The Devil Rides Out

[zandycap]

One of my all time faves. I remember staying at my uncles house and me and my cousins, were allowed to stay up on new years eve to watch it, I was maybe aged 9or 10, so it was a huge treat for me, as my parents were strictly "its nine o clock, time for your bed" types.



I remember the visceral thrill of seeing the horned beast appear at the ceromany in the forest. With the deliciously evil Charles Gray as Mocata, and Christopher Lee on the side of good just to confuse you. This was probably the best adaption of a Denis Wheatley book to get to screen. Also maybe the last "big" film from Hammer before its sad and long 1970s decline.



I have decided to get a "proper" dvd of it, does anyone have any recommendations as to the best one ? There appear to be no Criterion collection of it.

[m35541]

Assuming you are from the UK the best R2 DVD is the Anolis one from Germany which has a lee commentary track (it has the same extras as the US Anchor bay release).

[batman]

There are a couple available on amazon.co.uk.



This first one is the Anchor Bay edition which I borrowed from the library a while ago. It's a good clean print and the sound quality was good too.



The second one is from Optimum. I haven't viewed that one but the dvds I have from Optimum are pretty good quality.



Amazon.co.uk: the devil rides out: DVD

[zandycap]

Assuming you are from the UK the best R2 DVD is the Anolis one from Germany which has a lee commentary track (it has the same extras as the US Anchor bay release).

Thanks for the info. Unfortunately Anolis charge over £30 for it on amazon, as im sure they know they have a superior item. I would love a copy with the Christopher Lee audio track, but not at that price. Maybe it will be found on Usenet sometime soon.

[Dave Rattigan]

Did you try Amazon.de? That's where I got my Anolis edition, and it was a moderate price - about £9 or £10.



Great film, by the way. It and Dracula are my two favourite Hammer films. Terence Fisher is on top form with this one; it's just one memorable sequence after another.

[Santonix]

One of the very best. I often watch it.

[Here Hare Here]

One of my all time faves. I remember staying at my uncles house and me and my cousins, were allowed to stay up on new years eve to watch it, I was maybe aged 9or 10, so it was a huge treat for me, as my parents were strictly "its nine o clock, time for your bed" types.

Hi - I remember watching it first in similar circumstances at roughly the same age. Probably that very same new year's eve. Left a deep impression on me too. Fell hopelessly in love with Christopher Lee and wanted to be re-named Tanith! Marvellous stuff.

[Marky B]

Correct me if I'm wrong,but was it the only film that CL was a goodie?

My brother read the book many years ago and he said it was the scariest book he had ever read. Didn't Dennis Wheatley warn his readers not to get involved in devil worshipping?

Ta Ta

Marky B

[Windthrop]

Correct me if I'm wrong,but was it the only film that CL was a goodie?

My brother read the book many years ago and he said it was the scariest book he had ever read. Didn't Dennis Wheatley warn his readers not to get involved in devil worshipping?

Ta Ta

Marky B

DW does in various writings warn of the dangers of the left-hand path as he called it. The book is IMHO one of his best and is one of the few still in print. He is very much out of fashion now despite having been a best-selling author from the 30s to the 70s. He has been surprisingly little filmed despite the excellent TDRO. The film version of To The Devil A Daughter is said to have undone his confidence in filmakers and prevented further films being made. Agatha Christie has survived I would guess because of the TV and film adaptationsn which have proliferated over the last 30 years as well as cracking the American market which I am not sure Wheatley ever did. Some of his books would film well and contain plots which despite his rough writing skills still make compelling reading. His attitudes are now hard to take by modern standards - ultra-rightwing, racist, homophobic, xenophobic, anti-semitic and generally snobbish - but despite that he could write a real page turner.

[Dave Rattigan]

Certainly it was one of the few films in which Christopher Lee played the good guy. Can't think of many others offhand. It was also one of his best performances - from an actor who has a pretty limited acting range, in my opinion, at least compared to his long-time co-star, Peter Cushing.

