The_Void
I've only seen a handful of Italian Exorcist rip-offs; but I've seen enough to know that this type of film generally isn't very high quality. The same can't be said for Alberto De Martino's The Antichrist, however, which is so far in front of all the other Exorcist rip-offs that I've seen that you could just about throw all the rest of the Italian devil/demons films into the mix; and this one would still rise above the majority of them. Of course, the film has something of a bad reputation for a reason - and how much you enjoy this film may well hinge on just how important a coherent plot line is to you; but if you can ignore that, what we have here is a very good horror film. The plot is not far removed from William Friedkin's 1973 film and focuses on a wheelchair bound woman. Her psychiatrist believes that her problem may be mental rather than physical and sets out to cure her. However, in doing so he brings back memories of her past life; which involved her worshipping Satan, and the woman is soon possessed by the Devil...This film really is very similar to The Exorcist both in style and execution. The victim here spouts vomit and atrocities just as Regan did in the earlier film and of course we get an exorcism scene to go with it; but the film still rises head and shoulders above most films like it thanks to the visuals. Alberto de Martino really put care into how the film looks and many frames are extraordinarily beautiful. The house in which most of the action takes place is a lavish construction that is a pleasure on the eyes - while sequences such as a devil worship orgy as well as the numerous scenes that depict the result of the possession will stick in the memory long after the film has finished. It's clear that the scriptwriter wanted to shock his audience and some of the things that the leading lady spouts really are quite vulgar and blasphemous, which is a highlight. It all boils down to the big exorcism scenes; and De Martino certainly doesn't disappoint here either as its loud, brash and entertaining throughout. In fact, if it wasn't for the turgid opening scenes - this could easily be considered a masterpiece! Don't miss this one!
slayrrr666
"The Antichrist" is a rather interesting possession film, if not all that original.**SPOILERS**As Italy is engulfed in religious hysteria, Ippolita Oderisi, (Carla Gravina) paralyzed from an accident at a young accident, is caught up in the chaos and begins to think that it can help her heal. When her father Massimo Oderisi, (Mel Ferrer) begins seeing Greta, (Anita Strindberg) she takes it as a sign that God has abandoned her and takes up her troubles with uncle, Bishop Ascanio Oderisi, (Arthur Kennedy) and, as a precaution, thinks that Massimo might want to keep an eye on her due to her weak will and the rising hysteria around. At a lavish party, in an attempt to rid herself of her paralyzes, she undergoes experimental therapy and begins to suffer weird visions from her past. Eventually, she changes her complete behavior, becoming a seductress with no qualms or quarrels. Turning to their history in the church, they learn that she has become possessed by the Devil and perform an exorcism to rid her of the influence within her.The Good News: This was actually a pretty surprising film. In the case of the subject matter, it's not that hard to draw parallels the other popular possession film, even though they are covering all the same stations of the inverted cross, such as speaking in tongues, head spinning, pea-soup vomiting, and levitation, but this one is a different one. It's not that similar a story, and in some ways the plot is stronger. Instead of a little girl getting possessed for no good reason, here we have a definite chain of events that all follow in a reasonable way, lending the film a much more cohesive feel that works for this one more so than might be suspected. The most-remembered sequence, which is the film's most out-there moment, features the character seeing herself as the ancestor who mated with Satan during a disturbing ritual, which includes a communion of toad heads, cunnilingus on an actual goat's rear end, and sex with a man in a goat mask. It is wildly original, and becomes the most memorable scene in the film. To go from having her lying on an altar and having sex with a mask-clad man who forces her to eat a toad's head to cut away from a shot of a goat to her tonguing away furiously lends it untold sleaze and, because it is crossed with both the Hell setting, and scenes of her in bed with some very strange backgrounds that change according to the experience, leave it with a very impressive experience and easily renders this the film's best moment. Another strength of the film is the use of the Italian setting and scenery, which is steeped in Catholicism. We get to see many churches and icons, including a rather rare look at how the Church views this sort of happening with their