Sinful tourists, a cursed castle, and a seductive succubus spell Gothic doom.
THE DEVIL'S NIGHTMARE
EXORCISM! The one last hope for the possessed … But this time the devil wins!
A group of tourists traveling on a bus take a detour to stay overnight in a castle owned by a family cursed with a history of Satanism and death.
The Devil's Nightmare is a 1971 Belgian-Italian fantasy horror film directed by Jean Brismée about a group of tourists stranded in a castle, where they are picked off by a succubus embodying the Seven Deadly Sins.
Synopsis
This is one of your better Italian Gothic horror films (maybe they should have done more co-productions with Belgium). The simple plot concerns a group of travelers who end up stranded in an eerie castle. The travelers supposedly represent the Seven Deadly Sins. They are picked off one by one by a sexy female succubus played by the sumptuous Erica Blanc.
There have been a million movies like this over the years, but two things set this apart. One is the atmosphere of horror it creates. This film wasn’t directed by any of the Italian Gothic horror greats like Mario Bava, Antonio Marghereti, or Riccardo Freda but it evokes their best works (“Black Sunday”, “Castle of Blood”, “The Ghost”).
The second though is Erica Blanc who manages to be both very sexy and very scary (the latter with the help of some good effect make-up). Interestingly, Blanc has only some very brief nude scenes here, but she plays such a seductive and deliciously evil character so well (especially when she preys upon the hapless priest) that she manages to steam up the screen far more than the two Euro-lesbian characters who spend half their screen time cavorting in the nude. Along with her famous coffin strip tease in “The Night Evelyn Came Out of the Grave” this one of Blanc’s most memorable roles and worth the price of admission by itself.
- Director
- Jean Brismée
- Writers
- Patrice Rhomm, Jean Brismée, Pierre-Claude Garnier, Vertunnio De Angelis
- Release
- 1971
- Runtime
- 1h 35m
- Country
- Belgium, Italy
- Language
- French
- Also Known As
- Castle of Death, The Devil Walks at Midnight, Vampire Playgirls, Succubus, The Devil's Nightmare, The Devil's Longest Night
Why Cult
Each tourist embodies a deadly sin and meets a fittingly ironic end, blending supernatural morality with gruesome horror.
Erika Blanc plays the alluring Lisa Müller, a succubus whose presence elevates the film’s vampy, erotic horror.
The eerie, Satanic castle setting drips with Gothic style, making every corridor a stage for suspense and sin.
Daniel Emilfork brings a sinister edge as Satan himself, blurring the line between man and myth.
Themes & Keywords
Trailer
Questions from the Vault
What is The Devil's Nightmare about? +
The Devil's Nightmare follows a group of tourists stranded overnight in a cursed castle, where a succubus targets each for their embodiment of a deadly sin.
Who directed The Devil's Nightmare? +
The Devil's Nightmare was directed by Jean Brismée.
How long is The Devil's Nightmare? +
The Devil's Nightmare has a runtime of 95 minutes.
What genre is The Devil's Nightmare? +
The Devil's Nightmare is a fantasy horror film.
When was The Devil's Nightmare released? +
The Devil's Nightmare was released in 1971.
