CineVibez Fanzine #14
Satanic Vibez Part I: Exorcism & Possession
Introduction
Welcome back to CineVibez Fanzine, where every movie has a vibe … even films featuring Ol’ Scratch himself. That’s right, I’m putting satanic vibez under the microscope today. It’s a subject near and dear to me, as subscribers to my old newsletter, Arch Nemesis, may recall. For everyone else, the following link should still work:
Critic's Corner
In 1972, my dad lived in the house directly across the street from Regan MacNeil’s home on 3600 Prospect Street in the Georgetown neighborhood of Washington D.C. Nowadays, the home at 3600 Prospect Street is affectionately known as the Exorcist House.
Once again, I’m enlisting my favorite troublemaker to kick off a new ongoing series (temporarily) titled CineVibez HQ Presents: The CineVibez Film Guide Series. Why Satan? Well, he’s kinda like Hollywood royalty. As Nicholas Schreck said in The Satanic Screen, “the Devil has always been a celebrated patron of the arts.” In fact, La Manoir due Diable (1896), one of the first narrative films ever made, included the Devil as a character. And, as you’ll soon see, that certainly wasn’t his last appearance.
But first, I need to take a few steps back to explain this series. Each month (or so), I’ll select a new topic and recommend applicable cinevibez-approved films. Cinevibez-approved films are the strangest, most obscure movies out there. It’s hard to come up with a singular definition, but as “Life of the Party” and Supreme Court Justice Potter Stewart once said about porno, “I know it when I see it.” By Vol. 3 or 4, you’ll know a cinevibez-approved film when you see it.
Cinevibez-approved films don’t include the classics or any totemic selections on the subject du-jour; so that means no Nosferatu, Faust, Rosemary’s Baby, nor The Exorcist. I’m not going to add anything special to what’s already out there.
To milk this idea for all its worth, I’ll break the topics down by subgenre. Here are the subgenres for volume 1.
I. Exorcism & Possession
II. Satanic Cults
III. Satan’s Minions
IV. Faustian Bargains
I’m thinking one newsletter will equal the recommendations from one subgenre, so volume 1: satanic vibez will come to you in four separate emails spread over a month. Sounds fun, right??
Next month, I’m republishing an expanded and reformatted edition of my body horror newsletter as volume 2 of this series. I have some ideas for volume 3; its narrowed down to the following topics:
Hong Kong Black Magic
Erotic Thrillers
I Love New York (gritty New York stylized filmmaking - think Scorsese and anything playing on 42nd St)
The City of Angels (the opposite of New York)
Let me know your favorite in the comments (it will have no impact on my decision)!
New Releases
First, three new releases!
Opus (2025) nearly passed me by, but I watched it late last week. I’m glad I did. If you don’t know, Opus stars Ayo Edebiri as a cub reporter at a magazine like The Rolling Stone. Under mysterious circumstances, Ayo receives an invitation to a reclusive pop star’s new album release party … or something. John Malkovich plays the pop star like a psychopathic David Bowie or Prince.
Dozens of people wearing the same blue jumpsuits greet Ayo and a bunch of other critics on Malkovich’s property. These little weirdos seem self-sustainable, happy, and healthy, but there is definitely something sinister afoot.
Ultimately, Opus shows us what Waco would’ve been like if Taylor Swift replaced David Koresh. It’s worth a watch.
Next, we’ve got:
Drop (2025) is a new Christopher Langdon (Happy Death Day) thriller produced by Blumhouse. We see the film through the eyes of Meghann Fahy’s Violet, a single mother on a dinner date with the homeless guy from This Ends with Us, now gainfully employed. As soon as they sit down, airdrops start dinging Violet’s phone. For the uninitiated, airdrops are ways to connect to nearby cell phones to pass around memes and pictures. That weird photo you got at the airport? That’s an airdrop.
