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September 2021




  

The Brotherhood Of Satan
Arrow Films/MVD
Blu-ray Review By: Jaime Pina



This film was part of the explosion of “the devil made me do it” films in the wake of Rosemary’s Baby and anticipating the breakthrough success of The Exorcist. Many films were made using Satan and Satanism as backdrops and some were good and some were not very good. This particular film, produced by L.Q. Jones and Alvy Moore through the LQ/Jaf productions banner, is an interesting entry to the genre because of its offbeat plot and performances.

A widower, his girlfriend and his young daughter are on a driving trip and pass by what looks like an accident where a car skidded off the road at a sharp turn. When the man goes to see what happened he notices that the car has been crushed as if by heavy machinery and not just an accident. As they go into the nearby town to report the accident they are met with paranoid hostility and try to leave in a hurry. As things unfold we are introduced to the local doctor who tries to reassure the unnerved locals that everything is alright. But underneath it all a satanic plot is being hatched.

The cast is filled with familiar faces including producers L.Q. Jones (Major Dundee, The Beast Within) and Alvy Moore (Mister Kimball on Green Acres, A Boy And His Dog), Strother Martin (The Wild Bunch, Mister Stoner from Up In Smoke) and Ahna Capri (Enter The Dragon) and the story and direction keep you guessing.

This release by Arrow looks great and should excite fans who have only seen this in drive-ins, on late night television or on VHS. The extras include commentary by authors Kim Newman and Sean Hogan, a visual essay on the film and 70’s satanic cinema, an interview with two of the child actors from the film plus trailers and TV spots.











MY SON THE BUM, Featuring Brian Kroll – Follow Me, Like Me