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Satan's Slave (1976 film)

Satan's Slave is a 1976 British supernatural horror film directed by Norman J. Warren, written by David McGillivray, and starring Candace Glendenning, Michael Gough, Martin Potter, and Barbara Kellerman. Its plot follows a young woman who, after surviving a car accident that kills her parents, stays in the remote estate of her uncle and cousin, unaware that they are both necromancers who intend to sacrifice her to resurrect the spirit of a supernaturally-gifted ancestor.

Satan's Slave
Theatrical poster
Directed byNorman J. Warren
Screenplay byDavid McGillivray
Story byNorman J. Warren
Les Young
Moira Young
Produced byLes Young
Richard Crafter
Starring
CinematographyLes Young
John Metcalfe
John Simmons
Steve Haskett
Denis Balkin
Edited byNorman J. Warren
Music byJohn Scott
Production
companies
Monumental Pictures
Crystal Film Productions
Distributed byBrent Walker Film Distributors
Release date
  • 10 December 1976 (1976-12-10)[1]
Running time
86 minutes
CountryUnited Kingdom
LanguageEnglish

The film, a production of Warren's newly formed company Monumental Pictures, was funded by producers Les Young and Richard Crafter with their own money and shot almost entirely on location in Pirbright, Surrey and Shepherd's Bush, London in late 1975. The following year, re-shoots were undertaken to film additional material and more violent, alternative versions of existing scenes with the aim of increasing the film's appeal to audiences in the Far East.

In the UK, Satan's Slave was originally released as a B movie. Critical reaction to the film has been mixed, with aspects such as the acting, script and plot drawing a variety of responses.

Plot

Catherine Yorke, a young woman from London, receives a bracelet from her boyfriend John for her upcoming birthday. She then leaves the city with her parents in the family car to join her father Malcolm's brother, Alexander, for a week at his home in the country. At the turn into Alexander's estate, Malcolm suddenly falls ill at the wheel and crashes the car into a tree. Although the vehicle is only slightly damaged, when Catherine leaves to fetch help it mysteriously explodes, seemingly killing her parents. Alexander, assisted by his son Stephen and secretary Frances, takes the distraught Catherine into the house and gives her a sedative. On waking, Catherine finds the driveway cleared of wreckage and is told that the police have concluded their investigation. Her parents' funeral is conducted later that day on the grounds of the estate. After the ceremony, Catherine finds an old gravestone bearing the name of Camilla Yorke, an 18th-century ancestor of hers who died aged 20—the age that Catherine is about to reach. Over the next few days, as she continues to be hosted by Alexander, Catherine experiences disturbing visions of women being branded, flogged and sacrificed in satanic rituals. She finds herself drawn to Stephen, with whom she becomes romantically involved. Meanwhile, Alexander steals Catherine's bracelet and uses it to channel dark magic that compels John to kill himself by jumping from the roof of a tower block at his London flat.

Frances tells Catherine that Camilla possessed supernatural abilities and that Alexander, who believes in necromancy, intends to resurrect the girl's spirit to increase his own power. Having murdered several women, including his own wife, to test his theories, he has determined that he can achieve this only by sacrificing Catherine, Camilla's direct descendant, when she turns 20—Camilla's age at the time of her death. Frances also warns Catherine not to trust Stephen: having witnessed his mother's sacrifice as a young boy, he has grown into a murderer like his father.

Discovering Frances' betrayal, Stephen stabs her to death and locks Catherine away. On the morning of her birthday, Catherine is led into the surrounding woods to be sacrificed by Alexander and his cult but escapes after stabbing Stephen through the eye with a nail file. At the entrance to the estate she runs into Malcolm, who claims that both he and her mother survived the car accident. She is then taken back to the house, where Alexander, no longer wearing his ritual robes, claims that her recent experiences were merely hallucinations brought on by the sedative. However, his trickery is uncovered when Catherine pulls back a curtain to find Stephen's bloody corpse. Alexander praises Catherine's brutality and hails her as a true descendant of Camilla. It is then revealed that Malcolm, not Alexander, is the head of the cult.[2][3] Trapped, Catherine screams in horror, realising that she is about to face her own death.

Cast

Themes

Kim Newman compares Satan's Slave to "post-Rosemary's Baby satanism exploitationers" like Virgin Witch and The Wicker Man".[4] According to Steve Green of Flesh and Blood magazine, while the story and "Gothic staging" are reminiscent of "mid-period" Hammer horror films, Satan's Slave sets itself apart by adding an "overt sadistic undercurrent".[5] Nigel Burrell, also writing for Flesh and Blood, describes the plot as "a stir-fried mix of Dennis Wheatley and Jess Franco, a familiar witchcraft/family curse theme jostling with deranged Black Mass sequences".[5]

Critic Adam Locks notes that Satan's Slave uses plot devices typical of 1970s horror films, including settings that amount to "nowhere places" where characters become lost. He argues that the effect of the Yorkes' car journey is comparable to time travel, defining it as a "re-programming for the audience with memories and associations disconnected from the modern and the urban ... In psychogeographical terms of the relationship between the individual and space, there is the clichéd yet interesting idea of the road leading to nowhere." Locks also compares Satan's Slave, along with other Warren films, to the 1960s TV series The Avengers for the way that it conveys an "underlying disquiet" about its setting: "Behind the façade of mundane England, threatening figures or forces – be they crooks in The Avengers or Satanists in Satan's Slave ... – plan to disrupt the everyday world." He observes that through this sense of unease "the familiarity of 'Englishness' is transformed and warped." He describes Alexander as an "atavistic amalgamation of various icons of British gentlemen" – among them the "chivalrous knight", whose moral code he inverts by sacrificing the women in his family.[3] Warren felt that the character and his house were influenced by Hammer films.[2][6] Anne Billson writes that the country house setting carries "echoes of Hammer", also stating that the film as a whole picks up where Hammer left off while "amping up the nudity and gore".[7]

Leon Hunt, author of British Low Culture: from Safari Suits to Sexploitation, regards the grim ending as part of an emerging trend in 1970s "generation-gap" horror films, noting in contrast that Michael Reeves' films of the 1960s had an "angry", "anti-authoritarian" tone. He observes that Satan's Slave ends with Catherine trapped by her own family and destined to be "consumed", commenting: "The battle is over and 'youth' has lost."[8]