The thing about airdrops is that they only reveal your username, which can be anything. Same with a profile picture. Anyway, Violet eventually reads these messages and learns that the airdropper’s pal is holding her son hostage at home. He threatens to kill the kid if Violet fails to follow his instructions.
The elevator pitch sounds pretty fun, right? Almost like a modern Hitchcock movie, but the overstuffed script’s reliance on the Blumhouse “trauma” trope is its downfall. That’s where a protagonist has unresolved general trauma - like domestic violence, child abuse, or whatever. Honestly, the specifics don’t matter because the movie won’t show you how the trauma affects the protagonist in any meaningful way. Instead, the trope sets up an easy resolution for the ending by making the protagonist confront the scary thing and grow as a result, like they finally overcame their trauma. Unfortunately, buzzwords in the DSM-V don’t create suspense. Meaningless dribble … skip Drop.
Finally, let’s talk about:
Warfare (2025) is Alex Garland’s second war film in a matter of months, but there’s not a reporter in sight this time. Instead, Garland pens a true story set in 2006 Iraq, relying on the memories of the soldiers who lived it. Ray Mendoza, one of the soldiers depicted in the movie, even co-directs with Garland. That creates an authenticity that reveals itself in the nuances in each actor’s performance. Every character feels fully developed, almost like you’ve known them for years. Small glances or an offhand joke tell you more about their experiences than exposition ever could.
Here’s the plot: Mendoza and his platoon commandeer an Iraqi apartment to stage some kind of operation. However, an enemy ambush quickly converts the operation into an escape and rescue mission. What follows are some of the most visceral, difficult-to-watch images I’ve seen on film.
The POV constantly jumps from character to character, but not necessarily to ensure you see all the different characters’ perspectives. On The Big Picture, Sean Fennessy suggested Garland & Mendoza frequently changed the POV for practical reasons since they’re only relying on the soldiers’ memories. Our brains tend to bury painful memories and disassociate us from a traumatic experience, and that’s no different for these guys. So, the POV shifts really reflect moments where one soldier’s memory replaces another because the latter blacked out or disassociated. Pretty wild to think about.
Warfare is a tough watch, a lot like Come and See (1985). Garland & Mendoza may even allude to the anti-war masterpiece in Warfare’s opening shot: a close-up of a retro workout video that would make Sue from The Substance blush. The camera pans out, revealing soldiers crowded around the laptop, hooting and hollering to the gyrating hips on the screen. It’s a stark reminder of their youth and social immaturity.
Garland & Mendoza constantly play with that idea - juxtaposing the soldiers’ youth with the grave responsibilities of their job. In the first act, a sniper named Frank watches an enemy target through his rifle lens. The target vanishes inside a building before Frank takes a shot. The other soldiers mock him like kids in a locker room, but the camera lingers a little longer on Frank’s face, and you see his eyes tremble. Frank knows that fuck-up will cost lives.
Please, go see Warfare; its one of the best movies of the year. To get in the mood, check out one of these VHS tapes from Workout Rewind Fanzine.
Your Satanic Vibez Guide
Below, you’ll find my curated list of movies prominently featuring the devil, demons, witches, satanic worshipers, and the occult. It spreads across multiple decades, countries, and genres, but I separate the movies into the four distinct categories I mentioned earlier. There’s obvious overlap, but I try to go with the category that is most prominent in the film. Rosemary’s Baby, for example, includes satanic cults and a Faustian bargain; it could go either way, so I’ll just make a judgment call there (I’d pick Faust). Same with Evil Dead II - that could be a possession movie, but I think its more so a demon movie for the Satan’s minion’s shelf.
My one rule - as always - requires me to ask whether the film before me deserves the cinevibez treatment, a fully subjective and narcissistic endeavor. Typically, a cinevibez-approved film is weird, offbeat, and obscure, but I don’t want to get boxed in. I think a defintion will naturally develop as we get through some of these early volumes. Finally, I include a short, spoiler-free capsule review for each film recommendation, along with the release year and director. I'll use that format across all volumes.
