The Antichrist (1974)

A paralyzed young woman becomes possessed by the Devil when a hypnosis session - intended to heal her disability - accidentally awakens memories of her past life as a witch.

Director:

Alberto De Martino

Writers:

Gianfranco Clerici, Alberto De Martino

Stars:

Carla Gravina, Mel Ferrer, Arthur Kennedy

Cast

Credited cast:
Carla Gravina	...	Ippolita Oderisi
Mel Ferrer	...	Massimo Oderisi
Arthur Kennedy	...	Bishop Ascanio Oderisi
George Coulouris	...	Father Mittner
Alida Valli	...	Irene
Mario Scaccia	...	Faith Healer
Umberto Orsini	...	Dr. Marcello Sinibaldi
Anita Strindberg	...	Greta
Remo Girone	...	Filippo Oderisi
Ernesto Colli	...	Possessed Man
Bruno Tocci	...	Possessed Man's Friend
Beatrice De Bono	...	Woman healed by statue
Vittorio Fanfoni	...	(credit only)
Luigi Antonio Guerra	...	(credit only)
Rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Viktoria Brams	...	Ippolita (voice) (as V. Abrams)

Storyline

Ippolita is a paralyzed young woman with serious mental problems stemming from the death of her mother. Her crisis of faith and the intervention of a well-meaning psychologist lead Ippolita to remember her past life as a witch during the Inquisition. Eventually, Ippolita becomes possessed and starts seducing local men, only to kill them. An exorcism seems to be the only solution to stop the madness.

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Plot Keywords:

giallo | actual animal killed | death | faith | exorcism | 

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Taglines:

Deliver her from evil.

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Genres:

Drama | Horror

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Certificate:

R

Details

Country:

Italy

Language:

Italian

Release Date:

3 March 1978 (USA)

Also Known As:

Blasphemy

Filming Locations:

Santuario della Madonna di Quintiliolo, Tivoli, Rome, Lazio, Italy

Company Credits

Production Co:

Capitolina Produzioni Cinematografiche

Technical Specs

Runtime:

112 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (Westrex Sound System)

Color:

Color (Telecolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Probably the first overt carbon copy of The Exorcist (1973), this borrows many elements from William Friedkin's film, including pea-green vomit and one of the characters falling down a lengthy staircase. Alberto De Martino's film ups the ante a bit more with cruder special effects and generous helpings of nudity.

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Quotes

Ippolita Oderisi: This time I'm going to win. You're all afraid, you stinking pots of shit!

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Alternate Versions

UK cinema and video versions were cut by 13 secs by the BBFC to edit shots of a live toad being crushed to death. The Optimum DVD is fully uncut.

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Connections

Featured in Pop Culture Beast's Halloween Horror Picks: The Antichrist (2014)

User Reviews

Creepy movie plenty of horrible and disgusting images

This filthy and spooky movie , a wildly popular ¨Exorcist¨ imitation , concerns about Hipolita (Carla Gravina), she's a invalid young with unsettling problems from his mother died for a car crash in an accident along with her father (Mel Ferrer) and then she resulted paralyzed . She only has understanding for his brother (Remo Girone) . Her mental problems and intervention a doctor (Umberto Orsini) lead to an act of possession by an ancestor framed as a witch by the Inquisition . Eventually she's deeply possessed and starts seducing a young and other local men only to murder them . Hipolita becomes possessed and a strange exorcism seems to be the only solution to stop the craziness and heal the young invalid . An exorcism carried out by a Father exorcist (George Colouris) results to be the mean to save her but the events go awry .

This exploitation picture displays eerie horror , witchcraft , grisly killings , bestiality , satanism and lots of blood and gore . Most often films made to cash in on another hugely box-office ¨The Exorcist¨ tend to be inferior to the template but I have to say, as far as rip-offs of the Freidkin's classic go, ¨The Antichrist¨ is on the better end of the spectrum . Large cast with American actors working in Italy , such as Arthur Kennedy , Mel Ferrer , and George Colouris . Revolting , scary scenes and nasty images take place on orgy scenes with goat included . Packs luxurious scenarios with a lush corridor plenty of sculptures and careful cinematography showing glamorous sets by known Joe DÁmato , though cheesy special effects on the levitation scenes . Creepy and adequate to terror musical score composed by Ennio Morricone and conducted by Bruno Nicolai . The motion picture was regularly directed by Alberto De Martino . He's an Italian craftsman , working from the 60s in all kind of genres and B movies . As he directed Peplum (Secret seven , Spartan gladiators , Invincible gladiator , Valley of stone men) , Spaghetti Western (Django shoots first , Providence , Charge of seven cavalry) , Warlike (Dirty heroes) , European spy genre (OK Connery , Operation Lady Chaplin) , and Terror (Miami Golem , Horror , Holocaust 2000) , among others. Rating : acceptable and passable , though sometimes embarrassing .