Production

The film was funded by Crafter and Les Young with their own money: Crafter by selling his shares in Mothercare, Young by selling his car as well as mortgaging his home and Crystal Film Productions, his film equipment company.[2][9][10][11] Warren gave the total budget as either £30,000 or £35,000 (£268,000 or £312,000 in 2021), about half of which took the form of deferred payments.[12][13]

Development

After making Her Private Hell (1967) and Loving Feeling (1968), Norman J. Warren had been in negotiations to direct films for Amicus Productions and American International Pictures (AIP).[14] When these deals fell through, Warren and his camera operator Les Young decided to make a film of their own.[2]

Satan's Slave was Warren's horror debut as well as the first film by Monumental Pictures, an independent production company formed by Warren, Young and his wife Moira, and fellow camera operator Richard Crafter.[9][15][10] Believing that with their limited finances they could only realistically produce either a horror film or an erotic feature, the group decided to make a horror film on the basis that it would enjoy a longer "shelf life".[15] After several failed attempts to secure a financing deal, they opted to produce the film independently.

Writing

The plot for the film, which was originally titled Evil Heritage, was devised by Warren and the Youngs and expanded by screenwriter David McGillivray, whom Warren had first met while editing Her Private Hell.[2] It was adapted from one of Warren's abandoned projects for AIP: a film titled The Naked Eye, which had been intended to star Vincent Price.[4] McGillivray completed the script in nine days.[9] Warren did not want the film to end with the revelation that Catherine had simply had a nightmare as he viewed dream sequences as clichéd.[2][12]

Casting

Warren said that Candace Glendenning, whom he had seen in Tower of Evil (1972) and other films, was "always [his] first choice" to play Catherine.[15] Stephen was harder to cast due to the character's complexity; Martin Potter, who had recently played the title role in the TV serial The Legend of Robin Hood, was hired after first-choice actor Michael Gothard withdrew late in pre-production.[14][15] Potter researched psychopathic behaviour to gain a better understanding of his role.[15] Michael Craze, who plays Catherine's boyfriend John, had appeared in Warren's 1965 short film Fragment.[12]

Although the production could not afford Michael Gough's usual fee, the actor accepted the role of Uncle Alexander after reading McGillivray's script and hearing Warren's personal vision for the film.[15] According to Warren, "[Gough] was doing something at the National Theatre in London so I saw him in his dressing room, talked him through Satan's Slave and he said yes."[16] Gough agreed to participate on the condition that the production would not interrupt his stage commitments.[15] He was paid £300 (equivalent to £2,677 in 2021) for his role.[17]

Filming

The film was largely shot in and around the country house of the Baron and Baroness DeVeuce in Pirbright, Surrey over three weeks in December 1975.[11] The house had been the main shooting location in Tigon's Virgin Witch (1971) and would also appear in one of Warren's later films, Terror (1978). Warren remembered the challenges posed by the low budget and how production designer Hayden Pearce found the DeVeuce house: "Most places were not suitable or the people were not interested. And because we didn't have any money, we needed a house that also had furniture in it. Hayden was ringing everyone he knew in connection to art departments and someone suggested the mock-Tudor house in Pirbright, and we couldn't believe our luck. Not only did it look great outside but everything in there was genuine - there were wall-to-wall paintings and it was fully dressed."[14] The grounds of the property contained an electrical substation that the crew used for their power supply, eliminating the need for generators.[14] A nearby cottage served as the location for Catherine's home in London.[15]

Due to budget constraints, Gough and Potter were required to supply their own costumes.[15][10][11] During the production, Gough, who could not be provided with hotel accommodation, stayed with a friend in Barnes.[11][12] According to Warren: "We would pick him up each day at around 5.45 a.m. ... He would work with us all day, often until midnight, and then we would drive him back to his friend's house, stopping on the way to buy fish and chips."[11] He adds that despite the consistently long hours, Gough "never had a word of complaint."[11] Hooded cultists were played by the producers and other members of the crew.[12] Moira Young took over the role of a woman who is sacrificed in the opening scene when the actress who had been booked failed to attend the shoot.[15]

While filming on a hill near an Army base, the production found itself surrounded by soldiers on a training exercise.[11] Due to the large amount of noise from the base's firing range, the filming schedule was changed to avoid outdoor shoots whenever it was in use.[12] For the scene of the car explosion, the crew were given permission to film on the base itself; the Army then used the wreckage for target practice before disposing of it.[14] The scenes set inside John's flat were filmed at the home of one of the crew, while the character's suicide was shot at a block of flats in Shepherd's Bush with Les Young serving as Michael Craze's stunt double.[12] To create a "falling" point-of-view shot, a camera was tied to a bungee cord and then dropped from the roof of the 23-storey building.[11] Young also performed the car crash stunt.[12]

Post-production

Principal photography was completed shortly before Christmas 1975.[11] Warren then edited the film at home to save money.[2][16] He was initially reluctant to serve as editor as he feared that this would compromise his vision as director, but ultimately took on the additional role as he "so much wanted this film to happen".[11] However, as union rules officially limited him to a single role, he was credited only as director.[14]

During the editing, it was determined that the film contained an excessive amount of dialogue; consequently, several scenes were either shortened or removed altogether.[15] The latter included a dream sequence involving Catherine and a scene in which the Yorkes bond over tea and Alexander and Stephen learn of the existence of Catherine's boyfriend.[15] According to Warren, "the main problem with [the film] was that the plot was very complicated, and actually rather boring. So we just cut out complete scenes where people were explaining things. And a lot of the film doesn't make sense because of those cuts. But it was less complicated, and no one ever questioned the plot."[6]

To boost the film's distribution prospects in the Far East, re-shoots were held to increase the levels of gore and nudity.[10][11] These entailed filming a more explicit version of one of the early scenes, in which Stephen nearly rapes and then brutally murders a young woman called Janice (played by Gloria Walker) who is staying with him.[11] Warren considered this version, in which Stephen ties Janice to a bed and threatens to cut off her nipples with scissors, "very unpleasant" and expresses his preference for the original.[11] A number of cutaways were shot by Les Young's company, Crystal Film.[12] Warren also wrote in several additional scenes; one of these, in which Catherine has a vision of a Puritan priest (played by McGillivray) overseeing the torture of a young woman, was filmed in the grounds of a nursing home.[15][12] McGillivray also has a speaking role as the priest conducting Catherine's parents' funeral.

