Satan's Blood

Director(s) - Carlos Puerto (En Mil Pendazos, Ed Francotirador) and Juan Piquer Simon (Slugs, Extra Terrestrial Visitors)

Starring - Angel Aranda (A Dragonfly for Each Corpse, From Hell to Victory), Sandra Alberti (Vampiras in the Night, Malditas), and Mariana Karr (You Are My Destiny, Dear Enemy)

Release Date - 1978

Genre - Horror

Tagline - "Terror, sex, and Satanic rituals on a one-way ride to hell..."

Format - Bluray (Personal Collection) (Screener)

Rating (out of 5):

     Vinegar Syndrome is really out here doing the lord's work.  I can't count the amount of movies they have released that I had never heard of prior to their announcement.  However, on a rare occasion they do release a movie I have heard about.  Back in January they announced the blu release of the 1978 Satanic Spanish horror flick Satan's Blood.  I had never seen this one before but I had seen the DVD floating around from Mondo Macabro from some years before.  I ordered a copy but because I was stupid and pre-ordered a release from March my Jan releases would not be delivered in time.  However, I want to thank Vin Syn for sending this one over for review so I at least did get a copy in 2 months ahead of time to review.  Thanks guys!

     The film follows a couple expecting their first child when they run into another couple that claims to know them from their college days. They don't recognize them but agree to follow them to their home out in the countryside for some drinks.  Things go from weird to deadly when they are forced to spend the night after a storm hits and their dog is found murdered.  Soon they realize that they don't really know this couple and they are part of a Satanic cult looking for human sacrifices.

     Satan's Blood is a slow moving and predictable late 70s Satanic cult film that makes good use of it's scenery but not with it's time.  I really liked it but it felt like this feature length film was pushing three hours.  The acting in this one is pretty solid.  I really liked the characters and how they changed as the film progressed.  The cast really gets into their roles and they do a wonderful job and moving the story along even though it moves at a snails pace.  With that being said, the characters don't really stand out like some of the other films from the time with similar stories.  The story for this one is simple, straight forward, and doesn't leave a lot of room for bullshit.  I love that it's a movie you can turn on and just watch.  It doesn't require you to pick the story apart of pay close attention to it for fear of missing something.  It's simple and effective.  The downside to this is the movie is predictable and the story is stretch so thin that some of the scenes are absolutely pointless.  Finally, the film has some blood here and there along with a realistic dead dog but that's the extent of it.  We do get a lot of nudity and awesome Satanic imagery but for those of you looking for blood and gore you will be very disappointed.  Overall, Satan's Blood is a slow one.  It's not one that everyone will enjoy but if you are a fan of atmospheric 70s horror flicks then you will really appreciate what this one does.  I liked it but I can't see myself revisiting it anytime soon.  The blu from Vin Syn looks absolutely amazing and worth the price.