User Reviews

I had been trying to get hold of this one ever since watching Renato Polselli's THE REINCARNATION OF ISABEL (1973) - to which it has been compared in terms of sheer loopiness; in the meantime, I had actually checked out another Batzella movie i.e. The only slightly superior THE DEVIL'S WEDDING NIGHT (1973) which, unlike the film under review and the above-mentioned ISABEL, maintains a Gothic feel throughout its entirety. Apart from this fusion of past and present - not to mention, leading lady Rita Calderoni - the two also share the doppelganger motif and, as I said earlier, an absolute (deliberate?) disregard for logic which go a long way in rendering them effortlessly surreal (abetted by a weird score and some of the oddest camera angles ever conceived!); however, this alone does not make them worthwhile (let alone good) and, in fact, both these films are relentlessly sabotaged by inept handling and matching wooden performances - I mean, one has to wonder just what went on during the production of such effortswhere, invariably, a writer-director's 'uncompromising' vision was constantly shortchanged by the individual's apparent lack of talent in putting his own ideas to fruition! In both, then, the luscious Calderoni plays two roles: here, she is a traffic-accident victim and a succubus-like temptress from a previous era; similarly, the male protagonist alternates between a strapping doctor and a decadent, slightly mad aristocrat. Other figures vaguely involved include the enigmatic owner of the film's central castle setting who is something of a wry observer and eventually Master Of Ceremonies at the climatic would-be satanic orgy, an even more ambiguous and unhinged manservant (the first time we see him he is lying on the floor with a knife stuck in his throat - don't ask!) and a black maid (or something) whose only function in the proceedings is to indulge in some lesbian fondling with the modern incarnation of the heroine and, later, to be whipped within an inch of her life by said wild-eyed butler!! Though running a measly 81 minutes, the film tends to feel much longer due to its sluggish pacing - actually, a characteristic 'drawback' to both Gothic and dream-like fare. As always, too, nonsensical quotes from some ancient tome prove the key to the whole mysterywhich, when uttered by the hero, causes a skull to explode(!), send the members of the orgy running and - surprise, surprise - gets us back where it all started!! For once, and thankfully so, the title does not promise something it cannot deliver: Calderoni, in fact, is nude - whether for Satan or the audience's ultimate benefit is another matter entirely! - throughout most of this (beginning with the very opening sequence)though she also suffers the ignominy of having to scream her head off, ostensibly in abject terror, during an attack by a hilariously fake arachnid (albeit inside a reasonably atmospheric spider-pit)!!

Rather than waste anyone's time, I'll start with the answer to the obvious question - yes, the characters in Nude for Satan spend plenty of time nude. For Satan. Probably more than in any other film I've seen short of hardcore porn. And every time they do, you'll probably want to shout out, "Nude for Satan!" 'Cause it's just that much fun to say. Try it, you'll like it. "Nude for Satan. Nuuuuuude for Satan. I'm nude for Satan!" See?

Of course, there's a bit more to it than that; there is a plot, kinda. Our Hero, Dr. William Benson, happens upon an unconscious woman who crashed her car on a lonely highway in the middle of the night. Seeking medical attention for her, he is directed by a very odd man to an isolated castle, and from that point on, things start to get very strange. The two get separated, and William ends up getting distracted by Evelyn, a dead ringer for the car-crash woman who dresses in period clothing (when she's not nude for Satan), calls him Peter, and is hot for his bod. The crash victim, whose name is Susan, ends up spending time with a variety of people including their enigmatic host, an unnamed female servant, the leering, gap-toothed butler (or should I say, handyman?), and William's doppleganger, Peter.

Both William and Susan are fairly creeped out by the goings-on in the castle, but don't really start trying to figure things out or get away until they meet back up when Susan is menaced by a giant, and apparently quite horny, spider. Then our host explains to William that Peter and Evelyn are the repressed, dark sides of Dr. Will and Susan, and then William witnesses a bizarre ritual where Susan and Evelyn merge and make out with Peter while various nude and semi-nude people dance around, apparently (you guessed it) for Satan. Alas, Will's will proves too strong for the dark side to claim him as well, and he escapes, only to find himself back at the site of the original car accident.

If you think it all sounds rather confusing so far, keep in mind that, for the sake of brevity and comprehension, I've left out most of the really weird aspects of the film in the above summary. No, really.

But the most interesting thing about Nude for Satan is that it appears that this film was a major influence on The Rocky Horror Picture Show. We've got an innocent, upstanding couple, who find themselves stranded in a castle after experiencing car troubles, and are gradually seduced to a life of vice and debauchery by its bizarre inhabitants. There's a bedroom scene that matches Janet's breakdown ("But you did!") right down to the heavily blue- and red-gelled lighting. And the clincher comes at the end, when Peter and Susalyn exactly mirror Frank and Columbia's little frolic on the throne in RHPS's ballroom scene, immediately followed by what could certainly be called a "floor show." All in all, pretty much a must-see for the serious cult-movie fan. Say it with me again - "Nude for Satan." Hee. That never gets old.

