Product Details

• Actors: William Shatner, Allyson Ames, Eloise Hardt, Robert Fortier, Ann Atmar
• Directors: Leslie Stevens
• Writers: Leslie Stevens
• Producers: Anthony M. Taylor, Elaine Michea
• Format: Black & White, Color, NTSC
• Language: Esperanto
• Region: Region 1 (U.S. and Canada only. Read more about DVD formats.)
  
• Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1
• Number of discs: 1
• Rated: Unrated
• Studio: Winstar
• DVD Release Date: May 8, 2001
• Run Time: 78 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (63 customer reviews)
• ASIN: B000059OLR
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #46,854 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)
• Learn more about "Incubus" on IMDb

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

This black and white horror movie, filmed in California but with dialogue in Esperanto, is unlike anything you've ever seen. Incubus inverts the usual moral battle of a good person tempted by evil. When a headstrong, blond, young succubus named Kia (Allyson Ames) becomes bored with luring the corrupt and sinful to their ultimate demise, she decides she's going to tackle a truly good man (in the form of a very young William Shatner, of all people). An older, wiser succubus warns Kia that the good have an uncanny power called love, but Kia recklessly dives in, confident in her seductive powers--until she finds herself spiritually defiled by goodness and must summon an incubus (Milos Milos) to enact revenge. The pacing is slow but eerily effective, as are the stark cinematography and low-budget effects. Shatner's intonations are just as distinctive in Esperanto as in English, but that only adds to the movie's overall stylization. Incubus shares a kinship with Carnival of Souls, another low-budget black and white horror film that has more going on than buckets of gore. Though Incubus would seem to be heavily influenced by Ingmar Bergman, director Leslie Stevens has said he was more affected by Japanese samurai films. A strikingly unique and beautifully creepy film. --Bret Fetzer

Product Description

This long-lost cult classic stars William Shatner as Marc, a soldier of pure heart who becomes the target of a beautiful demon who wants his soul.

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

29 of 30 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars INCUBUS is a haunting morality play--good versus evil. November 5, 1999

By A Customer

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.

19 of 19 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars And now for Something COMPLETELY Different... May 21, 2001

By Joseph Bacon

Format:DVD

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!

17 of 18 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Unusual film for discriminating viewer May 21, 2001

By R. Gawlitta

Format:DVD|Amazon Verified Purchase

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!