The score, composed by John Scott, was recorded in a single session with seven instrumentalists – the largest ensemble that the budget would allow.[10][12][18] It features a clarinet and gongs accompanied by a piano, xylophone, xylorimba and vibraphone.[18] The film's title was changed from Evil Heritage to Satan's Slave prior to release as the distributor, Brent Walker, believed that the original title was insufficiently "commercial".[11] Production ended in March 1976.[16]

Release

Satan's Slave was released in December 1976.[19] In the UK, it was distributed as the B movie in a double feature with Thriller, an AIP release.[15] It was also paired with Ruby.[15] Satan's Slave was commercially successful and was re-released five times during the 1970s.[10][20] The box office revenue was used to finance Warren's later film Terror.[6] The film had a limited release in the United States, where it was distributed by Crown International Pictures.[21][22][23][24]

Critical response

In a contemporary review for The Monthly Film Bulletin, Michael Grossbard described Satan's Slave as "basically an archaic second feature" that "looks ... like the sort of subject likely to turn up on Sunday afternoon children's television, with its kids-in-trouble/blame-the-older-generation theme." He considered the plot "well constructed and written" and the performances "never below standard, though it would be nice to see Michael Gough in more demanding parts."[25]

Satan's Slave continues to divide critical opinion. AllMovie calls the film a "standard effort".[23] Awarding two stars out of five, reviewer Fred Beldin comments that Satan's Slave "delivers extra gore and skin to keep the attention from wandering off a well-trodden road ... There's no mystery for the viewer, because director Warren isn't shy about introducing the male lead with a scene in which he rapes and murders a flirty blonde." However, he considers it "more watchable" than Warren's later films.[26] David Parkinson of Radio Times gives the film three stars out of five, concluding that Warren "ultimately over-indulges in horror clichés and garish set pieces".[27] TV Guide magazine describes it as a "vile shocker ... full of unappetising gore effects",[24] while Time Out considers it an "absolute stinker", criticising its dialogue and "dragged-out" theme.[28] By contrast, Martin Unsworth of Starburst magazine names it "one of the big underrated movies of the '70s" and a "vital entry to the British horror pantheon".[29] Gary Raymond and Gray Taylor of the Wales Arts Review rank Satan's Slave 21st in their list of the "50 greatest" lesser-known horror films.[30]

Newman, who regards Satan's Slave as the "most conventional" of Warren's films, compliments its "very low-budget imagination" as well as Gough's "committed" performance.[4] Jo Botting of the British Film Institute website Screenonline opines that while the premise is "slightly old hat", the final plot twists create a "satisfying" ending. She adds that the film "brought a new realism to horror, with its settings in high-rise urban blocks and with suburban ordinariness hiding satanic rituals."[10] Though judging it derivative of The Exorcist (1973), Ralph McLean praises the film, characterising it as "pure B-movie junk, but hugely entertaining B-movie junk all the same [...] It will never win any prizes for originality, but who cares about things like that when the cheap thrills are as plentiful as they are here?"[31] Dennis Schwartz of the Online Film Critics Society rates the film "C+", believing it to be "directed with high production values but with little else that rocks". He considers the script "weak" and the dialogue "abominable", the overall film "clichéd" and the final plot twist a non-surprise as it is "given away in the opening act".[32] Despite calling the car crash "amusingly badly staged", commentator Ian Fryer believes that film's "attractive" locations and "excellent" performances make it "[look] like a much more expensive production than was actually the case." He adds that the level of violence "made the products of the declining Hammer and Amicus studios look like very mild fare indeed."[20] Green writes that despite its "formulaic construction" the film is Warren's "most effective horror entry" and "head and shoulders above the stalk/slash tedium which would dominate the American industry within five years."[5]

Reviewing the film for the website DVD Talk in 2004, Bill Gibron described Gough's character as a "grey Sunday drag of a villain" and Satan's Slave in general as a "near-immobile mess", adding: "With an ending that repeats, laps and then doubles back on itself, and an overall atmosphere of dismal dissatisfaction, the only suggestive thing about this movie is its titillating title."[33] In another review published in 2012, he gave the film three out of five stars, judging the script "silly" and the atmosphere "often wasted" but praising the performances of Gough and Glendenning. He commented: "... if you can get past the endless conversations, [the] lack of real suspense, the flawed feeling of familiarity and the dearth of any or all plot twists toward the end ... then by all means saddle up and strap in".[34] Ian Jane, also of DVD Talk, writes that while the film has "some rather obvious pacing problems" and less suspense than a Hammer horror, it still "has its moments".[35]

Unsworth rates the soundtrack nine out of ten, describing Scott's score as "a stunning piece of work, melding some erratic styles perfectly and creating a genuine atmosphere of dread with each listen".[29]

Home media

Satan's Slave has been released on home video by Sovereign Marketing, Anchor Bay Entertainment and Scorpion Releasing.[36][37] It is included on Anchor Bay's "Norman Warren Collection" DVD box set along with Prey, Terror and Inseminoid.[38][39] A Blu-ray and DVD combination set was released by Vinegar Syndrome on 29 October 2019.[40]

