Customer Reviews
A CLASSIC OF BRITISH CINEMA - By: Hathor 38, 29 Nov 2008 
This review is from The Hammer Collection Boxset
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This really is an amazing film, even after all these years it still stands out. From the creepy atmosphere to the great acting, & also one of the rare films the Cristopher Lee stars as the good guy.
Most of the film is close to the dennis Wheatley novel, apart from a few changes here & there, probably due to the movie budget. This really is a must havein your DVD collection.
In a word, Classic :)
Undisputed Hammer masterpiece - By: Lazydrake, 05 Nov 2008 
This is one of the finest Hammer films, based on Dennis Wheatley's novel. The Duc de Richleau (Christopher Lee) & Rex van Ryn (Leon Greene)try to save a friend, Simon Aron (Patrick Mower) from the clutches of a satanic cult led by the evil Mocata (Charles Gray), & encounter many obstacles along the way. There's also a love story sub plot between Rex & Tanith, a girl caughtin the cult's grip. The film's fast paced, entertaining, & the cinematography is impeccable, lush, & sensual. Lee is excellent & very charismatic as the hero & Charles Gray is convincing as Mocata, & the other performances are pretty good, but Leon Greene's character, although affable, is a bit too obtuse & naive to be credible,in my opinion, no more than where he utters the memorable line : 'Will someone please tell me what's going on?' after Lee admonishes Mower for getting 'mixed upin black magic'. Is he slow on the uptake or what? I think I'd want someone a bit less docile on my side if I was battling the dark forces. My other complaint is that the film's ending is rather weak after the fast paced melodrama preceding it, but on the whole I'd say this is a great film, with a few memorable scenes. Indispensable addition to anyone's Hammer collection.
Hammer' Finest Movie? - By: E. A. Redfearn, 04 Sep 2008 Of all the fine movies made by Hammer Films between 1955 & 1975, this one remains to this day, the most popular with the fans, & the best production ever by the Hammer team with the classic Dracula standing alongside.
The difficult subject of Black Magic was a thorny one for the production team & the censors at the time it was made. But the strong values, great script, & wonderful cast made it the classic it is to this day.
The story based on Dennis Wheatley's classic novel has been pared down to a simple storyline involving a group of five friends, Duc de Richleau (Christopher Lee) Simon (Patrick Mower), Rex Van Ryn (Leon Greene), Marie (Sarah Lawson) & Richard (Paul Eddington) who become involved when one of them becomes ensnared into a Black Magic Cult led by the evil Mocata (Charles Gray).
Alsoin the cast is Tanith (Nikki Arrighi); & the Countess (Gwen Ffrangcon-davies) who is one of the cult members.
Both Simon & Tanith are being initiated into the cult until they are rescued by the friends, & then Mocata tries every means to get them back using occult methods. The scenes involving Mocata's attempts to get them back are exciting to watch, despite the effects having a dated look. But the musical soundtrack by James Bernard does enhance the atmosphere of the film throughout.
It is a splendid production though, despite it being 40 years old & is still enjoyable today as it was then.
For a new generation of movie fans this is a must see, after all Hammer Films always had the knack of making fine films on low budgetsin those days.
My favourite Hammer horror film EVER!!! - By: S. J. Pinder, 18 Jun 2008 i found Devil rides out to be an effective & amazing experience & will remain a classic for years to come...love it Christpher Lee(as always)shines through the film & remains a fabulous actor.
the effects are surprisingly effective which only adds to this films enjoyment.
HAMMER AT ITS BEST..................................... - By: L. Hay, 19 Apr 2008 Many years ago, I read somewhere that if Hammer had continued to make films like this, it would not have gone down the tubes. Actually I seem to recall that they went on to make "To The Devil A Daughter", which was also excellent.
This is the best occult film I have ever seen & is a very good screenplay of that great book by Dennis Wheatley.
The cast is outstanding, the music atmospheric, & the action is fast.
This is not a film to be missed & has no comparison to the blood-dripping drivel we get dished up to us nowadays.
A MUST SEE!
