TotalTelly.co.uk

Devoted to Popular, Cult and Retro TV

To the Devil... A Daughter [1976] (REGION 1) (NTSC)


Our Price: £3.76 (subject to change)

Editorial
Amazon.co.uk Review

Hammer's To the Devil a Daughter was the last film made by the once great studio. Clearly ailing, Hammer again adapted a novel by Dennis Wheatley, the author behind one of their greatest successes, The Devil Rides Out (1967). Unfortunately for the studio, films such as Rosemary's Baby (1968) and The Exorcist (1973) had, in the intervening decade, radically changed horror cinema. With American star Richard Widmark echoing Gregory Peck's role in the far more polished The Omen (1976), the film seemed, rather than setting the pace as Hammer once had, to be very much jumping on the 1970's occult band-wagon. Christopher Lee is the satanic ex-communicated priest whose coven plan to incarnate the ancient demon Ashteroth, while a supernaturally beautiful Nastassja Kinski demonstrates the same willingness to disrobe as in Cat People (1982). Even so, this lacklustre, misogynistic film couldn't compete with Carrie and Suspiria (both also 1976) and Hammer thereafter concentrated on TV productions. Surprisingly, director Peter Sykes' next film, Jesus (1979), as well as being the most seen and internationally distributed film ever (with an audience of over two billion by 2000), is also the most faithful portrayal of Christ yet committed to celluloid. --Gary S. Dalkin


An anti-climactic swansong for Hammer horror
Review date: 2007-12-22 Rating: 6 out of 10

To the Devil a Daughter was Hammer's last horror film, but it makes for a less than grand slice of guignol and pales in comparison to their earlier Dennis Wheatley adaptation, The Devil Rides Out. Richard Widmark is the imported American star battling Christopher Lee's Satanist while trying to protect Nastassja Kinski from becoming host to a demon, but despite a few good scenes the film never really makes much of its premise and the ending is one of the biggest anticlimaxes in the history of horror.

The best part of it is the excellent documentary on Anchor Bay's Region 1 NTSC DVD, which is surprisingly frank about the film's shortcomings - including that non-ending - and Richard Widmark's tantrums on the set. Anchor Bay's transfer is also surprisingly good: unlike the cold and slightly shoddy looking TV prints, this really does David Watkins' cinematography a great service.

Similar Products

Reviews


Bad - but not in a good way....
Review date: 2003-09-21 Rating: 4 out of 10

Having read the brilliant novel by Dennis Wheatley (which has to be one of my faves), and being an avid horror fan, I was foaming at the lips when I just happened to stumble upon this while in the horror section. My excitement was completely dissolved on watching it - this is, quite simply, not a good film. It is bland, boring and totally deviates from Wheatley's novel (if they had stuck to his story then this would've been a Hammer masterpiece I'm sure). Instead what we have here is a third-rate "horror" movie with a story about as sturdy as a house of tarot cards. The script-writer clearly wanted to use Wheatley's title to reel in the audiences, but believe me when I say that this film just does not deliver the goods (or evils for that matter). I have given it two stars only because Christopher Lee is absolutely brilliant for whipping up an atmosphere and making an evil character really evil. Also I love the opening scenes when he's in the church and the camera scales up the giant figurine of Christ. I was expecting a great film but after the opening scenes with Lee this is PURE tedium. I found myself getting really impatient with it. Read the book - it rocks bigtime. But stay well away from this travesty of a horror film is all I can say.

Ken Russell's not the only one...
Review date: 2001-08-11 Rating: 6 out of 10

...to have a thing about nuns, as this Hammer outing starring pouty Nastassia Kinski proves. To the Devil A Daughter is not the best film Hammer ever made, but still a good showing. You can see the potential for brilliance with wonderful grey areas, but sadly it never quite happens. An abrupt and 'pat' ending doesn't help, but Lee is marvellous as always as the imposing and very naughty (alright, evil) Reverend. Nastassia Kinski's turn as the teenage nun is very wide-eyed and soft-voiced, but that's a good thing. There are some genuinely disturbing moments, particularly the flashback to the climatic 'ritual' sequence in which she is promised to the cult's god. Could have been better, but still a quirky, menacing film that more than deserves a look.

Product Details/Specifications


Actor(s):
Denholm Elliott
Richard Widmark
Michael Goodliffe
Christopher Lee
Honor Blackman

Creators:
Richard Widmark (Primary Contributor)
Christopher Lee (Primary Contributor)
David Watkin (Cinematographer)
John Trumper (Editor)
Roy Skeggs (Producer)
Christopher Wicking (Writer)
Dennis Wheatley (Writer)
Gerald Vaughan-Hughes (Writer)
John Peacock (Writer)

Director(s):

Recording label: Anchor Bay
Manufacturer: Anchor Bay
EAN: 0013131157390
Binding: DVD
Number of items: 1
Format: Colour, DVD-Video, NTSC, Widescreen,
Release date: 2002-10-08
Universal product code (UPC): 013131157390
Aspect ratio: 1.66:1
Region code: 1
Running time: 95 minutes
Theatrical release date: 1976-07
Language: English (Original Language)

Add to Cart

© 2006 Darren Hester, DesignsByDarren.com, Some Rights Reserved.
Valid XHTML 1.0 Transitional