References

  1. ^ Grimley, Terry (4 December 1976). "Next Week's Films". Birmingham Post. p. 6 – via Newspapers.com.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g Locks, Adam (April 2009). "Satan Chic: An Interview with Cult British Horror Director Norman J. Warren". Senses of Cinema. from the original on 30 October 2013. Retrieved 19 August 2017.
  3. ^ a b Locks 2010, pp. 213–223.
  4. ^ a b c Newman, Kim (April 2005). "The Norman J. Warren Collection". Video Watchdog. No. 118. Cincinnati, Ohio: Lucas, Tim and Lucas, Donna. pp. 64–65. ISSN 1070-9991. OCLC 646838004.
  5. ^ a b c Fenton, Harvey, ed. (April 1995). "1976: Satan's Slave". Flesh and Blood. No. 4. Guildford, UK: FAB Press. pp. 39–40.
  6. ^ a b c Bayley, Bruno (2 September 2009). "Norman J. Warren". Vice Media Group. from the original on 25 November 2017. Retrieved 25 November 2017.
  7. ^ Billson, Anne (September 2019). James, Nick (ed.). "Ham, Hammer, Hammest". Sight & Sound. Vol. 29, no. 9. London, UK: British Film Institute. p. 86. ISSN 0037-4806. OCLC 733079608.
  8. ^ Hunt 1998, p. 150.
  9. ^ a b c Wyatt, David. All You Need is Blood – The Making of Satan's Slave (DVD documentary). Monumental Pictures. ODNF389.
  10. ^ a b c d e f g Botting, Jo. "Satan's Slave (1976)". Screenonline. British Film Institute. from the original on 15 January 2017. Retrieved 1 October 2017.
  11. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n Warren, Norman J. (2013). "Satan's Slave" DVD liner notes (Media notes). Odeon Entertainment/Euro London. ODNF389.
  12. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Warren, Norman J.; McGillivray, David (2013). "Satan's Slave" DVD audio commentary. Odeon Entertainment/Euro London. ODNF389.
  13. ^ Perry, Darren (producer/director); McCarthy, Paul (presenter) (1999). Evil Heritage: Independent Film-Making and the Films of Norman J. Warren (DVD documentary). Stonevision Entertainment. SVD 5001.
  14. ^ a b c d e f Unsworth, Martin (14 November 2016). . Starburst. Archived from the original on 15 January 2017.
  15. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o Warren, Norman J. (producer) (2013). Creating Satan: Making Satan's Slave (DVD documentary). Anchor Bay Entertainment/Odeon Entertainment/Euro London. ODNF389.
  16. ^ a b c Botting, Josephine (October 2003). Miller, David (ed.). "Norman's Conquests". Shivers. No. 108. London, UK: Visual Imagination. pp. 59–60. ISSN 0965-8238. OCLC 53859448.
  17. ^ Smith, Adrian (9 November 2013). "Report: London Film Memorabilia Convention – Celebrating Films of the 1960s and 1970s". cinemaretro.com. from the original on 4 July 2017. Retrieved 1 December 2017.
  18. ^ a b Warren, Norman J. (producer); Scott, John (interviewee) (2013). Devilish Music – Composer John Scott on his Score for Satan's Slave (DVD documentary). Anchor Bay Entertainment/Odeon Entertainment/Euro London. ODNF389.
  19. ^ "Satan's Slave (Evil Heritage) (1976)". Rotten Tomatoes. Flixster. from the original on 27 November 2017. Retrieved 27 November 2017.
  20. ^ a b Fryer 2017, p. np.
  21. ^ "Satan's Slave (1976)". IMDb. Amazon. from the original on 27 November 2017. Retrieved 27 November 2017.
  22. ^ "O-S Titles". crownintlpictures.com. Crown International Pictures. from the original on 22 May 2017. Retrieved 27 November 2017.
  23. ^ a b Erickson, Hal. "Satan's Slave (1976) – Norman J. Warren". AllMovie. All Media Network. from the original on 13 August 2017. Retrieved 1 October 2017.
  24. ^ a b "Satan's Slave Movie Trailer, Reviews and More". tvguide.com. CBS Interactive. from the original on 29 November 2017. Retrieved 29 November 2017.
  25. ^ Grossbard, Michael (January 1977). Combs, Richard (ed.). "Satan's Slave". The Monthly Film Bulletin. Vol. 44, no. 516. London, UK: British Film Institute. p. 10. ISSN 0027-0407. OCLC 2594020.
  26. ^ Beldin, Fred. "Satan's Slave (1976) – Norman J. Warren: Review". AllMovie. All Media Network. from the original on 6 August 2017. Retrieved 6 August 2017.
  27. ^ Parkinson, David. "Satan's Slave – Review". radiotimes.com. Immediate Media Company. from the original on 6 August 2017. Retrieved 6 August 2017.
  28. ^ "Satan's Slave, directed by Norman J. Warren". timeout.com. Time Out Group. 10 September 2012. from the original on 25 November 2015. Retrieved 23 July 2017.
  29. ^ a b Unsworth, Martin. . Starburst. Archived from the original on 13 August 2017.
  30. ^ Raymond, Gary; Taylor, Gray (29 October 2015). "50 Horror Movies That May Have Passed You By (Part Three: 30-21)". walesartsreview.org. from the original on 18 September 2016.
  31. ^ McLean, Ralph (4 October 2019). "Cult Movie: 1970s Horror Satan's Slave Delivers a Devilish Dose of Exploitation". IrishNews.com. from the original on 6 October 2019. Retrieved 9 May 2020.
  32. ^ Schwartz, Dennis (3 May 2015). "Satan's Slave (Evil Heritage): A Nutty Stab at Devil Worship in GB". homepages.sover.net. from the original on 18 September 2016. Retrieved 23 July 2017.
  33. ^ Gibron, Bill (31 October 2004). "Horrible Horrors Vol 1". DVD Talk. Internet Brands. from the original on 27 November 2017. Retrieved 29 November 2017.
  34. ^ Gibron, Bill (12 May 2012). "Satan's Slave: Katarina's Nightmare Theater". DVD Talk. Internet Brands. from the original on 28 September 2015. Retrieved 25 September 2016.
  35. ^ Jane, Ian (25 August 2009). "The Gorehouse Greats Collection". DVD Talk. Internet Brands. from the original on 30 November 2016. Retrieved 1 October 2017.
  36. ^ "Satan's Slave". bbfc.co.uk. British Board of Film Classification. from the original on 13 August 2017. Retrieved 20 November 2017.
  37. ^ "Katarina's Nightmare Theater – Satan's Slave (DVD)". scorpionreleasing.com. Scorpion Releasing. from the original on 27 November 2017. Retrieved 28 November 2017.
  38. ^ Sutton, Mike (12 November 2004). "The Norman J. Warren Collection – DVD Video Review". thedigitalfix.com. Poisonous Monkey Ltd. from the original on 27 November 2017. Retrieved 28 November 2017.
  39. ^ Power, Ty (2004). "The Norman Warren Collection – DVD Review". sci-fi-online.com. from the original on 27 November 2017. Retrieved 28 November 2017.
  40. ^ . High-Def Digest. Archived from the original on 26 August 2022. Retrieved 26 August 2022.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)

Sources

  • Fryer, Ian (2017). The British Horror Film: From the Silent to the Multiplex. Fonthill Media. ISBN 978-1-78155-641-2.
  • Hunt, Leon (1998). British Low Culture: From Safari Suits to Sexploitation. New York City, New York: Routledge. ISBN 978-1-13618-943-2.
  • Locks, Adam (2010). "Anglo Argento: A Critical Reassessment of the Films of Norman J. Warren". In Forster, Laurel; Harper, Sue (eds.). British Culture and Society in the 1970s: The Lost Decade. Newcastle upon Tyne, England: Cambridge Scholars Publishing. pp. 213–223. ISBN 978-1-443-81838-4.

