Faust: Love of the Damned is a 2000 Spanish superhero horror film about an artist that makes a pact with the devil and lives to regret it.
Produced and directed by Brian Yuzna (Amphibious; The Dentist and sequel; Society; Bride of Re-Animator; Return of the Living Dead III; et al) from a screenplay written by David Quinn and Miguel Tejada-Flores, based on an Avatar Press graphic novel by David Quinn and Tim Vigil.
Plot:
An artist, John Jaspers (Mark Frost), sells his soul to the mysterious M (as for Mephistopheles) (Andrew Divoff) in order to avenge the death of his girlfriend, Blue (Jennifer Rope), at the hands of a gangster.
However, the deal has an unexpected price, and he is periodically transformed into a horned demon with a passion for killing and becomes M’s assassin. After meeting psychologist Jade De Camp, he rediscovers love and turns against M and his psychotic lover, Claire…
Reviews:
“As well as copious nudity, the film is awash with blood and gore courtesy of Yuzna regular, effects master Screaming Mad George, and much of the violence sits at odds with the cartoon humour. At times Faust comes on too much like a low-rate Freddy Krueger, spouting cheesy oneliners and puns while dispatching victims.” Behind the Couch
“The gore effects are very good, and Van Campen felt her character’s constant disrobing was essential to the story, but in the end it is not enough to recommend Faust: Love of the Damned, much less seek out the graphic novel.” Charles T. Tatum
“Faust climaxes with an unexpectedly arousing bondage scene between demonic dominatrix Mònica van Campen and innocent Isabel Brook, who’s caged and wearing a see-through chainmail bikini above the pits of Hell. Add in a great underappreciated metal soundtrack, and the film it’s not quite a loss classic, but definitely a worthwhile wig-flipper.” Mike “McBeardo” McFadden, Heavy Metal Movies
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“Crucially, where Faust: Love of the Damned fails is in its lack of any darkness. Mark Frost’s performance in the demonic anti-hero role is conducted with a single bug-eyed expression. It is a one-note performance with no variation. Even more so, there is no passion to the romance.” Moria
“Given the source material, it is hard not to view this as a missed trick on Yuzna’s part as he pretty much has the world at his feet with such an outlandish premise and doesn’t appear to have a handle on it. It becomes a case of good outweighing bad and thankfully it just about manages the feat.” Rivers of Grue
” ….a very flawed take on some source material that, yes, would be very tough to do properly […] Not everything works here, but not everything is a complete misfire either. As troubled and frequently goofy as the film is, it is at least an entertaining picture; you’ve got to give it credit for that.” Rock! Shock! Pop!
“It’s very artistic, very gory, kind of pretentious, kind of ridiculous; some parts are right out of a music video, other parts a mindf*ck, and there’s a lot of sensuality, sex and nudity for good measure.” Tales of Terror
“A high-octane, low-taste foray into a fevered underworld of satanic cults and severed heads, complete with all the digital trappings […] entertaining in a voyeuristic way but also as corny, crude and excessive as they come.” Variety
“Faust has a very nineties style to it (although it was released in 2000) and it’s hard not to enjoy its cheesiness and over the top blood and gore. Despite the shifts in tone, it remains a non-stop and mostly entertaining film that would still be fun on repeat viewings.” Wight Blood
“Driven by manic direction and a pounding soundtrack, this movie decapitates, slashes, orgies and turns women into a pulsating blob of mammary glands with glee. The fatal flaws are the very inconsistent characters, a bug-eyed inappropriate performance by the lead actor, and a silly rubber costume.” The Worldwide Celluloid Massacre
Choice dialogue:
John Jaspers: “In spite of all our science and technology I always knew deep inside that evil existed… darkness that possesses us when we cease to believe.”
Cast and characters:
Mark Frost … John Jaspers/Faust
Isabel Brook … Jade de Camp
Jennifer Rope … Blue
Jeffrey Combs … Lt. Dan Margolies
Mònica Van Campen … Claire
Leslie Charles … Newscaster
Fermí Reixach … Commissioner Marino
Junix Inocian … Doctor Yuri Yamoto
Robert Paterson … SWAT Team Leader
Marc Martínez … Hapi
Andrew Divoff … M aka Mephistopheles
Clare Leach … Nurse Ida
Francisco Maestre … Baez
Ronny Svensson … Beef
Julia Davies … Jonesy
Sarr Mamadon Alex … Don
Charo Oubiña … Rizzo
Ferran Lahoz … Vito
Joan Gispert … Big Head
Pedro Moya … Polanski
Noah Yuzna … Punk
Miguel Ángel Jenner … Patrolman Rodriguez
Michelle Jenner … Little Jade
Carlos Lasarte … Shah
Motokazu Kawamura … Stenger
Soundtrack:
The soundtrack for the film consists of tracks by bands such as Machine Head, Baby Fox, Junkie XL, Fear Factory, Sepultura, Nailbomb, Soulfly and Coal Chamber.
Filming locations:
Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain
Technical details:
1 hour 37 minutes
Audio: Dolby Digital
Trailer:
