The Demons (1973)
8/10
Early 70's Nunsploitation at it's finest!
11 September 2016
If you know anything about Jess Franco films or the genre of Nunsploitation you should know what you're in for. Medieval period film, accusations of witchcraft, demonic possession, nuns going crazy in a convent. You know, weird stuff like that. Jess Franco was quick to cash in on the success and controversy of Ken Russel's The Devils and made his own Inquisition horror film The Devils (aka Les Demons) Franco style.

While being burned at the stake, an accused witch curses the principal witchfinder and his minions. While this happens very, very slowly members of the royalty and religious establishment are caused to suffer and they also take pleasure in a series of their own sexual desires, torture and demonic possession by the witch's daughter Margaret. How Margaret becomes bewitched will unfold as you watch the film. As you already know (assuming you've seen Franco films before) Jess made very slow paced often sexually delirious, hypnotic dreamlike films with amazing visuals and music scores as is with The Demons. His films are often loved or hated by the b-movie cult community. I happen to like Franco films very much from all decades of his film career. Especially his output during 68-75. The man was making feature films at a furious pace. Some good, many well... not so good and at the height of his creative powers. He also had more and more freedom as the 70's moved along as censorship loosened in Europe giving him more freedom to create his own genre of film making. Zooms, close ups of butts, vaginal pubic hair, statues and buildings. His music scores, sometimes often overshadow the movie itself and deserve proper vinyl release. The Demons is an essential and often overlooked film of the demonically possessed nun genre and just a fun Euro-cult movie to watch. Like I mentioned above, everything from the music score to the delirious and wild sex scenes is all classic Franco from his most creative output post Soledad Miranda period in this film. If you're looking for a masterpiece of cult cinema Jess Franco's The Demons isn't the one for you, but if you are a true sicko like me and are looking for some of the most wild, delirious, sexually depraved gems of underground cult film making this film will give you a run for your money. I often tell people Jess Franco was the Marquis de Sade of Cinema. Many of his films capture the depravity of the Marquis works in so many of his movies. I give this film an 8/10 because for a Franco film this is actually a very well made low-budget demonic nun sleaze fest.
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