For this additional scenes were shot. When she gets lost, she finds an old mansion in which to shelter. Lisa and the Devil is supplied with English and Italian LPCM 2.0 mono (48kHz/16-bit) tracks while The House of Exorcism has only the English LPCM 2.0 mono (48kHz/16-bit) track. Lisa is art and House of Exorcism is entertainment. or the shadow that always loomed large over it in the shape of the execrable re-edit THE HOUSE OF EXORCISM (1975), I have never been really taken with the film as many others seem to be!! while art is always subjective here is my take on Lisa. Nice over the tops performances all around which fit with the somewhat baroque style odd the original film. | to make a long story short it is a game of cat and mouse between Lisa and the devil. This film is focused purely on the dreamlike visuals, creating a surreal and visceral atmosphere. The Movie: In Mario Bava's 1974 film, Lisa And The Devil, the lovely Elke Sommer plays Lisa, a very pretty young woman who decides to vacation in Spain.After running into a truly strange painting of the devil housed in a building her tour group visits, she winds up getting separated from the vacationers she was traveling with and finds herself lost in an old city. Lisa and the Devil is perhaps his “purest” film, unrestricted by conventional narrative and unbound from linear chronology. Add to Watchlist SYNOPSIS: Lisa is a tourist in an ancient city. Shot in soft coloring the film has a dreamlike atmosphere where … While it has undeniably fantastic visuals and a brilliantly OTT ending, a slightly hallucinogenic, feverish atmosphere of decay and rot, and the sort of symbolism that makes film students go weak at the knees, Lisa And The Devil as a slab of celluloid entertainment is a frustrating and incomplete experience. However, the movie is also fairly messy; there are too many ideas in the film and all together it comes out more than a little confusingly. In a dream sequence, Lisa reminisces a past life where she was embracing the first gentleman who now has a name:Carlo(Espartaco Santoni)..here's the kicker, Carlo is actually Max's mother's husband who had ran off with a woman named Helen who seemed to have been attached to Max. So, unfortunately, whilst everything looks and sounds great, we flounder before the seeming significant tale unfolding, which can be off putting. ... “Lisa and the Devil” seems to progressively move into a nightmare-like 3rd act which is not clear at times. The film itself is still somewhat problematic and I did feel my eyelids begin to droop at one point, only to be brought back with the absurd but likable over acting of Telly Savalas. So they are invited to spend the night in the old, dark villa. User Ratings They understand what lies within the framework of the story(..these characters and how they are doomed, destined for tragic ends)and have fun with the material, presenting to us in only the grandest way possible from start to finish. I'm going to skip most of the usual review info on Lisa and the Devil to concentrate on this idea. Lisa and the Devil is simply too audacious to be dismissed out of hand. disclaim its masterpiece status!! The film is a big mystery, but never fully explained and the ending makes it all the more mysterious. During the sightseeing in Toledo, Spain, the tourist Lisa Reiner (Elke Sommer) sees an ancient painting of the devil on the wall and leaves her group for a moment; however she gets lost in the narrow streets. While viewing a strange fresco in a town on holiday, Lisa becomes distracted by the sound of music and in a small shop off the beaten track finds a music box with some creepy figurines spinning on top. A tourist spends the night in a derelict Spanish villa seemingly held in the supernatural grip of an eccentric butler, who resembles a depiction of the Devil she had seen on an ancient fresco. Lisa and the Devil descents into a surreal gothic nightmare where creepy dolls and the devil dwell. Lisa and The Devil/Review From The Grindhouse Cinema Database < Lisa and The Devil. Marco Lanzagorta of PopMatters gave the movie eight stars out of ten, stating "By showcasing a dream-like imagery and lyrical storyline, Lisa and the Devil may not be an easy film to watch. Lisa and the Devil is Arrow’s second Bava release after Black Sunday and it’s equally as intriguing a horror movie.. Made in 1974, the film tells the story of Lisa (Elke Sommer) an American tourist in a small Spanish village who gets seperated from her tour group. Lisa and the Devil is the real deal, a masterfully poetic journey into darkness and dislocation that is long overdue in finding the audience it so desperately deserves. Read honest and unbiased product reviews from our users. Lisa and the Devil or Lisa e il diavolo is a