Customer Reviews

Incubus [VHS]

5 star:		(29)
4 star:		(22)
3 star:		(8)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

INCUBUS, a 1965 B&W film filmed in Esperanto, was thought lost until just recently when producer Tony Taylor found the only surviving copy in France and managed to make the movie available on video. I was one of the first buyers, and I absolutely love the video.

The basic plot line is the eternal struggle of good versus evil, so even though the movie is old it's not dated.

It's extremely well done with great acting, interesting music, and wonderful photography. Conrad Hall, who is an Oscar winner, was the cimematographer. William Shatner is the only big name actor in it, but all the cast is excellent. (And, no, Shatner doesn't do the dialogue with his trademark Kirk mannerisms.) Shatner protrays Marc, a man tempted by a beautiful succubus (female demon ). The incubus, the male demon, comes into the film later.

The film looks like a classic foreign film, especially with the Esperanto and subtitles. The fact it's in B&W gives it an ageless quality. It can be called a horror film, but the film is more than just demons giving humans problems. I'd call it a classic morality play about good and evil.

I think anyone who likes movies will enjoy this, and anyone who is a movie buff definitely needs to add this one to his collection because it is a special film, if only because it's the only film I know of made in Esperanto ( a made-up language some people actually do speak as a second language).

The only drawback to the movie is that the subtitles take up too much space on the screen at times. But this was because the only surviving copy with French subtitling was done that way and the subtitles couldn't be moved--only changed to English.

INCUBUS is one of my favorite videos, and I've shown it to several friends already. So buy the video, invite some people over, pop some popcorn, and enjoy it.

I remember seeing this film in college back in the mid-seventies, and it struck me as one of the strangest movies I had ever seen. The Esperanto dialogue fits in perfectly with the otherworldliness of the film. It seems that Director Leslie Stevens was paying homage to his Outer Limits partner Joseph Stefano by making one of the most Gothic themed motion pictures ever. The film has may haunting scenes perfectly framed by cinematographer Conrad Hall--two of the creepiest are when a coven of succubi are walking ever so slowly on a beach and the scene where the Incubus is summoned is a sequnce worthy of horror grandmaster James Whale.

The DVD edition has a wonderful interview with producer Anthony Taylor and cinematographers Conrad Hall and William Fraker. Their commentary track is very good. I was EXTREMELY impressed with William Shatner's commentary track. Listening to Mr. Shatner talk about the "curse of the film" is especially chilling. My only fault with Mr. Shatner's commentary is that he wasn't joined by someone like David Schow (the renowed OUTER LIMITS expert). I think a dialgue between these two would have been fascinating. Schow has written extensively on Incubus, and the website (for the movie Incubus) links to his commentaries. The DVD is truly a chilling and fantastic experience!

I eagerly awaited the arrival of this DVD version, fascinated with the idea of Shatner before Trek, and the whole Esperanto idea. I am NOT disappointed! Before writing this, I read the first 7 reviews so I'll try not to repeat stuff (I agreed with most of what was said). I first heard of Esperanto back in college at U of Wisc--Madison, where it was offered in night classes. Apparently, it's been around since the 1880's, developed as a "universal language". There have been resurgences of interest periodically since, most notably during the 60's. The director chose Esperanto because he wanted an "other-worldly" language for the demons that couldn't be compared to any other. It works, phenomenally well!! Shatner is quite good, as is Allyson Ames (Kia) and Ann Atmar (as Shatner's sister). Unfortunately, the acting of Eloise Hardt (as Kia's sister) and Milos Milos (title character) is reminisent of Ed Wood's films, WAY over the top of respectable limits. The music score by Dominic Frontiere is eerie, moody and thoroughly appropriate and the photography of the great Conrad Hall is among the best black and white you'll ever see...his use of shadows and fog and back-lighting gives the film ALL of its considerable atmosphere. The location of the Big Sur area in California is perfect.I would recommend this film for anyone with an appreciation of the unusual. Sure, there are a lot of slow moments that were annoying (but just look at the scenery); the overall craft of film-making here has indeed reached a new (if different) level. By all means, check this one out!

"Incubus," an American-made movie shot in California with an international cast, is frequently misfiled as a "Foreign Film." If you are to enjoy this movie at all, this disinformation must be expelled from your consciousness. Incubus defies national categorization, and for good reason: it is the only feature-length film shot entirely in the planned language of Esperanto.

