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Such a frustrating disappointment

Don't listen to the negative reviews

Admirable film.

It's complicated... I really like the directing, acting and writing but, there are issues with the way it's shot that I just can't deny. As much as I love the storytelling and the fantastic performance but, there are also certain scenes that didn't need to exist.

Normally I'm the first to jump at the chance of watching a wacky, psychedelic slice of steaming Euro-horror, but sadly Renato Polselli's 1973 travesty left me totally cold. Written without a plot in mind, to watch BLACK MAGIC RITES… is to experience a jumble of incoherent, absurd sequences with little logic or reality behind them. With better editing, scripting and direction, this might have been half-watchable, but it's frankly a bore.Former bodybuilder Mickey Hargitay (THE LOVES OF HERCULES) quit making movies after this one and it's easy to see why; he starts the film as a dashing heroic type but, by the end, when he appears in blackface wearing a tight red leotard, you know he'd had enough of the whole industry and who can blame him? Poselli is more interested in getting his leading actresses to strip off over and over again, making this more of a sexploitation film than horror. Endless scenes of coupling, groping, stripping and chained women are what BLACK MAGIC RITES… offers, and if you're happy to watch all of that without a shred of plot, then you might just like this one.Despite the film's nonsensical approach to plotting, there are some classic Euro-horror elements to be enjoyed, albeit briefly. There's a crippled, scarred servant straight out of a Universal horror flick, except a little more pervy; plus some wonderful Italian locations, mountains and all, used as backdrops; the scenery is even easier on the eye than the girls. Scenes of a witch-cum-vampire being spiked and burnt are also pretty effective, reminiscent of Mairo Bava's superior Black Sunday. Polselli doesn't skimp on the bloodshed, even if none of it is remotely horrifying; close ups of hands clutching freshly-torn hearts are the order of the day here. BLACK MAGIC RITES… is clearly a product of the late '60s, with lots of psychedelic and hallucinogenic inserts, flashing lights, jump cutting and other camera tricks going on. While this kind of stuff is nice enough to watch (despite badly dating the movie) it's a shame Polselli didn't try harder at directing the damn film.Another thing that ruins the film is the score… oh boy, talk about inappropriate! The cheesiest scene in the film involves a threesome (the guy with a blinking problem) in which the music is straight out of a comedy film – yet the scene isn't supposed to be funny! The climax of the film involves yet more chained women and a ton of nudity, but there's only so much nudity a viewer can watch before it becomes boring. Give this one a miss because it just doesn't press any of the right buttons.

A witch, Isabella, was turned into a vampire by Count Dracula, removed from her bed with the bloodsucker, bound to a wooden cross, and a stake plunged into her chest. Her spirit is dormant and the village folk in the castle, gathered together to celebrate Lauren's forthcoming marriage, resemble the people who attended Isabella's crucifixion. The reincarnated spirits begin to thrive once again in certain members of the males within the castle and they are dedicated to bringing Isabella back, their Satanic costumes and ritualistic tools/devices within a surreal worship chamber, her dead body, hole opened where the stake was stabbed, awaiting resurrection. Lauren is to be the door through her reentering our world. Will her fiancé, a non-believer, find a way to help Lauren, or will she be a chosen vessel for evil to be reborn? Will any viewer even care? Zany Satanic thriller from director Renato Polselli shifts through different eras, when Isabella was crucified as hecklers and those that care for her look on, in modern time as new people inhabit the castle still housing dark powers, and the worship chamber with followers enacting torturous, barbaric routines for their Isabella. Certain characters stand out in the modern plot. Christa Barrymore is Christa, a believer who is chosen as a way of luring her virgin sisters to their supposed doom, as possible sacrificial victims for Isabella. Mickey Hargitay and Rita Calderoni return from Polsetti's Delirium, to star as Jack Nelson & Lauren, stepfather and stepdaughter. Hargitay, I think, also portrays Dracula in the past, watching in horror as the village men stake his beloved Isabella on a wooden cross in the chest. Calderoni portrays the witch Isabella, and lookalike target Lauren who is chosen to be her gateway from the dead. I attempted, without ceasing, to make sense of the film as the director toys with time and narrative structure, with all types of wacky theatrics(Stefania Fassio's bonkers Stephy is a bonafide buffoon played to the hilt, aggravating all those around her, always seeking attention)and visual flourishes(..like how he shoots faces from all angles and shrouded in psychedelic colors). As you might know, there are ample opportunities for the director to expose breasts, especially the delicious Calderoni who was quite a gorgeous woman to ogle over. The film highlights the "virgins" targeted as potential victims for Isabella, ravaged by Satan's disciples at the end as they are taken to the worship chamber. One, Christa, is almost buried alive in a harrowing sequence as those who attended her funeral had left, her chance of escape left to the mercy of a demented facially scarred servant who is often singled out by the director hiding in corners with a gleeful look on his face willing to cause harm to anyone if allowed. My favorite scene would have to be when Christa is being fondled forcefully from behind by an unknown assailant as he grabs her breasts, his free hand feeling down her body, as she slowly succumbs to an awakening sexual desire(..the camera shoots down her chest as the hand grabs and caresses). While not as violent as it could've been, this sure is a lurid shocker. A rather alarming sex scene between Stephy, her female girlfriend, and a grotesque "twitching" loon is sure to leave a lasting impression..either as a way to repulse or excite depending on your taste. There is an explanation at the very end as to what is going on, but I'm sure many will even grow more frustrated and confused. Raul Lovecchio, as a grim-faced *occultist*, owns a portion of the newly ocupied castle, warning others of the evil that presently resides within the place, and has all the answers as to what is truly going on.

