The Devil Rides out

‘The Devil Rides Out is a British movie made by Hammer Film Productions in 1968.  In the United States it was released under the title ‘The Devils Bride’.  It is based on the 1934 novel by Dennis Wheatley.  It is only 96 minutes long which is relatively short by todays standards and was rated X which is the same as todays 18.  The movie was reviewed in 1993 by the BBF and was given a rating of 15.

The movie was first proposed in 1963 but the making of it only took place four years later.  This was due to censorship worries over Satanism.  The movie revolves around a satanic cult and also makes references to black magic.  Production finally began on the 7th of August 1967.

Christopher Lee, plays a French nobleman Duc Nicholas De Riheleau living in the English countryside.   After the arrival  of his friend Rex Van Ryn (Leon Greene)  and Simon Aron (Patrick Mower) the plot centers around his concern for Simon and his bizarre behavior.  His concern is justified as unless he can save his friend, Simon will lose his soul to Satan within 3 days.  Drastic measures are required.  This is a story of the battle between the good and the forces of evil.

Satanic images and red flames accompany the opening credits.  Both the credits and movie are shot in colour .  The filming is quite shaky in parts following the cast as if walking alongside them bringing us closer into the movie.

Rex Van Ryn arrives on what appears to be a summers day.  Its not dark and foggy as you would expect of a horror but blue skies and tweeting birds.  By contrast when they arrive at Simons house its dark.  The long shot of the house and the dramatic music give it a sinister appearance.  Inside the house its again lit quite brightly with a gathering of the ‘astronomical society’ accompanying Simon.  Greetings and introductions are made though it soon becomes clear things are not as they seem as they are asked to leave.  Its made clear to the audience that 13 guests only should be present and that doesn’t include them.  Before they leave Nicholas wanders around the guests.  They come from all different countries , a very strange group for the English countryside!  On their way to the door they make a detour to the observatory .  The eerie music that starts and stops suddenly accompanys the discovery of hidden chickens.  ‘chickens in a basket, signs on the floor! Does this mean something to you?’ asks Rex ‘it means Simon here is playing the most dangerous game to mankind!’ Nicholas tells!  The game is up!  The astronomical society is not that at all.

Drastic action must be taken and with one punch square on Simons chin they kidnap him and make their escape.  The light reflecting off the mirror reflected directly into  Simons face as he’s being hypnotized is accompanied with slow chimes giving even this harmless scene a sinister feel.  Simon in a trance has a cross placed around his neck and sent to rest.  Hocus Pokus, mumbo jumbo, black majic!  Rex is mocking of their discovery but as Nicholas explains the camera shot zooms into his face showing the seriousness and severity of his words.  He leans forward in his chair to emphasise his words ‘the power of darkness is more than just a superstision it’s a living force that can be tapped into at any given moment  of the night’!  A shot out of the window shows us its late at night and deep menacing music begins.  Simons eyes open suddenly and he begins to choke himself with the chain of the pendant.  The music gets louder and louder then stops suddenly as the  Butler enters.  The pendant is removed and Simon escapes.

A contrast from the bright daytime shot that opened this movie the lighting is now dim causing eerie shadows.  The menacing music accompanies the two as they search Simons house for him.  The clock chimes in the background as they slowly move up to the observatory making it feel creepy.  The air gets colder.  As they walk through the door the music is quiet and as they look around it fades out completely.  It gives the game away that nothing scary is going to happen here.

Nicholas is very knowledgable about black magic and continues to explain their rituals step by step to Rex.  The temperature drops, the loud music begins and smoke starts to come out of the sign on the floor. The lights dim and a figure appears in front of them.  ‘Don’t look him in the eyes’ !  Rex fails to follow this advice and begins to walk stiffly as if being controlled towards the figure.  By throwing the pendant onto the sign on the floor the spell is broken and the figure disappears. The lights come back on and they run for their lives.

If Rex thought it was nonsense before he is now a believer.  Nicholas  continues to explain their rituals and how at risk Simon is.   Macata is a master of the highest grade has Simon in his hands!  The baptism of Simon is to take place in just 24 hours and after that he will be lost forever.  They must find the girl.  Rex must take Tanith to a safe place as Nicholas  researches occult literature.

A bright sunny day once again with the sounds of birds and the approaching car with Rex and Tanith.  As Rex greets their hosts Tanith escapes in his car.  With the dramatic statement ‘I must take your car, Simons life depends on it’ Rex gives chase.  Eerie chimes and Macatas voice inside her head tell Tanith not to worry she will escape and Rex crashes his car.  He has though managed to find where they are gathering. 

