This film had nearly as many titles as Elizabeth Taylor had husbands. Its Italian name was "L'Ossessa," altered for its U.S. release to both "Enter the Devil" (Bruce Lee, anyone?) and "The Sexorcist" (figure it out). For its video release, it underwent two more name changes-- first to "The Devil Obsession," then to its most ridiculous title, "The Eerie Midnight Horror Show."
Danila (Stella Carnacina) works as a restorer at an Italian art museum. When the museum acquires a centuries-old life-sized wooden statue of a crucified man, it affects Danila in strange ways. There is a dream sequence in which the statue comes to life and rapes her, which Danila quite enjoys. She begins to act out sexually, even trying to seduce her own father. Danila's parents call a doctor, who prescribes warm milk and a day in the country. (They'd be better off with the Rug Doctor.) The next night, Danila dreams that she's being nailed to a cross. When she wakes up with nail holes in her hands and feet, Danila's mother calls the doctor and says, "She's worse than before." Gee, ya think? And the doctor's reaction? "It's all rather strange." When a medical solution proves elusive, the parents call in—you guessed it—an exorcist, one of only a few left in the world. Good thing he happens to live nearby!
Of course the exorcism works, though Father Xeno is killed in the process. (Gee, that's never been done before.) Not sure why he dies, though. The exorcism really doesn't take that long; and the worst thing Danila does to the priest is whack him with a chain. It's gotta hurt, but I'd hardly think it fatal.
The demon himself must be low on Satan's totem pole. He just spent 500 years trapped in a statue. Now that he's out, the girl he possessed comes across as needing not an exorcist, but a sedative. With the demon inside her, Danila is either masturbating, slamming her head into solid objects, or thrashing about while she screams in abject terror. That's the ultimate evil???
Director Mario Gariazzo included a bunch of sleazy sex scenes. But surprisingly for this type of film, they're quite reserved and rather dull. When a '70s Italian horror film can't even deliver a good sex scene, you know it's a piece of crap!
Danila (Stella Carnacina) works as a restorer at an Italian art museum. When the museum acquires a centuries-old life-sized wooden statue of a crucified man, it affects Danila in strange ways. There is a dream sequence in which the statue comes to life and rapes her, which Danila quite enjoys. She begins to act out sexually, even trying to seduce her own father. Danila's parents call a doctor, who prescribes warm milk and a day in the country. (They'd be better off with the Rug Doctor.) The next night, Danila dreams that she's being nailed to a cross. When she wakes up with nail holes in her hands and feet, Danila's mother calls the doctor and says, "She's worse than before." Gee, ya think? And the doctor's reaction? "It's all rather strange." When a medical solution proves elusive, the parents call in—you guessed it—an exorcist, one of only a few left in the world. Good thing he happens to live nearby!
Of course the exorcism works, though Father Xeno is killed in the process. (Gee, that's never been done before.) Not sure why he dies, though. The exorcism really doesn't take that long; and the worst thing Danila does to the priest is whack him with a chain. It's gotta hurt, but I'd hardly think it fatal.
The demon himself must be low on Satan's totem pole. He just spent 500 years trapped in a statue. Now that he's out, the girl he possessed comes across as needing not an exorcist, but a sedative. With the demon inside her, Danila is either masturbating, slamming her head into solid objects, or thrashing about while she screams in abject terror. That's the ultimate evil???
Director Mario Gariazzo included a bunch of sleazy sex scenes. But surprisingly for this type of film, they're quite reserved and rather dull. When a '70s Italian horror film can't even deliver a good sex scene, you know it's a piece of crap!