The October Project 2: Day 27

"The Angel of Death was summoned. He cannot return empty-handed."


The Devil Rides Out  (1968)
Directed by Terence Fisher


This time out, I wanted to include a film from legendary Hammer Studies, which ruled British Horror throughout the 50's and 60's. Rather than one of their famous Dracula or Frankenstein films, I chose this superb occult thriller adapted from Dennis Wheatley's novel by the late, great, Richard Matheson. Christopher Lee is splendid as usual as Wheatley's hero, the Duc de Richleau who is trying to save a friend from falling further under the influence of a satanic cult leader played by Charles Gray.
Hammer vet Terence Fisher provides his usual deft hand as director, keeping everything moving at a good pace and the cast plays the pulpy material completely straight. The film holds up marvellously, marred only by some cheap optical effects during the climax.
A classic of it's type, waiting to be rediscovered