It felt GREAT to finally watch another good old-fashioned and stylish Italian Gothic tale from the golden sixties, particularly one that is starring everyone's favorite and utmost beautiful horror muse Barbara Steele! Being a tremendous fan of the sub genre, the era, the country and of course the actress, I've seen all the obvious classics (like "Black Sunday", "She-Beast", "Castle of Blood", "The Long Hair of Death") many years ago already, but "An Angel for Satan" has always been the most difficult one to track down. I can't really explain why, but somehow this title was more obscure than Steele's other cult classics. This certainly cannot have anything to do with the quality level, though! Admittedly I might be slightly biased, and I have watched a lot of miserable crap lately, but "An Angel for Satan" is a genuine horror experience that has it all: an intriguing plot, a macabre atmosphere from start to finish, sinister set-pieces and music, breath-taking women and moody cinematography. Antony Steffen ("Django the Bastard") depicts a sculptor named Roberto Merigi who arrives in a small lakeside village somewhere late in the 19th century. He got hired by the wealthy Count Montebruno in order to restore a nearly 200-year-old statue that was recovered from within the lake. Roberto immediately experiences the hostility of the superstitious villagers, as they strongly believe that the statue is cursed and will bring death & mayhem upon the community. Montebruno's daughter Harriet also arrives in town, and she bears a striking resemblance with the statue. She is the descendant of a ravishing 17th century Countess Belinda, and Harriet clearly inherited the family's good looks, for whom the statue initially was made. The countess and her lover were killed by a jealous sister who later drowned in the lake with the statue during a storm. Inevitably, the curse soon turns to be frightfully real and mysterious things occur in the little town. Harriet alternately is her lovely self, but also possessed by the heinous spirit of Belinda. As Belinda she sows unrest and mayhem in town, which quickly leads to much worse. "An Angel for Satan" is a fantastic film with a few excellent and surprising plot twists, including the denouement, but also stylishly shot footage. The film is in masterful black and white, with ominous music and sound effects, and the performances are all stellar.
**Spoiler** The most morbid and unnerving scene was undoubtedly the discovery of the poor teacher's body hanging from the ceiling. How badly can you drive someone over the edge that he commits suicide in the one place where he knows he'll be discovered by the innocent children he cared so much about?
**Spoiler** The most morbid and unnerving scene was undoubtedly the discovery of the poor teacher's body hanging from the ceiling. How badly can you drive someone over the edge that he commits suicide in the one place where he knows he'll be discovered by the innocent children he cared so much about?