The light is beginning to fade and loud drums and crashing cymbols begin as the sadanists begin their baptism.  Simon and Tanith stand near by as a goat is sacrifced.  The others cheer as its blood begins to flow.  They dance wildly and drink what we assume is its blood.  Dressed all in white they are easy to see in the clearing in the forest and our heroes watch them from the trees.. Tamith and Simon watch in a bewildered state watched over by Macata. 

The Devil appears behind a screen of smoke and their baptism begins.  If only there was some light Nicholas says in a dramatic fashion and with that they shine the car headlights on the gathering. Devil disappears with a puff of smoke and dramatic flash.  In the confusion that follows wild punches are thrown and Simon and Tamith are rescued.

As Macata arrives to take back Tanith and Simon his plan is foiled and he leaves empty handed warning that something more sinister will return that night.  Preperations are made for when darkness comes. A storm brews.

 The lights dim and the wind howls outside. A giant spider is used to terrify our heroes as they stay protected within the circle.  The angel of death is sent to claim them all.  Close ups of the rearing horses hooves make us feel Simons fear as he lays looking up at them.  The angel of deaths face is revealed and Nicholas shouts a chant that makes it disappear. 

As Rex arrives with a dead Tanith the twist is revealed.  The dark angel didn’t leave with her but a sleeping child that was upstairs.  Using psychic and medium powers Nicholas is able to find out where she is.  As they race to save the child they find her about to be sacrificed in another ceremony.  As the child is about to be killed the spirit of tanith comes through Marie and halts the ceremony.  She guides the child in a chant that has the place erupting in flames.  Macata is taken and the child is saved.  Not just the child though as Tanith is also spared and returns to the living., The music is light and gentle and this time it really is all over.

In terms of special effects the technology we know today was not around at the making of this movie.  The music is strongly used to add tension and fear.   The relatively new green screen technology was used to help create the magical images    and the scenes in the car. The use of editing, reversing the film, and tight shots were used in scenes such as the spider scene and the the Angel of Death and helped make them frightening.

CREW;

Director – Terence Fisher, Screenplay – Richard Matheson, Based on the Novel by Dennis Wheatley, Producer – Anthony Nelson Keys, Photography – Arthur Grant, Music – James Bernard, Music Supervisor – Philip Martell, Special Effects – Michael Stalner-Hutchins, Supervising Art Director – Bernard Robinson. Production Company – Hammer/Seven Arts.

CAST;

Christopher Lee (Duc Nicholas de Richleau), Charles Gray (Mocata), Leon Greene (Rex Van Ryn), Niké Arrighi (Tanith Carlyle), Patrick Mower (Simon Aron), Sarah Lawson (Marie Eaton), Paul Eddington (Richard Eaton), Rosalyn Landor (Peggy Eaton)

The Ring

Based on the novel by Koji Suzuki, the psychological horror film ‘The Ring’ is a remake of the 1998 Japanese horror film ‘Ring’.  Dreamworks released ‘The Ring’ in 2002 and made $8.3 million dollars in its first two weeks.  Directed by Gore Verbinski the movie was a critical and commercial success.

A house stands alone on a dark and stormy night!  A predictable and classic beginning to a horror movie.  Inside the house two cute teenage girls, Becca and Katie, hang out.  They discuss the legend of a cursed video tape.  A video with such power that whoever views it dies seven days later! Katie admits to Becca that she has seen it and that even worse she’d seen it seven days ago!  Becca teases her and the girls fool around and laugh it off though Katie is obviously freaked out by it. 

Inevitably Katie does not get to see the 8th day! Flickering lights, white noise, the television switching itself on and off by itself, Eerie sound effects and Katies heavy breathing ensure that by the time Becca witnesses Katies horrific death, we, the audience, are on the edge of our seats.

Becca is being treated in a psychiatric ward and the focus of the movie moves to Katies funeral and her young cousin Aiden Keller.  Its dark outside and the rooms inside Katies house are dimly lit.  Outside Katies friends speak to Aidens mother, Rachel Keller, and the video and its curse is revealed once more! 

After some investigation into the existence of such a video Rachel finally gets her hands on a copy.  We watch with her as the tape begins.  The white noise grabs her attention, the strange images that seem to make no sense, the macabre content and sinister feel of the video has her confused and desperately trying to work out the meaning of these strange and unconnected images.  The phone rings …..’you will die in 7 days’. 