fellow members, as well as several priests and bishops in full ceremonial dress throughout the film. This is helped by the very attractive widescreen cinematography which is so frequent here. From the startling reds to the impressive blues, this is a gorgeous film to look at, and seen through the widescreen makes them all the more vibrant. The locations and sets are particularly decadent, including a weird hallway with marble busts who lean out and peer at passers-by, which lead even more from the photography of the film. Also included is a portrait of Jesus that's the single greatest visual gag in the film, leading a single glimpse that is a well-remembered and deservedly so for it is quite brilliant as well. This one here was a really well surprise.The Bad News: There isn't a whole lot to say against this one. The biggest problem with the flick is the stop-go-stop feeling all the way through it. Every time something's happening that amps up interest in the film, the next scene ends up being slow and unexciting. This isn't a bad thing, but that hurts the flow of the film more than anything else. There's also a little problem with the film's pacing. It takes way too long for the possession to actually take hold, occurring around the hour mark, meaning the first half of the film is a little tough to get through as it deals with all the different trials and punishments she undergoes to prove to everyone that she is indeed haunted by the past rather than the devil. While it does set up why the devil takes hold, it doesn't do much of anything to prove why it couldn't have come sooner. Scenes could've been trimmed and still gotten the same effect, so the long buildup is a little strange. The similarities to the other film are quite natural, and in some cases, could be calls for complete dismissal, which could be a strike against it. Taken as a whole, though, it really shouldn't matter.The Final Verdict: This is a rather fun film with a lot going for it and a couple of problems that it can't help avoiding. While never once claiming to be the most original film out there, it has it's moments to make this at least an interest purchase for those who are intrigued by it or fans of European horror in general.Rated UR/R: Graphic Language, Nudity, strong religious themes, several sex scenes and violence against animals
Coventry
After one failing attempt approximately a year ago, I really wanted to give this movie another chance, if it were only to struggle beyond those confusing and headache-inducing opening five minutes this time. If you consider watching "The Antichrist", bear in mind that the intro is extremely hectic and unappealing but the movie quickly improves after that. We open at some sort of pilgrimage location where a Holy Mary statue supposedly cures crippled people and where a man possessed by demons jumps off a cliff. This introduction is overlong and the photography is really ugly. After that, however, we're more properly introduced to the female lead character. Ippolita is bound to a wheelchair since a car accident at the age of twelve and her lonely existence causes her to lose all faith in God. She becomes an easy target for Satan to possess her body & soul, especially when she also turns out to be the reincarnation of a 16th Century witch that was burned at the stake (hypnosis brought that up). Overnight, Ippolita transforms into a Satan-puppet who seduces young schoolboys and dreams about wild sex with a guy in a goat mask who feeds her toad heads! Her loving father, brother and priest uncle do whatever they can to save poor Ippolita's soul, but the Devil within her is strong and not at all planning to leave without a 'good vs. evil' battle.Another reviewer righteously pointed out already that it's way too easy to label "The Antichrist" as being just another Italian "The Exorcist" rip off. It only turns into a shameless imitation halfway through the story, when Ippolita moves furniture with her mind and says naughty things similar to the lines Linda Blair driveled in "The Exorcist". The least we can do is refer to this exploitation gem as a "Rip-Off DeLuxe", as Alberto De Martino really bothered to add new ideas and even a couple of very interesting sub plots, such as the incestuous relationship between Ippolita and her brother and the alternative voodoo-treatment by a sleazy-looking religion guru. There are quite a few redundant sequences and the slow pacing often gets on your nerves but "The Antichrist" really isn't such a bad film overall. The only truly embarrassing moments occur when the film tries to look EXACTLY like "The Exorcist", with green vomit and rotating heads etc… Compensating for these flaws are a cool soundtrack, fairly adequate performances and a handful of stylish scenes near the middle of the film. Particularly the orgy-hallucination is hauntingly beautiful and more fascinating than any random sequence in William Friendkin's "The Exorcist".
