IMDb RATING
6.5/10
1.9K
YOUR RATING
Paris. Young girls are found dead, drained from their blood. A journalist investigates these murders while the beautiful Gisele, from a noble family, tries to seduce him.Paris. Young girls are found dead, drained from their blood. A journalist investigates these murders while the beautiful Gisele, from a noble family, tries to seduce him.Paris. Young girls are found dead, drained from their blood. A journalist investigates these murders while the beautiful Gisele, from a noble family, tries to seduce him.
Carlo D'Angelo
- L'ispettore Chantal
- (as Carlo d'Angelo)
Angelo Galassi
- Ronald Fontaine
- (as Angiolo Galassi)
Antoine Balpêtré
- Professor Julien du Grand
- (as Antoine Balpetré de la Comédie Française)
Armando Annuale
- Un uomo anziano al funerale
- (uncredited)
Larry Boston
- Unknown Role
- (uncredited)
Aristide Catoni
- Porter
- (uncredited)
Riccardo Freda
- Il dottore
- (uncredited)
Bert Goldstein
- Maitre D'
- (uncredited)
Ronny Holiday
- Nora
- (uncredited)
Joy Holliday
- Anita
- (uncredited)
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaThis was the first Italian made horror film of the sound era.
- Crazy creditsEnglish dubbed version 'The Devil's Commandment' is credited to director Riccardo Freda's pseudonym Robert Hampton.
- Alternate versionsOriginal Italian version is 82-minutes long. US distributor re-edited the film, inserting new footage starring Al Lewis and Ronny & Joy Holliday, shortened it to 70 minutes and released it as "Devil's Commandment". The differences are as follows:
- Alternate opening scene in which Joseph (played by a body double) stalks a women to her apartment, kills her in the bathtub, and has the body disposed of.
- Several dialogue-heavy scenes are cut or trimmed.
- The scene where Lantin brings the police back to the apartment he tailed Joseph back to is cut.
- The scene where the blind beggar is questioned by the police, and the subsequent house raid, are cut.
- A newly-shot sequence where a woman goes to a nightclub and is subsequently killed by Joseph.
- A newly-shot sequence where one of Dr. Du Grand's assistants (Lewis) forces himself on Lorette (played by a body double).
- Added insert shots of rats crawling toward Lorette.
- ConnectionsReferenced in Mario Bava: Maestro of the Macabre (2000)
Featured review
A REDISCOVERED CLASSIC!
This movie is absolutely stunning! It combines Freda's knack for perverse plotting with Bava's excellent, atmospheric cinematography to produce a story about the parasitic sickness of love more than anything else. I've read a few whiny 'goth' teenagers complaining about the film's lack of 'real vampiric moments.' What idiots! An aging scientist keeps the Duchess Du Grand young, although she can't stand his touch. To acquire young women needed for his serum, he keeps a junkie locked up and strung out. Meanwhile, the Duchess is in love with Pierre, a young reporter investigating a series of mysterious murders in which young women are being drained of their blood. Ah, love... The mood of the film perfectly balances neorealism with fantasy to create an expressionist fairy tale. The antagonistic relationship between the reporter and the police investigator and the above-mentioned junkie make this an influence on the giallo as well as the revival of gothic horror in Italy. Ignore DVD (Idiot) Savant and the Ann Rice geeks. The rediscovery of this movie ranks up there with Whale's Old Dark House. It is an absolute classic, and the print is excellent!
helpful•176
- drspecter
- Dec 24, 2001
Details
- Release date
- Country of origin
- Language
- Also known as
- The Vampires
- Filming locations
- Titanus Studios, Rome, Lazio, Italy(Studio, as Titanus - Appia)
- Production companies
- See more company credits at IMDbPro
- Runtime1 hour 22 minutes
- Color
- Aspect ratio
- 2.35 : 1
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