Based on a diluted Christian worldview, "Incubus" tells the story of a succubus, Kia (Allyson Ames), who is weary of tempting debauched men to early dooms. What's the point, she asks her sister and superior Amael (Eloise Hart), if they're already doomed? Disregarding advice, she takes it on herself to tempt a man of pure spirit and noble intentions, Marc (William Shatner). After a quick tryst, however, Kia notices that not only is Marc not made a sinner, she herself is infected with love. Fleeing, she seeks retribution by calling up the incubus of the title (Milos Milos).

This movie is short, sweet, and to the point. At a mere 78 minutes, it's only just barely long enough to count as a feature film. Special effects are largely non-existent, leaving room for development of character and situation. The movie is set in a sort of non-time and non-space, and the events take place in a forest where Marc and his sister Arndis (Ann Atmar) keep a farm. There is a cathedral, the tolling bell of which is an important symbol throughout the movie, but no one appears to tend the place. Indeed, there are only seven speaking parts and a small handful of extras in the entire movie. This is a very small, intimate film.

The spiritual dimension of this movie is inescapable. This spirituality is probably Christian, as the cathedral (actually a small adobe mission) has crosses on the roof, an altar statue of Mary, and crucifixes, while the sign of the cross repels demons. However, Christ is never mentioned; only God and the "God of Darkness," presumably Satan, are given specific mention.

This diffuse spirituality probably reflects an intended international appeal, further shown by the use of Esperanto as the main language of the film. Designed to be easily learned for international communication, Esperanto has failed to bring world peace, but has made it possible to share culture internationally with speakers of the tongue. This Esperanto isn't spoken perfectly, especially by Shatner, whose clipped vocal manner presages his declarative style as Captain Smirk in later years. However, this film shows the potential the language has to be of interest internationally.

Except for Shatner, the cast of Incubus is comprised of no-name actors who had limited careers. Even Shatner at this point was primarily a bit actor, making what name he had in Broadway starring roles. Star Trek was still in the future at this point. Two actors, Milos Milos and Ann Atmar, committed suicide the year after Incubus was released, while Eloise Hart's and Allyson Ames' careers petered out (both are apparently still alive). Robert Fortier, who plays a debauched sinner tempted to an early death by Kia, had a limited career comprised mainly of bit parts and town drunks before fading away. Paolo Cossa, who narrates the opening scene, apparently did nothing else in film and it's virtually impossible to find information on the man's life and career.

The simple visual subtlety also makes this film appealing. Writer-director Leslie Stevens (TV's "The Outer Limits," "It Takes a Thief") combines well with cinematographer Conrad Hall to co-ordinate a visual stream that, like a church service, makes the brain adjust its timing to match that of events. This is heightened by the dated but evocative incidental music of Dominic Frontiere. Everything about this movie is designed to force the viewer to adjust to the movie's timing, rather than pandering to the audience.

Some of the visuals are dated, and will fail to appeal to a modern audience, jaded on the magic of modern special effects. The make-up is spare, the costumes are uncomplicated, and the location setting is unsophisticated. Moreover, the lack of a neat ending tying up the loose ends risks alienating current audiences, who expect all plot elements to come to a neat conclusion.

The selling point of this movie is the story itself, inspired, it seems, by medieval cycle and morality plays, and colored by the increasingly unpopular Vietnam war. The unique use of Esperanto also draws some viewers, though some find this use of a planned language difficult to follow, especially since many of the actors don't speak it very well.

Not everyone will like this movie, but for lovers of thoughtful horror, thinkers who love the unusual, those interested in an exploration of spiritual dimensions that mainstream movie studios too often overlook (and Christian movie studios too often reduce to triteness), this movie is one of the best ever made.

This review is inspired by the not stinkubus.
I saw this film on the sci-fi channel late night and was surprised how well it was. The show is in Esperanto considered to be the easiest language to learn. The story was about a Succubus trying to take the soul of a good man(Shatner). The Incubus comes in to help further this cause. I don't want to give away a lot. My recommendation is to watch the movie. It will also help in Esperanto comprehension if you are learning it which is a bonus.

