An Angel for Satan

source: An Angel for Satan

A beautiful b&w mystery movie, shot in 1966, but looks like having been made in the 40s - which is perfectly alright for me in this case. Sculptor Roberto (Anthony 'Django' Steffen) arrives in a small village to restore an ancient statue. He meets a woman (Barbara 'Mask of Satan' Steele) who bears an amazing resemblance to the statue. Mysterious cases of death happen, and soon she is supposed to be a reborn witch by the superstitious villagers. Roberto doesn't believe that and starts looking for another explanation... In case you were worried because Jan de Bont's 'The Haunting' used too many computer FX, you should check out this movie instead (that is, if you ever find a copy of this rare gem), because you'll realize how well this kind of story works without digital toys.

In AN ANGEL FOR SATAN, Sculptor Roberto Merigi (Anthony Steffen) arrives at a small village to restore a mysterious statue of a woman, rescued from the bottom of a lake. Enter Harriet Montebruno (Barbara Steele), who just happens to bear a striking resemblance to the statue in question. Working together on the restoration, the seemingly supernatural spookiness begins almost immediately. When Harriet starts acting... differently, the real story unfolds. Filmed in glorious black and white, the restored version of this movie is magnificent! Ms. Steele is at her wicked best here, playing her dualistic character with innocence and sadistic glee by turns. Her bewitching eyes add extra darkness to this, her most lascivious role. A classic of the genre with a shocking double-twist ending!...

In the Nineteenth Century, in Italy, the sculptor and restorer Roberto Merigi (Anthony Steffen) is hired by Count Montebruno (Claudio Gora) to restore an ancient statue retrieved from the bottom of the lake that surrounds the village. The count explains that the statue was pushed to the lake two hundred years ago and there is a legend that it is cursed. When his nephew Countess Harriet Montebruno (Barbara Steele) returns to the village after studying fifteen years in London to receive her heritage that is administrated by Count Montebruno, Merigi notes her resemblance with the statue and soon they fall in love with each other. But soon Harriet has an erratic behavior, provoking murders of superstitious locals with an evil behavior. What is happening to Harriet? "Un angelo per Satana", a.k.a. "An Angel for Satan", is another great gothic Italian horror movie with Barbara Steele in her last work of this genre. The cinematography in black-and white is amazing, the plot is well-developed and the plot point in the end certainly surprises the viewer. My vote is seven. Title (Brazil: "Um Anjo para Satã" ("An Angel for Satan")

"An Angel for Satan" is more good entertainment for fans of Italian Gothics. The queen of the genre, Barbara Steele, is front and center as Harriet Montebruno, an heir to an estate. Anthony Steffen plays Roberto Merigi, a sculptor brought to this lakeside estate to restore a 200 year old statue that was salvaged from the lake. However, the deeply superstitious locals feel that nothing good can come of this, as they totally buy into the local legend and "curse" put into place centuries ago. Although the double-twist ending is really not that surprising, "An Angel for Satan" gives devotees of this sub genre everything they could want. We have a highly alluring Steele as a young woman whose behavior takes a bizarre turn. "An Angel for Satan" is pretty racy for its time, with Steele disrobing on more than one occasion and seducing male and female characters alike. Roberto is not the only character confused by the strange goings-on; the maid Rita (Ursula Davis) has a suitor (Vassili Karis), the local schoolteacher, who ends up equally dumbfounded as Rita begins giving him the cold shoulder and Harriet comes on to him. There is also a side character named Victor (Aldo Berti), the simple-minded gardener who *seems* harmless at first. The music by Francesco De Masi is excellent, the black & white photography exquisite, and the story consistently entertaining. The director, Camillo Mastrocinque, handles all of it quite capably. As in all of the best films from this group, the atmosphere is first-rate, with Mastrocinque attempting to give the necessary exposition scenes a bit of flair. Claudio Gora (as the Count), Mario Brega (as swaggering local lug Carlo), Marina Berti (as Ilda the housekeeper), and Betty Delon, as Carlos' wife, round out a very solid cast. In general, this is a must if you love this type of film, and especially if you love Steele, who's showcased extremely well. Seven out of 10.

