The Brotherhood of Satan

Last updated
The Brotherhood of Satan
The Brotherhood of Satan (1971) poster.jpg
Theatrical release poster
Directed by Bernard McEveety
Written byWilliam Welch
Story bySean MacGregor
Produced by
Starring
CinematographyJohn Arthur Morrill
Edited byMarvin Walowitz
Music by Jaime Mendoza-Nava
Production
companies
  • Four Star Excelsior
  • LQ/JAF
Distributed by Columbia Pictures
Release dates
  • April 21, 1971 (1971-04-21)(Pennsylvania)
  • August 6, 1971 (1971-08-06)(United States)
Running time
92 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish

The Brotherhood of Satan is a 1971 American supernatural horror film directed by Bernard McEveety, produced by L. Q. Jones and Alvy Moore, and starring Jones, Strother Martin, and Ahna Capri. Its plot follows a widow (Charles Bateman), who, while traveling through the American Southwest with his young daughter (Geri Reischl) and girlfriend (Capri), arrive in a small California town where a coven of Satanist witches are kidnapping the local children with the intent of transferring their own souls into the children's bodies as a means of achieving immortality.

Contents

Filming for The Brotherhood of Satan took place in New Mexico and California. The film premiered at the Colonial Theatre in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, on April 21, 1971, before receiving a wide theatrical release by Columbia Pictures on August 6, 1971.

Plot

Widowed Ben Holden, his young daughter K. T., and his girlfriend Nicky, are on a road trip through the California desert. On a sharp corner along the highway, they spot a smoldering demolished car along with what appears to be human remains. Ben quickly drives to the nearest town of Hillsboro to report the incident, but upon arriving, is attacked by the town sheriff, Pete, while the town residents hide in their homes and observe the scene. Pete releases Ben, and the family flee.

Unbeknownst to Ben, the town is on edge because 26 of its residents have met violent deaths in the past three days, and numerous children have disappeared. Pete, his deputy Tobey, and the town physician, Dr. Duncan, travel to the wreckage along the highway. They find that the two adult drivers were killed, and that their young son, Timmy—also a resident of Hillsboro—is missing. Ben, fleeing Hillsboro, is startled by a young girl who appears in the road, and crashes his car. With nowhere to go, he, Nicky, and K. T. head back toward Hillsboro on foot.

That night, resident Ed Meadows and his wife, Mildred, are inexplicably killed in their home after one of their daughter's dolls apparently comes to life. Meanwhile, at the abandoned Barry house overlooking the town, Dr. Duncan gathers in a secret room with the elderly residents of the town. The elders are in fact a coven of witches who worship Satan, and Dr. Duncan is their leader. During their ceremony, numerous children stand entranced on pedestals, vessels into which the witches plan to transfer their souls. Shortly after, Ed's son Stuart, and daughter, Phyllis, join a group of children outside their home, who escort them to the Barry house.

Ben, Nicky, and K. T. reach the Meadows home, and find Ed and Mildred's corpses. In town, Ben and his family are welcomed to spend the night at Pete's home, where Dr. Duncan makes an unannounced visit. Meanwhile, Jack, the town's Catholic priest, suspects an evil influence in the town, and stays up late into the night researching devil worship. In his studies, he notices a preponderance of children figuring in the literature. Back at Pete's house, Nicky suffers a nightmare. In the morning, Ben decides they should leave. Peter allows them to borrow his car, but they get a flat tire on the edge of town. Upon exiting the car, Ben and Nicky realize that K. T. has vanished from the backseat.

K. T. joins the town's children at the Barry house, where they play with toys and other party favors in a room decorated with murals of dead children and cloaked figures. Ben and Nicky return to town to report K. T. missing, and are met by Father Jack, who tells them she has been kidnapped by witches, who he believes will use her and the other missing children in a Satanic ritual. Meanwhile, Mike, another local resident, finds his son Joey wandering out of their home in a trance. He runs after him into the woods, where he is decapitated by an armored figure riding a horse. Father Jack witnesses the incident, and flees in terror to report it to Pete, Ben, and Tobey.

