Heretic but since there aren't enough blogs where people talk about their personal lives like anyone cared, here goes my irrelevant story: Vancouver was under heavy snow and there wasn't much left to do after 4:00PM since the sun would go bye bye so friggin' early, out of nothingness,  I had a tremendous christmas days revelation: your blog lacks the nunsploitation films that shaped the genre! So, with a quick online research I found this half Italian, Half French gem that I will encourage you to watch on Christmas eve to add the evil touch to make a family reunion perfect.

Fuck in the name of Jeezus.

Dinner's ready!

Flavia The Heretic is a striking film, set in Italy somewhere around the 15th century. Definitely Medieval-era (though I don't think any specific year is ever given). This being the time of Christian ascendancy, the age is a time of utter madness, and the movie captures this very well.

Flavia, our protagonist, is a young lady who encounters a fallen Muslim on a battlefield. He seems a warm and intriguing fellow, and she's immediately taken with him. Her father, a soldier of a a family of some standing, comes along, almost immediately, and murders the wounded man right before her eyes. But she'll continue to see him in her dreams.

Praying in the nude it's better!

Take this you filthy vegans!

Her father ships her off to a convent that seems more like an open-air insane asylum--the residents, so harshly repressed by unyielding Medieval Christianity, slowly go mad. Flavia comes under the influence of one of the nuttier nuns. But in a mad world, only the sane are truly mad, and this sociopathic sister clearly recognizes the insanity around her. Her take on the times in which they live strikes a chord with Flavia, who, being young and apparently sheltered, is beginning to question everything about this world in which she finds herself trapped.

The movie is unflinching in its portrayal of that world, showcasing a lot of unpleasantness. We see a horse gelded, a lord rape one of the women of his lands in a pig-sty, the pious torture of a young nun. Through it all, Flavia observes and questions, rejecting, eventually, the Christian dogma that creates such a parade of horrors in terms that would gain the movie some criticism over the years for seeming anachronistic. I disagree with that criticism. Flavia's views, though sometimes expressed in ways that vaguely mirror, for example, then-contemporary feminist commentary (the movie was made in 1974), revolve around what are really pretty obvious questions. It is, perhaps, difficult to believe she could be so much of a fish out of water in her own time, but that's the sort of minor point it doesn't do to belabor. Flavia is written in such a way to allow those of our era, or of any era, to empathize with her plight. Getting bogged down on such a matter would be missing the forest for the trees.

Menstruation tastes better in the morning.

Nipple Fatality!

Flavia is heartened when the Muslims arrive, invading the countryside, and she finds, in their leader, a new version of the handsome Islamist who still visits her dreams. Smitten with her almost immediately, he allows her to virtually lead his army, becoming a Joan of Arc figure in full battle-gear, and directing the invaders to pull down Christian society, and wreak vengeance upon all those she's seen commit evil.

Is she the herald of a new and better world? She may think so, but Muslims of that era weren't big on feminism, either, as she soon learns the hard way. As they say, meet the new boss...

This is really just a thumbnail of some of the things that happen in FLAVIA THE HERETIC. The movie is quite grim, and with a very downbeat, rather depressing ending. Not a mass-audience movie at all, to be sure. It's quite good, though, and doesn't belong on the "nunsploitation" pile on which it is often carelessly thrown. I think there's much value in the final film, and I'm glad I watched it. 

Here's the entire movie thanks to Youtube:

 

Suor Omicidi/Killer Nun

God, sex, drugs, killing!

Many of my fellow reviewers seem to have very poor opinions of this film, but believe you me Suor Omicidi, AKA Killer Nun does deserve a second look and I'll tell you why.

 

What plot there is (loosely based on actual events) concerns Sister Gertrude (a still luscious Anita Ekberg), who was once a respected nun, but is spiraling into madness due to a post brain surgery addiction to morphine. However, this does not stop her from getting a job into a hospital for the retired that is apparently run by a catholic sisterhood of nuns.

Before long she's abusing her patients, neglecting her duties, seducing her young room mate Sister Mathieu (Paola Morris)and turning a host of ordinary objects (lamp bases, needles, wads of cotton) into implements of death for anyone who dares stand in her way, while stealing their stuff to support her habit.

Her devotion is not God.

Looks like this will kill you.

As an added bad taste bonus, we also get Sister Gertrude having anonymous sex in an alleyway and admitting a fetish for humiliation and silk stockings during Sapphic trysts.

Unlike most other nunsploitation fare, this movie isn't as explicit as it could be (on the interview on Blue Underground's recent DVD this was revealed as a gesture of respect from director to his star), but it doesn't suffer too much for it, as there is plenty of suggestive and evocative imagery.

Ekberg doesn't show much of her famous curves, but nails a cruel seductress hauteur that does plenty to suggest what the character is capable of. Wheather surveying the residents for her next victim or prowling a café for a sexual conquest, there's something distinctly predatory behind those blue eyes, like a hungry cat looking for something small and helpless to torture.

