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Nude for SatanAs Dr William Benson (Stelio Candelli) – the name seems to recalls Poe's William Wilson – races to see a patient on an archetypal 'dark and stormy night' a woman suddenly appears in front of him… Swerving to avoid her, he crashes. Getting his bearings, he hears a crash behind him. Another vehicle, driven by an attractive young woman, later identified as Susan Smith (Rita Calderoni), has met with an identical fate. (Curiously the woman in the car is the spitting image of the woman on the road bar her clothing, though this goes unremarked.) Leaving Susan in his car, Benson goes to the nearby mansion to get help. The groundsman, who looks very similar to a man Benson had earlier asked fore directions says he cannot leave his post, then vanishes in an instant. As Benson knocks on the door all the lights upstairs go out, yet no one comes to answer. Entering, Benson finds the place dilapidated. In one room lies a servant with a knife through his neck who then gets up and laughs. In another is a book that hints of black magic. Benson then comes upon a creepy portrait – or is it – depicting a woman Calderoni in period dress. The groundsman, now seeming more like the lord of the manor, reappears, then disappears once more. The Reincarnation of Isabel Rita then enters and, identifying herself as Evelyn – who Came out of the Grave, perhaps – throws herself upon Benson, whom she (mis)recognise as Peter… The next morning – it seems the easiest way to gloss it when 'time is out of joint' – Susan arrives at the mansion. Her experiences broadly mirror those of Benson, except for her the place is in immaculate condition and she sees his period alter-ego in the portrait and then the flesh. Again he, or rather Peter, seems to know her, or rather Evelyn… It continues in this manner for a while until, finally, the real Benson and Susan manage to connect and the denizens of the place reveal why they were brought – or came – here… Apparently Nude for Satan was seen by only a few hundred people on its original 1974 Italian release, before being hidden away in the vaults for a quarter-century prior to its rediscovery and home format re-release. While not a lost classic, it's also odd that the film should have fared so poorly. If nothing else it delivers the exploitation goods, with plentiful female nudity and a couple of 'lesbian' scenes from Calderoni and Iolanda Mascitti, the latter playing a servant girl. One would also think that Calderoni's presence would have given a certain marquee value and cult cachet, both in her own right and as a reminder of the unseen hand of Renato Polselli. Not, however, that credited director Luigi Batzella's is a completely unknown quantity either, also having the notorious Beast in Heat to his name. Maybe his penchant for pseudonyms – Paolo Solvay, Ivan Kathansky etc. – had something to do with it, but then again aren't eurocult fans well versed in working their way through these? Perhaps the root of the film's box office failure lies in its attempts to be all things to all people, or at least the art and exploitation/eurotrash crowds. While there is some very nice use of filters, superimpositions and in-camera effects to create an impressively dreamlike atmosphere, there is also too much that appears self-conscious and forced. In particular, the film-makers have an annoying tendency to over-play their hand, signifying 'important' details via shock zooms and sudden noises on the soundtrack in a THIS IS IMPORTANT, THIS IS MEANINGFUL, THIS MEANS THAT way, rather than leaving it for the viewer to make their own sense of things. Likewise Alberto Baldan Bembo's score is by turns engaging and annoying, simple piano refrains and wordless female vocals tussling with droning synthesisers and bongo noodling but rarely cohering into clear themes. The meaning of the tale? It all seems to be about doubles, the duality of masculine/feminine or yin/yang or anima/animus and the need for their reconciliation etc. That, and showing as much naked Calderoni as could be gotten away with… It's no Carnival of Souls or Castle of Blood, but I'd still rather watch Nude for Satan than Lost Highway or Mulholland Drive anyday. Redemption's Region 2 DVD of Nude for Satan presents the film in its original aspect ratio of 2.35:1, in Italian with optional English subtitles – though curiously the opening credits are in English. Not the greatest of transfers, with some compression artefacts evident in the darker scenes, the presentation is nevertheless infinitely better than either not being able to see the film, or only seeing it via an nth generation bootleg. The extras package comprises production and art galleries of ten and – count them – two images respectively; a Batzella filmography; trailers for the film (in English) and for The Reincarnation of Isabel and Sinful Nuns of Saint Valentine, and – why? – a music video for Italian goth-metal outfit Cadaveria. Alberto Baldan Bembo's score is by turns engaging and annoying as simple piano refrains and wordless female vocals tussle with droning synthesisers and bongo noodling, the elements rarely if ever cohering into clear musical themes. Copyright © K H Brown 2002-2005
Rating: 2.4 / 5 (10 votes) |
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