Nude for Satan (1974)

"Nuda Per Satana" aka. "Nude For Satan" of 1974 is a very confused little piece of Horror-Sleaze that barely makes any sense, and yet it is undeniable that the film is very stylish in its nonsensical way as only the Italians could do it. The film's storyline is doubtlessly messy and making hardly any sense, and yet it is delivered appealingly, with great camera-work, an awesome score and, not least, a very sexy female lead. The plot itself often just seems like a lame excuse to show tons of sleaze and female nudity, but it is an excuse most of my fellow Exploitation fans should willingly accept (at least I did). After a car crash, a man and a woman get somehow (don't ask how or why) stuck in an eerie castle which is infested by a very sinister host and his equally wicked servants. The result is a confusing, atmospheric and very sexed-up orgy of all kinds of sleaze (lesbian scenes, whippings, tons of female nudity,...) and delightful satanic... stuff. Director Luigi Batzella was both active as actor and director in the 70s, "Nude For Satan", which he directed, but in which he did not act is certainly the most widely known film he is associated with. The film's most convincing qualities are the nice atmosphere, the absolutely ravishing leading actress Rita Calderoni and the sublime score by Alberto Baldan Bembo, who did not compose a lot otherwise, his other career highlights being the scores to two "Emanuelle" flicks and the infamous Nazisploitation film "La Ultima Orgia Del III Reich". The acting is not exactly breathtaking, but who is going to watch a film like this one for the performances anyway. The probably best performance comes from Renato Lupi who plays an eerie butler, and James Harris is also quite good as the uncanny owner of the castle. Even though not much of an actress, sexy Rita Calderoni, who has a tendency to take her clothes off at any opportunity, is still the most convincing reason to watch the film (along with fellow exhibitionist Iolanda Mascitti, who plays a servant girl). Stelio Candelli (who was in Mario Bava's "Planet Of The Vampires" as well as Lamberto Bava's "Dèmoni") plays the male lead. I strongly recommend to watch this in Italian. The English dubbing is unspeakably terrible. Obviously, the Italian actors dubbed themselves into English, which is why everybody in the English language version has an Italian accent (admittedly, this has sort of a charm). Overall, "Nude For Satan" is a film that my fellow fans of Italian Horror, Exploitation and Eurosmut could enjoy - or could just as well miss. Honestly, I can not really recommend the film, but I could not advise anyone not to see it either. It has its qualities, but there sure is a vast amount of better stuff to discover in Italian sleaze-cinema.

Undoubtedly the key word to fully describe "Nude for Satan" is … RANDOM! The film opens with images of a girl randomly running through the woods naked, but there's absolutely no connection with the events later depicted in the story. After the opening credits, a male doctor and a ravishing female randomly crash their car on an open road and they both end up – once again … randomly – in an old ramshackle castle inhabited by no less than Satan himself and a couple of His sex-orientated disciples. The doctor and the women are both enticed by doppelgangers (have some random sex in the meantime) and it takes them quite a long time before they realize they're trapped inside a nightmarishly psychedelic and satanic paradox. Then later in the film, and purely for reasons of padding, there are random sequences involving a hilariously fake giant spider and the doctor aimlessly running through the caste's gardens. Now we all know that sleazy (Italian) 70's exploitation movies are not so much about substance but mainly about style, but Luigi Batzella really exaggerates here. I challenge anyone to find a movie is more confusing and pointless than "Nude for Satan" and, besides, it's not even that stylish or trippy as it hopes to be. What the film does offer plenty, however, is gratuitous sleaze and nudity. The DVD version I own, a brand new fancy Dutch release, even has X-rated footage (randomly, héhé) edited into the story. This is quite a hilarious sight, as the actresses as well as the decors obviously differ from the rest. But even without the pointless adult material "Nude for Satan" is super-sleazy stuff. Main starlet Rita Caldana walks around for half of the movie with one of her breasts hanging out of her top, but it doesn't seem to bother her at all. Then there also is some slightly more tasteful lesbian action and the movie ends in a gigantic orgy. Lovely, ain't it? The horror elements in "Nude for Satan" fail miserably. The aforementioned paper-mâché spider looks like a big potato with straws for legs and red berries for eyes. It doesn't move its legs, yet it "frightfully" approaches the poor dame in distress. I wouldn't recommend watching this film unless you're an avid fanatic regarding 'lost' cult treasures of the rancid 70's, and even then it isn't priority viewing. Mindless, undemanding fun for sick puppies like myself.

Even though the time since I watched this piece of cinematic history fades away I feel compelled to document my personal experience with the motion picture.Even though this film is bound by about as much storyline as the ingredients on a packet of Special K, it manages to keep the mild interest of the viewer through a string of scantily clad females, naked dancing and what could only be described as bouts of randomness.The film starts off with an old fellow heading up to a castle, and I think I pretty much lost the plot from thereafter. It may be a combination of poor scripting or the fact I was rather tired at the point of watching this... in either case, I was unable to twig to the supposed outline of 'A doctor and the Devil battle for the soul of a beautiful woman'.Another 'glueing' factor of the film is that throughout one feels compelled to keep watching in the event of anticipated intercourse. To the credit (or not) of the director, the nudity remained tasteful throughout the film.A roller-coaster ride which keeps you coming back for more.

A doctor and a young lady(beautiful Rita Calderoni)have just been involved in a car accident.The doctor leaves the girl at the accident scene,and runs off to a spooky castle for help.He enters the castle,and finds that it's inhabited by some laughing ghoul(most likely Satan himself).Later,the young lady goes looking for the doctor,and eventually finds her way to the same castle.However when they meet again,they find that they haven't met each other,they have meet their doppelgangers.Luigi Batzella's "Nude for Satan" is a great piece of sleazy trash.The special effects are jaw-droppingly awful(a monster spider especially comes to my mind!)and the dialogue is horrid. Still there is plenty of nudity to satisfy fans of Italian sleaze.Rita Calderoni is naked pretty often and her lesbian scenes are suitably sensual.A must-see for fans of Italian sleaze/horror!