This film grabs you right from its opening scenes. Many sequences are filmed in a manner that lend dreamlike qualities to it, making this a film that is visually interesting and packed with atmosphere. The dialog is simply superb; very few films of this genre can even come close its quality. When one has come to expect scripts with lines that are overtly and unintentionally laughable, dialog like we see here is not only refreshing, but so superior to other movies of it's ilk, it is nearly shocking. Some lines are, although, delivered a bit stiffly, no doubt due the actors' difficulties with a script which was not in English. But, for those who readily criticize William Shatner's acting abilities (and I count myself among these), this is one to take note of. He is outstanding and shines as the archetype his character is meant to be.

Don't expect gore and violence. Although the opening scene is rather intense, this movie is not about action and blood.

If subtitles are something that might deter you in the viewing of a film, don't let it stop you in this case. The subtitles are easily followed without missing what is on the screen. This was absolutely confirmed by someone who griped about subtitles when I first popped this one in the VCR. After viewing, he was SOLD!

This film is engrossing... nearly hypnotic.

He was in fact, as far as I can tell, in the only film ever done in Esperanto. It isn't bad except for the incubus which is quite literally a man holding a stuffed goat head over his face trying to look like a monster but for some reason, he seems to be made for Esperanto. His overacting makes sense here and his gestures fit in well with the language.

It is surreal and dreamy and I think any fans of 60s cult cinema will enjoy this. It's just so weird and bizarre.

For many years, 1965's legendary horror opus INCUBUS was thought to be a lost film. Some years after its production, the original negatives and prints were carelessly discarded or destroyed by the film lab entrusted with their preservation, and knowing of no other extant copies, the filmmakers resigned themselves to the idea that their award-winning work was forever gone. But in the mid-1990s, INCUBUS producer Anthony Taylor learned that the Cinémathèque Française in Paris had discovered a copy of the film in their archives. He subsequently negotiated to have a high-quality copy made, and from this a digital master was created. And now, after missing for more than 3 decades, INCUBUS is again available to eager genre fans.

INCUBUS is set in Nomen Tuum, a village on an idyllic island that also happens to be the hunting grounds of two succubae (beautiful female demons that seduce human males and lead them to ruin). One of these demons, Kia (Allyson Ames), has lured countless IMMORAL men to their ultimate doom, but she is growing bored with beleaguering those who are already marked for damnation. She yearns instead for the challenge of seducing and corrupting a man of noble character. However, her mentor, Amael (Eloise Hardt), warns that toying with saints is a dangerous game, as they wield a strange power that can corrupt even a demon's heart--a power called LOVE. Rejecting this advice, Kia sets her sights on Marc (William Shatner), a respectable young war hero who lives with his sister, Arndis (Ann Atmar).

In the guise of a weary traveler, Kia accosts Marc, and he is immediately attracted to her. She feigns mutual interest, of course, and when Marc kisses her, she tempts him with the suggestion that they make love. But being of good character, Marc insists that they first do the "right thing" and marry. Such principled moral restraint intrigues Kia, and she begins to fall in love with Marc.

Outraged by Marc's "corrupting" influence, Kia's mentor, Amael, summons the titular incubus (the male counterpart to the succubus) and sends him out to avenge Kia by defiling Marc's sister. But as Kia's love grows, Marc wins her over completely, and this turn of events only further enrages the incubus and thereby places both Marc AND Kia in peril.

INCUBUS is an excellent horror film that belies its meager budget. Neither sensationalist nor exploitative, the simple tale of good-versus-evil is accessible to an audience of almost any age or nationality, yet it is not a shallow or boring film. Indeed, the excellent acting, the beautifully aesthetic cinematography, and the eerie religious symbolism and psychological subtext keep the viewer continually engaged as the narrative unfolds. And even after 40 years, the film does not seem the least bit dated. Natural settings, rural architecture, and simple wardrobes give the film a timeless, fairytale-like quality.