Now having acquired a child for each member of the coven, Dr. Duncan begins the ritual at the Barry house, entreating Satan to help transfer their souls into the bodies of the young. Meanwhile, Ben, Pete, Tobey, and Father Jack unite and rush to the Barry house. Outside, Pete finds a toy horseman lying on the ground, with a blood-covered lance. This terrifies Father Jack, who realizes that the coven have been causing the children's toys to manifest as instruments to kill their parents. The men quickly break into the house, but find they have arrived too late—the witches have all perished, and their souls transferred into the children. When Ben, Pete, and Tobey break down the door to the ceremonial room, they find K. T. and the other children gathered around a cobweb-covered table, along with dolls resembling some of the coven members. The children stare at the men in silence.

Cast

Moore's daughter and mother appear in the film, [1] as one of the children and one of the witches, respectively.

Production

Jones drafted a script for The Brotherhood of Satan while researching witchcraft at the UCLA Library. [2] Moore, when asked why he and Jones chose to produce a film in the horror genre, answered, "Greed, sheer greed. We had a choice of subjects, but we had to look at what's selling today, and there's no doubt that witchcraft and assorted psychic phenomena are very popular." [3]

The Brotherhood of Satan was filmed in Albuquerque, New Mexico, in August 1969. [4] Additional filming took place in Hillsboro, New Mexico, and Hollywood, California. [2]

The film's original title was Come In, Children, a title which Jones preferred over The Brotherhood of Satan. [1] [2] Speaking to reporters in Fort Worth, Texas, around the time of the film's release, Jones stated:

"Brotherhood of Satan" sounds like your stock monster picture. You know—the giant clams eating up the friendly natives. This film of ours is a different type. We've got a little blood in it—to appease the popcorn rattlers—but there are no silver bullets or crosses or stakes. The ending is deliberately up in the air. We don't explain it, we just lay it out. If you don't like it, you can tear up the seats. If you like it, crazy. [1]

Novel adaptation

A book adaptation of the same name, written by Jones and based on the film's screenplay, was published in 1971, ahead of the film's release. [3]

Release

Premiere and theatrical run

Columbia Pictures premiered The Brotherhood of Satan at the Colonial Theatre in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, on April 21, 1971; the film screened there for at least two weeks for test market purposes. [2]

The Brotherhood of Satan received a wide theatrical release by Columbia in the United States and Ontario, Canada, on August 6, 1971. [3] [4] As a promotional gimmick, theatergoers purchasing tickets for The Brotherhood of Satan received packets of seeds bearing the film's logo; instructions on the backs of the packets assert that the seeds can "protect from the Black Magic of the Brotherhood of Satan!" [2] [5]

Critical reception

Roger Greenspun, in his review of the film for The New York Times , highlighted some "wonderfully spooky scenes" but wrote that, "the actual brotherhood (and sisterhood) is a pretty dismal affair—a kind of black-magic golden-age club to whom hooded figures serve cocktails before they settle down to their blood and witchcraft." [6] Ann Guarino, writing for the New York Daily News , gave the film a score of two-and-a-half out of four stars, criticizing the screenplay as illogical: "You have to forget details to get a few chills out of this one." [7]

Jeanne Miller of the San Francisco Examiner complimented the film's pacing and production values, calling it "unusually well-made for its genre," but found that, "[...] the exploitation of children for weird Satanic rites is more unnerving than exciting. [...] most of the tension consists of a cringing unwillingness to see any more of these lovely kids become monsters." [8] Sam Hoffman of The Republican lamented the film's "dull script" and called Martin "the only worthwhile actor in the show"; he added, "The film's big plus is its cinematography which captures all the gore and killings and rituals—in color." [9] The Ottawa Citizen 's Gordon Stoneham called the film "a low-budget but effective demonic thriller." [10] Martin Malina of The Montreal Star commended the performances of Martin, Jones, and Moore, and wrote, "As horror pictures go, this one is not much of a spine-tingler. But there are several highly imaginative scenes [...] which alone justify the price of admission." [11]

On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, the film has an approval rating of 13% based on eight reviews, with an average rating of 4.4/10. [12]

Home media

The Brotherhood of Satan was released on VHS in 1986 by RCA/Columbia Pictures Home Video ( OCLC   22091401). It received a DVD release in 2002 by Columbia TriStar Home Entertainment ( ISBN   0-7678-8253-9).

