An Angel for Satan (1966)

At the end of the 19th century, in a little Italian village by a lake an old statue is recovered. Soon a series of crimes start and the superstitious people of the village believe that the ... See full summary »

Director:

Camillo Mastrocinque

Writers:

Luigi Emmanuele (story), Antonio Fogazzaro (novel)

Stars:

Barbara Steele, Anthony Steffen, Claudio Gora

Cast

Cast overview:
Barbara Steele	...	Harriet Montebruno / Belinda
Anthony Steffen	...	Roberto Merigi
Claudio Gora	...	Conte Montebruno
Mario Brega	...	Carlo Lionesi
Marina Berti	...	Ilda, the Housekeeper (as Maureen Melrose)
Ursula Davis	...	Rita
Vassili Karis	...	Dario, the Teacher (as Vassili Karamesinis)
Aldo Berti	...	Vittorio, the Gardener
Betty Delon	...	Barbara Lionesi
Antonio Corevi	...	Guglielmo, the Majordomo
Antonio Acqua	...	Sergente, the Guardian
Livia Rossetti	...	Natalia
Halina Zalewska	...	Luisa
Giovanna Lenzi	...	Maria

Storyline

At the end of the 19th century, in a little Italian village by a lake an old statue is recovered. Soon a series of crimes start and the superstitious people of the village believe that the statue carries an ancient malediction ...

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Plot Keywords:

bodily possession | riding sidesaddle | italy | giallo | psychotronic film | 

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Genres:

Horror | Mystery

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Details

Country:

Italy

Language:

Italian

Release Date:

4 May 1966 (Italy)

Also Known As:

An Angel for Satan

Company Credits

Production Co:

Discobolo Film

Technical Specs

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

User Reviews

Excellent Gothic horror

An Angel for Satan is the rarest, and therefore hardest to find of all the Gothic horror films that Barbara Steele made in the sixties; but hunting it down was certainly worth the time and effort as this film is right up there with Danse Macabre and Black Sunday as one of the best films that the horror icon made! Director Camillo Mastrocinque had worked in the Gothic horror genre previously with the somewhat less than brilliant effort Terror in the Crypt in 1964; but it would appear he'd done some homework on the genre since then as this film is much better. The story focuses on a little Italian village. A statue belonging to a rich family has been recovered from the local lake after a heat wave, and Roberto Merigi has been called in to restore it; which coincides with the return of Harriet Montebruno; the daughter of the statue's owner. There is a story of a curse surrounding the statue, and the locals believe that the village itself will become cursed if it is ever recovered from the lake. Strange things then start happening in the village.

The key thing for this genre, and indeed the best thing about this film, is atmosphere. Director Camillo Mastrocinque succeeds admirably in bathing the film in a thick and foreboding atmosphere; which is helped by a great score from Francesco De Masi. The plot is spread rather thinly and the film puts its main focus on the central characters, which works well. Barbara Steele is, of course, the star of the show and aside from looking better than ever, also provides the film with its main story lines. Starring alongside Steele is the great Anthony Steffen, who provides a strong male lead. The film is basically a mystery thriller with horror elements tied in; the horror of course coming mostly from the atmosphere and direction. The plot does flow well and the film is always interesting, though my only real criticism of the film comes from the fact that more isn't made of the curse. There's a gorgeous sequence explaining how it came about, but that's the only real mention and it's a bit of a shame. Otherwise, however, An Angel for Satan is an exceptional Gothic horror film and comes highly recommended to anyone that enjoys films like this!