A Candle For The Devil [DVD]

Product Description

Laura Barkley (Judy Geeson) travels to a sleepy Spanish town to visit her sister, who is staying at an inn run by two religious sisters. But when she arrives she discovers that her sister has mysteriously disappeared. The two sisters, Marta and Veronica, tell Laura that her sister left suddenly but no one has seen her leave the village. Laura decides to stay at the inn whilst searching for her sister but soon discovers that the self-righteous sisters cannot bear the nakedness and promiscuity of young English holidaymakers. One by one, these pleasure seekers begin to disappear. Meanwhile, the sisters evening meals begin to take on an unusual flavour.... This deliciously deranged and atmospheric horror, which was shot entirely on location in Spain, is available on a UK DVD release for the very first time. Notable for it s stunning vistas, stylish direction and standout performances from its leads, it is a worthy addition to the classic horror genre. DVD Extras: Stills gallery and trailer.

Review

Aurora Bautista and Esperanza Roy play two sisters running an inn in Spain. Young, foreign girls come to visit but end up staying permanently. British actress Judy Geeson plays the sister of one of the girls who begins to put the pieces together of the horrors that have been going on at the inn. Director Eugenio Martin does quite an effective job with this film. It seems that the oldest sister Bautista was jilted on her wedding day by a young, pretty girl of a loose nature. Now, she is out to do God's work and rid the world of girls with loose morals and inappropriate attire. Both actresses playing the crazy sisters do stellar jobs playing off-key, psychotic women of very different natures. Bautista in particular gives a very commanding performance and is indeed very menacing. She also adds some pathos to her role. Martin builds suspense nicely and does several things very well. The use of religion as a tool of sexual repression was a thematic thread throughout. One scene has a girl die by accidentally falling in a pane of stained glass - a religious subject. When the body is removed a piece sticking in her has a bloody sword from the window stand in tact as to say this is the work of God. There are many other religious scenes and references used as well. The film is not particularly gory but there are some scenes that I found quite chilling. One with a baby as witness and then another of Geeson getting to know wine vats. The performers all do fine jobs, the direction is taut, and the script is convincing given the aforementioned two credits toward its credibility. The film does indeed have that European film from the 60's or 70's quality, but I truly am surprised that I had not heard much about this film beforehand. It is one of those minor gems you sometime are lucky enough to come across every now and then. --www.imdb.com