 

mmm, I want to diddle a skiddle!

Hey you! come and fuck me!

Her drug mania scenes are also beautifully shot, with visual references both psychedelic and sacrilegious. Several scenes use sly visual references to Catholic Mass as a way of indirectly connecting religious ecstasy and the more base and carnal kind.

 

As the story develops, things start to look creepy and you feel like you are actually getting doped along with sister Gertrude because her killings are mere visions that are unclear. The rest of the nuns and doctors decide to keep an eye on the sister because, they obviously think her drug addiction can be the reason of the killings. Luckily, our lead sister is not alone, as young sister Mathieu is always behind her trying to comfort her and drive her towards the path of God. However, how good is sister Mathieu if she's in a lesbian relationship with Gertrude and fucking with most of the male characters that work at the hospital?

 
By the time the story reaches its climax, sister Gertrude can't take it anymore as her drug addiction has taken control over her mind and body completely. Moreover, Everyone in the hospital has officially targeted her as the mysterious murderer they've been looking for but, in The Matrix terms, "appearances can be deceiving Mr. Anderson"

 

Is this menstruation? or is it something nastier?

Sister Gertrude's youth.

All in all, "Killer Nun" is a stylish slice of delightfully trashy exploitation, worth the hour and a half of your time and 7 stars.

 

Here's the movie trailer:

 

Satánico Pandemonium: La Sexorcista

The best you can get out of a Catholic country.

After quite a while not talking about actual B movies I return to my dirty with several reviews I had in mind long ago.  This week we'll deal with a couple of great Nusploitation flicks, one comes from Mexico and the other from Italy. Let the killing begin...

"Satànico Pandemonium" may not rank high on the exploitation Heaven, but it manages to deliver horror like no other Latin American movie has. The religious slang used in the film adds a macabre vibe that only those who speak Spanish will enjoy fully. Dubbing and subtitles tend to lose the core essence of the religious language only used by the Catholic church's Latin roots fluently present  in the Spanish & Italian languages.

Believe it or not, Mexico, being an almost 100% Catholic country, produced several nunsploitation flicks in the 70's. Before censorship took a big role in Mexican movies, there were many, many exploitation flicks like today's entry.

Murdering nun.

I'll pray for Satan!

So, is Satanico Pandemonium worth the try?

Definitely! it's not like you get to watch a 70's exploitation movie made in a Latin American country. Besides, having been filmed in Mexico gives it an added value that takes you into a darker ground knowing the Catholic church is extremely powerful in Latin America to these days. Watching it is like "Fuck the catholic church, they're all a bunch of pervs and Satanico Pandemonium is not afraid of showing the dark side to the audience" So, if you're not a church believer as yours truly, you will most certainly enjoy the ride.

The acting is average at most but, that is not necessarily a bad thing in  a film of this genre. However, the lead role, Sister María is played by Cecilia Pezet delivers a brave, solid performance. She definitely could have had more leading roles in her brief career. Too bad that this was her farewell movie. She was just too beautiful to be involved in Nunsploitation films I guess. In addition,  Veteran t.v. and movie actor Enrique Rocha gives a strong performance as the Devil with a baritone voice that is convincing alone. The rest of the cast is more like "filler material" but, as they do not play a relevant role I guess they're fine with me.

Pay for your sins.

Lesbian nun sex, oh dear!

The musical score is very convincing and also quite disturbing, providing the proper atmospheres to the quieter scenes where not much seems to be happening. The director, Gilberto Martinez Solares,  relies heavily on classic theater techniques that do not give the film a dynamic pace. The camera angles are boring sometimes, and some events truly last longer than they should. For example, when Sister Maria takes care of a sick cow, you're like "c'mon we've seen enough already!" Also, when sister María realizes she's been possessed by the devil nothing much seems to be happening and you could easily fall asleep if it were not for the magnificent score composed by Gustavo César Carrión. 

Despite the fact the film has scenes that seem longer than necessary, the opening scenes lead us quickly to the plot. A young beautiful nun meets with the devil a random afternoon while enjoying a rest. The devil dissapears and Sister María feels instantly sexually motivated enough as to approach a teen boy who's fishing nearby. Unfortunately for her, the kid is too scared to continue with the idea and runs away. Later she starts a roaring rampage of lesbian sex and murder that will please gore & sleaze fans. 

Sex & Blood.

Party hard!

The movie deals with quite a lot of controversial topics, I mean it was 1975 in a deeply Catholic country! Sister María sins include, masturbation, torture, lesbian sex, raping an underage boy (holy macaroni!) burning down an elder lady, convincing a black of nun of committing suicide and the list goes on. 

As the story develops you get a sense of "hey, something's wrong with continuity! there are scenes that don't make sense" However, that is exactly what the director wants you to think in order to be taken straight to the most unexpected final scene. I won't spoil it to you because Satánico Pandemonium is the kind  of movie that requires me to keep secrecy to make it interesting for you to watch it in case you haven't.

