Queens of Evil is a 1970 Italian/French supernatural horror film directed by Tonino Cervi. The movie stars Haidee Politoff, Silvia Monti, Evelyn Stuart and Ray Lovelock (Let Sleeping Corpses Lie).
A young hippie kills a man and seeks refuge at the lakeside house of three beautiful sisters, who seem to be hiding a dark secret…
Reviews:
“Perhaps it was the intention of screenwriters Raoul Katz, Antonio Troiso and director Cervi to make David a foolish and unsympathetic representation of hippie culture […] Still, the film and the gruesome finale would have had much more impact if the audience actually had any empathy for the young drifter.” Cinema Sojourns
“The subtitle of the original Italian title is “A Thrilling Fable” and it is an adult fairytale with a moral about holding to one’s values and the consequences of succumbing to temptation. It is one of the few leftist films of this nature which makes it all the more interesting and gratifying in spite of the downbeat ending.” Esotika Film
“A fairy tale for grown-ups Queens of Evil is like some kind of far-out hybrid of Hansel and Gretel, Rosemary’s Baby and The Wicker Man all shot with the unmistakable panache and style of the best of 70’s Italian cinema. With excellent period sets, a typically 70’s soundtrack, gorgeous women, a handsome leading man and weird supernatural shenanigans this is a gem of a movie.” Italian Film Review
“It certainly lacks the gratuitous sleaze-factor that usually accompanies a film of this pedigree, but what we get in return is a witchy good time. The numerous sex scenes are feminine, seductive and tender, lacking a voyeuristic edge, which makes sense as the power dynamic leans in favor of the women not the man.” McBastard’s Mausoleum
“Perhaps because of its refusal to go sleazy at any point with only a very minimal amount of nudity and the bloodshed erupting only in the final few minutes (albeit with a vengeance), Queens of Evil is a fascinating addition to the lineage of films about men held captive by women, a device that had already become familiar in grindhouse roughies (a la She Mob) but would go more mainstream in films like The Beguiled, Death Game and Misery.” Mondo Digital
“Very much a product of its time both thematically and visually, Queens of Evil is really a bit of a unsung gem and a film that should be better recognized in Eurocult circles than it currently seems to be (hopefully this Blu-ray release will change all of that). It’s an absolutely gorgeous film to look at, beautifully shot and making use of some truly wild locations…” Rock! Shock! Pop!
Original title:
Il Delitto del Diavolo (Le regine)
