The Devil’s Possessed aka Devil’s Possessed – is a 1974 Spanish-Argentinian action-adventure horror film directed by León Klimovsky from a screenplay by Jacinto Molina [Paul Naschy]. The film is very loosely based on the life of the infamous serial killer Gilles de Rais (1404-1440).
The film’s Spanish title is El Mariscal del infierno “The Marshall of Hell”, whilst the Argentinian title is Los poseídos de Satán “Satan Possessed”.
The musical soundtrack is a mix of library cues and electronic synth interludes by Carlos Viziello (Supernatural).
Plot:
Baron Gilles de Lancre (Naschy) is an evil ruler who uses alchemy, witchcraft and necromancy to keep his subjects in line, but his reign of terror eventually prompts the people to revolt…
Reviews:
“The emphasis on Naschy, not to mention on sacrifice and torture, marks El Mariscal as a horror film rather than a swashbuckler in the final analysis; it’s closest analogue might well be Rowland V. Lee’s Tower of London in its volatile genre mix. In any event, this film is admirable for its ambition, even if that ambition isn’t fully achieved.” Mondo 70: A Wild World of Cinema
” … probably the worst movie Paul Naschy and León Klimovsky created together. A horrendously slow medieval adventure-melodrama that looks like some 40s or 50s swashbuckler film and has nearly nothing to do with the horror genre.” Maynard’s Horror Movie Diary
“Naschy is wonderfully evil once he turns it loose and goes for broke with the Gilles character, and it’s fun to watch him in the aforementioned soliloquy and in his last stand at the climax. His right-hand man Sillé, played with Vincent Price/Basil Rathbone smarminess by Mariano Vidal Molina, is an effective performance…” Mad Mad Mad Mad Movies
Main cast and characters:
Paul Naschy – Baron Gilles de Lancre
Standard Sebre – Georgelle
Guillermo Bredeston – Gaston de Malebranche
Mariano Vidal Molina – Sillé
Nilson Graciela Graciela
Eduardo Calvo – Simon Braqueville
Fernando Rubio – Estebano
Luis Induni – Paul
Jose Luis Chinchilla – Daniel
Francisco Nieto
Carmen Carro – Bastiana
Germán Kraus
Javier de Rivera
Cesar Barona
Toni Mosul
Emilio Mellado
Luis Gonzalez Paramo
Simon Arriaga
Sandra Mozarowsky – sacrificed girl
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Choice dialogue:
Baron Gilles de Lancre [Paul Naschy]: “We still do not have the Philosopher Stone!”
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Trailer:
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