Devil's Ecstasy (1976, US, Cyndee Summers, full movie, DVD)
371,551 98%
A woman gets word that mother has died, so she returns to family estate to claim her inheritance. She winds up getting involved in witchcraft, satanism, and lots of sex.
3 years ago
Devil's Ecstasy is an odd adult film and horror hybrid that came out from the early 70s burgeoning adult film industry. Directed by, the likely pseudonymous, Brandon G. Carter, Devil's Ecstasy appears to have gone through some likely unplanned transitions during production. There is a good chance that Devil's Ecstasy started out as a softcore movie that during production was changed to hardcore due to the waning softcore film industry at the time.
The signs of the change are most notable in the sex scenes. There are some sex scenes, with some of the leads, that were clearly shot for this film specifically. However, there are others that are clearly just hardcore inserts and likely don't have the principle cast in them at all. This is an indication that either these were shot later during post production or cast members involved didn't want to shoot hardcore when the production switched over.
The inserts cause an issue with the eroticism that Devil's Ecstasy tries to create. The inserts contain footage that is only gynecological close-ups so that the sexual participants can't be identified. This reviewer finds no eroticism in random body parts being inserted into other random body parts. The sex scenes that are shot for the film, where the cast members are identified and consist of more than just random body insertion footage aren't badly done at all. However, they are too few and too far between.
The film can be clunky in more than just the sex scenes. The story isn't bad, however, the viewer often gets the feeling that some of the key footage was either never shot or managed to get left on the cutting room floor. There isn't a huge amount of mystery to the viewer as to what is going on, due to how the film was edited. Despite the lack of surprise, the story is enjoyable and even with some key moments missing can keep the viewer entertained for the 73 minute run time.
The film does utilize some excellent locations and sets, which do add to the atmosphere of the film. The locations and sets are above average for this genre of film, also indicating that this was likely a softcore venture originally. The camera work is decent, except for the previously mentioned hardcore sexual insert footage.
Overall, Devil's Ecstasy is a unique adult film and horror hybrid that never truly works but still manages to be enjoyable. Most of the hardcore material that has been inserted into the film is a loss, however, the story, despite its issues, is enjoyable to watch.
The signs of the change are most notable in the sex scenes. There are some sex scenes, with some of the leads, that were clearly shot for this film specifically. However, there are others that are clearly just hardcore inserts and likely don't have the principle cast in them at all. This is an indication that either these were shot later during post production or cast members involved didn't want to shoot hardcore when the production switched over.
The inserts cause an issue with the eroticism that Devil's Ecstasy tries to create. The inserts contain footage that is only gynecological close-ups so that the sexual participants can't be identified. This reviewer finds no eroticism in random body parts being inserted into other random body parts. The sex scenes that are shot for the film, where the cast members are identified and consist of more than just random body insertion footage aren't badly done at all. However, they are too few and too far between.
The film can be clunky in more than just the sex scenes. The story isn't bad, however, the viewer often gets the feeling that some of the key footage was either never shot or managed to get left on the cutting room floor. There isn't a huge amount of mystery to the viewer as to what is going on, due to how the film was edited. Despite the lack of surprise, the story is enjoyable and even with some key moments missing can keep the viewer entertained for the 73 minute run time.
The film does utilize some excellent locations and sets, which do add to the atmosphere of the film. The locations and sets are above average for this genre of film, also indicating that this was likely a softcore venture originally. The camera work is decent, except for the previously mentioned hardcore sexual insert footage.
Overall, Devil's Ecstasy is a unique adult film and horror hybrid that never truly works but still manages to be enjoyable. Most of the hardcore material that has been inserted into the film is a loss, however, the story, despite its issues, is enjoyable to watch.
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