External links

satan, slave, 1976, film, this, article, about, british, film, indonesian, film, satan, slave, 1980, film, remake, that, film, satan, slaves, satan, slave, 1976, british, supernatural, horror, film, directed, norman, warren, written, david, mcgillivray, starri. This article is about the British film For the Indonesian film see Satan s Slave 1980 film For the remake of that film see Satan s Slaves Satan s Slave is a 1976 British supernatural horror film directed by Norman J Warren written by David McGillivray and starring Candace Glendenning Michael Gough Martin Potter and Barbara Kellerman Its plot follows a young woman who after surviving a car accident that kills her parents stays in the remote estate of her uncle and cousin unaware that they are both necromancers who intend to sacrifice her to resurrect the spirit of a supernaturally gifted ancestor Satan s SlaveTheatrical posterDirected byNorman J WarrenScreenplay byDavid McGillivrayStory byNorman J WarrenLes YoungMoira YoungProduced byLes YoungRichard CrafterStarringMichael Gough Martin Potter Candace Glendenning Barbara Kellerman Michael Craze Gloria Walker James Bree Celia HewittCinematographyLes YoungJohn MetcalfeJohn SimmonsSteve HaskettDenis BalkinEdited byNorman J WarrenMusic byJohn ScottProductioncompaniesMonumental PicturesCrystal Film ProductionsDistributed byBrent Walker Film DistributorsRelease date10 December 1976 1976 12 10 1 Running time86 minutesCountryUnited KingdomLanguageEnglishThe film a production of Warren s newly formed company Monumental Pictures was funded by producers Les Young and Richard Crafter with their own money and shot almost entirely on location in Pirbright Surrey and Shepherd s Bush London in late 1975 The following year re shoots were undertaken to film additional material and more violent alternative versions of existing scenes with the aim of increasing the film s appeal to audiences in the Far East In the UK Satan s Slave was originally released as a B movie Critical reaction to the film has been mixed with aspects such as the acting script and plot drawing a variety of responses Contents 1 Plot 2 Cast 3 Themes 4 Production 4 1 Development 4 2 Writing 4 3 Casting 4 4 Filming 4 5 Post production 5 Release 5 1 Critical response 5 2 Home media 6 References 7 Sources 8 External linksPlot EditCatherine Yorke a young woman from London receives a bracelet from her boyfriend John for her upcoming birthday She then leaves the city with her parents in the family car to join her father Malcolm s brother Alexander for a week at his home in the country At the turn into Alexander s estate Malcolm suddenly falls ill at the wheel and crashes the car into a tree Although the vehicle is only slightly damaged when Catherine leaves to fetch help it mysteriously explodes seemingly killing her parents Alexander assisted by his son Stephen and secretary Frances takes the distraught Catherine into the house and gives her a sedative On waking Catherine finds the driveway cleared of wreckage and is told that the police have concluded their investigation Her parents funeral is conducted later that day on the grounds of the estate After the ceremony Catherine finds an old gravestone bearing the name of Camilla Yorke an 18th century ancestor of hers who died aged 20 the age that Catherine is about to reach Over the next few days as she continues to be hosted by Alexander Catherine experiences disturbing visions of women being branded flogged and sacrificed in satanic rituals She finds herself drawn to Stephen with whom she becomes romantically involved Meanwhile Alexander steals Catherine s bracelet and uses it to channel dark magic that compels John to kill himself by jumping from the roof of a tower block at his London flat Frances tells Catherine that Camilla possessed supernatural abilities and that Alexander who believes in necromancy intends to resurrect the girl s spirit to increase his own power Having murdered several women including his own wife to test his theories he has determined that he can achieve this only by sacrificing Catherine Camilla s direct descendant when she turns 20 Camilla s age at the time of her death Frances also warns Catherine not to trust Stephen having witnessed his mother s sacrifice as a young boy he has grown into a murderer like his father Discovering Frances betrayal Stephen stabs her to death and locks Catherine away On the morning of her birthday Catherine is led into the surrounding woods to be sacrificed by Alexander and his cult but escapes after stabbing Stephen through the eye with a nail file At the entrance to the estate she runs into Malcolm who claims that both he and her mother survived the car accident She is then taken back to the house where Alexander no longer wearing his ritual robes claims that her recent experiences were merely hallucinations brought on by the sedative However his trickery is uncovered when Catherine pulls back a curtain to find Stephen s bloody corpse Alexander praises Catherine s brutality and hails her as a true descendant of Camilla It is then revealed that Malcolm not Alexander is the head of the cult 2 3 Trapped Catherine screams in horror realising that she is about to face her own death Cast EditMichael Gough as Alexander Yorke Martin Potter as Stephen Yorke Candace Glendenning as Catherine Yorke Barbara Kellerman as Frances Michael Craze as John Gloria Walker as Janice James Bree as Malcolm Yorke Celia Hewitt as Elizabeth Yorke David McGillivray as Priest Moira Young as Sacrificial Victim uncredited Themes EditKim Newman compares Satan s Slave to post Rosemary s Baby satanism exploitationers like Virgin Witch and The Wicker Man 4 According to Steve Green of Flesh and Blood magazine while the story and Gothic staging are reminiscent of mid period Hammer horror films Satan s Slave sets itself apart by adding an overt sadistic undercurrent 5 Nigel Burrell also writing for Flesh and Blood describes the plot as a stir fried mix of Dennis Wheatley and Jess Franco a familiar witchcraft family curse theme jostling with deranged Black Mass sequences 5 Critic Adam Locks notes that Satan s Slave uses plot devices typical of 1970s horror films including settings that amount to nowhere places where characters become lost He argues that the effect of the Yorkes car journey is comparable to time travel defining it as a re programming for the audience with memories and associations disconnected from the modern and the urban In psychogeographical terms of the relationship between the individual and space there is the cliched yet interesting idea of the road leading to nowhere Locks also compares Satan s Slave along with other Warren films to the 1960s TV series The Avengers for the way that it conveys an underlying disquiet about its setting Behind the facade of mundane England threatening figures or forces be they crooks in The Avengers or Satanists in Satan s Slave plan to disrupt the everyday world He observes that through this sense of unease the familiarity of Englishness is transformed and warped He describes Alexander as an atavistic amalgamation of various icons of British gentlemen among them the chivalrous knight whose moral code he inverts by sacrificing the women in his family 3 Warren felt that the character and his house were influenced by Hammer films 2 6 Anne Billson writes that the country house setting carries echoes of Hammer also stating that the film as a whole picks up where Hammer left off while amping up the nudity and gore 7 Leon Hunt author of British Low Culture from Safari Suits to Sexploitation regards the grim ending as part of an emerging trend in 1970s generation gap horror films noting in contrast that Michael Reeves films of the 1960s had an angry anti authoritarian tone He observes that Satan s Slave ends with Catherine trapped by her own family and destined to be consumed commenting The battle is over and youth has lost 8 Production EditThe film was funded by Crafter and Les Young with their own money Crafter by selling his shares in Mothercare Young by selling his car as well as mortgaging his home and Crystal Film Productions his film equipment company 2 9 10 11 Warren gave the total budget as either 30 000 or 35 000 268 000 or 312 000 in 2021 about half of which took the form of deferred payments 12 13 Development Edit After making Her Private Hell 1967 and Loving Feeling 1968 Norman J Warren had been in negotiations to direct films for Amicus Productions and American International Pictures AIP 14 When these deals fell through Warren and his camera operator Les Young decided to make a film of their own 2 Satan s Slave was Warren s horror debut as well as the first film by Monumental Pictures an independent production company formed by Warren Young and his wife Moira and fellow camera operator Richard Crafter 9 15 10 Believing that with their limited finances they could only realistically produce either a horror film or an erotic feature the group decided to make a horror film on the basis that it would enjoy a longer shelf life 15 After several failed attempts to secure a financing deal they opted to produce the film independently Writing Edit The plot for the film which was originally titled Evil Heritage was devised by Warren and the Youngs and expanded by screenwriter David McGillivray whom Warren had first met while editing Her Private Hell 2 It was adapted from one of Warren s abandoned projects for AIP a film titled The Naked Eye which had been intended to star Vincent Price 4 McGillivray completed the script in nine days 9 Warren did not want the film to end with the revelation that Catherine had simply had a nightmare as he viewed dream sequences as cliched 2 12 Casting Edit Warren said that Candace Glendenning whom he had seen in Tower of Evil 1972 and other films was always his first choice to play Catherine 15 Stephen was harder to cast due to the character s complexity Martin Potter who had recently played the title role in the TV serial The Legend of Robin Hood was hired after first choice actor Michael Gothard withdrew late in pre production 14 15 Potter researched psychopathic behaviour to gain a better understanding of his role 15 Michael Craze who plays Catherine s boyfriend John had appeared in Warren s 1965 short film Fragment 12 Although the production could not afford Michael Gough s usual fee the actor accepted the role of Uncle Alexander after reading McGillivray s script and hearing Warren s personal vision for the film 15 According to Warren Gough was doing something at the National Theatre in London so I saw him in his dressing room talked him through Satan s Slave and he said yes 16 Gough agreed to participate on the condition that the production would not interrupt his stage commitments 15 He was paid 300 equivalent to 2 677 in 2021 for his role 17 Filming Edit The film was largely shot in and around the country house of the Baron and Baroness DeVeuce in Pirbright Surrey over three weeks in December 1975 11 The house had been the main shooting location in Tigon s Virgin Witch 1971 and would also appear in one of Warren s later films Terror 1978 Warren remembered the challenges posed by the low budget and how production designer Hayden Pearce found the DeVeuce house Most places were not suitable or the people were not interested And because we didn t have any money we needed a house that also had furniture in it Hayden was ringing everyone he knew in connection to art departments and someone suggested the mock Tudor house in Pirbright and we couldn t believe our luck Not only did it look great outside but everything in there was genuine there were wall to wall paintings and it was fully dressed 14 The grounds of the property contained an electrical substation that the crew used for their power supply eliminating the need for generators 14 A nearby cottage served as the location for Catherine s home in London 15 Due to budget constraints Gough and Potter were required to supply their own costumes 15 10 11 During the production Gough who could not be provided with hotel accommodation stayed with a friend in Barnes 11 12 According to Warren We would pick him up each day at around 5 45 a m He would work with us all day often until midnight and then we would drive him back to his friend s house stopping on the way to buy fish and chips 11 He adds that despite the consistently long hours Gough never had a word of complaint 11 Hooded cultists were played by the producers and other members of the crew 12 Moira Young took over the role of a woman who is sacrificed in the opening scene when the actress who had been booked failed to attend the shoot 15 While filming on a hill near an Army base the production found itself surrounded by soldiers on a training exercise 11 Due to the large amount of noise from the base s firing range the filming schedule was changed to avoid outdoor shoots whenever it was in use 12 For the scene of the car explosion the crew were given permission to film on the base itself the Army then used the wreckage for target practice before disposing of it 14 The scenes set inside John s flat were filmed at the home of one of the crew while the character s suicide was shot at a block of flats in Shepherd s Bush with Les Young serving as Michael Craze s stunt double 12 To create a falling point of view shot a camera was tied to a bungee cord and then dropped from the roof of the 23 storey building 11 Young also performed the car crash stunt 12 Post production Edit Principal photography was completed shortly before Christmas 1975 11 Warren then edited the film at home to save money 2 16 He was initially reluctant to serve as editor as he feared that this would compromise his vision as director but ultimately took on the additional role as he so much wanted this film to happen 11 However as union rules officially limited him to a single role he was