Part I: Exorcism & Possession
The Devils (1971); d: Ken Russell: Ken Russell’s greatest film is set in 17th-century France, where Oliver Reed plays Father Grandier, an unorthodox priest who’s influence over a convent of horny nuns convinces higher-ups that Grandier’s influence may be the Devil’s work. Vanessa Redgrave as Sister Jeanne will leave you speechless.
The Possession of Joel Delaney (1972); d: Waris Hussein: A xenophobic slow burn that forces Shirley McClaine into the world of voodoo. The only reason I include this highly problematic film is for the scene where Shirley McClaine shoves a little girl’s face in cat food.
Lorna, the Exorcist (1974); d: Jesus Franco: Lorna is more of a succubus than an exorcist in Jess Franco’s fantastically surreal, sexy, and supernatural Lorna, the Exorcist. I should warn you, however, that Lorna’s seductive powers over women extend to the viewer.
Abby (1974); d: William Girdler: A very rude Nigerian demon possesses Abby, the wife of a preacher, which leads to all sorts of sleaze. Essentially The Exorcist with a blaxploitation twist.
The Devil’s Female (1974); d: Walter Boos: This German Exorcist ripoff also goes by Magdalena: The Devil Inside and Beyond the Darkness. It’s full of sleaze, nudity, and absolutely filthy language like “I want to take communion, not in my mouth - down here in my pussy.” Naturally, its my personal favorite The Exorcist knockoff.
Beyond the Door (1974); d: Ovidio G. Assonitis: Put all the other movies on this list in a blender, and Beyond the Door will pour out. A pregnant woman experiences possession-like symptoms during pregnancy, eventually realizing she’s carrying the Antichrist after those symptoms included levitation, disembodied wheezes, head twisting, and projectile vomiting.
Demon Witch Child (1975) d: Armando de Ossorio: Demon Witch Child is a Spanish mashup of The Exorcist and Hereditary, where witches take center stage to possess a young girl. The tone meanders from self-serious to campy a bit too much, hurting the pacing.
Nurse Sherri (1978); d: Al Adamson: When a religious fanatic dies on the operating table, his spirit possesses nearby Nurse Sherri. What follows is a sleazy, gory rampage where the demon possessing Sherri uses only her wits … plus meat cleavers, pitchforks, and the like.
Demons (1985); d: Lamberto Bava: Lamberto Bava’s Italian cult favorite Demons (produced by Argento!) takes place entirely inside a movie theater where a scary movie transforms the audience into bloodthirsty demons. Bobby Rhodes gives the performance of a lifetime.
Possession (1981); d: Andrzej Żuławski: The best movie on this list is required viewing. Isabelle Adjani’s subway tunnel performance is one for the ages. The plot - a disintegrating marriage stands in for pentagrams and green vomit, but the experience is no less terrifying. Rob Pattinson recently bought the rights to film a remake.
Amityville II: Possession (1982); d: Damiano Damiani: Many consider Dino De Laurentiis’ Amityville II: Possession the worst of the Amityville series; they’re probably right. However, the first Amityville sequel is still my personal favorite of an otherwise dreadfully boring franchise. A new family of four moves into the Amityville house; and a demon possesses the teenaged boy. Lots of weird, nonsensical stuff happens, but things go off the rails when the possessed teen hits on his sister … and she’s into it? Dino sure knew how to spend his money.
Mausoleum (1983); d: William Mesa: A young girl unleashes a demonic entity out of her family’s mausoleum. The ridiculous low-budget effects, gratuitous nudity, and plot holes keep this one interesting until the end.
Demons II (1986); d: Lamberto Bava: Replace the movie theater with a high-rise apartment and you’ve got Demons II.
Witchboard (1986); Kevin Tenney: A love triangle is further complicated by the arrival of David, a young dead boy who only speaks through a Ouija board. This response to Satanic Panic has tons of great 80s stereotypes.
