To the Devil a Daughter (5 Stars)

This will probably be a short review. I've had a bad flu since Sunday. The worst day was Yesterday, but I still have a 38.5 fever. Yesterday was horrible. Every time I closed my eyes I was delirious. I saw patterns moving across my vision.

And before anyone asks if it's Corona, the answer is No. I tested myself a week ago before my son Benjamin came to visit, and I tested myself again today. It's a good old-fashioned flu. And I hate it.

This was the last Hammer Horror film, made in 1976. It was universally criticised, including by Dennis Wheatley, on whose book the film was based. I find that unfair. It stars Christopher Lee at his most sinister, and Nastassja Kinski as the appealingly innocent young virgin.

Christopher Lee plays Father Michael Rayner, a Catholic priest who was excommunicated for heresy. After leaving the church he founded a new church, the Children of the Lord, which looked outwardly identical to the Catholic Church. The main difference is that the Lord they follow isn't God, it's the Demon Astaroth. Father Michael has a complex plan to bring Astaroth to Earth in the form of a woman. First a baby girl has to be born on Halloween and baptised with blood. On her 18th birthday she has to be baptised again with the blood of the new-born Astaroth, after which she will become Astaroth.

The 18-year-old girl is Catherine Beddows, played by Nastassja Kinski. Her father tries to protect her by putting her in the care of the American expert on the occult, John Verney, but Father Michael has great psychic powers and can call Catherine from afar.

This is Astaroth, who was born two days before Catherine's birthday. I have to question the complexity of the plot. If Astaroth has already been born in physical form, why slay him just to baptise a woman? It seems like a very long way around to do it.

Or maybe Astaroth just wants his essence to be transferred into the body of a beautiful woman? Maybe he thinks he can attract more followers if he looks like Catherine. I can understand that. I wouldn't want to worship a horrible monster.

I stand against the critics. I find this film excellent. Everything is good about it, from the acting to the overwhelming music. It's a first class occult thriller. Hammer should have continued making films after 1976. Hammer didn't actually close down, but it went into hiatus for 30 years. The new films don't live up to the quality of the old films.

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