credited only as director 14 During the editing it was determined that the film contained an excessive amount of dialogue consequently several scenes were either shortened or removed altogether 15 The latter included a dream sequence involving Catherine and a scene in which the Yorkes bond over tea and Alexander and Stephen learn of the existence of Catherine s boyfriend 15 According to Warren the main problem with the film was that the plot was very complicated and actually rather boring So we just cut out complete scenes where people were explaining things And a lot of the film doesn t make sense because of those cuts But it was less complicated and no one ever questioned the plot 6 To boost the film s distribution prospects in the Far East re shoots were held to increase the levels of gore and nudity 10 11 These entailed filming a more explicit version of one of the early scenes in which Stephen nearly rapes and then brutally murders a young woman called Janice played by Gloria Walker who is staying with him 11 Warren considered this version in which Stephen ties Janice to a bed and threatens to cut off her nipples with scissors very unpleasant and expresses his preference for the original 11 A number of cutaways were shot by Les Young s company Crystal Film 12 Warren also wrote in several additional scenes one of these in which Catherine has a vision of a Puritan priest played by McGillivray overseeing the torture of a young woman was filmed in the grounds of a nursing home 15 12 McGillivray also has a speaking role as the priest conducting Catherine s parents funeral The score composed by John Scott was recorded in a single session with seven instrumentalists the largest ensemble that the budget would allow 10 12 18 It features a clarinet and gongs accompanied by a piano xylophone xylorimba and vibraphone 18 The film s title was changed from Evil Heritage to Satan s Slave prior to release as the distributor Brent Walker believed that the original title was insufficiently commercial 11 Production ended in March 1976 16 Release EditSatan s Slave was released in December 1976 19 In the UK it was distributed as the B movie in a double feature with Thriller an AIP release 15 It was also paired with Ruby 15 Satan s Slave was commercially successful and was re released five times during the 1970s 10 20 The box office revenue was used to finance Warren s later film Terror 6 The film had a limited release in the United States where it was distributed by Crown International Pictures 21 22 23 24 Critical response Edit In a contemporary review for The Monthly Film Bulletin Michael Grossbard described Satan s Slave as basically an archaic second feature that looks like the sort of subject likely to turn up on Sunday afternoon children s television with its kids in trouble blame the older generation theme He considered the plot well constructed and written and the performances never below standard though it would be nice to see Michael Gough in more demanding parts 25 Satan s Slave continues to divide critical opinion AllMovie calls the film a standard effort 23 Awarding two stars out of five reviewer Fred Beldin comments that Satan s Slave delivers extra gore and skin to keep the attention from wandering off a well trodden road There s no mystery for the viewer because director Warren isn t shy about introducing the male lead with a scene in which he rapes and murders a flirty blonde However he considers it more watchable than Warren s later films 26 David Parkinson of Radio Times gives the film three stars out of five concluding that Warren ultimately over indulges in horror cliches and garish set pieces 27 TV Guide magazine describes it as a vile shocker full of unappetising gore effects 24 while Time Out considers it an absolute stinker criticising its dialogue and dragged out theme 28 By contrast Martin Unsworth of Starburst magazine names it one of the big underrated movies of the 70s and a vital entry to the British horror pantheon 29 Gary Raymond and Gray Taylor of the Wales Arts Review rank Satan s Slave 21st in their list of the 50 greatest lesser known horror films 30 Newman who regards Satan s Slave as the most conventional of Warren s films compliments its very low budget imagination as well as Gough s committed performance 4 Jo Botting of the British Film Institute website Screenonline opines that while the premise is slightly old hat the final plot twists create a satisfying ending She adds that the film brought a new realism to horror with its settings in high rise urban blocks and with suburban ordinariness hiding satanic rituals 10 Though judging it derivative of The Exorcist 1973 Ralph McLean praises the film characterising it as pure B movie junk but hugely entertaining B movie junk all the same It will never win any prizes for originality but who cares about things like that when the cheap thrills are as plentiful as they are here 31 Dennis Schwartz of the Online Film Critics Society rates the film C believing it to be directed with high production values but with little else that rocks He considers the script weak and the dialogue abominable the overall film cliched and the final plot twist a non surprise as it is given away in the opening act 32 Despite calling the car crash amusingly badly staged commentator Ian Fryer believes that film s attractive locations and excellent performances make it look like a much more expensive production than was actually the case He adds that the level of violence made the products of the declining Hammer and Amicus studios look like very mild fare indeed 20 Green writes that despite its formulaic construction the film is Warren s most effective horror entry and head and shoulders above the stalk slash tedium which would dominate the American industry within five years 5 Reviewing the film for the website DVD Talk in 2004 Bill Gibron described Gough s character as a grey Sunday drag of a villain and Satan s Slave in general as a near immobile mess adding With an ending that repeats laps and then doubles back on itself and an overall atmosphere of dismal dissatisfaction the only suggestive thing about this movie is its titillating title 33 In another review published in 2012 he gave the film three out of five stars judging the script silly and the atmosphere often wasted but praising the performances of Gough and Glendenning He commented if you can get past the endless conversations the lack of real suspense the flawed feeling of familiarity and the dearth of any or all plot twists toward the end then by all means saddle up and strap in 34 Ian Jane also of DVD Talk writes that while the film has some rather obvious pacing problems and less suspense than a Hammer horror it still has its moments 35 Unsworth rates the soundtrack nine out of ten describing Scott s score as a stunning piece of work melding some erratic styles perfectly and creating a genuine atmosphere of dread with each listen 