Don’t Panic (1988); d: Ruben Galindo Jr.: Maybe the strangest movie on this list. It opens on Michael’s 17th birthday party, where he and his friends play with a Ouija board. Next thing you know, Michael’s eyes keep turning red and everyone around him seems possessed. Ridiculously wonderful special effects, makeup, and fascinating acting choices make this one required viewing.
Witchtrap (1989) d: Kevin Tenney: Witchtrap sets the stage for all those dumb paranormal ghost hunting shows on reality tv. Some parapsychologists attempt to exorcise demons from a haunted inn, in hopes of reopening it for business. The ghost living inside the home attempts to thwart their efforts by any means necessary, including possession. I think this is the first recommendation that includes warlocks.
Exorcist III (1990); d: William Peter Blatty: What a great movie. Seriously, Exorcist III is better than the original - Fabio AND Patrick Ewing hanging out in heaven together? Sign me up! George C. Scott leads this film as a detective investigating a series of bizarre murders, leading him to a possessed serial killer. We need to reevaluate this one.
Teenage Exorcist (1991); d: Grant Austin Waldman: There is no teenage exorcist in this movie, but the pizza guy makes a sufficient replacement. Unfunny, but weird enough to make this list. I love the Lair of the White Worm references.
The Exorcism of Emily Rose (2005); d: Scott Derrickson: A PG-13 legal thriller that explores the conflict between exorcism and mental health. It makes the list for Jennifer Carpenter’s incredible performance during the exorcism.
Jennifer’s Body (2009); d: Karyn Kusama: One of the better modern possession films. The plot centers on a succubus who possesses Megan Fox, compelling her to eat her classmates. This is often cited as an excellent feminist text on body autonomy and the male gaze.
When Evil Lurks (2023); d: Demian Rugna: An international horror film out of Mexico captures our fears during the early stages of the pandemic. Here, possession is treated like an illness. Unfortunately, it also spreads like one. This is one of the more original selections on the list.
Talk to Me (2023); d: Michael & Danny Phillippou: YouTube directing brothers prove they have the chops to make a full feature in this terrifying indie horror film out of New Zealand. Kids play a party game where you allow a demon to possess you for 30 seconds. When someone ignores the game’s rules, a nightmarish pandora’s box is opened.
The Pope’s Exorcist (2023) d: Julius Avery: A surprisingly fun story elevated by Russell Crowe’s wonderfully campy performance. He’s having a blast, and you will too. Fun fact: I saw this in a movie theater while my wife was riding on a Vespa in Rome, almost like she was in the movie! Anyway, this movie depicts the adventures and exploits of the Pope’s personal exorcist and real person, Father Gabriele Amorth.
Shadow of God (2025); d: Michael Peterson: Just released last week, Shadow of God takes a different approach to possession movies. A priest who grew up in a strict fundamentalist household sees his dead dad all over town. Eventually, he learns he is not hallucinating. His dad is alive, but someone has control over him. Is it a demon or is it God with a capital G? Find out on Shudder!
What’s Next?
CineVibez Fanzine remains free for all subscribers, but check out this little tip jar I’m adding to my newsletters. Anyone who wants to support my work is welcome to click the following button and send whatever you’d like. Whether it be a cup of coffee or my monthly mortgage payment, its greatly appreciated. And, of course, its never expected.
And finally, keep an eye on your inbox for Part 2 of Vol. 1: Satanic Vibez, a list of cinevibez-approved films featuring satanic cults. There’s a lot of fun movies on the list. You’ll also get a review of Michael B. Jordan’s new vampire movie, Sinners. So, until then …
Happy Watching!
Murray
This made my night!
It's like you reviewed the entire possession section of a video store!
Have you ever seen Ole Bornedal's The Possession with Matisyahu as the Exorcist?
I need to check out Demons!
Exorcist III over the original is a piping hot take, right out of the oven!