More of a gothic thriller than an outright horror movie, this Italian grand guignole starring Barbara Steele is an enjoyable look at the sins of lust among the entitled elite in the late 1800's. It surrounds the fishing out of a statue of a beautiful ancestor and Barbara Steele's returns to her family estate for the first time since she was a little girl. Initially charming and kind, she quickly turns, setting all the men up against each other out of lust which results in murders and suicide. As the audience learns in a mesmerizing flashback sequence, steals ancestor was the victim of a curse of a jealous relative who was filled with passion but lacked in desirability. Steele becomes more determined in her secret hatred of all men, accusing innocent ones of rape and enticing others to do her evil work for her. Engrossing and completely haunting, this is a less horrific version of the dozen of other films that Steele made around this time, reminding me more of a Gainsborough/ Margaret Lockwood gothic drama was it seems of a new arrival who stirs everything up. The one horror element has her being accused by the villagers of being a witch due to all the evil going on around them from the moment she returns. Steele is bewitching as always, and the possibilities are endless of the truth beyond her soulless character. the black and white photography makes it all the more Gossett, adding an old fashioned look to a theme that utilizes modern twists and elements of the 1960's.

If anyone had lost the opening credits will be possible some viewers confound the Brazilian Anthony Steffen with Vittorio Gassman, both actors have a slight sameness, once more Barbara Steele starring this Italian gothic horror, which she became a Queen of this genre, the odd story set place on 19th century on a smallest village at lake shore, when a cursed statue of an old lady Belinda Montebruno was rescued from the lake and the Count Montebruno (Claudio Gora) hires a sculptor Robert Merigi (Anthony Stephen) to restore the statue from hie glorious days, the superstitious and loath dwellers disavowing such outrage, meanwhile arrives from England Harriet Montebruno (Barbara Steele) that has a strong similarity with her ancestor, outlandishly the beauty Harriet has change her personalities features for a while, also appears on the village some victims of unknown nature, gripping picture about conscious collective over a living legend and their developments, many twist came out, further the director didn't uses properly the sexual appealing of Barbara Steele which all us waiting for, just allows some prudish scenes, delivering a contrived finale, shot in black & white somehow lost the impact with a failure photography!! Resume: First watch: 2020 / How many: 1 / Source: DVD / Rating: 7

Here's a question all us folks must face at some point: If we fell in love with a beautiful woman, should we be concerned that all of a sudden they seem possessed by another person, or should we be grateful that this other seems more kinkier and a bit filthier than the other one? This is the problem facing Anthony Steffen, a sculptor paid to stay at the requisite creepy Italian villa to restore a 200 year old statue found in the lake next to the villa. Strangely, this statue really looks like the just returned Countess Harriet (Steele, in her last Italian horror role), and Steffen was in there before she started calling herself Belinda and hitting on every living thing with a pulse. For example, local fool Victor, for whom Belinda strips off then beats around the face with a riding crop for looking at her. Or, for another example, the timid teacher Dario, whom she steals from her own maid, Kate? Or how about her maid, Kate? Or how about Carlo, who starts off as Head of the Angry Villager Witch-Baiting Team who then ends up on team Strega? She even manages to turn one of them into a serial killer (he's not very good at it, however). At first this starts becoming a little boring until everyone goes mental and starts kill themselves and each other. Only Anthony Steffen, a spaghetti Western leading man who is much better in these Giallo type films, can figure it out! Also, this is the first time I've seen Mario Brega in a non-Leone Western (He's the big fat sidekick of the bad guy in everyone of them). For a moment him and Steffen forget they are in a horror film and have a right old punch up, so that was good. This is a fairly bloodless and at first seemingly boring film that picks up a lot of steam once the corpses start piling up (including a suicide victim being found by children, and indeed children being locked up in a house and burned). It's also different in that although it does have the usual big villa, it's really Barabarabarabaarabarabrabraara Steele who is the haunted one. Nice way to finish off the career. You never get to see her * or bum even once.

