Mark of the Devil (1970) Release: 1970 | West Germany Runtime: 98 min (Uncut) Director: Michael Armstrong Starring: Herbert Lom, Udo Kier, Olivera Katarina, Reggie Nalder Print: REMASTERED 720p BluRay
The casting is brilliant. Herbert Lom is chillingly restrained as Count Cumberland. Unlike the raving maniacs of Vincent Price’s The Pit and the Pendulum , Lom plays the character with a cold, detached weariness. He is a bureaucrat of death, signing execution orders with the same indifference one might sign a grocery bill.
While 1080p and 4K UHD releases often dominate modern home media discussions, the holds a unique appeal for retro horror collectors, archivists, and casual viewers alike. Preserving the Grindhouse Aesthetic Mark Of The Devil -1970- REMASTERED 720p BluRay...
In the vast, desolate landscape of exploitation cinema, few films carry a warning as potent as the one preceding . When it originally premiered in the United States, theaters distributed "barf bags" to queasy patrons, with the infamous tagline: "This film will turn your stomach."
When the movie made its way to international markets—particularly the United States via Hallmark Releasing Corp Corporation—it became a milestone in exploitative marketing. Distributors leaned heavily into the film's graphic nature, branding it with the legendary tagline: Mark of the Devil (1970) Release: 1970 |
Directed by Alfred Vohrer, "Mark of the Devil" tells the story of a young woman named Elisabeth (played by Karin Dor), who becomes embroiled in a sinister plot involving witchcraft and demonic possession. The film is loosely based on the true story of the 1676 witch trials in Vienna, where hundreds of people were accused and executed for allegedly practicing witchcraft.
Despite its obscurity, "Mark of the Devil" has had a lasting impact on the horror genre. The film's influence can be seen in the works of later directors, such as Werner Herzog and Rainer Fassbinder, who have cited Vohrer as an inspiration. He is a bureaucrat of death, signing execution
Recommended for: Fans of 1970s Euro-horror, history of censorship, and gritty period pieces. Not recommended for the faint of heart.
1.66:1 or 1.85:1 (Widescreen anamorphic, matching original theatrical framing) H.264 / MPEG-4 AVC Audio Options
"Mark of the Devil," released in 1970, is a notorious German horror film directed by Alfred Vohrer, now available in a remastered 720p BluRay edition. This movie, often cited alongside other infamous horror films of its era, has been re-released with significantly enhanced visuals, bringing new life to its eerie and haunting narrative.
The torture scenes—the tongue ripping, the whipping, the infamous "tongue screw"—are brutal. Seeing them in high definition makes the practical effects look startlingly real, effectively stripping away the "safety" of bad picture quality. However, the remaster also highlights the film's production value. The locations are authentic, the costumes are period-accurate, and the cinematography is often painterly. It forces the viewer to acknowledge that this is a real film, made by professionals, not just a backyard snuff effort.