I had heard of Mark of the Devil for quite a fews years now but had never got the chance to see it. It wasn't until recently a friend of mine let me borrow his uncut copy of it. So, about a week ago I decided to sit down and watch this cult classic. I am very pleased I did as I was pleasantly surprised by what I had seen.
The story is just one of the many accounts of the witch trials that were held all those years ago. Whether this story was just made up or not does not matter. Udo Kier plays Count Christian von Meruh, a witch-hunter and a sort of apprentice to his superior Count Cumberland, played wonderfully by Herbert Lom. When Udo Kier falls for a woman accused of being a witch and sees Cumberland strangle a man to death, he starts questioning the actual motivations behind the trials.
That is for the most part the storyline. The thing that makes this movie so famous for cult horror movie enthusiast is the graphic torture scenes of innocent people. This movie is filled throughout with them. Not that that is a problem because that is what gives the movie its powerful edge. Of course, the acting was surprisingly very good in this movie also. There are certain characters that you truly grow a strong hatred for. The one that you truly hate the most is played by Reggie Nalder (Salems Lot), who also played in the second, far more watered down, Mark of the Devil 2.
This was a great film. Instantly, it has become one of my favorites of the era in which it was made. I highly recommend this to genre fans and people with the taste for the sadistic. You won't be disappointed. 10/10
The story is just one of the many accounts of the witch trials that were held all those years ago. Whether this story was just made up or not does not matter. Udo Kier plays Count Christian von Meruh, a witch-hunter and a sort of apprentice to his superior Count Cumberland, played wonderfully by Herbert Lom. When Udo Kier falls for a woman accused of being a witch and sees Cumberland strangle a man to death, he starts questioning the actual motivations behind the trials.
That is for the most part the storyline. The thing that makes this movie so famous for cult horror movie enthusiast is the graphic torture scenes of innocent people. This movie is filled throughout with them. Not that that is a problem because that is what gives the movie its powerful edge. Of course, the acting was surprisingly very good in this movie also. There are certain characters that you truly grow a strong hatred for. The one that you truly hate the most is played by Reggie Nalder (Salems Lot), who also played in the second, far more watered down, Mark of the Devil 2.
This was a great film. Instantly, it has become one of my favorites of the era in which it was made. I highly recommend this to genre fans and people with the taste for the sadistic. You won't be disappointed. 10/10