The Devil Rides Out (1968)
The Devil Rides Out aka The Devil’s Bride is a British horror film from 1968. It is based on a novel from 1934 by Dennis Wheatley. The Devil’s Bride was directed by Terence Fisher. Starring Christopher Lee, Charles Gray, Niké Arrighi and Leon Greene.
Plot
The story takes place at the countryside of England. Duc de Richleau also known as Nicholas meets his friend Rex. 
Nicholas and Rex decide to visit their friend Simon who lives in a large mansion nearby. When they come to visit, Simon is receiving twelve mysterious guests.
Nicholas, who is proficient in black magic, learns that the guests are members of a satanic cult led by Mocata. 
Simon and his friend Tanith Carlisle will be baptized by the powerful leader Mocata to serve the devil.
The two friends abduct Simon and Tanith expecting to save their souls. Then Mocata summons the Angel of Death and the Goat of Mendes to help him in a battle between the good and the forces of evil.
Notable scenes
The Satanic ritual in the woods.
Making of The Devil’s Bride
According to Christopher Lee, the crew working on the film were too nervous about the film’s topic of Satanism to research any witchcraft source material, prompting Lee to do so himself by reading many sources in libraries, even composing the incantations said during the Sussaama ritual at the end himself. He described the process as “guddling for Satanic trout.”
The film was made at Christopher Lee’s insistence that Hammer do a movie based on a Wheatley fantasy novel.
Christopher Lee called this his favorite Hammer film.
Mocata was based on the notorious Satanist Aleister Crowley in the original novel. Author Dennis Wheatley invited him to dinner for research purposes.
The movie’s U.S. title was changed to “The Devil’s Bride” because its original title, “The Devil Rides Out”, made it sound much too much like a Western.
Scenes of this movie were used in the 1982 video clip “The Number of the Beast” by Iron Maiden.
Charles Gray played archvillain Ernst Blofeld opposite Sean Connery’s James Bond in Diamonds Are Forever (1971). He played a different character in You Only Live Twice (1967). Christopher Lee played Scaramanga, the main nemesis of Roger Moore’s James Bond in The Man with the Golden Gun (1974).
According to Christopher Lee, the introductions to Dennis Wheatley’s black magic stories would express that black magic was highly dangerous and would advise “Don’t think it doesn’t exist and whatever you do, do not get involved,” which Lee greatly considered words to live by, later commenting, “Never, ever get involved. Not only will you lose your mind, you’ll lose your soul.”
Our view on the Devil Rides Out
The Devil Rides Out is an absolute gem and it is considered to be one of Hammer Horror’s best films. The movie has a great 1920s look and a very creepy atmosphere. The cast is excellent, and Christopher Lee and Charles Gray give their best performances. Exploitflix must see.
