Context is everything for this type of film. This is a 1970’s era Devil Worship film, which is a genre quite apart from other horror movies. The American public was in something of a ‘Satanic-Panic’ in the ’70’s, what with people listening to Black Sabbath and playing Dungeons and Dragons. In retrospect it was all relatively harmless and rather silly, as is this film.

That said, the actors do the very best job possible, with Bill Shatner being very, um, Shatnerian, and Borgnine being, well, Borgnine (compare his performance in Disney’s “Black Hole” for contrast- hilarious). If you like anything either of these actors starred in you will probably like this as well (unless you’re offended by the religious content). I actually though Borgnine looked *better* as a goat, at least until he melted!

The exposition/flashback portions of the plot reminded me of the “Reverend Kane” plot in “Poltergeist III: The Final Chapter”. The presence of the actual priest and priestess of the official Satanic Church is rather telling. They obviously didn’t take it all that seriously, so why should the viewer, or anyone else? I found the special effects towards the end to be quite spectacular, again for the era and genre. I was left with little sense of closure in this film however, as the fate of the main characters was left quite unclear. I suppose we’re expected to go with “The good Lord will work it out” as an explanation, but something about the ending gives me the feeling that the good guys did *not* win out, which may again have something to do with Anton Lavey being around. At least it’s not “Look What’s Happened to Rosemary’s Baby”, or worst still, “The Touch of Satan”