The Devil Rides Out (1968) dir. Terrence Fisher, Hammer Film Productions/Seven Arts Productions
So we end our look back at Hammer with one of Christopher Lee's favorite roles.
England, 1929. The Duc de Richleau (Lee) and Rex Van Ryan (Leon Greene) are having a small reunion. The third member of their party isn't there though. Simon (Patrick Mower) hasn't been seen anywhere though, and rumors are he joined some kind of secret society.
The Duc is concerned, more so when they drop by Simon's new house. Simon is apologetic and swears he'll get with them later, if only they'll leave right now. The Duc notices there are exactly eleven people there and when two more arrive, he notes he and Rex will be made to leave. He manages to dash upstairs to the observatory.
The star charts seem more aligned with astrology than with astronomy but there's the live chickens. They basically kidnap Simon and drag him back to the Duc's home, but Mocata (Charles Gray) has a hold on the younger man and forces Simon to escape. Now our heroes are stuck, but Rex remembers seeing a member of the society, Tanith (Nike Arrighi), before. He manages to track her down and get a date out her, but she's a bit more on the ball than Simon and leaves Rex in the dust.
One car chase later, and Rex's borrowed car is wrapped around a tree. He has an idea where the cult is meeting that night though. Rex and the Duc disrupt the tamest looking orgy ever caught on film and drag Simon and Tanith back with them.
The question now, what are they going to do? Mocata wants his people back and with the powers of darkness at his beck and call, he can back up his threats. The Duc is not without his own resources, however, but it will take all the powers in the world to stop the Devil riding out!
Odd to find a story that goes too slow yet too fast at the same time. The script by Richard Matheson is very ponderous, based on the work by Dennis Wheatley yet it hits the ground running fast enough to leave speed lines. Lee and Gray steal every scene they're in though, even the dialogue is dense enough to be used as a weapon.
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