The legend lives on as Rachel shows the video to her x husband Noah. Disbelieving at first his own distorted image on  photographs since viewing the video has him convinced.  As their frantic investigation into the content of the video begins a small boy sits in front of a television screen and presses play on the video player.  Rachel is now fighting against time to save herself, Noah and now her own son Aidens life too.

As the story unravels we are completely mislead to believe the video is a cry for help from the spirit of a small girl called Samara Morgan. Her mother Anna Morgan who has had numerous miscarriages was desperate for a child though was a troubled soul and a patient in a psychiatric hospital.  Noah travels to the hospital to find Annas medical records and Rachel travels to the Morgan family home to speak to the father and husband Richard Morgan.

Here Rachel believes she finds out the truth and the reason for the video. A child loved by her mother but not by her father locked in the barn kept awake at night by noisy horses.  A mother so distraught by events she needs psychiatric help and is sent away with her daughter to a hospital.  Driven mad she later kills her own daughter and throws her body in the well.  The girl doesn’t die however and remains trapped, scared and alone in a deep dark place for seven days.  The childs body is recovered from the well and taken away for burial.  Noah and Rachel sit together relieved and happy to be alive. The discovery of this terrible secret and poor Samaras body sets both Rachel and Samara free and Rachel begins her 8th day!

We all begin to breathe easy, the puzzle has been solved.  As Rachel and Noah begin to relax so too does the audience.  The cold realization that its not over yet doesn’t only have Rachel filled with terror and fear but every viewer too. ‘what did you do that for’?  is not the expected response from Aiden as his mother tells him Samara is safe now and all will be well.  The look of horror on his face and the realization begins to sink in that this is not over.

As Rachel races to warn Noah the video begins to play in his apartment.  The television turns itself on which gets his attention and he watches intently as Samara walks closer and closer to the screen.  As she moves from the video into the real world, our world, the evil truth is revealed.  Rachel arrives too late, Noah does not reach his 8th day!

The truth slowly dawns on Rachel as she desperately tries to work out why she survived and Noah didn’t.  The audience also rack our brains for an explanation, could it be that she was spared because she released Samara?  No, it was simply because she made a copy of the video.  As she helps Aiden do the same it slowly dawns on him, and us, that this will never be over.

Throughout the entire film the lighting is dark and dim.  Even in the middle of the day there is rain or fog or dark clouds.  The colour is muted adding to the menacing feel of the movie.  The music is tense and slow with a low base tone to it which changes the mood of a scene instantly.  The most tense scenes are mostly silent, keeping the audience holding their breath and tense with the suspense of knowing something is about to happen. 

This movie isn’t an outright scary or gory movie though there are those ‘jump out of your skin’ moments, but is more subtle building up suspense and giving us smaller frights.  The fly coming out of the screen, the sudden phone ringing, the viewing of the video all are not very frightening on their own but within the context of the movie gives you goosebumps.  The reaction of the horse to Rachel and its gory demise as it leaps off the ferry, and the evil face of  Samara, and the distorted face of the deceased Noah provide us with plenty of visual horrors and add to the overall disturbing nature of this movie. 

The main characters have you hooked from the beginning. Rachel a feisty independent single mother.  A strong woman determined and brave. Noah her x husband by contrast more laid back and easy going.  And Aiden, an intense boy with wide dark eyes and solem face.  With the ability to see into the other world and draw events before they happen. Samara is virtually colourless, her skin so pale and her hair and eyes dark.  A pretty girl who looks vulnerable and lost at first but looking closer her slow movements and long lifeless hair give her a menacing look.  When she shows her true self in the scene with Noah  there is no sign of that lost child only evil.

An award winning movie and a legend that lives on …..

The cast:

* Naomi Watts as Rachel Keller

* Daveigh Chase as Samara Morgan

* Martin Henderson as Noah Clay

* David Dorfman as Aidan Keller

* Brian Cox as Richard Morgan

* Jane Alexander as Dr. Grasnik

* Amber Tamblyn as Katie Embry

* Lindsay Frost as Ruth Embry

* Rachael Bella as Rebecca 'Becca'

* Shannon Cochran as Anna Morgan

* Richard Lineback as Innkeeper

* Pauley Perrette as Beth

* Sara Rue as Babysitter

* Sasha Barrese as Teen Girl

* Adam Brody as Teen Boy