It felt GREAT to finally watch another good old-fashioned and stylish Italian Gothic tale from the golden sixties, particularly one that is starring everyone's favorite and utmost beautiful horror muse Barbara Steele! Being a tremendous fan of the sub genre, the era, the country and of course the actress, I've seen all the obvious classics (like "Black Sunday", "She-Beast", "Castle of Blood", "The Long Hair of Death") many years ago already, but "An Angel for Satan" has always been the most difficult one to track down. I can't really explain why, but somehow this title was more obscure than Steele's other cult classics. This certainly cannot have anything to do with the quality level, though! Admittedly I might be slightly biased, and I have watched a lot of miserable crap lately, but "An Angel for Satan" is a genuine horror experience that has it all: an intriguing plot, a macabre atmosphere from start to finish, sinister set-pieces and music, breath-taking women and moody cinematography. Antony Steffen ("Django the Bastard") depicts a sculptor named Roberto Merigi who arrives in a small lakeside village somewhere late in the 19th century. He got hired by the wealthy Count Montebruno in order to restore a nearly 200-year-old statue that was recovered from within the lake. Roberto immediately experiences the hostility of the superstitious villagers, as they strongly believe that the statue is cursed and will bring death & mayhem upon the community. Montebruno's daughter Harriet also arrives in town, and she bears a striking resemblance with the statue. She is the descendant of a ravishing 17th century Countess Belinda, and Harriet clearly inherited the family's good looks, for whom the statue initially was made. The countess and her lover were killed by a jealous sister who later drowned in the lake with the statue during a storm. Inevitably, the curse soon turns to be frightfully real and mysterious things occur in the little town. Harriet alternately is her lovely self, but also possessed by the heinous spirit of Belinda. As Belinda she sows unrest and mayhem in town, which quickly leads to much worse. "An Angel for Satan" is a fantastic film with a few excellent and surprising plot twists, including the denouement, but also stylishly shot footage. The film is in masterful black and white, with ominous music and sound effects, and the performances are all stellar. **Spoiler** The most morbid and unnerving scene was undoubtedly the discovery of the poor teacher's body hanging from the ceiling. How badly can you drive someone over the edge that he commits suicide in the one place where he knows he'll be discovered by the innocent children he cared so much about?

The late 19th century. Skeptical and pragmatic sculptor Robert (superbly played by Anthony Steffen) arrives in a small country village to restore an ancient statue to its former glory. Roberto falls for naive and innocent heiress Harriet (a first-rate performance by the ravishing Barbara Steele), whose evil ancestor Belinda was the original model for the statue. As the statue nears completion, Harriet becomes more like the cunning, devious, manipulative and flat-out no-good Belinda. Is Harriet possessed by Belinda's vengeful and malevolent spirit? Or is there something else going on? Director Camillo Mastrocinque, who also co-wrote the clever and compelling script with Giuseppe Mangoine, relates the complex and engrossing story at a steady pace, does a fine job of creating and sustaining a spooky brooding atmosphere throughout, and delivers a potent and vivid evocation of the remote rural region and the fearful superstitious people who populate the area. Steele excels in her tasty dual role; she brings a charming grace to Harriet and portrays the devilishly enticing Belinda with splendidly nasty relish. The supporting cast likewise contribute sound work: Claudio Gora as the wise, kindly Count Montebruno, Ursula Davis as sweet, fetching maid Rita, Marina Berti as poised governess Illa, Aldo Berti as friendly school teacher Dario, and Mario Brega as brutish, ill-tempered local strongman Carlo. The surprise twist ending is genuinely startling. Giuseppe Aquari's striking black and white cinematography and Francesco De Masi's elegant score give this movie extra class. Well worth seeing.