Thanks to Mykal of Radiation Cinema who alerted me to this tasty morsel back when I reviewed DEAD SNOW. Richard Cunha's SHE DEMONS (1958) stands as a particularly sleazy example of 50s drive-in horror, a melange of ISLAND OF DOCTOR MOREAU, EYES WITHOUT A FACE, and the real-life Nazi horrors that the world witnessed just over a decade before this film saw release. While not a zombie film in itself, it still anticipates later movies like SHOCK WAVES and Jess Franco's OASIS OF THE ZOMBIES, though it's still more striking to consider how Georges Franju would borrow key plot points from this film to create his 1959 masterpiece, EYES WITHOUT A FACE.
The main plot of the film focuses on a group of boaters (including the delicious Irish McCalla) who become stranded on a remote island during a hurricane. After one of them falls victim to the island's mysterious inhabitants, the trio explore their surroundings, ultimately learning that a group of Nazis, lead by a war criminal known as "The Butcher," now use the island to continue their nefarious experiments. These experiments turn the island's native female population (who look very fetching without, presumably, modern cosmetics) into fanged but otherwise relatively unthreatening "she demons." The real horror comes from the Nazi guards who cage these women and routinely whip them for their perverse pleasure.
The motivation for the experiments stems from the head Nazi's desire to restore his wife's beauty after she became horribly scarred during a lab accident. Her face remains carefully wrapped for much of the movie, until the climax, when she dramatically reveals her disfigurement. Indeed, this popular trope--a scientist who sacrifices other women in the name of restoring his loved one's feminine beauty--which became a major building block in the development of Euro-horror, leading to films like FACELESS and THE AWFUL DR. ORLOF, may have its origins in American drive-in cinema. Who knew?
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7 comments:
Wow, this one looks really wild, esp. given the time frame! Can't believe I didn't know about this. I'm definitely going to have to check it out! Thanks!
Sure thing, Vicar. Don't get TOO excited about the movie, as it is still very much a 1950s American film in that much more is implied than is actually shown.
I've managed to miss this one, but will definitely check it out, oh yes I will. I've recently watch Orloff and Oasis of the Zombies and my obsession with Euro-horror is boundless. So this proves to be good inspiration, eh? Good deal.
It's my obsession as well--I just got through re-watching REVENGE IN THE HOUSE OF USHER, which I hope to post something on in the next few days!
I RECALL SEEING THIS FILM ON CHILLER THEATER ON WPIX-TV IN NEW YORK CITY IN THE 1960'S AND 70'S. IT'S ONE OF THOSE CAMPY B HORROR MOVIES, LOW BUDGET, THIN PLOT, IN SOME PARTS UNINTENTIONALLY FUNNY, JUST LIKE THOSE AIP MOVIES OF THE FIFTIES THAT SAM ARKOFF USED TO MAKE ON HIS ASSEMBLY LINE OF MOVIES THAT WERE FILMED IN LESS THAN 30 DAYS. SHE DEMONS IS A MUST FOR ANY HORROR FILM FAN'S DVD COLLECTION! JUST DON'T EXPECT GREAT ACTING, DON'T EXPECT A GREAT SCRIPT OR DIALOG AND DON'T EXPECT GREAT MAKEUP EFFECTS AND YOU'LL BE SATISFIED YOU SAW IT.
There's definitely much to love! Thanks for commenting Johnny!
Like johnny Watts, I also recall seeing this on CHILLER THEATER back on NYC's WPIX-TV in the 1960's. It is a good movie to add to one's collection. If I had the opportunity to remake it, I'd have a lot more action by the women attacking the shipmate and then, going after the Nazis. The Nazis made good villians until recent years!
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