Mark of the Devil (1970) Movie Info
| Field | Details |
|---|---|
| Movie Name | Mark of the Devil (1970) |
| Director | Michael Armstrong, Adrian Hoven |
| Screenplay Writer | Michael Armstrong |
| Based on Novel by | — (Original screenplay) |
| Lead Actors | Herbert Lom, Udo Kier |
| Cast | Herbert Lom, Udo Kier, Olivera Katarina, Herbert Fux |
| Genre | Horror, Exploitation, Thriller |
| Release Date | February 19, 1970 (West Germany) |
| Duration | 1h 37m (97 minutes) |
| Budget | Low-budget exploitation film |
| Language | English / German |
| Country | West Germany |
| Box Office (Worldwide) | International cult success |
| IMDb Rating | ~6.1/10 |
| Notable For | Graphic torture scenes, “vomit bag” marketing gimmick, notorious cult status |
| Cult Status | One of the most infamous 70s exploitation horror films |
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A local magistrate and the church’s Witchfinder General torture people for fun and profit in the name of Jesus, during the dark ages. With different motivations, they illustrate what becomes of justice when a religion infects a government. We’re given the stories of three victims, as they struggle to exist in a world dominated by that fanatical blood cult called Christianity.
I like movies about the inquisition for a couple of reasons. I like seeing people tortured and murdered, and I like seeing them naked, and those usually all happen in a flick like this. The other reason is I enjoy the condemnation of the church, those bastards. This flick is pretty good on the first, really big on the second.
I don’t think any male main character was deserving of life in this flick, the sorry excuse for a good guy we’re given is a spineless little shit that only sees the truth of the inquisition when his girlfriend is sent to the torture chambers because the Witchfinder likes her rack.
Lack of a good character really makes it hard for me to like a movie, but this one was ok for all it was. Basically it was supposed to be a brutally gory torture-fest, they even gave out barf-bags when the movie made it’s rounds in the American theaters.
But in comparison to most your sadisto-horror flicks, it’s not so bad. The length and intensity of the screaming of the victim is more disturbing than the gore, which is kinda lame. If you were to compare the rack and the tongue removal scenes to the hook hanging scene in the original Texas Chainsaw Massacre, you’d likely find Mark of the Devil to be the least harsh.
Just the same, lots of good church-dissing going on, and the story isn’t bad if you can overlook the cheesiness. It’s hard to watch and not feel disgusted at the hypocrisy of the clergy, but then, isn’t the case now as well?
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