The Devil Inside Her/Review

Oh, those filthy Puritans! This must be the work of the devil! Who knew you could do porn while playing to a classical literary device? Apparently, Zebedy Colt did as he proves with his period piece -- no pun intended -- The Devil Inside Her (1977). The opening credits of the film set the story in "New England 1826." Ezekial Hammond (Colt) toils on his farm with his wife and two coming-of-age daughters.

One afternoon, Ezekiel discovers Faith (Terri Hall) kissing his hired help, Joseph (Tait). He orders her to strip and provides her with a healthy dose of lashes and Joseph runs into the wilderness. It is there, that he meets Satan who overtakes Joseph and enters the farm to smite all things pure. Satan then sets out to possess every member of the small clan to defile their puritan sensibilities. Once Ezekiel has discovered his plot to sacrifice Faith at the alter, he sets out to foil Satan's plan--but not before several members of his clan are forcefully DP'd and golden showered.

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OK, that sums up the story. The interesting factor is in the way this story plays on Hawthorne's The Scarlet Letter to a good degree. Maybe it's a stretch, but a major theme in Hawthorne's Puritan love/debauch story relies on the Puritan belief that Satan resided in the wilderness, which reinforced the idea that home and community were the only safe environments. With The Devil Inside Her, this is also the case. For Zebedy Colt, this would be an easy task. In addition to acting and directing porn, Colt was also a playwright and a musician forming one of the earliest all-gay revues in 1970. What's to say he didn't use this film to play with the concept of evil, even if the outcome is a bit campy.

The Devil Inside Her actually improves with each viewing. The first time around the film may seem a little over the top. However, on a second watch, you may actually have fun with this one. Also, note Satan's face paint -- KISS also debuted in 1977. This coincidence will make you wonder who was first. What was the likelihood of a young Gene Simmons sitting through this film in one of Detroit's better known Grindhouses when he found just the look he needed?

Reviewed by Texploited