In 2013, Mill Creek Entertainment released the film on Blu-ray, packaged together as a double feature with the 1961 film Mr. Sardonicus . [13] In 2021, The Brotherhood of Satan was re-released as a standalone Blu-ray by Arrow Films. [14]

The industrial dance group My Life with the Thrill Kill Kult sampled The Brotherhood of Satan in the song "Rivers of Blood, Years of Darkness" from their 1990 Confessions of a Knife album.

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Strother Martin</span> American actor (1919–1980)

Strother Douglas Martin Jr. was an American character actor who often appeared in support of John Wayne and Paul Newman and in Western films directed by John Ford and Sam Peckinpah.

<i>When a Stranger Calls</i> (1979 film) 1979 American psychological thriller film by Fred Walton

When a Stranger Calls is a 1979 American psychological thriller film written and directed by Fred Walton, co-written by Steve Feke, and starring Charles Durning, Carol Kane, Colleen Dewhurst and Tony Beckley. Its plot follows Jill Johnson, a young woman being terrorized by a psychopathic killer while babysitting, the killer's stalking of another woman, his returning to torment Jill years later, and a detective's trying to find him. Rachel Roberts, Ron O'Neal, Carmen Argenziano, and Rutanya Alda appear in supporting roles. The film derives its story from the folk legend of "the babysitter and the man upstairs".

<i>Lets Scare Jessica to Death</i> 1971 film by John D. Hancock

Let's Scare Jessica to Death is a 1971 American horror film co-written and directed by John Hancock in his directorial debut, and starring Zohra Lampert, Barton Heyman, Kevin O'Connor, Gretchen Corbett, and Mariclare Costello. The film depicts the nightmarish experiences of a psychologically fragile woman who comes to believe that another strange, mysterious young woman she has let into her home may actually be a vampire.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tigon British Film Productions</span> British film production and distribution company

Tigon British Film Productions or Tigon was a film production and distribution company, founded by Tony Tenser in 1966.

<i>Horror Express</i> 1972 film

Horror Express is a 1972 science fiction horror film directed by Eugenio Martín. It is a loose adaptation of John W. Campbell's 1938 novella Who Goes There?, and stars Christopher Lee and Peter Cushing, with Alberto de Mendoza, Silvia Tortosa, Julio Peña, George Rigaud, Ángel del Pozo, and Telly Savalas in supporting roles.

<i>Silent Night, Deadly Night 4: Initiation</i> 1990 film by Brian Yuzna

Silent Night, Deadly Night 4: Initiation is a 1990 American supernatural horror film directed by Brian Yuzna, written by Yuzna, Woody Keith, and Arthur Gorson, and starring Maud Adams, Tommy Hinkley, Allyce Beasley, Clint Howard and Neith Hunter. It focuses on a Los Angeles newspaper reporter who, while investigating the unexplained death of a woman, becomes entangled with a coven of Lilith-worshipping witches who are preparing her for a ritual on Christmas Eve. The fourth installment in the Silent Night, Deadly Night film series, it bears no resemblance to the previous films, as it drops the storyline of the Billy Chapman and Ricky Caldwell characters entirely.

<i>Virgin Witch</i> 1971 British horror sexploitation film by Ray Austin

Virgin Witch is a British horror sexploitation film directed by Ray Austin and starring Ann and Vicki Michelle, Patricia Haines and Neil Hallett. A prospective model and her sister join a coven of white wizards.

<i>The Blood on Satans Claw</i> 1971 British film by Piers Haggard

The Blood on Satan's Claw is a 1971 British supernatural period folk horror film directed by Piers Haggard and starring Patrick Wymark, Linda Hayden, and Barry Andrews. Set in early 18th-century England, it follows the residents of a rural village whose youth fall under the influence of a demonic presence after a local farmer unearths a mysterious deformed skull buried in a field.

<i>Season of the Witch</i> (1972 film) 1972 American drama film written and directed by George A. Romero

Season of the Witch is a 1972 American drama film written and directed by George A. Romero, and starring Jan White, Raymond Laine, and Anne Muffly. The film follows a housewife in suburban Pittsburgh who becomes involved in witchcraft after meeting a local witch.

