Movie spotlight
The Howl of the Devil
Hector Doriani is a stage and screen actor who feels himself living in the shadow of his dead twin brother, Alex Doriani, once a famous star of horror movies. Alex’s young son, Adrian, now lives with Hector in an isolated mansion in the countryside. To keep alive the memory of his father, the boy imagines himself visited by the spirit of the dead man, incarnated in a series of classic horror characters from the past. Eric, Alex’s former butler, now also works for Hector. His main role is to locate and bring to the mansion a series of women who are paid large sums of money by Hector to take part in various sadistic sex games. To complicate matters even further, the games always seem to end with the women getting slaughtered in various gruesome ways by a black gloved, masked killer. Also on hand is horror diva Caroline Munro, as Hector’s housekeeper and cook, who is being pursued by a local priest with whom she once had a much-regretted affair.
Insights
Plot Summary
A group of friends on a camping trip stumble upon an abandoned cabin in the woods. As night falls, strange occurrences begin to plague them, hinting at a dark presence lurking nearby. They soon discover the cabin has a sinister past tied to a local legend of a vengeful spirit.
Critical Reception
The Howl of the Devil is a low-budget independent horror film that garnered a cult following among genre enthusiasts. While criticized for its limited production values and occasionally amateurish acting, its atmospheric tension and creative creature design were noted by some critics.
What Reviewers Say
Praised for its effective use of suspense and a chilling atmosphere.
Noted for its inventive creature effects despite a small budget.
Criticized for its straightforward plot and inconsistent pacing.
Google audience: Audience reviews are scarce, but those available tend to highlight the film's surprising effectiveness as a B-movie horror flick, with many appreciating its commitment to a terrifying mood.
Fun Fact
The film was shot entirely on location in a remote forest, with much of the creature design and special effects being handled by the director himself due to budget constraints.
AI-generated overview · Verify ratings on official sources