Today, the film has become somewhat a cult item in the nunsploitation genre; it's even been referenced in Robert Rodríguez vampire tale "From Dusk Till Dawn". 

"Hi, I'm Satan. Pleased to meet you"

Overall, a great entertaining movie that is heavily inspired in the international success The Exorcist had. The film itself has nothing to do with what The Exorcist dealt but, it somehow resembles the idea of an innocent being seduced and/or possessed by Satan.  For the faint of heart this may not be your cup of tea as we're explicitly shown with lesbian sex, brutality, murder and even a child abuse scene that would be too much even for today's standards. 

Here's a 7 minute extended trailer. Spanish language knowledge required:

Nude Nuns with Big Guns

Boobs, Blood and Nuns!

Hello there fellow SPAM Alternative avid readers, today I'm pleased to say that the exploitation genre has been out for some fresh air, and ever since Quentin Tarantino & Robert Rodríguez released their Grindhouse double feature (Death Proof & Planet Terror) independent film makers are craving for bringing back the sleazy 70's spirit the best they can, so from today on we will check some interesting 21st century approaches at the genre we love so much: exploitation! 

Enter, Nude Nuns with Big Guns! I mean, the title tells all!

My kind of nurse.

It's been a while since I could forgo the details of a film's plot and just reiterate the title for reference. But that is exactly the shortcut I could take with today's entry Nude Nuns with Big Guns. The film, as directed by Joseph Guzman is about, well, nude nuns with big guns. More specifically, it follows Sister Sarah (Asun Ortega) who after becoming a nun is drugged and forced into a world of crime by the corrupt priests and padres of the clergy (mmm, where have I heard this story before?)

This is how you trasform a young nun into a slut.

But after a near fatal encounter, Sister Sarah receives a message from God, one that tells her to kill every last one of those that exploit drugs, the church or any of the innocent workers of the clergy. Lucky for us, a chance encounter leaves Sister Sarah with a big gun, one big enough to help her do God's work in the most violent and exploitive ways possible. As Sarah sets off to religiously 'off' anyone that looks at her funny, the church hires a bike gang called 'Los Muertos' to track down Sister Sarah and stop her before she brings down the entire drug running operation.

The titty Flicker!

Nude Nuns with Big Guns is undeniably 70's sexploitation brought to us with 2010 orchestrated violence. There are equal parts nudity and violence and there is plenty of each to keep audiences grinning from ear to ear with each new character introduction. Just about every female character but one bares her breasts for the film and I, for one, am a better man because of it. Sister Sarah in particular has no qualms about doing scenes involving full nudity between all her gunslinging and brain blasting. Priests, nuns, bikers, lesbians…no one is safe once this sister straps herself with a sizeable firearm.

There is a semblance of a story in Nude Nuns with Big Guns, but the plot goes in usual directions ensuring that what it lacks in originality as a revenge flick it makes back up in sheer audacious and gratuitous nudity and violence.

Nun Treesome.

Before a good old christian fuck, breakfast is an important meal to start the nuns' day.

Asun Ortega is competent (and evidently confident) in the lead role and everyone involved in the production hams up their part with just enough cheese and lack of seriousness that the film actually works as a watchable piece of exploitation.

Director Joseph Guzman takes a major step forward from his 2009 debut in Run! Bitch Run! While both Run and Nuns are of the same genre that Robert Rodriguez succesfuly tried to capture with 2010's Machete, Guzman has shown a maturity with both the camera and with the promotion of lurid subject matters, so if you consider yourself a connoisseur of the exploitation genre, I guarantee you will find plenty of nostalgia here, at least enough nostalgia to make you say "wow, this movie looks and feels like the real thing". Joseph Guzmán didn't waste any of his exploitation knowledge, in fact I think he took the best elements of his personal favorite genre flicks and mixed them  with the cult cinema clichés we never get tired of. 

Nudity is what drives this movie. Every actress has at least one or two scenes where their boobs are at display for (of course) no reason at all. We do get to see some bush too, you see, sister Sarah is not afraid of anything as God is on her side and by her side all along. 
 

Lesbian Nun Killing Action!

Lesbian Nun Nude Redemption.

Overall, Nude Nuns with Big Guns isn't for everyone, but it is for everyone that reads the title of the film before putting it into the DVD player or downloading through VOD. It is guaranteed to entertain while titillating and it proves that exploitation films are alive and can work given the right exposure and attention. However, the film doesn't an original plot if that's what you're looking for. Instead, the film does deliver plenty of fun paying a fair homage to the 70's exploitation genre, I mean, just think of it, a raped, drugged woman left for dead looking for revenge, doesn't that remind you of many 70's exploitation films?

If classic exploitation is your thing, you have probably already seen this film, and if you haven't now it's the time as the film is fully available on VOD and good old DVD and full HD Blu Ray for your viewing pleasure.

Next entries will take us deep into "Father's Day" & "Dear God No!" probably the 2 most important releases that certify the exploitation genre is back from the grave.

Here's the movie trailer: