Truly Dreadful Film

Tied for the best movie I have ever seen

not as good as all the hype

It is an exhilarating, distressing, funny and profound film, with one of the more memorable film scores in years,

TO THE DEVIL A DAUGHTER, another Hammer adaptation of a Dennis Wheatley novel, is one of the most maligned films put out by the studio. It's well known as their final horror film, one which flopped and helped to sink them, but at the same time I find it unusually effective. Sure, the storyline is a little garbled here and there and there are issues with THAT ending, but for the most part this is a neat little '70s devil worship thriller.You have to feel sorry for Hammer. For decades they'd ruled the box office at home and abroad with their full-blooded Gothic horror movies, but by the '70s audiences were turning to the likes of THE EXORCIST and THE OMEN for their scares. TO THE DEVIL A DAUGHTER imitates those films only semi-successfully, but it does have plenty of good stuff going for it.There's Christopher Lee, playing one of his sleaziest villains as a defrocked priest dedicated to bringing Satan back to this world, alongside Denholm Elliott who does the "going out of his mind" schtick like few others. Richard Widmark's tough protagonist adds a slice of Hollywood talent to the mix, and a youthful Natassja Kinski shows she's inherited her father's skill for the acting craft. There's also a wonderful supporting cast that incorporates the likes of Anthony Valentine, the ever-lovely Honor Blackman, Michael Goodliffe in his last film appearance, and even TV's Brian Wilde into the mix.Director Peter Sykes was a seasoned Hammer veteran by this stage and he invests his production with plenty of eerie and creepy moments which don't disappoint. Yes, those scenes with the "demon baby" might be bad taste, but then so is a lot of stuff both from this genre and this decade. TO THE DEVIL A DAUGHTER is an oddity indeed, a Hammer Horror film that actually feels like a tough, contemporary Hollywood thriller and is all the better for it.

This Horror Movie is much Better than it Ought to be Considering its Troubled Production. Hammer Studios was in Dire Straits and this was the One that was going to Save the Beloved British Studio. Although it made a Tidy Profit, it was Not to be.It was Hammer's Biggest Budget Movie, went on Multiple Locations, but it wasn't in the Tarot Cards as the Studio Closed it Doors just one Film Later (a non Horror Film, a remake of The Lady Vanishes).The Film has a Cast of well Knowns including Richard Widmark, Christopher Lee, Honor Blackman and Nastassja Kinski (her age is referenced anywhere from 15-17 depending on the source). This is Significant because the Actress has some Daring Sex Scenes.After Completion Chris Lee, Richard Widmark, and Author of the Source Material Dennis Wheatley all but Disowned the Movie. One can see why, but then again, it seems Like a bit of Insincere Embarrassment and Over Reaction.Sure it is Lurid, Gross, Bloody, and Disturbing in its Seventies Exploitation kind of way. After all, it was "The Exorcist" (1972) that made oodles of Money and Everyone, including the Cash Hungry Hammer were trying to Emulate. Even Today "The Exorcist" and this one are Lurid, Gross, Bloody, and Disturbing. So...What The?The Movie is Worth a Watch for a number of reasons and will Deliver the Goods to Horror Fans and Fangoria Types. It may not be as Good as its Inspirations but the Movie is Odd enough and Gory enough and with that Cast, it finds itself in Cult Film Status despite the Rushed and Disappointing Ending and the on the Set Bickering. It's a Nasty Bit of Business this, and a number of Things make it Interesting, and a Good Try for Hammer. It was just that Their Time was Up and Others would have to Carry On the Tradition. R.I.P. Hammer Horror.

Having achieved moderate success with its adaptation of The Devil Rides Out, Hammer returned to the Dennis Wheatley well for To The Devil A Daughter, with an established US name in tow to hopefully bolster transatlantic box office, in the shape of Richard Widmark (Christopher Lee would be the baddie on this occasion, having played the heroic Duc de Richlieu in the former offering).And, as with The Devil Rides Out, time has shown Wheatley's work - or, rather, the screen adaptations of them - to be rather turgid and tame. The plot centres around a young woman who is due to be converted into a conduit for evil by a rather unpleasant black magic ring, and Widmark plays the main hero trying to keep her safe, assisted by other less well informed types (ie. spearcarriers fated for nasty ends).The trouble is that much of the movie comprises the two factions jockeying for position - nothing much actually happens. And, when it does happen, it isn't very good. There is a "special effect" of an embryo thingie which is, frankly, ludicrous, and the final showdown involves a video negative/contrast effect, and then - oh, the baddie is gone. Simply disappeared. Not smashed to bits, sucked into a pit, consumed by the demons he was trying to summon - just gone. Talk about your anti climax.No, I'm afraid 35 years' distance doesn't make this a forgotten gem, it just reminds us that it wasn't very good to start off with, but it didn't matter because we didn't have the choice and we were much less demanding.Nastassia Kinski gets her kit off, by the way, and reminds us that fronts were fluffy in 1976.

To the Devil a Daughter (1976) *** (out of 4)At a book signing, occult novelist John Verney (Richard Widmark) is asked by a father (Denholm Elliott) to track down his daughter Catherine Nastassja Kinski). At first John thinks that the father is mixed up with the occult but it turns out that a Catholic priest (Christopher Lee) is wanting to use the girl in order to become Astaroth.TO THE DEVIL A DAUGHTER would turn out to be Hammer's final movie (for a time) and it was a notorious flop that pretty much ruined the studio. I first watched this movie around a decade ago and I really thought it was bad. I thought it was a poor imitation of ROSEMARY'S BABY and that it was trying to cash in on countless Satanic films that were popular throughout the decade. There were elements to it that I liked so that's the reason I decided to revisit the film and this second time around I must admit that it worked on me.With that being said, it's easy to see why so many people have such mixed reactions to the picture. Some call it a stellar horror film while others see it as a botched effort for the studio to try and do something serious. I think all of the elements are here for a classic film but it does fall a bit short of that. Having said that, there are still a lot of very good elements here including the fact that it's a very good looking film that manages to hold your attention throughout.The Satanic elements have been done countless times before and there's not too many new things here but I think the film succeeds because of the atmosphere and the slow-burn pacing. It's funny but the first time I watched the picture I attacked it for its pacing but this second viewing had it working a lot better and I'm guessing it was because I was expecting it. I thought the film was rather brave at being slow-paced because by 1976 people were expecting things a lot faster so to have a film that takes its time was unique.I also thought that the performances were wonderful with Widmark, Lee, Kinski and Elliott delivering extremely work. I thought Widmark did a really good job playing the type of tough guy that he was known for. Kinksi also deserves a lot of credit for her performance and Elliott steals the picture every time he's on the screen. Many people attack the ending, although experts in the field will tell you that the happenings would be destroyed so easily. That's fine but I think for the film it needed something a bit better.TO THE DEVIL A DAUGHTER is a film that stirs a lot of debate and I can understand why as I've both hated it and grew to enjoy it.