"Spectre" is one of my guilty pleasures.
**SPOILERS**
Dr. Hamilton, (Robert Culp) visits his old friend Sebastian, (Gig Young) a private detective, at his request to help out on a weird case that he can't figure out. With both being expert criminal psychologists, they are intrigued by the case, even when Annie, (Ann Bell) their reason for the meeting, visits them to cancel their appointment. This makes them even more curious when it turns out the woman is a succubus, a mini-demon made to lead men astray for lust. They head to London on the case, not battered by the strange coincidence they witnessed when they left. When they land in London, they are witnesses to a strange event: an old friend of Sebastian's is found, clawed to death in the middle of a pentacle inside of a fire threatening to destroy his library. Taken back to Mitri's (John Hurt) house, Annie's brother, they discover that she was right all along about a weird force possessing her brother and they use their combined knowledge to put an end to the whole affair.
The Good News: This is one of my favorite films, but it falls into the category of a guilty pleasure. It is quite different from the other occult films made at the same time. This is a Hammer film that isn't made by Hammer, if that makes any sense. The large interiors, the Gothic designs of the buildings, the style and flair in the camera movements, and a mysterious first half joined by an action-packed second half. That latter reason maybe the real reason why I like this movie. Almost every single event in the beginning of the movie is a creepy event, but one mainly bears repeating. When they arrive at the burning house, they hear a strange demonic growling coming from inside the house, so they lock the door and get inside the pentacle. Once inside, they see an animal-ish hand break slowly into the room, then the door flies open and a monstrous form is seen standing in the doorway, obscured by fog. It growls some more and then finally it disappears. That was a great scene, and it only mildly beats out other great scenes like the exploding dinner glasses, the breakaway guardrail and the gusts of wind in the bedroom scenes. The ending is the real highlight, as Dr. Hamilton and Sebastian confront the devil and his disciples in a large cave during one of their ceremonies. Just about everything in the scene is a real pleasure to watch. We get everything in the scene: creepy sets, lavish photography, lots of action, and a few twists and turns. Add to that an ancient Druid ceremony and an appearance by the devil, which looks like a lizard/turtle in human form. It looks completely freaky for the time, and it makes the scene seem better than it should.
The Bad News: There is only one thing that I can think of for people to not like this movie: there is no explanation given for why the events are happening. There is a flimsy explanation given that this is caused by a Druid ceremony, but there is no reason said why they are targeting the people in the film. There's no other else bad in the movie.
The Final Verdict: I'm surprised more people don't know about this movie, as it is a very entertaining film. There are plenty of winks to Hammer films, and this one came in right at the end of their reign. It is recommended for those who love Hammer films and the type that came out at that time, and for those who love seeing an obscure Druid/occult film.
Today's Rating: R: Occult themes, Violence, sexual content and imagery and Nudity
**SPOILERS**
Dr. Hamilton, (Robert Culp) visits his old friend Sebastian, (Gig Young) a private detective, at his request to help out on a weird case that he can't figure out. With both being expert criminal psychologists, they are intrigued by the case, even when Annie, (Ann Bell) their reason for the meeting, visits them to cancel their appointment. This makes them even more curious when it turns out the woman is a succubus, a mini-demon made to lead men astray for lust. They head to London on the case, not battered by the strange coincidence they witnessed when they left. When they land in London, they are witnesses to a strange event: an old friend of Sebastian's is found, clawed to death in the middle of a pentacle inside of a fire threatening to destroy his library. Taken back to Mitri's (John Hurt) house, Annie's brother, they discover that she was right all along about a weird force possessing her brother and they use their combined knowledge to put an end to the whole affair.
The Good News: This is one of my favorite films, but it falls into the category of a guilty pleasure. It is quite different from the other occult films made at the same time. This is a Hammer film that isn't made by Hammer, if that makes any sense. The large interiors, the Gothic designs of the buildings, the style and flair in the camera movements, and a mysterious first half joined by an action-packed second half. That latter reason maybe the real reason why I like this movie. Almost every single event in the beginning of the movie is a creepy event, but one mainly bears repeating. When they arrive at the burning house, they hear a strange demonic growling coming from inside the house, so they lock the door and get inside the pentacle. Once inside, they see an animal-ish hand break slowly into the room, then the door flies open and a monstrous form is seen standing in the doorway, obscured by fog. It growls some more and then finally it disappears. That was a great scene, and it only mildly beats out other great scenes like the exploding dinner glasses, the breakaway guardrail and the gusts of wind in the bedroom scenes. The ending is the real highlight, as Dr. Hamilton and Sebastian confront the devil and his disciples in a large cave during one of their ceremonies. Just about everything in the scene is a real pleasure to watch. We get everything in the scene: creepy sets, lavish photography, lots of action, and a few twists and turns. Add to that an ancient Druid ceremony and an appearance by the devil, which looks like a lizard/turtle in human form. It looks completely freaky for the time, and it makes the scene seem better than it should.
The Bad News: There is only one thing that I can think of for people to not like this movie: there is no explanation given for why the events are happening. There is a flimsy explanation given that this is caused by a Druid ceremony, but there is no reason said why they are targeting the people in the film. There's no other else bad in the movie.
The Final Verdict: I'm surprised more people don't know about this movie, as it is a very entertaining film. There are plenty of winks to Hammer films, and this one came in right at the end of their reign. It is recommended for those who love Hammer films and the type that came out at that time, and for those who love seeing an obscure Druid/occult film.
Today's Rating: R: Occult themes, Violence, sexual content and imagery and Nudity