Seven Women for Satan [DVD] [Region 1] [US Import] [NTSC]

The Mondo Macabro DVD authoring gang have unearthed another 1970's sexploitation rarity with the French film "Seven Women for Satan" AKA "Le Week-ends Malefiques du Count Zaroff". The disk includes some interesting behind the scenes info in its' 'extras' section that does much to explain the film's background and obscurity. Directed by, and starring, Euro genre film star Michel Lemoine in 1974 - the film apparently ran afoul of the French censorship board and received a 'Restricted' rating that spelled doom for it at the box office and it virtually disappeared from public view - until now re-released on DVD. If one reads the 'notes' accompanying the film there is a lot of discussion about the multi-level symbolism inherent in the plot - relating it to evolving socio-economic trends in Europe at the time of its' production. However, just to watch the movie 'cold', one would certainly not be aware of any such underlying 'political relevancy' as it plays pretty much as a straight up sexy-horror romp.The story line is a little confusing on first viewing as there are aspects of dream fantasy intermixed with actuality in the main character's life, and sort of a sub-plot of the principal character being manipulated by his 'faithful' servant to re-live the evil deeds of his predecessor, the 'origiinal' Count Zaroff - who apparently had a rep for raping and torturing women. What makes the rather confusing 'horror' elements worth sitting through is the cavalcade of gorgeous French damsels that cross the Count's path and manage to lose their clothes in the process. The flik starts right off during the opening credits with a scene of the Count, mounted on a galloping horse, running down a naked girl until she is forced to leap to her death. This turns out to be a fantasy/dream sequence, but in the next scene the Count is driving back to his country chalet and picks up a cute hitch-hiker.. She ends up spending the night and participating in another of his fantasies (?) being tied up in front of a fireplace while he pours champagne over her naked body & makes love to her. The following day he is driving to his newly purchased castle with the hitch hiker still in tow when he seems to lose his grip on fantasy VS reality and ends up assualting the girl then 'accidentally' running her over with his car and killing her. From there things get ever more out of hand as he arrives at his castle and his 'man servant' reveals that he is trying to fulfill some promise made to the young Count's debauched father to indoctrinate his son into a similar life of evil. Circumstances deliver several comely young women into the wicked sphere of the Count's realm and, typically after some nudity & sex, all are dispatched in one grusome way or another. The Count is also fixated on the spirit of a beautiful long dead woman (played by the exquisite Joelle Coeur) and it was apparently one of the scenes of his idolizng her corpse that got the film 'censored' - for implied necrophelia (among other things).As previously noted, the film was directed by Michel Lemoine - who also plays the troubled young Count Zaroff with a studied intensity. He was apparently a 'friend' of, and influenced by, fellow French erotic horror director Jean Rollin and 'Seven Women For Satan' has certain elements that are decidedly reminiscent of Rollin's work - especially the inclusion of lots of naked girls to keep things moving along. In the final analysis I'd have to say that it pretty much IS the naked girls that make this film worth watching - and you certainly get your money's worth on that front. The film is in widescreen color with an English language dub, and has a goodly helping of informative 'extras' to lend more depth to the effort than it probably actually deserves. With, or without, its' pretensions of redeeming relevance, it is a spirited and enjoyable watch.

Don't waste your money. I collect B grade movies but this one went straight in the bin after viewing it.

I pretty much agree with everything the last reviewer said, but would like to add that this film is very low budget with only a handful of actors, and not especially well shot. The back cover says it is "a stylish horror"..hm well it isn't (much). There was nothing here that I havn't seen done better in many other films. The only bit I liked was when he was chasing the girl around in his morris minor (or similar), harking back to his dead ancestor who did the same on horseback. It all seemed a bit "cheap" and so I give this film 2 stars, there are so much better Mondo Macabro releases worth seeing first. Also the print quality isn't great, pretty washed out although I would guess it was shot on poor quality film to begin with.