Somewhat oddly, I haven't come across many medieval horror flicks over the last year or so. Not like it's a huge genre or anything, but still. I think Devil's Possessed may be my first. It's a Spanish effort starring Paul Naschy as (the) Baron Gilles de Lancre. Many years ago, he was a noble and fair man, but because of some dabblings in the occult - as well as the (evil) influence of his (evil) wife - he's turned into an enemy of the people. For years now, the Baron has been collecting unfair taxes, ruling the peasants with an iron fist, and turning a blind eye to the pillaging done by his royal army.
Plus, he is mad with power, and will stop at nothing to rule all of the land. He's decided the only way he can do this is to turn lead into gold (of course). So his wife puts him in touch with the greatest alchemist in all the land. The alchemist tells the Baron that he must sacrifice maidens in a series of elaborate rituals. You get the idea that this alchemist guy is probably full of it, but the Baron doesn't catch on. So a-sacrificin' he goes.
Meanwhile, one of the Baron's former army buddies (named Gaston de Malebranche) has just been freed from an enemy captor after many years. He returns home and is shocked and disgusted to see what the Baron has turned the city into. Gaston stumbles into a rebellion being planned... the lower class is fed up with the Baron's evil ways and is going to fight back. And Gaston is not only a noble man, but also a great fighter. There is a *little* bit of tension here - will Gaston side with the peasants or his old friend the Baron? Actually, the Baron helps make that decision when he tries to have Gaston killed on his first night back in town. So, in a Robin Hood-esque maneuver, Gaston joins the rebellion against his old friend.
So, doesn't really sound like much of a horror film, does it? Well, it is on the Pure Terror budget set, and while the plot just sounds like your standard good vs. evil thing, there's some okay cult horror stuff thrown in there. You see, the maiden sacrifices take place in a big, mostly torn down cathedral, and have the feel of a (cheap) satanic cult film, with hanging black sheets adorned with stars made out of electric tape. Plus, at one point the alchemist tells the king to cut off a dude's head, and the head will tell him the future. So he does - it's not super gruesome or anything, but there are more decapitated head shots here than in any other Robin Hood-ish movie I've ever seen. That, and you get several visits to the Baron's torture chamber... I think that's enough to count The Devil's Possessed as a horror film.
And while there's hardly any comedy in the film, there are still some fun moments. Naschy is an engaging presence, even though his character is rather inconsistent. (When the alchemist tells him what he must do to make gold, he gasps and says "anything but murder!" But then he turns around and sentences completely innocent people to their deaths.) Probably the highlight of the film (other than the afore mentioned cult scenes) is the big sword fight in the end. They do a really terrible job getting a double for Naschy. I'm not saying he's in bad physical condition or anything, but his double during the fight is way skinnier and can do all sorts of crazy flips and stuff. It's pretty comical. Also, Guillermo Bredeston is good as Gaston. He's a likable hero in the ultra-dashing, noble, and gregarious mold - he's maybe a little cheesy, but fun nonetheless. And I've always been a sucker for scenes where the outsider (Gaston here) has to prove his meddle to the doubting members of his new group (the rebels), and the one here is good. (It has Gaston shooting another guys arrow out of the air, for instance.)
I guess the pacing of the film leaves a bit to be desired, and on the whole the story is pretty predictable. While it's never really boring or anything, I would have liked one or two surprises or a little more action to liven things up. And generally speaking, The Devil's Possessed doesn't look all that great. It's capably shot, but just has a pretty drab overall look. (Surely the transfer of the Pure Terror Budget set isn't doing it any favors.)
But overall, it was a decent way to kill an hour and a half. If you were watching a bunch of medieval films, I'm not sure this one would rank very high. But for me, it was a nice change of pace.
I would probably recommend this film.
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