A Candle for the Devil (Una vela para el diablo) (1973)

[bizarre_eye@Cult Labs]

Eugenio MartÃ*n's film about two spinster sisters running a guest house in Spain is another fantastic film from the 1970s, which is often sadly overlooked.

Aurora Bautista and Esperanza Roy play the part of the fanatical sisters extremely well in this harrowing tale of murder by a misguided sense of doing God's work. Female 'promiscuous' boarders are killed off one by one, until Laura (Judy Geeson) arrives and begins to piece together the mystery behind the disappearances.

The mix of nudity, violence, and the incorporation of an extreme, warped view of catholicism by the vengeful Bautista made this film pretty controversial at time. None of that message has been lost over the decades and it still remains a powerful and unflinching film to this day.

Readily available on UK DVD this is a must watch in my opinion; anyone else a fan?

[Make Them Die Slowly]

Big fan of this one BE. Sweaty, sexy and sanctimonious!

[bdc]

I have the UK dvd but still need to watch it...

[bizarre_eye@Cult Labs]

Originally Posted by Make Them Die Slowly

Big fan of this one BE. Sweaty, sexy and sanctimonious!

Definitely agree on all those, MTDS!

Originally Posted by bdc

I have the UK dvd but still need to watch it...

It's definitely worth the watch, b. Be interesting to hear what you think when you get around to watching it.

[Mbarr]

It's a brilliant film...It just shows at the time Spanish film-makers (under the Franco regime) could make intelligent cinema...the suppressed sexuality & religious overtones are fantastic...there is very slim chances of a better version (than the recent UK Odeon release)...It is I believe THE only uncut print...the elements (film print wise) are the best we can get...IMO it's a bloody masterpiece a real slow burner...along with Narciso Ibáñez Serrador's La Residencia/House That Screamed & Serrador's own Would You Kill A Child (due soon from Eureka! in the UK) they are the pinnacle of Spanish genre cinema (Naschy etc while fun are in comparison "trash"...these films are "art-house")...I have many fan dub/subs of Spanish cinema like this...I would love them to be released to a wider audience...

[Pete]

Originally Posted by bdc

I have the UK dvd but still need to watch it...

Same here.

[The Reaper Man@Cult Labs]

And here.....

Where's that other DVD version from B.E.?

[Sobral]

I've wanted to buy this for some time but for some reason that cover made me think it had a low quality, have to get it as I own and love the other films mentioned here (La Residencia; Who Can Kill...).