Lisa e il diavolo (1974)

Directors:

Mario Bava
Alfredo Leone

Writers:

Mario Bava (screenplay)
Alberto Cittini (writer) (segment)
(more)

Release Date:

9 July 1976 (USA)

Genre:

Horror

Tagline:

Every corner of the soul is lost to the icy clutch of the supernatural!

Plot:

Lisa is a tourist in an ancient city. When she gets lost, she finds an old mansion in which to shelter...

Plot Keywords:

Mansion | Tourist | Gore | Italy | Priest

Cast

Telly Savalas	...	Leandro
Elke Sommer	...	Lisa Reiner
Sylva Koscina	...	Sophia Lehar
Alessio Orano	...	Max
Gabriele Tinti	...	George (the chauffeur)
Kathy Leone	...	Lisa's friend
Eduardo Fajardo	...	Francis Lehar
Franz von Treuberg	...	Shopkeeper
Espartaco Santoni	...	Carlo
Alida Valli	...	Countess
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Andrea Esterhazy	...	American Tourist (uncredited)

Directed by
Mario Bava		(also as Mickey Lion)
Alfredo Leone		(english version "House of Exorcism") (as Mickey Lion)

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Mario Bava		screenplay
Alberto Cittini		writer (segment "House of Exorcism")
Alfredo Leone		screenplay (as Alfred Leone)
Giorgio Maulini		uncredited
Romano Migliorini		uncredited
Roberto Natale		uncredited
Francesca Rusishka		uncredited

Produced by
José Gutiérrez Maesso	....	producer (segment "House of Exorcism")
Alfredo Leone	....	producer (as Alfred Leone)

Original Music by
Carlo Savina

Cinematography by
Cecilio Paniagua

Film Editing by
Carlo Reali

Art Direction by
Nedo Azzini

Set Decoration by
Rafael Ferri

Makeup Department
Adalgisa Favella	....	hair stylist (as Gisa Favella)
Franco Freda	....	makeup artist

Production Management
Fausto Lupi	....	production manager
Faustino Ocaña	....	production manager (segment "House of Exorcism")

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Lamberto Bava	....	assistant director

Art Department
Fabrizio Sforza	....	sculptor (uncredited)

Special Effects by
Franco Tocci	....	special effects

Camera and Electrical Department
Giovanni Canfarelli Modica	....	assistant camera (as Gianni Modica)
Emilio Varriano	....	camera operator

Production Companies

• Euro America Produzioni Cinematografiche
• Leone International
• Roxy Film (co-production)
• Tecisa (co-production)

Distributors

• Peppercorn-Wormser (1976) (USA) (theatrical) (dubbed)
• International Film Distributors (1979) (Canada) (theatrical) (dubbed)
• Filmhansa (1985) (West Germany) (VHS)
• Sinister Cinema (1997) (USA) (VHS) ("Lisa and the Devil" version)
• Elite Entertainment (1995) (USA) (video) (laserdisc)
• Image Entertainment (2000) (USA) (DVD)
• Raro Video/Nocturno (2004) (Italy) (DVD)
• Paradiso Home Entertainment (2006) (Netherlands) (DVD)
• Adams Filmi (1980) (Finland) (theatrical)
• Amvest Video (video)
• Anchor Bay Entertainment
• Cheezy Flicks Entertainment (2005) (USA) (DVD)
• Control Productions (Australia) (DVD)
• Home Video Center (Greece)
• IVC
• Image Entertainment (USA) (VHS)
• Image Entertainment (USA) (laserdisc)
• Mainostelevisio (MTV3) (1997) (Finland) (TV)
• Maljack Video (video)
• Redemption (????) (UK) (VHS)
• Something Weird Video (SWV) (video)
• Suomen 3M (????) (Finland) (VHS)

Also Known As:

Der Teuflische (West Germany)
El diablo se lleva a los muertos (Spain)
Il diavolo e i morti (Italy)
La casa dell'esorcismo (Italy)
Lisa and the Devil (USA)
The Devil and the Dead

Runtime:

92 min | Italy:95 min (original version)

Country:

Italy | West Germany | Spain

Language:

Italian

Color:

Color (Eastmancolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Germany:16 (re-rating 2007) | Netherlands:16 | Argentina:18 (re-rating) | Argentina:X (original rating) | Canada:13+ (Quebec) | Italy:VM14 (original version) | Finland:K-18 (uncut) (2001) (self applied) | Australia:R | Finland:K-18 (cut) (1980) | Norway:18 | Sweden:15 | UK:18 | USA:R | West Germany:18 | Iceland:16 | Germany:BPjM Restricted

Filming Locations:

Barcelona Airport, Barcelona, Cataluña, Spain

Company:

Euro America Produzioni Cinematografiche

Trivia:

Shot in seven weeks.

Movie Connections:

Edited into Mad Ron's Prevues from Hell (1987) (V)

Soundtrack:

Concerto of Aranjuez

Bava hath done better

Lisa and the Devil features many of Bava's trademarks; a devilish atmosphere, superbly chilling use of lighting and a general foreboding feel to the movie that gives the impression that something bad will happen. 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. The version I saw was the Redemption release of "Lisa and the Devil", which is not to be confused with badly intercepted release, "The House of Exorcism". The plot follows the story of Lisa, a young lady that gets lost in an ancient city in Spain. 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. What follows is a nightmarish and morbid ride that touches on themes such as love, lust and death.

Mario Bava is a master of the horror genre, many of his films have inspired whole areas of cinema, most notably "Bay of Blood", to which slashers owe their existence and "The Girl Who Knew Too much", which is often credited as the first Giallo. But I feel that this is one of his lesser efforts. That's not to say that this is a bad film by any means, it features a lot of nice elements, particularly the spooky sequences with main characters and their dead ex-lovers, which almost touches on necrophilia, and therefore gives the film a very morbid and nasty feel. The actors in the movie are also fairly accomplished; it features Elke Sommer, who also starred in Bava's atmospheric shocker, "Baron Blood", among other films and Telly Savalas, who gives a great turn as the creepy butler of the house. But it seems to have too many ideas going on, and a lot of them aren't really explained, which left me feeling confused.

Overall, Lisa and the Devil is a good horror movie with much to admire, most notably the superb creation of atmosphere from Mario Bava but I feel that if it had concentrated less on putting lots of ideas into it, and more on concentrating on the ones it already had; then it would have been a better film.