Incubus (1966)

On a strange island inhabited by demons and spirits, a man battles the forces of evil.

Director:

Leslie Stevens

Writer:

Leslie Stevens

Stars:

William Shatner, Allyson Ames, Eloise Hardt

Cast

Complete credited cast:
William Shatner	...	Marc
Allyson Ames	...	Kia
Eloise Hardt	...	Amael
Robert Fortier	...	Olin
Ann Atmar	...	Arndis
Milos Milos	...	Incubus

Storyline

Kia is a succubus, luring to their final perdition men who already have sinful habits and libertine inclinations. She tires of this, it's too easy, and these souls are going to Hell anyway. She wants to match wits and charm with someone who is good. So, against the advice of her sister Amael, Kia seeks out Marc, a man who has already faced death with courage. After a night together, Kia finds that not only is Marc's goodness still intact, but she has been ravaged by love. In anger, she and Amael conjure an incubus to deal with Marc. The incubus starts with Marc's sister, Arndis. Who will win the struggle for souls?

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Plot Keywords:

satanic goat | incubus | love | succubus | demon | 

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Genres:

Horror

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Certificate:

Unrated

Did You Know?

Trivia

Just one year after this film came out, as its prints were being destroyed, William Shatner was cast in Star Trek: The Original Series (1966), cinematographer Conrad L. Hall got his first Academy Award nomination, actor Milos Milos murdered Carolyn Mitchell (estranged wife of Mickey Rooney) and then killed himself, and actress Ann Atmar committed suicide.

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Goofs

As Marko chases Kia down to the beach, night changes to day and back again many times. One minute it's pitch black, then it's daylight shot through a filter, then it's twilight shot without lighting, then it's daylight without a filter at all. It goes back and forth like this for a long time. In one night scene the sun is actually visible.

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Quotes

Amael: He has faced death, Kia.
Kia: They all face death, all of them.
Amael: He was unafraid!
Kia: Is that so pure and noble? The beasts in the fields have courage. The smallest bird will beat its wings and claw a weasel in its nest.
Amael: But his courage went beyond self-preservation.

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Connections

Featured in WatchMojo: Top 10 Cursed Movies (2020)

User Reviews

Fascinating, unique, underappreciated

Writer/Director Leslie Stevens was previously best-known as the man behind the TV series "The Outer Limits", and it shows. Everything about this film is moody, atmospheric and vaguely threatening, while still tinged with beauty. The real surprise is that "Incubus" is much better than just an extended Outer Limits.

Shot in Big Sur on the central California coast in just two weeks and under a very small budget, the film more than makes up for those limitations with an imaginative script, fantastic visuals and well-nuanced acting. William Shatner gives what I consider to be the most subtle, unmannered performance of his career as the protagonist -- a weary, wounded soldier. The succubus who aims to cause his downfall is more than ably portrayed by Allyson Ames, who would've been quite at home in any Bergman film.

Bergman is, in fact, a reference point, with a few scenes obviously inspired by "Persona", "The Seventh Seal" and perhaps "Wild Strawberries". Other influences seem to be some of Kurosawa's early work and even Greek tragedies.

Many people consider the fact that every bit of dialogue (and even the credits) were in the Esperanto language, to be merely a gimmick. In fact, it was an inspired decision, and makes the film independent of time and place; perfectly complimenting the otherworldly mood. Most of the actors do quite well with it, and after a few minutes it sounds natural, and a bit like a cross between Swedish and Latin.

There are a few niggling problems: the actress who portrays the older succubus has a terrible declaimatory style, there are occasionally irrational plot turns, and worse -- the obtrusive subtitles that block out a large swath of the screen. This was necessitated by the fact that only one print of the film survived, and it had had French subtitles printed on it. When the print was rediscovered, director Stevens had to restore it for English-speaking audiences by blocking English subtitles over the top of the French!

I must mention the score, by Outer Limits composer Dominic Frontiere, which perfectly compliments the film. Conrad Hall's cinematography is at times breathtaking -- especially in one scene where Shatner wanders through a field by moonlight, the grasses swirling around him.

The film's denouement stays just on the better side of moralizing and manages to avoid heavy-handed Christian references. Indeed, the statues of Jesus, Mary and various saints in the village chapel seem just as threatening as the demons outside.

Although not quite as morally ambiguous as "The Wicker Man" (and probably shot for 1/10 the budget and in 1/10th the time), Incubus nevertheless is one of my favorite "horror" films of the 1960s, and well worth viewing. By the way, I disagree with the other poster suggested that Incubus is best viewed in a large group. I suggest that the intimate scale of this film works best when watched alone on a rainy night. Prepare to be frightened, disturbed and surprised.

A macabre footnote: within a year, both the actress who portrayed Shatner's sister and the actor who played the incubus would commit suicide.

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

Esperanto

Release Date:

26 October 1966 (USA)

Also Known As:

Leslie Stevens' Incubus

Filming Locations:

Santa Catalina Island, Channel Islands, California, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Contempo III Productions, Daystar Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

78 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1