There appear to be no Criterion collection of it.

I don't know of any Hammer film that has had the Criterion treatment, but it's about time, isn't it?

[zandycap]

Certainly it was one of the few films in which Christopher Lee played the good guy. Can't think of many others offhand. It was also one of his best performances - from an actor who has a pretty limited acting range, in my opinion, at least compared to his long-time co-star, Peter Cushing.



I don't know of any Hammer film that has had the Criterion treatment, but it's about time, isn't it?

Christopher Lee played the good guy several times, as Sherlock Holmes, Sherlock Holmes and the Leading Lady. Sherlock Holmes: Incident at Victoria Falls and once as his brother Mycroft (The Private life of Sherlock Holmes) remember ? :)

[Steve Crook]

Certainly it was one of the few films in which Christopher Lee played the good guy. Can't think of many others offhand. It was also one of his best performances - from an actor who has a pretty limited acting range, in my opinion, at least compared to his long-time co-star, Peter Cushing.

He was approximately on the side of the angels in The Battle of the River Plate where he played Manolo, the owner of the waterfront bar in Buenos Aires. He had to pretend to be angry but it was really quite a comic role



He was less good in Ill Met By Moonlight where he played a German soldier who visited the dentist where Dirk Bogarde was a patient - so Dirk had to shoot him



Steve

[CaptainWaggett]

Isn't he a Friendly Native in Storm Over the Nile? And his Uncredited Extra in Olivier's Hamlet doesn't really get much of a chance to serve the Anti-Christ.

[dremble wedge]

Certainly it was one of the few films in which Christopher Lee played the good guy. Can't think of many others offhand. It was also one of his best performances - from an actor who has a pretty limited acting range, in my opinion, at least compared to his long-time co-star, Peter Cushing.

The Hound of the Baskervilles

The Man Who Could Cheat Death

The Gorgon

The Skull

Night of the Big Heat

Hannie Caulder

Horror Express

Nothing But the Night



are a few where he was the 'good' guy.

[Chris B]

got to agree one of the very best, I had a super 8mm edited film version of The Devil Rides Out before DVD it was the pride of my film collection. Now on DVD

Regards Chris B

[zandycap]

The Hound of the Baskervilles

The Man Who Could Cheat Death

The Gorgon

The Skull

Night of the Big Heat

Hannie Caulder

Horror Express

Nothing But the Night



are a few where he was the 'good' guy.

Ah yes i had forgot about Night of the big heat he plays a scientist investigating the strange goings on, about the island.

[JTurner]

I'm admittedly a big Hammer (and British horror in general) fan, but this is by any measure a fine film. It's true--some of the performances are only adequate. But the script is excellent, the use of color and the score outstanding, and the lead performances are remarkable. It's a classic good v. evil story, and suspensful throughout. My partner, who is hardly a genre fan, loved it--and that's saying quite a bit. Is it the best Hammer product? Perhaps not, but it's certainly one of the very best.

[Steve Crook]

I'm admittedly a big Hammer (and British horror in general) fan, but this is by any measure a fine film. It's true--some of the performances are only adequate. But the script is excellent, the use of color and the score outstanding, and the lead performances are remarkable. It's a classic good v. evil story, and suspensful throughout. My partner, who is hardly a genre fan, loved it--and that's saying quite a bit. Is it the best Hammer product? Perhaps not, but it's certainly one of the very best.

It's a good film and is very well made with very good effects (for the time).



The story itself is a bit dubious, but that's Dennis Wheatley for you



Steve

[Amethyst_Isle]

Let us just hope that Hollywood does not get their paws on The Devil Rides Out,who knows what they would do to it.

[moonfleet]

Let us just hope that Hollywood does not get their paws on The Devil Rides Out,who knows what they would do to it.

Please, don't give them ideas !!



Moon.