<i>Rosemarys Baby</i> (film) 1968 film by Roman Polanski

Rosemary's Baby is a 1968 American psychological horror film written and directed by Roman Polanski, based on Ira Levin's 1967 novel of the same name. The film stars Mia Farrow as a newlywed living in Manhattan who becomes pregnant, but soon begins to suspect that her neighbors are members of a Satanic cult who are grooming her in order to use her baby for their rituals. The film's supporting cast includes John Cassavetes, Ruth Gordon, Sidney Blackmer, Maurice Evans, Ralph Bellamy, Patsy Kelly, Angela Dorian, and Charles Grodin in his feature film debut.

<i>The Blair Witch Project</i> 1999 horror film by Daniel Myrick and Eduardo Sánchez

The Blair Witch Project is a 1999 American supernatural horror film written, directed, and edited by Daniel Myrick and Eduardo Sánchez. It is a fictional story of three student filmmakers—Heather Donahue, Michael C. Williams, and Joshua Leonard—who hike into the Black Hills near Burkittsville, Maryland, in 1994 to film a documentary about a local myth known as the Blair Witch. The three disappear, but their equipment and footage are discovered a year later. The purportedly "found footage" is the movie the viewer sees.

<i>ParaNorman</i> 2012 stop-motion animated film

ParaNorman is a 2012 American animated comedy horror film directed by Sam Fell and Chris Butler, and written by Butler. Produced by Laika, the film stars the voices of Kodi Smit-McPhee, Jodelle Ferland, Bernard Hill, Tucker Albrizzi, Anna Kendrick, Casey Affleck, Christopher Mintz-Plasse, Leslie Mann, Jeff Garlin, Elaine Stritch, Tempestt Bledsoe, Alex Borstein, and John Goodman. It is the first stop-motion film to use a 3-D color printer to create character faces, and only the second to be shot in 3-D. In the film, Norman Babcock, a young boy who can communicate with ghosts, is given the task of ending a 300-year-old witch's curse on his Massachusetts town.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Satanic film</span> Subgenre of horror film which depicts the Devil and associated wicked themes

A Satanic film is a subgenre of horror film, and at times other film genres, that involves the Devil as a concept or a character. Common themes/characters in Satanic film include the Antichrist, demonic possession, exorcism, and witchcraft.

<i>Daughters of Satan</i> 1972 film by Hollingsworth Morse

Daughters of Satan is a 1972 American horror film directed by Hollingsworth Morse and written by John C. Higgins. The film stars Tom Selleck, Barra Grant, Tani Guthrie, Paraluman, Vic Silayan and Vic Díaz. The film was released by United Artists in the fall of 1972, screening as a double feature with Superbeast.

<i>The Witch</i> (2015 film) Film by Robert Eggers

The Witch is a 2015 folk horror film written and directed by Robert Eggers in his feature directorial debut. It stars Anya Taylor-Joy in her feature film debut, alongside Ralph Ineson, Kate Dickie, Harvey Scrimshaw, Ellie Grainger, and Lucas Dawson. Set in 1630s New England, its plot follows a Puritan family who encounter forces of evil in the woods beyond their farm.

<i>Satans Blade</i> 1984 American slasher film directed by L. Scott Castillo Junior

Satan's Blade is a 1984 American slasher film directed by L. Scott Castillo Jr., and starring Tom Bongiorno, Stephanie Leigh Steel, and Thomas Cue. It follows two groups of people lodging at a mountain resort who are stalked by a mysterious killer potentially linked to a supernatural entity in the mountains.

<i>Satanic Panic</i> (film) 2019 comedy horror film

Satanic Panic is a 2019 American comedy horror film directed by Chelsea Stardust, based on a screenplay written by novelist Grady Hendrix and adapted from a story created by Hendrix and Ted Geoghegan. It is a Fangoria production.

<i>The Craft: Legacy</i> 2020 American fantasy film by Zoe Lister-Jones

The Craft: Legacy, also known as Blumhouse's The Craft: Legacy, is a 2020 American supernatural horror film written and directed by Zoe Lister-Jones. A legacy sequel to The Craft (1996), the film stars Cailee Spaeny, Gideon Adlon, Lovie Simone, and Zoey Luna as four teenage girls who practice witchcraft as a coven. Additional cast includes Nicholas Galitzine, Michelle Monaghan, and David Duchovny, with Fairuza Balk making a cameo appearance.