29 Home media Edit Satan s Slave has been released on home video by Sovereign Marketing Anchor Bay Entertainment and Scorpion Releasing 36 37 It is included on Anchor Bay s Norman Warren Collection DVD box set along with Prey Terror and Inseminoid 38 39 A Blu ray and DVD combination set was released by Vinegar Syndrome on 29 October 2019 40 References Edit Grimley Terry 4 December 1976 Next Week s Films Birmingham Post p 6 via Newspapers com a b c d e f g Locks Adam April 2009 Satan Chic An Interview with Cult British Horror Director Norman J Warren Senses of Cinema Archived from the original on 30 October 2013 Retrieved 19 August 2017 a b Locks 2010 pp 213 223 a b c Newman Kim April 2005 The Norman J Warren Collection Video Watchdog No 118 Cincinnati Ohio Lucas Tim and Lucas Donna pp 64 65 ISSN 1070 9991 OCLC 646838004 a b c Fenton Harvey ed April 1995 1976 Satan s Slave Flesh and Blood No 4 Guildford UK FAB Press pp 39 40 a b c Bayley Bruno 2 September 2009 Norman J Warren Vice Media Group Archived from the original on 25 November 2017 Retrieved 25 November 2017 Billson Anne September 2019 James Nick ed Ham Hammer Hammest Sight amp Sound Vol 29 no 9 London UK British Film Institute p 86 ISSN 0037 4806 OCLC 733079608 Hunt 1998 p 150 a b c Wyatt David All You Need is Blood The Making of Satan s Slave DVD documentary Monumental Pictures ODNF389 a b c d e f g Botting Jo Satan s Slave 1976 Screenonline British Film Institute Archived from the original on 15 January 2017 Retrieved 1 October 2017 a b c d e f g h i j k l m n Warren Norman J 2013 Satan s Slave DVD liner notes Media notes Odeon Entertainment Euro London ODNF389 a b c d e f g h i j k Warren Norman J McGillivray David 2013 Satan s Slave DVD audio commentary Odeon Entertainment Euro London ODNF389 Perry Darren producer director McCarthy Paul presenter 1999 Evil Heritage Independent Film Making and the Films of Norman J Warren DVD documentary Stonevision Entertainment SVD 5001 a b c d e f Unsworth Martin 14 November 2016 An Evil Heritage Norman J Warren talks Satan s Slave Starburst Archived from the original on 15 January 2017 a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o Warren Norman J producer 2013 Creating Satan Making Satan s Slave DVD documentary Anchor Bay Entertainment Odeon Entertainment Euro London ODNF389 a b c Botting Josephine October 2003 Miller David ed Norman s Conquests Shivers No 108 London UK Visual Imagination pp 59 60 ISSN 0965 8238 OCLC 53859448 Smith Adrian 9 November 2013 Report London Film Memorabilia Convention Celebrating Films of the 1960s and 1970s cinemaretro com Archived from the original on 4 July 2017 Retrieved 1 December 2017 a b Warren Norman J producer Scott John interviewee 2013 Devilish Music Composer John Scott on his Score for Satan s Slave DVD documentary Anchor Bay Entertainment Odeon Entertainment Euro London ODNF389 Satan s Slave Evil Heritage 1976 Rotten Tomatoes Flixster Archived from the original on 27 November 2017 Retrieved 27 November 2017 a b Fryer 2017 p np Satan s Slave 1976 IMDb Amazon Archived from the original on 27 November 2017 Retrieved 27 November 2017 O S Titles crownintlpictures com Crown International Pictures Archived from the original on 22 May 2017 Retrieved 27 November 2017 a b Erickson Hal Satan s Slave 1976 Norman J Warren AllMovie All Media Network Archived from the original on 13 August 2017 Retrieved 1 October 2017 a b Satan s Slave Movie Trailer Reviews and More tvguide com CBS Interactive Archived from the original on 29 November 2017 Retrieved 29 November 2017 Grossbard Michael January 1977 Combs Richard ed Satan s Slave The Monthly Film Bulletin Vol 44 no 516 London UK British Film Institute p 10 ISSN 0027 0407 OCLC 2594020 Beldin Fred Satan s Slave 1976 Norman J Warren Review AllMovie All Media Network Archived from the original on 6 August 2017 Retrieved 6 August 2017 Parkinson David Satan s Slave Review radiotimes com Immediate Media Company Archived from the original on 6 August 2017 Retrieved 6 August 2017 Satan s Slave directed by Norman J Warren timeout com Time Out Group 10 September 2012 Archived from the original on 25 November 2015 Retrieved 23 July 2017 a b Unsworth Martin Satan s Slave 1976 Starburst Archived from the original on 13 August 2017 Raymond Gary Taylor Gray 29 October 2015 50 Horror Movies That May Have Passed You By Part Three 30 21 walesartsreview org Archived from the original on 18 September 2016 McLean Ralph 4 October 2019 Cult Movie 1970s Horror Satan s Slave Delivers a Devilish Dose of Exploitation IrishNews com Archived from the original on 6 October 2019 Retrieved 9 May 2020 Schwartz Dennis 3 May 2015 Satan s Slave Evil Heritage A Nutty Stab at Devil Worship in GB homepages sover net Archived from the original on 18 September 2016 Retrieved 23 July 2017 Gibron Bill 31 October 2004 Horrible Horrors Vol 1 DVD Talk Internet Brands Archived from the original on 27 November 2017 Retrieved 29 November 2017 Gibron Bill 12 May 2012 Satan s Slave Katarina s Nightmare Theater DVD Talk Internet Brands Archived from the original on 28 September 2015 Retrieved 25 September 2016 Jane Ian 25 August 2009 The Gorehouse Greats Collection DVD Talk Internet Brands Archived from the original on 30 November 2016 Retrieved 1 October 2017 Satan s Slave bbfc co uk British Board of Film Classification Archived from the original on 13 August 2017 Retrieved 20 November 2017 Katarina s Nightmare Theater Satan s Slave DVD scorpionreleasing com Scorpion Releasing Archived from the original on 27 November 2017 Retrieved 28 November 2017 Sutton Mike 12 November 2004 The Norman J Warren Collection DVD Video Review thedigitalfix com Poisonous Monkey Ltd Archived from the original on 27 November 2017 Retrieved 28 November 2017 Power Ty 2004 The Norman Warren Collection DVD Review sci fi online com Archived from the original on 27 November 2017 Retrieved 28 November 2017 Satan s Slave High Def Digest Archived from the original on 26 August 2022 Retrieved 26 August 2022 a href Template Cite web html title Template Cite web cite web a CS1 maint bot original URL status unknown link Sources EditFryer Ian 2017 The British Horror Film From the Silent to the Multiplex Fonthill Media ISBN 978 1 78155 641 2 Hunt Leon 1998 British Low Culture From Safari Suits to Sexploitation New York City New York Routledge ISBN 978 1 13618 943 2 Locks Adam 2010 Anglo Argento A Critical Reassessment of the Films of Norman J Warren In Forster Laurel Harper Sue eds British Culture and Society in the 1970s The Lost Decade Newcastle upon Tyne England Cambridge Scholars Publishing pp 213 223 ISBN 978 1 443 81838 4 External links Edit Film portal Horror fiction portalSatan s Slave at IMDb Satan s Slave at the TCM Movie Database Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Satan 27s Slave 1976 film amp oldid 1171211747, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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