surrealistic Italian horror film where illusion and reality collide. Review Date December 6th, 2012 by M. Enois Duarte. So the second version has an exorcism and was released as The House of Exorcism, changing the whole story. They find shelter into a luxurious mansion where inhabits strange characters , a countess (Alida Valli) , his son (Alessio Orano) and the butler (Telly Savalas). The Bava parts of the film were pretty stylish and well made (and yes, we get to see both Elke sommer's and Sylvia Kscina's boobs) but all in all the script has the inherent silliness of most bava movies. This seems to indicate that the mansion might be purgatory and its inhabitants are trapped ghosts. Read honest and unbiased product reviews from our users. Made in 1974, the film tells the story of Lisa (Elke Sommer) an American tourist in a small Spanish village who gets seperated from her tour group. Savallas is having a field day reprising Blofeld and introducing us to the lollipop munching Savallas we know from TV. What actually happens to Lisa and what are illusions? The people who come into her life, calling her by another name and the plot itself is otherworldly enough to remind Horror Thriller fans of THE TWILIGHT ZONE original TV series. Incidentally, though the script is attributed to the elder Bava and producer Alfred Leone on foreign prints (as a matter of fact, throughout my ongoing Bava centenary tribute, it has been a constant irritation to find English credits on Italian-language editions of his pictures! Film Review: Lisa and the Devil (1974) Adrian Halen 11/28/2017 Uncategorized. The definitive site for Reviews, Trailers, Showtimes, and Tickets When she gets lost, she finds an old mansion in which to shelter. He wishes to passionately embrace Lisa, but she has no idea how to react to all the strange happenings upon her. "Lisa and the Devil" takes place in a softly creepy underworld of pleasure and horror that actually leaves you to wonder what you've just watched. Lisa And The Devil / The House Of Excorsism. Add some scary lifelike mannequins and it’s a nightmare that slowly descents into a night terror. Lisa (Elke Sommer) who is a tourist gets lost from her group in an ancient Spanish city, but she come across a couple Mr Frank Lehar, his wife Sofia and chauffeur and gets a lift off them. Luring Lisa and the couple and the chauffeur into their home for yet unknown reasons, which become clearer as the story continues. Since last seeing this almost five years ago, I have acquired a wonderful Blu-ray version that includes this and the much maligned re-edit House of Exorcism. the first is Lisa and the Devil which is the Godiva chocolate end of this cup with Bava's trademark lush cinematography and atmosphere. Quite frankly the exorcism material is an awful mess of puke on the walls and references to whores. She then hitches a ride with a couple and their chauffeur, but they end up breaking down and happening on a house inhabited by a blind woman, her strange son and a creepy housekeeper. But on close inspection the answer seems to be more open (or cryptic), more like "Lost Highway". The mystery that slowly unfolds but never completely is explained, the dreamlike tone, illusion, reality, past and present all are intertwined resulting in a gothic feverish nightmare Lisa can’t wake up from. Lisa and the Devil makes me think of Susperia. LISA AND THE DEVIL is such a mixed bag of both very good and very lost. ), it was actually penned by other hands – including Roberto Natale, who also puts in an appearance in the 25-minute doc!! Produced by: Alfredo Leone. The story involves a young American tourist who stays the night at the home of a family of Spanish aristocrats whose house is plagued by … Along with the gorgeous cinematography and lazily dreamlike atmosphere there’s blood and nudity and murders, but the film itself really is like a work of art, something that deserves to be hung in a gallery rather than relegated to the exploitation circuit or enjoyed on a Friday night with friends and lots of beer. so if you look at it from the perspective that this is a life size doll house in Hell the film might make more sense to you. Unlike some of his other films, Lisa and the Devil has an intelligent and compelling script that thrills you right from the first second and until the very last. Eerie, surreal, and strangely beautiful - one of Bava's best! At the first viewing the dreamlike, surreal story of "Lisa and the Devil" reminded me of "Carnival of Souls". Let me re-phrase that: It's pretty obvious before the beginning; I already knew who was who and who wanted everybody's souls when I read the box of the videotape! Nothing exists but you. Duration: 91 minutes. Lisa and the Devil also has a deleted scene to offer (a somewhat