Plot: What’s it about?
In Satanis: The Devil’s Mass, we’re taken inside the dark core of the infamous Church of Satan for a look at sheer evil. This tour into the world of Satanism is hosted by the church’s leader himself, Mr. Anton Szandor LaVey, the founder of the order. The Black House is opened to the cameras, which means we’re able to see all kinds of offbeat, wild antics. You’ll watch as LaVey and his congregation slap on poor costumes, engage in silly activities, and put on a real show for the cameras, all in the name of Satan himself. Of course, if the devil is as goofy as these folks, then perhaps we don’t need to be so concerned about the afterlife, or is that just what Old Scratch wants us to believe? In any event, this brisk trek through LaVey’s brand of Satanism is a fun one and is too hilarious for words. In Sinthia: The Devil’s Doll, a young woman named Cynthia Kyle finds herself attracted to the dark side of the occult. After Lucifer whispered in her ear, Cynthia murdered her parents and began a new life of sin & indulgence. Her mind is clouded and hazed, to an extent that she is never sure when she is awake. Soon enough, she is totally lost in the visions of colors that haunt her brain at all times. Can she unlock this wicked spell that is cast over her mind, or is she doomed to remain The Devil’s Doll?
Just when you think you’ve seen it all from Something Weird, they issue a double feature of pure evil, straight from the darkest pits of Hades. Well, maybe these movies aren’t that evil, but they do involve Old Scratch himself. Its always fun to watch Church of Satan founder Anton LaVey and his schtick, so Satanis: The Devil’s Mass is a blast. Of course, the movie more than shows how LaVey’s brand of devil worship is more about insane ceremonies and sly grins, as opposed to kneeling at the altar of The Dark Lord. So if you’re some troubled teen looking for a Satanic experience, you’ll be let down by Satanis, as it works more as a tool to laugh at the religion, though like I said, it is a fun picture. LaVey is a gas with his little devil horns on, with all kinds of old school spook tricks and such, which make up his Black Mass. The second half of this double dip, Sinthia: The Devil’s Doll is more like the stuff we’re used to from Something Weird. A wild chick goes even wilder when The Devil steps into her life. As expected, tons of occult content, hippie madness, naked bodies, and narcotics can be found in Sinthia, which turns to out to be a bad flick, but still provides ample entertainment. So if you’re in the mood for some darker, more evil entertainment, this double feature is more than recommended.
Video: How does it look?
Satanis: The Devil’s Mass & Sinthia: The Devil’s Doll are both shown in full frame presentations. These treatments won’t dazzle the eyes, but given the material involved in each, we can’t complain too much. Satanis was a low rent production, shot on inferior stock with poor preparations involved, so it looks as such. But the worn, cheap visual presence adds to the experience, making things more seedy and low rent. The print is fairly clean, with only mild grain and colors seem to retain some brightness. Sinthia is more worn however, with frequent nicks, marks, and other defects evident with the source materials. Even so, I’m pleased to have this little known flick on DVD, even in a less than stellar presentation. So no, these movies don’t look pristine, but they are more than watchable.
Audio: How does it sound?
These insane demonic flicks don’t need much audio punch, so the included mono tracks prove to be more than adequate. Of course, these aren’t the cleanest or crispest tracks out there, but it all sounds good and I wasn’t let down much. You have to consider the age and nature of the materials here, which is why I am more lenient in my score in this section. The wacky music and hilarious dialogue all comes across is more than decent form, which is more than enough in this case. I doubt this stuff could be improved much without expensive restoration work, so I’ll take these tracks and be pleased to own the movies themselves.
Supplements: What are the extras?
This disc includes bonus Satanic Cinema trailers, two bonus short films (British Black Mass & My Tale is Hot), a half hour featurette titled Sex Ritual of the Occult, and as always, a selection of exploitation artwork.
