The Nun and The Devil was about the 20th Nun related movie I watched in the last quarter. Why is that? Well, because I got really into reading the 10th Anniversary Edition of House of Psychotic Women. The Nun and The Devil was mentioned a lot and my Italian genre deep dive knowledge is really lacking. I’ve improved some of it, but the team over at Genre Grinder still manages to be the top of the heap regarding it. So, what is a neophyte to make of The Nun and The Devil?
Nuns aren’t sexy.
Italians and Brits and all them Euros love getting creepy with Nuns. Naturally, Italian cinemas demanded a lesbian sex drama starring a former Miss Britain as the lead sexy nun. About 30 minutes into The Nun and The Devil, I realized that I was watching The Little Hours if not played for comedy. Not being familiar with director Domenico Paolella, I immediately started looking up his prior work. The results were interesting, but not informative.
Then, I tried to seek out the UK and US cuts of the film that attempted to rebrand this sex terror film into something that would play in those lands. The results were disappointing. So, what’s the big takeaway of The Nun and The Devil. Well, if you ain’t Ken Russell, then don’t try stepping on his toes. This film is so far away from The Devils, that it might as well not have tried to step into the ring.
Italian cinema of the 1970s
Italian cinema of the 1970s really ran the gamut. The decade started off with the rise of Argento and the artfully designed Giallos, then ended with Fulci and others rising to Grindhouse power. That being said, it was a fascinating time to see a lot of new idea take form and break out of the dumping ground of American influence and start finding its way as a unique cinematic voice.
That all would start to melt by the 80s, outside of Italian horror. But, it was a good effort. The Nun and The Devil isn’t the best example of Italian cinema of the 1970s. It’s interesting fare that will come up in many exploitation books and even House of Psychotic Women. So, if you’re chasing down that kind of fare…give it a shot.
Twilight Time and special features on disc
The Nun and The Devil Twilight Time Blu-ray comes stacked with a commentary, interviews, featurettes and a trailer. When you hear the name Twilight Time, you pretty much expect it. I know things have changed since SAE took over after Nick Redman’s death. But, damn…if I don’t admire the effort so far.
The A/V Quality is still the same as you can see in The Nun and The Devil screenshots. Plus, you get a non overpowering LCPM 2.0 that is true to the original theatrical exhibition. I love what we’re getting here and I would wholeheartedly recommend giving it a watch.
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