Riti, Magie Nere e Segrete Orge nel Trecento (which translates into English as Rites, Black Magic and Secret Orgies in the Fourteenth Century apparently), or Black Magic Rites as it's more commonly known as along with other suggestive titles such as The Horrible Orgies of Count Dracula & The Reincarnation of Isabel, starts in the crypt of a large castle with a sacrificial offering to a Vampire/witch named Isabella (Rita Calderoni) 'the great mistress' who was burned alive in the fourteenth century. An unfortunate woman is tied to a stone slab & her heart is cut out by Isabella's husband who happens to be Count Dracula (Raoul Rossi) himself! But without any fangs. In a ritual of the twenty-fifth moon Isabella will be reincarnated, anyway another woman named Raquel is killed & her heart removed. Laureen (Rita Calderoni again) & Richard are engaged to be married & Laureens uncle Jack (Mickey Hargitay) has brought the castle for her, they are holding a big party & various guests fall victim to Isabella's reincarnation rites as she needs the heart & eyes of a virgin or something like that & that's as well as I can explain the 'story', if I've got something wrong don't bother letting me know as I don't care.This Italian production was written & directed by Renato Polselli (he directed under the pseudonym Ralph Brown) & quite frankly is one of the most incoherent, bizarre, strange, baffling & worthless films I've seen in a long time. The script probably made some sort of sense as the written word on a piece of paper but in the hands of Polselli, sorry Brown it makes absolutely no sense whatsoever. I'm not exaggerating when I say I seriously doubt anyone will be able to follow this thing & make any sort of sense out of it. People do things for no apparent reason, their motivations are baffling, the story is an absolute mess that's all over the place, the character's are virtually indefinable & it's hard to keep track of who's who, the dialogue is minimal & the subtitles lead me to believe it's very basic & Polselli tries his hand at a bit of comedy with a idiot bloke who has a threesome with two women complete with comedy soundtrack & a bit where he tries to remove a hair from his mouth, I'm not sure if the hair came form the women or his terrible moustache! There is also some weirdo hunchback guy named Greg(!) (Marcello Bonini Olas) & references to Count Dracula & Vampires as if things weren't strange enough already. I don't even think Riti, Magie Nere e Sergrete Orge nel Trecento should be called a 'film' & I'm sure most would agree that you need to be taking something to enjoy this, the filmmakers obviously did!Director Polselli certainly gives the film a unique look, it has very rich colours & a cool visual style throughout but bathing people & things in bright neon lights for no reason whatsoever just adds another layer of bizarreness to the proceedings. Anyway it's pretty nice to look at. The editing is atrocious as it cuts to random scenes, things & people that seem to have nothing to do with the current situation. Even simple scenes of two people talking become highly irritating as Polselli cuts, zooms & pans all over the place. The continuity is unbelievably bad, just check the scene out when the two women are chased through the village it switches between bright daytime & the dead of night seemingly at random! There's a bit when someone is buried & from the outside the coffin is a normal size but when the film cuts inside it's massive! There is plenty of naked flesh on show & a couple of ripped out hearts but nothing too explicit.Technically the film alternates between very good & extremely stylish to the most poorly made atrocity I've seen, there's a bit at the end with a 'snake pit' which has all of two rubber snakes in it! You can see the wire/string pulling them along! The awful rubber bats aren't any better either. The acting is, well not great but then look at what they had to work with. Basically nothing.Riti, Magie Nere e Segrete Orge nel Trecento is an absolute mess of a film, it's confusing, muddled, incoherent & worst of all it provides virtually zero entertainment value. It's certainly unique & I doubt there are too many film out there like this but that in itself is not recommendation. It has a few nice visually stylistic moments in it, a few babes & a couple of ripped out hearts, apart from that it's worthless.

Directed by Renato Polselli "Reincarnation of Isabel" has been long considered to be missing,disappearing after its failed initial showing in 1972-1973.The film is pretty confusing and badly written,so fans of bizarre Italian exploitation won't be disappointed.There is some gore and witchery plus plenty of sleaze.The women in this film take almost every opportunity to strip down-and that's not a bad thing in my book.A Satanic cult,as a part of an ancient rite to revive a witch who died 400 years earlier,must sacrifice a group of seven virgins.Trouble erupts when one of the prospective victim's lovers interrupts the rituals,and the witches turn into vampires and wreak havoc on the town.Renato Polselli managed to create a dreamlike atmosphere punctuated with many scenes of naked women attacked,raped,terrorized and murdered.Overall,I enjoyed this film and you should too,if you like Italian sleaze.