*SPOILER ALERT* *SPOILER ALERT*

Rita Calderoni gets naked a lot in this movie. She has a great body. Other than that I can't think of any reason to see this movie. If I had a gallon of vodka then maybe I could have gotten into the swing of things. One confusing scene after another with Rita getting naked through most of it. God bless her for saving this movie from the dumpster.

So Rita and a doctor end up at a house that may be stuck in a timewarp or maybe it's the devil's summer home or not. I had a hard time figuring it out. They find doubles of themselves inside the house and other crazy things happen. Man oh man, where was my 12 pack of beer when I needed it? I'm sitting there trying desperately to figure out what's going on when I should have been just enjoying watching naked Rita. Wow, she looked good. She was in another headache movie called "Delirium" but wasn't naked nearly as often.

Rita naked rating: 10/10. Normal movie rating: 3/10.

Nuda per Satana, or Nude for Satan as it's more commonly known amongst English speaking audiences, starts late one night deep in the Italian countryside with Dr. William Benson (Stelio Candelli) on an emergency call when he is involved in a car accident, the owner of the other car is a woman named Susan Smith (Rita Calderoni) whom seems unconscious. Benson heads for a nearby Gothic castle where the strangeness begins. He sees a sinister butler (Renato Lupi) with a knife through his neck laughing for no apparent reason. Dr. Benson also finds a book about Satan & suddenly he sees Susan but she is dressed differently, uninjured & seems to answer to the name Evelyn. Meanwhile the next morning Susan regains consciousness & also heads for the Gothic looking castle. There she meets a guy in a cape & ask's if he knows who helped her, she also meets someone who looks like Dr. Benson but goes by the name of Peter. As times passes & the night draws on it seems that it was all a demonic plan to lure Dr. Benson & Susan to the castle & take part in a Satanic ritual, oh & their evil doubles are running around, or something like that.

This Italian production was edited, written & directed by Luigi Batzella & is as strange, bizarre & downright confusing as a film can be. The script has a decent central idea, I kept thinking that there is a good film in here somewhere trying to get out & unfortunately it never does. Nuda per Satana really is as confused & nonsensical as everyone who has seen it suggests which doesn't make for good entertainment. There is no coherent narrative, the dialogue is sparse & doesn't help anything, it's hard to tell who's who on occasion & the lame climax that just confuses things even more, features silly dancing by people painted different colours & will leave you puzzled & scratching you head, what's the point of watching this film? Not good Luigi, not good. I don't mind a surrealistic or a dream like quality to a film (especially fantasy/horror) but the constant weirdness & confusing plot that makes no sense really hurts the film, if Nuda per Satana could even be described as a film. The character's are stupid, I mean would you stick around a house where you witness someone stabbed to death & not even mention it? I've heard of politeness to your host but this is ridiculous! The final nail in Nuda per Satana's coffin is that it is also very boring & just doesn't engage the viewer.

Director Batzella gives the film a wonderful dream like surreal visual quality, it's just a shame the story is so lame. From the fantastic Gothic castle with it's richly furnished interior, bright reds & golds throughout. The lighting, the soft focus, the style & the editing tricks are all impressive & deserve to be in a better film. The gore is none existent, but there is a fair amount of nudity, sex & lesbianism.

Technically Nuda per Satana is nice, the impressive cinematography I've mentioned & try to watch it in full 2:35:1 widescreen the way it should be, the locations are suitably atmospheric but there is one scene in which Susan is attacked by a paper mache spider with pipe cleaner legs that has to be one of the worst looking special effects ever, it's truly embarrassing to watch! I mean it looks like a primary school art project that went horribly wrong! The acting is OK but nobody gets to do much.

Nuda per Satana in my opinion isn't a film, it's a collection of strange imagery that makes no sense when put together. I really have no reason to recommend this film except for it's lush visual style. Disappointing & not worth tracking down. I'll give it four stars for the visual splendour alone.

I made the mistake of brushing off this movie for years until Netflix made it easy to catch up on hard to find Italian films. When people call a film sleazy, I think of crude, cheap technicals, not plot or theme. The photography, lighting and art direction are astonishing in Nude For Satan. These elements alone are what makes this film worth seeing. The plot is incomprehensible but that doesn't matter. I watch Italian horror films for the visuals and the lavish art-house style. There is a level of artistry in even the cheapest Italian productions, with few exceptions. Rita Calderoni's nude body in nearly every scene is another inducement to watch NFS. She's utilized much better here and looks better than in Delirium.