What makes it different from others?

That was an excellent one.

Excellent, Without a doubt!!

Story: It's very simple but honestly that is fine.

This is a very cheap film. Acting is terrible and the story is just silly. It is so silly that it made me laugh many times. In the end, it even tries to convert its viewers to Jesus. Ridiculous.

...except neither of them seem too keen on being either saved or Satan's disciples to the point that I could never figure out why head demon worshiper Mocata (Charles Grey) wanted two such wishy washy people as disciples so badly. They would have been the most off key singers in the coven, spiritually speaking.Lee here is magnificent and commanding in the role of Duc de Richleau, in which a routine visit to see his young friend Simon Aron turns into a battle for his soul. Richleau was not initially interested in saving Tanith Carlyle, but his friend Rex is smitten with her, so along she comes. I mean honestly. Rex has looks, intelligence, charm, and money, and he falls deeply in love with a woman marked for Satanic possession after conversation that amounts to a simple "hello"? Richleau enlists the help of his niece and nephew-in-law in protecting his double minded duo of demonic disciples when the real assault by demonic forces summed up by Mocata comes. The horror works well because it keeps the visible effects simple so that they do not look hokey today, and it keeps the suspense high so you can use your imagination as to what you are not seeing.The only thing is, I couldn't figure out how Richleau remembered all of those chants and all of those rules. I did not get the impression this was his life work, yet he has a chant and a charm for every situation. Recommended if you are seeking some of the best in Hammer horror and you get to see Christopher Lee as hero rather than villain for a change.

A fantastic Hammer Horror film, a full-blooded Gothic masterpiece in the vein of their '50s triumphs like Dracula and THE CURSE OF FRANKENSTEIN, which recalls favourably the similar black magic shenanigans of the black and white classic NIGHT OF THE DEMON. In many ways this is the "last" of the old-fashioned stately Hammer films we know and love; the last time the producers had a budget to really do justice to the material, and the last time when the production values were high enough to ensure that every element in the film was hugely successful. Indeed, with a fantastic cast, a veteran director in Terence Fisher (arguably Hammer's finest when he got things right), some fine special effects and an excellent screenplay from the reliable Richard Matheson, there is little to complain about with this movie, which offers everything a fan of old-fashioned horror could wish for.The fast-moving storyline is awash with action, whether it be car chases, physical fights or more importantly, magic battles. The central characters are placed in constant danger right from the beginning and there is no letting up until the very end. Luckily the suspense and tension is sustained throughout meaning that you'll never find yourself looking at the clock. And indeed who would want to, when the film offers such delights as Christopher Lee protecting his companions against the Angel of Death (a winged skeleton on a horse) or fighting against a gigantic tarantula. The music is splendidly bombastic in the best Hammer tradition, helping to expand every dramatic moment into epic proportions. The special effects are sometimes a little wobbly but largely effective, relying primarily on simplicity for their charm (clouds of eerie smoke, fog rolling in, some straightforward back projection). One of the best moments in the film for me is the arrival of the grinning embodiment of evil that sends a shudder down my spine every time – the later appearance of the Devil is a disappointment in comparison.Christopher Lee is on top form and given a chance to shine in one of his rare roles as a good guy. Unfortunately the rest of the cast can't reach him but at least they make valiant attempts – there's Leon Greene (A CHALLENGE FOR ROBIN HOOD) as the strong but rather stupid friend Rex – forever getting himself into trouble – and a young, sweaty Patrick Mower as Simon, the boy in danger. Nikki Arrighi makes for an almost ethereal damsel in distress whilst Paul Eddington is excellent as a straight man unable to believe in what he sees. But acting awards go to Charles Gray (THE ROCKY HORROR PICTURE SHOW), shining as the charismatic figure of evil, who is able to charm and hypnotise anybody with a mere stare. One of the best Hammer villains of all time. I don't really have much else to say about this great film, other than that if you like old-fashioned horrors, Hammer and otherwise, then it truly is unmissable entertainment and a creepy, evil classic of the genre.

When the Duc de Richleau discovers that a young friend of his has become caught up in Devil worship, he reveals that he has been studying the subject for years, and so he knows just what to do, because he has it all memorized. Now, in a movie involving the supernatural, it is important that there be a small number of rules, and that the audience learn early on what those rules are (e.g., in the traditional vampire movie, we know that a vampire must avoid exposure to the sun, cannot see himself in the mirror, cannot stand the sight of the cross, and can be killed by driving a wooden stake through his heart). Then the audience can be engaged in what is going on. But in this movie, there must be fifty-seven varieties of rules, rituals, and incantations you have never heard of, which we learn about only when Richleau pulls them out of his hat. As a result, there is no suspense, for we are reduced to waiting to find out about the next new rule.