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"People of importance are continuously making
pacts with the devil."
As the above quote indicates, Jose Larraz's LOS RITOS SEXUALES DEL
DIABLO deals with, among other things, classism within a secretive cult
of Satanists. Well dressed, they meet in a lavishly appointed rustic
hideout complete with a handy set of black candles on hand which are
quickly produced in the event of a power outage or the impulse for a
satanic rite.
"When the Devil tempted Eve he found his first willing
servant."
Carol (Vanessa Hildago) and Robert (Mauro Rivera) travel to England
after the sudden death of Carol's brother. They are greeted at the
airport by the brother's longtime companion, a middle aged but still
sensual woman (Helga Line). At the rural cottage where the couple lived
Carol discovers lithographs of various demons along with strange, strong
odors. At night she has disturbing, incestuous dreams involving her
being sexually pursued by her late brother along with his
always-clad-in-black mistress. From here on in the plot follows that of
ROSEMARY'S BABY too closely for comfort with a dash of DEAD OF NIGHT at
the very end. Of course, the area is a nest for a local coven run by
Line and a sinister minister. Robert turns out to be a defrocked priest
and turns on Carol. Lots of soft core sex interludes, forced anal
sodomy, satanic rape follow punctuated with bestiality (a scene
involving a goat is missing from some prints), lesbianism, and a man
getting skewered from behind with a sword. It's all very pro forma and
efficient but it's too obviously derivative to be really very suspenseful.
Larraz has since rejected the film and its cast in some interviews.
Line, a queen of 1970's Spanish horror (LORELEI'S GRASP, HORROR RISES
FROM THE TOMB) is quite well cast here and licks her lips like an cat in
heat as she spies on the targeted couple's guilty sex sessions. Her
performance and Juan Marine's pastel colored lighting give the film a
classy sheen. The opening sequence shows Larraz at his best. A man
watches from behind a window as a woman walks out of the woods, as they
make love a few moments later there is a sudden cut to a hand sticking a
pin in a doll, the man collapses on top of his lover. Opening credits
roll.
Larraz and the Spanish cast hid behind Anglo covers on the English
language dub, BLACK CANDLES. If there's any subtext to the film at all
it's that a turbulently Catholic country like Spain somewhere in its
soul wants to be a conservative, repressed place where covens can lurk
behind upper middle class facades.
Reviewed by Robert Monell 2002
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