While not especially impressive (and possibly the least of the 6 Mondo Macabro titles I watched during the last few days), the film works because of its genuine eeriness and some undeniably effective moments: a portrait of Christ bursting into flames of its own accord; the equally unexplained (indeed irrelevant) presence of a devil-doll; the two nasty scenes in which the young couple surprises their Satanist hosts (with their backs to the camera) nibbling voraciously at something as if they were wild animals, which seems to be tied to the growling noises they make when aroused; the woman, who's also a medium, speaking on occasion with another deeper voice (most scary when the hero goes to check if she's really dead!). The film's pounding score is also notable.
The plot offers nothing new for the most part, though the last third of the film descends unexpectedly into black comedy with the Satanist couple doing everything in their power - resorting even to faking their own suicides! - to stop their bewildered and frightened guests from leaving the sinister mansion (where the majority of the action takes place). The climax - relocating to the young couple's apartment building - bears strong traces of ROSEMARY'S BABY (1968), followed by a supernatural coda (actually a reprise of the incident which set the plot in motion to begin with!). Though the film features quite a bit of nudity (the two women are gorgeous, particularly the shapely and voluptuous blonde Satanist), it isn't any more graphic than your average 70s Euro-Horror; even so, SATAN'S BLOOD was awarded the "S" (for Sex, of course) Certificate by the newly-relaxed Spanish censor!
Still, I was disappointed by the film's curiously drab look (considering the flamboyant subject matter) - which, however, seems to be synonymous with the latter phase of the "Euro-Cult" style; I felt this particularly strongly when comparing it to the vivid colors of SATANICO PANDEMONIUM, made four years earlier and which I had just watched the previous day! The accompanying featurette on the DVD - in which a high-ranking member of the Church of Satan takes the viewer through the genesis of the 'religion' and its 'doctrine' - is interesting for its very uniqueness, but comes off as somewhat condescending in the way it basically downplays the various activities usually associated with Satanism!
The plot offers nothing new for the most part, though the last third of the film descends unexpectedly into black comedy with the Satanist couple doing everything in their power - resorting even to faking their own suicides! - to stop their bewildered and frightened guests from leaving the sinister mansion (where the majority of the action takes place). The climax - relocating to the young couple's apartment building - bears strong traces of ROSEMARY'S BABY (1968), followed by a supernatural coda (actually a reprise of the incident which set the plot in motion to begin with!). Though the film features quite a bit of nudity (the two women are gorgeous, particularly the shapely and voluptuous blonde Satanist), it isn't any more graphic than your average 70s Euro-Horror; even so, SATAN'S BLOOD was awarded the "S" (for Sex, of course) Certificate by the newly-relaxed Spanish censor!
Still, I was disappointed by the film's curiously drab look (considering the flamboyant subject matter) - which, however, seems to be synonymous with the latter phase of the "Euro-Cult" style; I felt this particularly strongly when comparing it to the vivid colors of SATANICO PANDEMONIUM, made four years earlier and which I had just watched the previous day! The accompanying featurette on the DVD - in which a high-ranking member of the Church of Satan takes the viewer through the genesis of the 'religion' and its 'doctrine' - is interesting for its very uniqueness, but comes off as somewhat condescending in the way it basically downplays the various activities usually associated with Satanism!