INCUBUS is often cited as a mere curiosity because it is the only film to date in which the characters speak solely in the artificial language of Esperanto. (Created in 1887 by Ludovic Zamenhof, Esperanto is based on the common elements of the European romance languages, which are themselves rooted in Latin. A relatively easy-to-learn language, Zamenhof naively hoped that Esperanto would become a universal tongue that would promote world peace.) Limiting the film's significance to this one characteristic, though, is both inaccurate and unjust. It can easily be argued that, along with its contemporaries like CARNIVAL OF SOULS and NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD, INCUBUS is one of the watershed horror films of the 1960s that greatly influenced the evolution of the genre. Although containing a certain level of creepy imagery, these films contain relatively little blatant gore. Instead, the primary horror element of each is an eerie ambiance created via symbolism; atmospherics such as lightning, thunder, and fog; copious nighttime photography; unusual lighting and camera angles; odd musical scores; and the use black-and-white film. And rather than being a mere curiosity, the use of subtitled Esperanto-only dialogue in INCUBUS is an additional aesthetic masterstroke. It provides a certain foreign flavor that, regardless of the nationality of the audience, contributes to the film's ethereal atmosphere by making it seem as if all takes place in an unfamiliar or alien realm.

INCUBUS was the brainchild of Leslie Stevens, a producer, writer, and director for the classic 1960s sci-fi TV series THE OUTER LIMITS. Leslie wrote and directed INCUBUS himself, and he assigned the primary camera duties to another OUTER LIMITS alumnus, future-award-winning cinematographer Conrad Hall. The influence of the TV show is recognizable in several elements of the film, the most obvious being the theme-music pastiche. Surprisingly, this musical style works even better in INCUBUS than it did on TV, as the bizarre sound of the theremin on which it is played sharpens the otherworldly quality of the film.

Fox Lorber's DVD is top-notch. There are many interesting extras, not the least of which is an often humorous feature commentary with the film's now-famous star William Shatner. Of course, the restored version of the film looks wonderful, with blacks that are truly black and crisp whites. Admittedly, the English subtitles are sometimes obtrusive. This is due to the unfortunate fact that the surviving copy of INCUBUS has French subtitles that are, pragmatically speaking, impossible to remove, and this requires the English subtitles to be placed in such a way as to blot out the existing ones. This DOES sometimes block more of the image than is ideal; it DOES NOT prevent overall enjoyment of the film. (The French subtitles are optionally available on the DVD, and they are less visually intrusive than the English--a benefit, of course, only to those who speak French...or Esperanto.)

Overall, INCUBUS deserves its legendary status. It's a must-see for any serious fan of the genre, and with this DVD, fans have the rare opportunity to own a beautiful copy of a great film that was once thought to be forever lost to the dust of history.

INCUBUS displays the sort of combined taste and discrimination that is these days so often lacking, especially for fantasy and horror films. Credit Dominic Frontiere (music), Leslie Stevens (story and direction), and the exceptional Conrad Hall, who provided what may be the best argument ever for the necessity of using black and white for "le cinema de fantastique". A morality play, yes, as one of the other critics mentioned. But each frame and sequence is a new startlement of shadowy textures and pearly, glowing highlights under Hall's photographic wizardry, and the Esperanto language, as musical at times as Italian or Spanish, lends a poetic music to even some of Stevens's most declamatory interludes of dialogue. A young William Shatner plays the Stoic hero of quiet valor as a foil to Allison Ames's rapacious demon hunting for a "good soul" to corrupt; the result is an unexpected love story with an apocalyptic ending. This is a film in the first order of magnitude, with those such as THE INNOCENTS, SECONDS, and PSYCHO, abetted by Hall's photography, but also, with Frontiere and Stevens, textured like one of the better episodes of THE OUTER LIMITS (from which most of the talent came). INCUBUS argues for the need of movies to be more than just widescreen television. Without modern CGI effects and, it should be added, contemporary vulgarity and paltry aesthetics, INCUBUS reminds us all what sublimity can be reached through stories of the fantastic. Unquestionably, INCUBUS is worth the price of purchase. Those that found and restored this film have brought back an important cinematic artifact of 20th-century film.

What a quirky, trippy, great DVD! The photography is amazing and the company putting this out went to a lot of trouble to rescue the film from it's MIA action status for the last 30-something years. Well worth it! I am not a huge Shatner fan but I enjoyed his commentary -- it's very sardonic which works well with this film but it's also not wall to wall chatter so you can actually appreciate what he's talking about. Also loved the other extra features - another commentary track with the cinematographer and a 20 minute interview piece. The story behind this film which is just as interesting as the film itself is fully told on the disc also. Watch with friends and you'll have a ball!