The House of Exorcism/Lisa and the Devil

Starring:Telly Savalas, Elke Sommer, Sylva Koscina, Alessio Orano, Gabriele Tinti, Kathy Leone, Eduardo Fajardo, Carmen Silva, Franz von Treuberg, Espartaco Santoni, Alida Valli, Robert Alda
Director: Alfredo Leone, Mario Bava
Studio: Image Entertainment
Product Type: DVD

Editorial Review:
Amazon.com
Directed by giallo maven Mario Bava, House of Exorcism is a truly rare cinematic find: a completely insane film. Sure, there are plenty of movies that are a little quirky, and even more that start off reasonably and then go around the bend later on, but in House of Exorcism, at no time is anything even remotely comprehensible happening. (No, not even if you watch it a second time.) Elke Sommer stars as Lisa, a beautiful tourist who spies an ancient fresco of the devil and seconds later leaves her tour group to become hopelessly lost. Fresco look-alike Telly Savalas, tongue and lollipop firmly in cheek, shows up holding a life-size mannequin and we're off. What follows is a whirl of opulent sets, vaguely menacing Europeans, and plenty of blood. It's the kind of movie where mysterious and weighty significance is given to lines such as "I brought you some cake. It's your favorite... with chocolate sprinkles." Like all great art, House of Exorcism asks more questions than it answers: Aren't we all just mannequins? Is Telly's face supposed to be obscured by that candelabrum? If those ghosts are so powerful, why have they been seated in coach? All this and more awaits you in The House of Exorcism. --Ali Davis
Description
This very special edition features a rare double treat. Mario Bava first directed Lisa and the Devil (1973, 95min), a lush, lyrical film about a beautiful, mysterious woman who goes on a terrifying journey of murder, necrophilia and horrific revelations. It is widely regarded as one of Bava's finest films and certainly his most ambitious. The film later was re-edited and released as The House of Exorcism (1975, 91min), adding the horror of diabolical possession, following The Exorcist's phenomenal success.

The House of Exorcism/Lisa and the Devil
Average customer rating:

Viva Mario Bava

What???

Lisa and the Devil

I EXORCISE YOU FROM THIS HOUSE FOREVER!

better than "lisa"

The House of Exorcism/Lisa and the Devil
Starring: Telly Savalas , Elke Sommer , Sylva Koscina , Alessio Orano , and Gabriele Tinti
Director: Alfredo Leone , and Mario Bava
Manufacturer: Image Entertainment
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Horror | Genres | DVD | Video
General | Italian Horror | Horror | Genres | DVD | Video
General | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Genres | DVD | Video
Alda, Robert | ( A ) | Actors & Actresses | Stores | DVD | Video
Koscina, Sylva | ( K ) | Actors & Actresses | Stores | DVD | Video
Savalas, Telly | ( S ) | Actors & Actresses | Stores | DVD | Video
Sommer, Elke | ( S ) | Actors & Actresses | Stores | DVD | Video
Valli, Alida | ( V ) | Actors & Actresses | Stores | DVD | Video
Bava, Mario | ( B ) | Directors | Stores | DVD | Video
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ASIN: 6305837236
Release Date: 2000-05-16

Amazon.com

Directed by giallo maven Mario Bava, House of Exorcism is a truly rare cinematic find: a completely insane film. Sure, there are plenty of movies that are a little quirky, and even more that start off reasonably and then go around the bend later on, but in House of Exorcism, at no time is anything even remotely comprehensible happening. (No, not even if you watch it a second time.) Elke Sommer stars as Lisa, a beautiful tourist who spies an ancient fresco of the devil and seconds later leaves her tour group to become hopelessly lost. Fresco look-alike Telly Savalas, tongue and lollipop firmly in cheek, shows up holding a life-size mannequin and we're off. What follows is a whirl of opulent sets, vaguely menacing Europeans, and plenty of blood. It's the kind of movie where mysterious and weighty significance is given to lines such as "I brought you some cake. It's your favorite... with chocolate sprinkles." Like all great art, House of Exorcism asks more questions than it answers: Aren't we all just mannequins? Is Telly's face supposed to be obscured by that candelabrum? If those ghosts are so powerful, why have they been seated in coach? All this and more awaits you in The House of Exorcism. --Ali Davis

Description

This very special edition features a rare double treat. Mario Bava first directed Lisa and the Devil (1973, 95min), a lush, lyrical film about a beautiful, mysterious woman who goes on a terrifying journey of murder, necrophilia and horrific revelations. It is widely regarded as one of Bava's finest films and certainly his most ambitious. The film later was re-edited and released as The House of Exorcism (1975, 91min), adding the horror of diabolical possession, following The Exorcist's phenomenal success.

