Behold! The first Christian movie of all time.
Apologies to Cecil B. DeMille aside, this movie clearly pits good versus evil – Satan versus God – in the context of a righteous man (none other than William Shatner) trying to save a demon woman. I kid you not.
In the same breath as Nosferatu, this old 1966 flick gives horror films a grandfather to look at for inspiration. Filmed in black and white, the setting (Big Sur, California) appears to be a rustic but comforting wooded area by the sea. The fact that all of the dialog is in a rarely-spoken yet for-real language called Esperanto gives it even more nostalgic cred and kitschy-ness – if that were possible.
Subtitled in many languages (including English, thank goodness), the story starts off with some narration about an old deer well that promises youth, vigor, and healing to those that drink from it. This intro also explains how these healing properties attract many corrupt souls. The screen shows a man drinking from the well, then turning around to the nymph, short-haired blonde female with strange raven wings attached to the back of her head like some kind of neo-pre-goth scene garland. He asks her if his scars are (now) gone. Then he asks if he’s handsome and if she wants him. She promises to swim with him naked in the sea if he accompanies her, to which she leads him to the water where he kneels to wash while she steps on his neck, drowning the poor soul.
This demon mistress reports to her superior (Eloise Hardt) following this murder, which is done on a beach with three to four hooded figures standing afar from behind. She tells how this is her third such kill of the day.
This is where the film starts. The lust of man for sensual pleasure and the lust of demon spirits (in the form of a demonic succubus) for the souls of men. It’s an art-horror film and full-on morality play all in one.
This particular character (played by Allyson Ames) has her sights set on Marco (William Shatner), who unlike all her previous victims is not yet stained by the world but instead a virtuous man.
Marco lives in the woods with his sister, both uncorrupted by the world. But as he is chopping wood with an axe (which seems to be a classic, almost cliché portrayal as a pure, hard-working man) he meets this attractive woman who mysteriously appears as if a lost damsel. At the duration of a short conversation, he is smitten with her. After his sister brings out some food for them to eat, an eclipse darkens the sky. The cattle start to return home thinking it’s nightfall, and Marco remarks how the church bells ringing in the dark are announcing “vespers at noon.” Within this short amount of time Marc tells his new friend Kia that he wants her, wants to give his body to her. Thus begins the movie’s battle for his soul.
Will he tame this demon woman or will she steal his soul?
The trailer makes sport of the wild ingredients of the film: “satanic rituals” and “William Shatner speaking in tongues.” Watch the trailer for Incubus here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rWs6vGaaY-E.
It’s an unexpected wild ride that could have fit nicely within the context of the Cornerstone Festival’s Imaginarium film festival within a music festival.
Here’s a truly lost film restored. According to producer Anthony Taylor, the last remaining 35mm print of the film was acquired after its discovery decades later. This 4K restoration features high-def (1080p) visuals with original lossless Esperanto mono audio.
One note about Esperanto: it was created to become a universal language. During one of the many audio commentaries on the Blu-ray disc, Shatner explains that he was told that over 7 million people speak this language – people in Detroit, Chicago, and other various places. He discovered later that there were maybe three people in Chicago speaking this language. Perhaps it was doomed to fail as a universal language in light of the Tower of Babel in previous millennia.
Shatner also reveals in his audio commentary that director Leslie Stevens (creator of The Outer Limits TV series) insisted that only Esperanto be spoken on the set. He explains how the somewhat tense facial expressions on all the actors’ countenances were not so much the result of dramatic and intentional facial expression but bewilderment as to what the director had just told them in Esperanto.
It was also fun to hear from the film’s producer, cinematographer, and camera operator. The Blu-ray disc is loaded with extras. The special features include three audio commentaries including William Shatner, video interviews, a history of Esperanto, archival video interview with filmmakers, a video trailer, and an illustrated collector’s booklet.
(Arrow Video)
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