StudioCanal

A paralysed young woman becomes possessed by the Devil when a hypnosis session awakens memories of her past life as a witch.

Say what you like about the Italian film industry, but it was never backwards at taking a popular film or series and creating a knock-off. Alberto De Martino had already copied James Bond with OK Connery and would later riff on The Omen with Holocaust 2000. The Antichrist is his 1974 variation on the previous year’s The Exorcist.

Of the many demonic possession movies that followed in the wake of William Friedkin’s classic, The Antichrist has the added novelty of also throwing in aspects of Rosemary’s Baby. Massimo Oderisi (Mel Ferrer, Death Trap) is the father of Ippolita (Carla Gravina, The Invisible Woman), carrying the guilt of killing her mother and confining Ippolita to a wheelchair following a car crash. For some reason that only makes sense in a horror movie, regression hypnosis is seen a potential way to restore Ippolita, but instead it just brings out a former occupant of her body, who draws the devil towards her.

Green vomit, levitating furniture and growling voices follow, while everyone plays it dead straight, including Alida Valli, who would later be memorable in Suspiria. There’s even a tumble down a tall set of stone steps and a priest that sounds like Max von Sydow. The finale in Rome’s Coliseum adds a bit of variety, and Ennio Morricone’s score is more effective than the one he would go on to write for the official Exorcist sequel, The Heretic.

StudioCanal’s new restoration of the movie is a sharp transfer, featuring an audio commentary with author/critics Lee Gambin and critic Sally Christie, the opening credits of ‘The Tempter’ (an alternative name for the movie), TV spot and some art cards. There’s also 11 minutes of audio from the director, recalling the origins and making of the project and a 12-minute video interview with him.

Verdict: A highly derivative, but solidly made demonic possession movie with interesting visuals that will be a welcome addition to the Italian horror movie fan’s library. 7/10

Nick Joy

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