By Melissa Antoinette Garza
After being thoroughly disappointed with THE NUN (2018), I decided to go in for a sure bet I knew ALUCARDA (1977) was just what I needed to regain my faith in religious horror flicks. It’s a naughty little crazy flick that though didn’t get much attention at the time of release has found a large cult following as of late.
The film begins with a young woman giving her child to an orphanage to save her. Once the child is gone, the mother is seen being terrorized by a demonic statue.
Years later, Alucarda (Tina Romero) the baby who was given up is now a grown woman in her late teens. She was never adopted and remains at an orphanage operated by nuns in their convent.
Alucarda is a lovely fem with a great temperament. She dresses all in black and has beautiful long dark locks that fall far beyond her shoulders. She is thrilled when Justine (Susana Kamini) arrives as a new resident. Justine only recently lost her parents and is dire need of a friend. Alucarda fills that role and quite a bit more.
The women immediately hit it off. They go frolicking in the woods together and romantically roll around a field on their very first encounter. While out, they witness the funeral of a nun being carried away. The girls share a few existential words regarding death where Alucarda states everyone has to die in a matter-of-fact manner that borderlines on eerie.
Deeper in the woods, they are approached by a hunchback gypsy (Claudio Brook) who Justine is automatically weary of. Alucarda isn’t and they both follow him to his camp. Alucarda buys an amulet, but does get emotional when the hunchback says a few remarks that hit close to home.
The girls run off and find a mausoleum. Justine is scared but Alucarda takes her by the hand and the two enter. Alucarda reveals that she is in love with Justine. Justine shares the sentiment and the two nearly take a blood oath that if ever one dies the other will follow. Justine pulls away and Alucarda opens a coffin revealing a zombie.
Horrific groans from the dead overtake the place and both girls run back to the convent. The gals are under some sort of possession and when Alucarda is placed in charge of watching over Justine, the gypsy appears in their room and brings them to a lovely satanic ceremony filled with an orgy of occult fun for everyone. They complete their blood oath death pact and find all sorts of glorious enjoyment with one another.
The next day at school, their possession takes over once again and they cut off a nun to declare their alliance to Satan. Why didn’t girls like that go to my school? I probably would have had friends. I want to yell at uptight nuns.
It’s important to note that though the women in this feature are portraying teenagers, they were well into their 20s and they look it. Kudos to director Juan López Moctezuma for keeping the creep out of the sleaze! He does nothing to make the gals look the age they are meaning to convey. Though the age of the characters is mentioned for storytelling purposes, the actresses are full fem goddess and the filmmakers ensure you know it. God, I loved how the 70s used nuanced themes and entrusted that their viewers had a modicum of intelligence and could differentiate fact from fiction. I long for those days.
After their class outburst, Justine doesn’t remember what she said. She thought she was just repeating what the teach said and is confused when it’s something else.. Alucarda is more alert to the whole possession thing.
Justine gets sick and a doctor is sent to check in on her. The nuns surround her but when she sees a cross hanging from the sister’s neck she freaks out before losing consciousness.
Alucarda goes into confession and attacks Father Lázaro (David Silva) in full possessed mode. She tells him that her and Justine have a blood oath and that she doesn’t fear death.
Asshole Lázaro grabs a cat whip and fucks the nuns up something awful for penance since evil found its way into the church. I hate that douche. He ends up having Alucarda and Justine put on crosses in a ceremony he performs. He has one dude strip Justine naked in efforts to find a Satanic mark. Alucarda’s love for Justine overwhelms her and even while hoisted on the cross, she swears she’ll kill them for hurting her lover. Some monk then strikes Alucarda and knocks her out.
The asshole church murders the poor woman who is at that point so tired and resolved that she barely cries out when she is punctured again and again with a knife. The nuns writhe around on the floor like cats in heat as Justine is killed, but yeah – Satan is the villain.
Doctor Oszek (Claudio Brook) stops the ceremony before they can kill Alucarda. He admonishes the church’s superstitious and perverse ways before grabbing Alucarda and leaving.
Upon waking, Alucarda is devastated to learn about Justine. Oszek’s blind daughter Daniela (Lili Garza) comes out to comfort her. The two have an attraction and Alucarda asks Daniela to stay with her. The two cuddle.
Oszek is summoned back to the convent and reluctantly he agrees to go. The entire place is vandalized and he is told that Justine’s body was stolen. The doc is disgusted by them but agrees to lie and say that Justine’s death was an accident now that they must involve the authorities. On his way out, another corpse is found that has been burned to death. He brings the body down to the the priest. It begins moving as it is possessed. The doc, being a man of science, is in disbelief. He watches as Lázaro chops up the body and then questions it. He’s told the devil went thru the body and now Justine is on the loose. Oszek jumps in ready to help only to learn Alucarda is possessed too. Fearing for his daughter’s safety he runs back home to find Alucarda has her.
The film culminates in a religious battle where I’m all in for Alucarda. She’s like CARRIE (1976), Damien from THE OMEN (1979) and Countess Bathory (Delphine Seyrig) from DAUGHTERS OF DARKNESS (1971) combined. She’s strong, sensitive, feminine and fearless. She’s poetic, intelligent and profoundly beautiful. She’s everything you want in a lead femme fatale. Tina Romero shines in the lead. She brings every multi-faceted aspect of Alucarda to life.
Susana Kamini also stood strong as the compassionate but still fiercely loyal Justine. She showed a level of softness to the character that was needed. It helped bring out the sympathetic aspect to Alucarda and allowed the viewer to become invested in their near immediate blossoming relationship.
Lastly, I NEVER knew until writing this review that the hunchback gypsy and the doc were both portrayed by Claudio Brook. They are so opposite of one another in every way from appearance to mannerism and style that I just never saw it. When I noticed it listed on IMDB, I took a look at the pics side by side and was like, “How have I never noticed this?” Brook was fabulous as well. As the doc, he expertly showed the devolution from a devoted man of science to one guided by religious fervor and extremes.
Seriously, it is just fantastic from start-to-finish. This is one of the best religious horror films available. It’s gory, sexy, fun and scary. The cast is amazing and the fem beauty is of epic proportions. Currently, it’s on YOUTUBE for free so no need to pony up or fish out your DVDS. Watch it for free while it lasts.
Scared Stiff Rating: 8/10