Customer Reviews:

Viva Mario Bava.......2007-02-23

Hallucinatory,what a ride this movie is.it will keep you guessing till the end,personally i think this movie is a masterpiece of italian horror,They just do not make them like this anymore.It is being released by anchor bay soon in a mario bava boxed set all of his movies are fantastic.get it while you can

What???.......2006-10-03

I saw a special on Mario Bava and it featured many of his horror films. They looked very interesting and interviwers said tha many of Bava's ideas were later copied by American filmakers. With that said "Lisa and the Devil" filmed in '76 is a mess of a movie. It makes no sense, and sometimes that's fun in a horror flick, but in this movie it's annoying and quite dull. I realize I saw this movie on cable but what happened to the exorcism scene that I saw in the special on Bava. Not that it would have made the movie any more intelligable, but at least a bit more interesting. Overall not a good movie.

Lisa and the Devil.......2004-08-07

Stunning camera work, beautiful sets and an interesting take on the Devil by Telly Savalas compete with deliberate pacing and a plot sacrificed to style to make LISA AND THE DEVIL a mixed bag. This is considered by some to be cult favorite Mario Bava's masterpiece, although the producers thought it was so non-commercial they insisted Bava shoot new scenes and re-edit it to make it into a more traditional horror flick. Probably a wise choice, because the director's cut is more pretentious and confusing than frightening.
Still, it looks good, Savalas seems to be having a ball playing a butler/Devil, and Elke Sommer is gorgeous. If your taste in horror turns away from slash and gore and towards the visual and contemplative LISA AND THE DEVIL may satisfy.

I EXORCISE YOU FROM THIS HOUSE FOREVER!.......2004-04-14

This DVD double feature of LISA AND THE DEVIL and the remix HOUSE OF EXORCISM is the only way to see Mario Bava's masterpiece! Anyway, LISA AND THE DEVIL is a dazzling horror movie made the only way that Mario Bava could possibly direct it. It's like PSYCHO by way of the Brothers Grimm: Lisa Reiner (Elke Sommer), a tourist lost in Toledo, Spain, encounters a blind Contessa and her unbalanced son and their lollipop-sucking butler (Telly "Kojak" Savalas), along with a whole mess of bizarre occurances. This movie defies all logical explaination; you must see it to believe it. Telly Savalas is the highlight of the movie; he steals every scene he appears in (This is where he discovered what would become Kojak's trademark!).
As for HOUSE OF EXORCISM, it is one of the better Italian imitations of THE EXORCIST, with a great performance by Robert Alda as the priest who must deal with a possessed Lisa. Unfortunately, the re-editing takes away much of the mysticism of LISA and often comes off as ridiculously humorous. However, this movie comes with a commentary by Sommer and producer Alfredo Leone which is a must for Bavaphiles and film buffs alike.
Of all the Mario Bava movies that have come out on DVD that I own, I have to say that LISA AND THE DEVIL/HOUSE OF EXORCISM is the most essential. I also recommend the following: Dario Argento's SUSPIRIA, Lucio Fulci's THE BEYOND, Don Coscarelli's PHANTASM, and of course, Sam Raimi's THE EVIL DEAD. In fact, watch all of these together for some real spooky horror-movie fun!

better than "lisa".......2004-03-21

I found "House of Exorcism" more entertaining than "Lisa and the Devil". The possession scenes by Elke Sommer are quite amusing, adding some humor to the proceedings. Also, it is sexier than "Lisa" (including Elke Sommer's scene) which enhanced the viewing and the pacing is great, while "Lisa" moves along at the speed of a pbs documentary. The Catholic Priest character is lacking in "Lisa", but does give the movie more of a plot. It does jump around somewhat, but then "Lisa" doesn't make a whole lot of sense itself. All in all "House of Exorcism" is the preferred version.

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