Film & Water #173 – Drive-in Double Feature: The Devil!

THE FILM & WATER PODCAST

Episode 173 - Drive-In Double Feature: The Devil!

Rob and Max Romero are back with another Drive-In Double Feature, this time taking a look at two movies about The Devil! First up is 1975's THE DEVIL WITHIN HER starring Joan Collins, followed by 1977's Mexican horror extravaganza ALUCARDA!

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19 responses to “Film & Water #173 – Drive-in Double Feature: The Devil!

  1. I don’t think Rob will be this excited if they ever find Orson Welles’ print of The Magnificent Ambersons!

    I’m sorry that The Devil Within Her didn’t pan out, because I like Sasdy’s other work, and what a cast! Caroline Munro! I may have to watch it anyway.

    As for Alucarda…how can I not watch it now? Just let it be known, you guys really sold this hard, so its got a LOT of hype to live up to…even though I never heard of it before you guys started gushing about in our F&W Facebook messenger group!

    I think you two should do a commentary track on the inevitable Blu-Ray, because I feel like no one is going to be more enthusiastic about this film more than you!

    Chris

  2. Thank you for another great episode, gentlemen, and this one was a doozie. I’d never heard of either of these movies before, but the unbridled enthusiasm you both expressed for Alucarda made this episode a blast to hear. I found myself continually grinning from ear as you both shared your joy for this newly discovered gem, even though horror movies like this are not my cup of tea. Now that’s good podcasting.

    Also, if it’s any consolation to you, Rob, I like to think of the Fire and Water Network as a cult, or at least it’s halfway there. All you need to do is swap out the hoodies for long hooded robes in the merch store, and listeners will be lining up to swear allegiance to the flame headed demon and the lurker in the deep.

  3. Guys, Baby Strength is real. They are FREAKING STRONG. They don’t know how to temper their movements, so they go full throttle with everything. THEY CAN KILL YOU.

    I’ve joked with Cfranks about this many times – the Kents would have been straight up murdered by baby Kal-El.

  4. I guy I used to work with and I exchanged B/Cult movies, after we bonded over our mutual fan-ship of The Sensuous Nurse. He gave me Alucarda to watch. He was as enthusiastic about it as Rob and Max were. Unfortunately, my strict religious upbringing that made me feel guilty about seeing Laura Gemser and Michelle Bauer in nun’s habits, prevented me from enjoying Alucarda. As I viewed it, I kept thinking I was going to turn into a pillar of salt and slide straight into hell….but it was so bat-crap bizarre that I couldn’t turn it off.

    If you’ve never read LeFanu’s Carmilla, it isn’t anything like Alucarda. Ok, Alcularda isn’t really like anything else.

    Strangely, one of the reasons I was gung-ho to see Alucarda was I absolutely ADORE one of Juan López Moctezuma’s other films, Mary, Mary Bloody Mary, starring John Carradine, ex-Mrs. John DeLorean Cristina Ferrare, and one of the stupidest male lead characters, ever. From what I’ve seen on the internet, most people seem to prefer Alucarda, so I can’t understand why Alucarda isn’t on blu-ray but MMBM is. MMBM probably only sold one copy, the one I bought, because of the people I’ve known who saw it (all three of us), I’m the only one who liked it. MMBM is really a “normal” B-movie and I’ll bet you’ll be disappointed that it isn’t as “out there” as Alucarda.

    By coincidence, I was planning on watching The Devil Within Her this weekend, but I may skip it now. Babies are always scary. They leave behind some foul-smelling substance you have to clean up and alway want to take your Batman toys out of the package. How can that not terrify you? My dad always said kids were a lot of years of misery for a couple of minutes of fun, so there…I guess you can understand why I’m single.

    1. I can’t believe Alucarda isn’t on Blu-ray, either! I’m still planning to work my way through Moctezuma’s work as best as I can, though, because it all sounds amazing.