Folk horror is a subgenre of horror film and horror fiction that uses elements of folklore to invoke fear and foreboding. Typical elements include a rural setting, isolation, and themes of superstition, folk religion, paganism, sacrifice and the dark aspects of nature. Although related to supernatural horror film, folk horror usually focuses on the beliefs and actions of people rather than the supernatural, and often deals with naïve outsiders coming up against these. The British films Blood on Satan's Claw (1971), The Wicker Man (1973) and Witchfinder General (1968) are regarded as pioneers of the genre, while The Witch (2015) and Midsommar (2019) sparked renewed interest in folk horror. Southeast Asian cinema also commonly features folk horror.

<i>Agatha All Along</i> (miniseries) Upcoming Marvel Studios television miniseries

Agatha All Along is an upcoming American television miniseries created by Jac Schaeffer for the streaming service Disney+, based on the Marvel Comics character Agatha Harkness. A spin-off from the series WandaVision (2021), it is intended to be the 11th television series in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) produced by Marvel Studios, via its Marvel Television label, sharing continuity with the films of the franchise. Schaeffer serves as showrunner and lead director.

References

  1. 1 2 3 Stewart, Perry (September 8, 1971). "Boy From Beaumont". Fort Worth Star-Telegram . Fort Worth, Texas. p. 14-A. Retrieved August 5, 2024– via Newspapers.com.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 Beers, Paul B. (April 21, 1971). "Reporter at Large". The Evening News . Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. p. 63. Retrieved August 6, 2024– via Newspapers.com.
  3. 1 2 3 Stoffman, Daniel (July 21, 1971). "Actors find a new career making horror movies". The Toronto Star . Toronto, Ontario, Canada. p. 40. Retrieved August 6, 2024– via Newspapers.com.
  4. 1 2 "The Brotherhood of Satan". AFI Catalog of Feature Films . American Film Institute. Archived from the original on September 5, 2021. Retrieved September 5, 2021.
  5. ↑ Markusen, Bruce (2021). Hosted Horror on Television: The Films and Faces of Shock Theater, Creature Features and Chiller Theater. McFarland & Company. p. 186. ISBN   978-1476684611.
  6. ↑ Greenspun, Roger (August 7, 1971). "Horror Film:'Brotherhood of Satan' Showing at Criterion". The New York Times . New York, New York. Retrieved August 6, 2024.
  7. ↑ Guarino, Ann (August 7, 1971). "'The Brotherhood of Satan': Weird Rituals Make a Mediocre Thriller". New York Daily News . New York, New York. p. 24. Retrieved August 6, 2024– via Newspapers.com.
  8. ↑ Miller, Jeanne (September 30, 1971). "Kids Can't Be That Bad". The San Francisco Examiner . San Francisco, California. p. 32. Retrieved August 6, 2024– via Newspapers.com.
  9. ↑ Hoffman, Sam (June 11, 1971). "'Cat O'Nine' Fairly Exciting; 'Brotherhood' Devilish Dish". The Republican . Springfield, Massachusetts. p. 17. Retrieved August 6, 2024– via Newspapers.com.
  10. ↑ Stoneham, Gordon (August 21, 1971). "Capsule reviews of our current movies". The Ottawa Citizen . Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. p. 31. Retrieved August 6, 2024– via Newspapers.com.
  11. ↑ Malina, Martin (November 29, 1971). "Story ends with a question mark". The Montreal Star . Montreal, Quebec, Canada. p. 22. Retrieved August 6, 2024– via Newspapers.com.
  12. ↑ "The Brotherhood of Satan". Rotten Tomatoes . Fandango Media . Retrieved August 5, 2024.
  13. ↑ Liebman, Martin (May 22, 2013). "Mr. Sardonicus / The Brotherhood of Satan Blu-ray Review". Blu-ray.com. Retrieved August 25, 2021.
  14. ↑ Kauffman, Jeffrey (August 20, 2021). "The Brotherhood of Satan Blu-ray Review". Blu-ray.com. Retrieved August 5, 2024.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.