TO THE DEVIL A DAUGHTER (1976)
So here were are, at the end. In many ways the later years of the Hammer Horror cycle are a fascinating time in the studio's history. On the one hand they clearly wanted to have fun and play it fast and loose with established ideas... so the results are things like Captain Kronos. If only there were more movies released in that vein. On the other hand the pressure was now on to compete with The Exorcist and everything that followed once genre expectations were forever changed... which meant no fun was allowed. Evil children were in and period pieces were out. Which would be less of a problem if this particular story of blood rituals and sinister cults made more sense.
In the first of several flashbacks Father Raynor (Christopher Lee) decides not to recant his heretical beliefs about the power of mankind. As the story jumps forward two decades he looks exactly the same for some reason; just the first of many unexplained powers that the priest seems to have acquired over the years. However, when things really get started his lack of ageing is the least of the film's issues. Since his expulsion from the Catholic Church he's set up his own religious group in Bavaria, which from the outside contains all the usual priests and nuns. Of course from the start it's clear that the 'Children of Our Lord' have some rather peculiar iconography at their altar.
Meanwhile sensationalist author John Verney (Richard Widmark) has, coincidentally, just released his latest book about Satanism. He seems to be in this all for the money rather than the prestige, or any higher cause. Still, he's someone that twitchy ex-devil worshipper Henry (Denholm Elliot) desperately wants to talk to. Although he's just a writer Henry seems to think that he should be the one to protect his daughter Catherine (Nastassja Kinski) from the plans of his old friends, including Raynor. But things are already in motion at a private clinic where a strange birth is taking place. John is clearly powerless to do anything about the scheme, or the apparent psychic link Catherine has with the pregnancy.
It's the first of many rituals and bizarre moments that seem to involve Catherine seeing or doing things thanks to hypnosis or trance-like states. The problem is that many of these inclusions are explored through flashbacks and hallucinations that seem to be here for shock value alone. Catherine's bare chest and Raynor's bare posterior are among the many sinister visions on offer, thanks to sequences involving sexual black magic and monstrous C-sections. Golden idols and circles of blood are at least visually arresting and there are some good shot compositions. But a lot of the time it's just kind of awkward when blood and nudity are clearly here to try and make up for a lack of atmosphere and real chills.
That being said the first act does at least get off to a good start. The naturalistic photography and lack of music can sometimes be a little dry, but there's a sense that they're at least trying to take things seriously. The cast is also pretty solid with Lee and Elliot being backed by Honor Blackman and Michael Goodliffe, even if they don't get that much to do. There's even a small part for Derek Francis as a Catholic Bishop; tying this back to the earlier days of the Hammer canon. Cameos from Frances de la Tour (Rising Damp) and Brian Wild (Porridge) on the other hand are a little puzzling given their sitcom connections, but at least it lends certain scenes a sense of personality.
Unfortunately the face of evil, or the personification of Astaroth if you prefer, is portrayed by some kind of muppet. A lot of odd moments could be overlooked if the special effects involved were more compelling, or if the creature itself was seen less. However, it's shown on screen in more than one of Catherine's visions, detracting from the sinister nature of the human beings involved. The best moments involve Henry losing his marbles or clinic staff doing unspeakable things - rather than anything outlandish. Although it has to be said that the one truly great scene in the story involves Raynor tricking Henry into seeing a snake through the power of Satanic suggestion, and thankfully it's a real reptile.
But that brings us back to the weaker elements and Father Raynor himself. As I mentioned briefly before his powers, and weaknesses, are never explained and they're never consistent. Lee is a confident screen presence as usual but the writing is less convincing. Sometimes he appears as a blinding flash of light, sometimes he can make Catherine do his bidding through a pendant and a sinister altar. Sometimes he can just do it without these items. But he's often undone by odd things like broken mirrors, and at the end of the film his downfall is also weirdly vague. It's no surprise that the film-makers didn't stick to the source material and a revised ending was planned but never produced.
The overall mystery is engrossing enough and the ensemble is good, so it's a shame that the script, the pacing, and the hand puppets are so lacklustre. In an ideal plot they would have focused on the two leads more; Raynor the man of real faith, a true believer in his work, against Verney the materialist. The latter is well read but is clearly not working for the good of mankind. Early on he thinks that looking after Catherine will be good for another best-selling story, but the idea is never explored. Meanwhile Father Raynor's break from Christianity could have been developed further, particularly with so many flashbacks to his past.
Ultimately the film looks pretty slick and some of the horror set pieces are interesting. But it's often just too vague and too dull, with occasional moments of murder or bare skin failing to make it exciting or spooky. And yes, the outcome is that evil was defeated by a rock; John Verney might explain it differently, but that's basically how it goes down. The style of the film and the cast suggests it could be something like The Omen, which of course came out the same year. But while that was a real suspense story with a lasting pop-culture impact this is all just strangely tepid; a real mixed bag of ideas noted for being the final film in the studio's main era.
2/5
BONUS REVIEW
THE LOST CONTINENT (1968)
Meanwhile it seems apparent that the studio was interested in Dennis Wheatley's other work beyond the occult. This time around they even go as far a showing a copy of one of his books on screen, however, it's hard to say how faithful this adaptation is. The reason is that after the first act or so this turns into what is perhaps one of the weirdest, and certainly funniest of Hammer's adventure stories. The title might be reminiscent of the Amicus yarn The Land that Time Forgot, but if there's a lost island involved they barely show it. Instead it's about a group of Spanish zealots (glimpsed in a flash forward opening) living inside a wrecked fleet for centuries after becoming lost in a strange region filled with monsters.
However, the fist half of the story concerns a present day transport ship filled with suspicious characters. There's a drunk, a fugitive, and a disgraced doctor aboard, while the captain himself (Eric Porter) is smuggling a cargo of volatile chemicals. This unsavoury band all have desperate reasons not to get off the ship or return to port, even when a storm is forecast. Eventually the crew (including a brief but typical role for Michael Ripper) mutiny because of the danger involved, leaving the rogues gallery of guests to fend for themselves. Which wouldn't be so bad if the pacing wasn't so odd, mainly thanks to the way they take so long to abandon ship... only to get back aboard after the hurricane.
Of course this is all just a prelude to the 'lost continent' chapter of the film. Here they wheel out a lot of outlandish period costumes and some of the most peculiar rubber monsters ever put on screen. Simple shark attacks give way things like killer seaweed (or are they tentacles?) and giant crabs (or are they nightmare fuel?). Elsewhere people in conquistador helmets use giant snow-shoes and personal balloons to navigate a swamp which is funny every time they appear. The actual colony is barely explored because the narrative takes so long to get to it, which is a big problem. But it's often just so bizarre in the third act that it's hard not to be entertained.
It's a strange affair that seems to have taken inspiration from multiple sources, feeling like more than one unfinished script. They spend so much time at sea as characters act like selfish jerks trying to avoid talking about their shady pasts, and some are clearly monster bait. Doctor's daughter Unity (Suzanna Leigh) seems obsessed with sleeping with people aboard just to spite her father, while troubled thief Eva (Hildegard Knef) is on the run from a dangerous marriage. It can be forgiven a little once the strange religious robes and rituals of boy king 'The Supremo' (Darryl Read) appear, but it takes way too long for the explosive cargo be used. Still, while it's by no means Hammer's best effort in the genre the results are pretty watchable.
3/5