steamier sex scene between Sylvia Koscina and Gabriele Tinti), which is a partially-silent rough-cut. What are we to believe? There's nary a resuscitated witch, mad doctor or vengeful spirit in sight. Rating: As someone who frequents horror film discussions around the Internet, I’ve seen the term “elevated horror” crop up from time to time. However, for many viewers House may be the main feature and the more restrained and dreamlike Lisa , the 'extra'. It's surreal touches and foreboding feel with probably appeal to fans of David Lynch or Herk Harvey's 'Carnival Of Souls' more than hardcore horror nuts. I picked up Lisa and the Devil on DVD and then realized that the House of Exorcism is a re-edited, totally different version of Lisa and the Devil. I'm going to skip most of the usual review info on Lisa and the Devil to concentrate on this idea. Lisa portrayed by the beautiful Elke Sommer is a soul actually named Elanor that has escaped from hell and is reincarnated as Lisa but has no conscious memory of it. This review is about the original film. I did feel my eyelids begin to droop at one point, deliciously atmospheric and just plain yummy, LISA AND THE DEVIL (Mario Bava, 1973) ***, Haunting Horror Film From Director Mario Bava. in the end films are entertainment as well as art. And, that ending, which might dismay many, I felt was a knock-out. Overview - Regarded as Mario Bava's most personal and unconventional film, Lisa and the Devil (Lisa e il diavolo) is a diabolical thriller flavored with the dreadful imagery and tormenting logic of an endless nightmare. She tries to buy it but learns that it belongs to the shop's only other customer: Telly Savalas, who greatly resembles a figure on the fresco that was described as the devil! Though considered a "classic" in some circles, LISA AND THE DEVIL struck me as a slow-moving drama, despite the eerie atmosphere that it attempts at. We all know that the possession scenes used to narrate the film were tacked on to capitalize on the recent success of The Exorcist. these trapped souls are forced to play the game and also live out their own personal hell for all eternity at the villa. I think it's cool that you get two great tastes out of one film. Ironically, the oft hated re-edit, if a little heavy handed puts right some of these omissions. Awards Their vehicle, however, is on the fritz and George(Gabriele Tinti;the Lehar's chauffeur and Sophia's lover)must stop somewhere for repairs. The handsome master of the house seems to think Lisa is the reincarnation of his dead lover, a phantom stranger may or may not be a ghost, and the smug family butler is possibly the devil himself! Another brilliant Mario Bava Blu-Ray shot straight from Arrow Video to you. It never becomes clear why there are mannequins, what for and how they came to be. There she encounters a strange man who eerily resembles the devil in the painting. SYNOPSIS: Lisa is a tourist in an ancient city. Unfortunately, the lost lover of son Maximillian wasn't very faithful and Lisa might take the punishment for that now Once again, Bava gives a nightmarish portrayal of a sinister setting, filled with bizarre figures and religious themes. Rotten Tomatoes, home of the Tomatometer, is the most trusted measurement of quality for Movies & TV. | producer Alfredo Leone in an effort to recoup his investment had new sequences shot and integrated them with Lisa. Lovely tourist Lisa becomes lost in a European town and soon finds herself at an isolated estate where she's plagued by bizarre and frightening occurrences. Horror, fantasy and science fiction: movie, tv, book reviews and more. The cast are all good, but Telly Savalas gives a standout performance just on the right side of over the top, and Elke Sommer appears much more believable as the confused protagonist of this movie, rather than the unconvincing Linda Blair wanna-be of 'House Of Exorcism'. of course in the end it all comes full circle and the devil reclaims her and this is when you find out that she really is Elanor because the devil speaks her name. Lisa and the Devil is directed and written by Mario Bava and cowritten by Alfredo Leone. Bava of course was upset that this had happened to his most personal work but in the end he privately told Leone that considering the circumstances he approved of the film after he had time to calm down and look at it objectively. (Small spoilers included) According to the title, I'm reviewing the House of Exorcism here but I better start by saying that the below discussed version is `Lisa and the Devil' in all the glory like Mario Bava intended it! Two trailers for The House of Exorcism in all their hokey glory are featured, as is an interesting look at the unfinished music-only trailer for English-speaking audiences.