Alucarda/Review

From The Grindhouse Cinema Database

< Alucarda
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This is a classic! For years, praises have been said about this very unique film which can be described as a sexy demonic possessed nightmare Directed by Juan Lopez Moctezuma that's his best film standing with The Mansion of Madness, and those who have not seen this film yet should try to see it soon. Under-rated in it's original run, this fell prey to the usual multi-titled release world on VHS, with Innocents from Hell being the most familiar, but thankfully it's DVD release did everything right in making sure this gets known under a proper title.

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The set up is very basic, based on the legendary tale of Carmilla, but it's what Moctezuma and Mansion of Madness writer Alexis Arroyo come up with that creates a very wild world out of that. Alucarda (Tina Romero who really should have been in many other films) is the orphaned girl of a mother who was killed by evil spirits once a witch takes her away to a convent and is possessed by those forces. She spreads her influence to two other women there, most notably Justine (Susana Kamini), a newcomer to the place who sparks interest, and after the two get introduced to the occult through a local gypsy (Claudio Brook) and his cult, they literally raise Hell back at the convent out of rebellion to the extreme repression there.

There's plenty of gore, Occult madness, nudity, and the well-remarked about screaming blended in with a Gothic mood with slight surreal touches, and those who play the religious characters that take things to bloody extremes to inspire such extreme rebellion also turn in excellent performances, especially David Silva as Father Lazaro, and Brook has a good second role as the Doctor who looks into the place and the possession. The nuns almost look like mummies, the flagellation goes for the gore, the deadly inquisition features Justine naked while her resurrection is very bloody, and Alucarda's final act is filled with fire.

Thanks to Romero's performance all in black and Kamini's bloody resurrection rage that's a classic moment this is one of the greatest experiences in the history of Horror Films.

"And this is what The Devil does..."

Reviewed by Screen 13

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