Les démons (1973)

A group of nun's become possessed by demons and are then tortured in a dungeon of horrors during the inquisition.

Director:

Jesús Franco

Writer:

Jesús Franco

Stars:

Anne Libert, Britt Nichols, Doris Thomas

Cast

Credited cast:
Anne Libert	...	Kathleen
Britt Nichols	...	Margaret
Doris Thomas	...	Mother Rosalinda
Karin Field	...	Lady De Winter
Cihangir Gaffari	...	Lord Justice Jeffries (as John Foster)
Luis Barboo	...	Truro
Howard Vernon	...	Lord Malcolm De Winter
Alberto Dalbés	...	Thomas Renfield
Rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Rosa Palomar

Storyline

A group of nun's become possessed by demons and are then tortured in a dungeon of horrors during the inquisition.

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Plot Keywords:

inquisition | nun | blood | nunsploitation | convent | 

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Taglines:

Erotic horror... Torture... Witchcraft.

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Genres:

Horror

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Certificate:

R

Details

Country:

France Portugal

Language:

French

Release Date:

5 February 1973 (France)

Also Known As:

She-Demons

Company Credits

Production Co:

Comptoir Français du Film Production (CFFP), Interfilme

Technical Specs

Runtime:

103 min 103 min (restored)

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color (Eastmancolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The film was rejected for UK cinema in 1972 and eventually passed fully uncut for DVD in 2008 on the Redemption label.

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Connections

Referenced in Video Nasties: Moral Panic, Censorship & Videotape (2010)

User Reviews

Naughty nuns and wicked witches.

It's not at all surprising that Les Demons, Jess Franco's sequel to The Bloody Judge, was severely truncated for the US market: it's an extremely repetitious film, never quite knowing when to quit. That said, the full length version is still the way to go, because this being a Franco movie, it would be a crime to miss even a second of the depravity, of which there is plenty to wallow in.

The film, clearly modelled on Ken Russell's The Devils (1971), opens with the torture and burning of a witch; as the old crone goes up in flames she places a curse on the people responsible for her death—Lord Justice Jeffries (Cihangir Gaffari), Lady De Winter (Karin Field) and Thomas Renfield (Alberto Dalbés). Years later, beautiful nun Kathleen (Anne Libert) begins to experience sinful dreams and, along with her equally tasty sister Margaret (Britt Nichols), is suspected of being a witch, bringing them to the attention of Lady de Winter and her wicked pals. After much cruelty, torture, and sex (with loads of full frontal nudity from the very lovely ladies), it transpires that sisters Kathleen and Margaret are the dead witch's daughters, and that they are to be her instruments of vengeance.

With a plot that goes in circles, Franco's trademark (ie. clumsy) directorial style (erratic zooms, roving camera etc), and loads of crap acting, Les Demons isn't exactly what you would call a Euro horror classic, but with Libert and Nichols regularly disrobing to indulge in all manner of deviancy (vaginal examinations, self gratification, lesbianism, sex with the devil—that sort of thing), plus a hefty dose of sadism and violence, this trashy piece of nunsploitation should still hold your attention to the end. A wonderfully incongruent soundtrack—including a funky bass guitar that kicks in whenever the women get saucy—only adds to the charm.

6/10 (which, from me, is a pretty decent rating for a Franco film).