THE DEVIL RIDES OUT Blu-ray.
Yes, the new effects enhance the film no end and yes the original version should also have been released. That out of the way, I f*cking love this film so much, my face is now aching from the huge grin I had on my face from watching it for the nth time. Lee's performance, which is an odd mix of fear and menace balances excellently against Grey's lizard like channelling of Crowley. It's my favourite performance from Lee, much more relaxed than his normal horror film personae yet incredible forceful and believable in both his character's weaknesses and strengths. The look of fear when he sees the genie is great as is the power and force he commands, when talking with the spirit of Tanith. What's really interesting is that at the climax of the film after dispatching genies, the devil in physical form and the Angel of Death, Lee's character is powerless against Grey's Satanist, for fear of what will happen if he repeats the spell he uses to banish the Angel of Death. For all his occult knowledge and power, it takes the unconditional love of a mother for her child to defeat evil. The film is always criticised for being antiquated yet what could be more contemporary than the power of love in a film which was filmed in August 1967, the so called Summer of Love.
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