      1. I just watched a Mondo Macabro blu-ray, and Alucadra was on their trailer section. I looked on the site, but it is only a special edition DVD, no blu-ray. Looks like it has some nice extras, though. I’d like to see the documentary on Juan Lopez Moctezuma

        https://mondomacabro.bigcartel.com/product/alucarda

        I kind of wish I hadn’t looked at the site. Lots of stuff on here I would like to see.

  5. The Devil Within Her: Ray Bradbury’s short story “The Small Assassin” succeeds in making a murderous baby believable. EC Comics did an adaptation of the story in the 1950s (in Shock SuspenStories #7, to be specific) with gorgeous art by George Evans.

    Regarding Moctezuma’s “To Kill a Stranger” and its surprising casting: In Sergio Aragones’ issue of DC’s anthology series “Solo,” Aragones shares a little background about this. Aragones had always dabbled in acting in addition to his artistic career, and he had gone to college with Moctezuma, where they had worked on some plays together. They remained friends after school, and when Moctezuma called Aragones to offer him the part, he gladly accepted. “To Kill a Stranger” was filmed in the same studio lot where “Yellowbeard” was filming at the same time. One day, Aragones saw one of his comedic idols, Marty Feldman, and eagerly approached him to introduce himself. However, Aragones was still wearing his military-police costume from the movie, and Feldman was understandably startled. Aragones attempted to explain and introduce himself, but it just got more and more awkward (at least as Aragones recounts the story). The next day, Aragones learned that Feldman had died of a heart attack, and he was terrified that he had literally scared Feldman to death. The title of Aragones’ story is “I Killed Marty Feldman.”

  6. Oh, that was a fun show. I think I’ve seen The Devil Within Her. Or maybe it was the film of the same name from the previous year with Juliet Mills. Or perhaps both, as you say, there were a lot of To the Devil a Daughter and a Kid movies back then. And i loved them all (‘why is the bridegroom making a clip-clopping noise as he comes up the aisle.. are they… CLOVEN HOOVESFR!?’)

  7. AAARGH… I dropped a creme caramel on my iPad and it sent the half-written reply to the page. It’s almost… satanic.

    Anyway, loved the episode, and I shall be seeking out that film that sounds like a dining option, Alucarda, although Rob’s many warnings to the Catholics have me nervous. I spent a very happy six months living in a Jesuit house with some wonderful priests… it was their library that introduced me to the terrific publications of Bowling Green University.

    But I ramble, I’m simply here to say thanks for the entertainment and advice on private privets

  8. Alucarda is not really a movie I would watch….. but after this discussion, I really want to seek it out! Well done with the discussion and it was great to hear Max was just as excited for the movie as Rob was.
    I’m really enjoying these Drive-In Double Feature episodes as they are highlighting some great movies I’ve never heard of but now want to watch. Keep up the great work!

  9. I’m with Mike and Brian. I’m not the audience for these films, but listening to you wax eloquently about Alucarda greatly intrigued me!
    Rob, your comments about the woman’s full body profile reminded of this song by my pals A Bunch of Jerks. (Guitarist is Mike Howlett, author of the book on Erie comics, and a contributor to Rob’s book “Hey, Kids, Comics!”) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BIxS0rahn48

  10. I think you were too harsh with The Devil Within Her (my preferred title: Son of Satan… what does Daimon Hellstrom have to say about this?!), it’s just a bit of ridiculous fun. Maybe it’s because I come from the perspective that horror movies never scare me, so I enjoy them for either being ABOUT something (intellectually stimulating) or for being entertaining by virtue of how ridiculous they are. Shirley’s Baby (don’t call me Shirley because as the Ting Tings would say, that’s not my name) is in the later camp. To me, that baby hand pushing people to their deaths is high camp and I love it.

    Haven’t gotten round to the amazing-sounding Alucarda yet, but I do have my DVR set to record another killer baby movie – It’s Alive! We’ll see how I Don’t Want to Be Born (when a movie has this many titles, you know they’re trying to trick you into watching it) shakes out within its own subgenre.

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