Black Candles (1982)

   

Written & Directed by: José Ramón Larraz

Starring:

Martha Belton .... Fiona
Vanessa Ashley .... Carol
Martin Ren .... Robert
Carmen Carrión .... Georgiana
Betty Webster
John McGrat
Christopher Wright
Jeffrey Healey
Lucille Jameson
Fred Pulver
John Thomason .... Peter
Paul Kendall
Rose Wren

Release Date: Theatrical: April 3, 1982 (Spain)

 

 

 

Rating:

 

A couple from Spain named Carol (Vanessa Ashley) and Robert (Martin Ren) travel to the UK to stay with an inlaw named Fiona (Martha Belton) on the unexpected death of Carol's brother.
While they stay there, Fiona spies on the two of them lusting as she plans to use Robert to draw him into a Satanic cult based in the house whose rites seem to centre somewhat on large-scale sexual congress.
Carol is warned about this situation only to find out that no one will let her leave as she is the final plan to be used for the final ceremony.

 

The story is very strange in which we spot someone walking in the woods and later on we spot an artsy lustful situation with a couple naked in bed and getting it on with one another. Plus there's a nice shot on someone stabbing a voodoo doll and the male suddenly reacting to all of this which leaves a nice mysterious moment in what we may expect to happen later on in the plot.
A nice moment with the sister in law Fiona showing the couple Carol and Robert around the home as well as showing them black candles in which this seems impressive to spot on having a bad feeling on what they're used for.
We have nice camera shots on Carol and Robert lusting one another in which this looked believeably erotic by how this was all done as well as Fiona spying on them and getting off. I had a feeling that this flick was going to be terribly exploited since alot of these foriegn types often are.
There's a great dream sequence when we spot Carol walking outside in her lingerae and spotting strange situations in which we have her getting involved with a lesbian lustful situation as this seemed to come off very smoothly as it involves Fiona in which it looked very artsy to watch all of this and adding alot of twisted moments too.
There's a good moment with Carol suddenly spotting a dark looking man staring at her in the window as this looked somewhat frightening.
There's even a great camera shot walking through a graveyard with tombstones as well as Carol wandering to check one out and hears a demonic threatening type of speaking telling her to leave in which this adds a great taste to the story and truly spooky too.
There's a situation with someone trying to get a black goat off which looked pretty sick and twisted but what was more strange is that we have this goat fornicating with a naked woman in a barn as it;s the part of a satanic ritual which looked well shot and how it was set looked pretty impressive too. This moment is pretty controversial in which is not often accepted in a film but there's nothing too detailed here. It seems to work in well while trying to do deeds for the antichrist since there's often a black goat involved.
There's a good discussion with Robert talking to Fiona about satanism and the religion of it which is almost laughable since we all know noawadays that satanism and satan worshipping are two different things alltogether. Yet this looked well done with their discussions as well as good close up shots on them lusting.
Another great dark sequence is spotting a cult ceremony on Robert becoming a born again Satan worshipper copying on what a preacher is telling him to say as well as spotting Carol spying on them in which this looked impressive to watch and yet more lusting going on here in which this looked a little gothic.
There's a painful moment with Robert raping Carol doggy style in which this looked truly painful to watch on all the actions happening here.
There's also a situation with a fellow named John trying to warn Carol about what is happening and telling her to leave in which this seemed good and seriously done with a nice shot on the two of them while this is happening.
Things look disturbing and intense when John is captured and having his clothes torn off pinned down doggy style along with a perfect close up shot on someone rubbing a sharp knife neaxt to his butt in which this gives you an ugly and cringing feeling as to what's going to happen next. This certainly isn't for everyone's tastes on the most perverted and painful ways on being tortured to death.
More disturbing moments is when some women pin Carol to a bed as well as Fiona forcing her to drink her tea along with them all stripping her down and getting lusftful along with the final ceremony as to what's going to become of the devil's lustful moments. The scene's looked well lit here.
It then starts from the beginning again as if Carol was dreaming all of this but yet there's a different twist towards all of this.
Bottom line is that the film seemed very artsy and interesting to watch but yet it is filled with sex scene's making it look pointless as if watching an early Andy Warhol flick. This was indeed a soft core porn dud. It's controversial without a doubt and has many good pointers which saves the film from bombing since it looked genuinely twisted and foreign looking with a Spanish filmmakers going to the UK to make this one. Otherwise the film is hard to understand and a drag. It's pretty much an erotic Rosemary's Baby ripoff.

The acting is overly dubbed by since it was spoken in Spanish as well as having a hard time knowing who the supporting cast is credited as here but I will do my best reviewing the three leads here.
Martha Belton (Fiona) seemed to come across nicely as a countess type of personality into what she had to portray in which she does well with her mysterious behavior and had the perfect looks for this too. I enjoyed her wicked type of attitude and comes across as someone who is very lustful and really getting into her eroptic emotions too. Plus does a nice job with her forceful reactions to when there;s a ceremony happening. So I will say that she is pretty decent with her characteristics here.
Vanessa Ashley (Carol) seemed to come across pretty sharp in her performance in which she showed a good firmness to what she had to stress with her words as this looked very natural and showing good expressions while doing all of this. Plus she does a good job with her shocked reactions. She also does a nice job when acting happy and lustful too. Does a great job reacting in pain and struggling while getting raped which looked believeable too. Does a nice job acting drugged during a ceremony which shows off not too badly here.
Martin Ren (Robert) seemed to show off a good charming personality as well as having the right looks for this role. Does a good job getting into a conversation as well as having a good hungry atttiude for lust and really getting into this at full speed. He also does a nice job by turning this attitude around and getting forceful as well as aggressive which shows off nice and intense here. Plus he does a nice job acting possessed too.

Lots of gratitious nudity
A couple are naked lying on a bed with breasts and a guys crotch revealed.
Many women strip down fully naked inclduing their vagina revealed getting into lustful moments in many different segments of the story.
A butt shot of a guy pinned down and a sarcrifice about to happen to him.
Some butt shots and a total crotch scene on a guy raping someone.
Butts of women are revealed too.
A satanic preacher takes it off almost fully revealed while doing a ceremony to a naked woman lying down.

Blood is being spat out by a guy pinned down for a sacrifice.

The music sounds greatly done as it's gloomy and original with really scraping and high pitched violin music for the real dark moments that occurs which suits the plot big time. There's also some good ghostly organ type music along with synthesizer playing too for alot of the lustful and twisted sequences involved in the flick. Plus there's the odd singing and chanting music too. We hear the odd piano playing too which is useful for the story as well as some good hissing sounds. All of this was put together by Cam.