Clevercell Very disappointing...

Exoticalot People are voting emotionally.

BelSports This is a coming of age storyline that you've seen in one form or another for decades. It takes a truly unique voice to make yet another one worth watching.

Paynbob It’s fine. It's literally the definition of a fine movie. You’ve seen it before, you know every beat and outcome before the characters even do. Only question is how much escapism you’re looking for.

Stevieboy666 I love Hammer, grew up watching them. I also read Dennis Wheatley's black magic novels during my early teens, so this, on paper, is a perfect combination. Christopher Lee is great as the Duc, nice to see him delivering much dialogue (in contrast to his Dracula movies), but it is Charles Gray as the evil Mocata who steals the show. Beautifully filmed with great production values this is Hammer at their best.

atlasmb A young man and woman have become involved with some devil worshippers. Apparently they are under an evil spell. About this time, the young man is visited by two friends of his now deceased father. Lucky for all concerned that one of the friends (Christopher Lee) is an expert in the occult. He recognizes the danger and determines to liberate the two.This story of the dark arts employs all the clichés of the genre and every prop a viewer would expect: candles, pentagrams, crosses, etc. The bad guys conduct ceremonies that look much like church services--plus ritualistic goat sacrifice--but the story is actually pretty muddy concerning the details of the threat and the characters involved, some of whom are summoned from darker places. The story does not have much to recommend it. It is standard fare for films about the occult. And the tone of the film is never very menacing. This is a tale that feels more like a detective story than a scary chiller.Still, the production values are good despite the fact this film was probably aimed at the drive-in crowd.

Scott LeBrun Reportedly the personal favourite Hammer film for star Sir Christopher Lee, "The Devil Rides Out" is a marvelous outing for the studio. Adapted by Richard Matheson from the novel by Dennis Wheatley, it stars Sir Christopher as Duc de Richleau. Richleau, also known as Nicholas, is concerned when his younger friend Simon Aron (Patrick Mower) doesn't show up for a reunion with Nicholas and their other pal, Rex Van Ryn (Leon Greene). They learn that Simon has become involved with a demonic cult, led by the coldly charismatic Mocata (Charles Gray). It's a good thing for Simon - and the comely young Tanith (Nike Arrighi) - that Nicholas is on the case, because he's extremely knowledgeable about the occult and keeps a cool head in the face of danger.It's a treat to see the legendary Sir Christopher in one of his most purely heroic roles. He speaks his lines with such sincerity and absolute authority that one can't help but be completely absorbed in his words. He's just the kind of hero you need in this kind of situation. Although he's actually dubbed by another Hammer actor, Patrick Allen, Greene is reasonably engaging as Nicholas's friend. Arrighi is a pretty lady but alas is also pretty stiff. The rest of the supporting cast *is* superb, however, with the striking Gwen Ffrangcon Davies cast as the Countess, and a delightfully sinister Gray - known for his roles in such things as "Diamonds are Forever" and "The Rocky Horror Picture Show" - provides the film with a very effective villain. His one big scene has him subtly seducing / hypnotizing Nicholas's niece Marie Eaton (Sarah Lawson). Like Sir Christopher, Gray has the ability to have you hanging on his every word.This is an intelligent, involving horror story that has some memorable scare moments. The special effects are, on occasion, rather ropey, but they never detract from the entertainment value of this tale. Terence Fishers' direction is typically meticulous, and James Bernard concocted a thunderous, insistent score that serves as dramatic punctuation on the action.One of the finest of all Hammer films.Eight out of 10.

poe426 THE DEVIL RIDES OUT caught me by surprise the first time I saw it, for a number of reasons: First, the screenplay by Richard Matheson, which is tighter and more logical than the scripts in all too many Hammer films. (It's interesting to note that Hammer Studios rejected Matheson's own script for a theatrical version of I AM LEGEND before it devolved into THE LAST MAN ON EARTH with Vincent Price...) (That original script is available from GAUNTLET PRESS.) Second, the effects, which are surprisingly well done for the period and include a man with a goat's head (Satan); with the possible exceptions of HAXAN and THE DEVIL'S RAIN, I don't recall very many "satanic" films that ever bothered to actually SHOW this particular image of Old Scratch. Third, the direction, which is as tight as the script- and the performances, as well. One of the better early Hammer films.