this one really could and should have work . the usual ingenuity be employ to stretch a small budget a long way and lot of british talent be available at micro cost and a hollywood a lister come on board and it be base on probably the best of dennis wheatley black magic novel and and in an age when and thanks to the exorcist and occult movie be in vogue and it might well have regenerate vital interest in the ailing studio . but it do not . hammer fold shortly afterwards and and this movie contribute to that even though it make a healthy profit . nowadays it see a something of a curiosity represent a well intentioned but belated addition to the satanic horror cycle and still distinctly hammer but lace with tasteless moment that do not do anyone involve any credit at all and and at time so clumsily edit that youre never really sure what go on . the first problem be the script and which apparently be be constantly rewrite right up until the end of production . a a result and there no clear narrative line for the audience to follow . what be the purpose of the hideously deform baby . be it the devil incarnate . if so and why do it then get sacrifice . what nastassja kinski role in all this and apart from to lie alluringly on slab and indulge in full frontal nudity . who be the lead satanist urbane follower . we never really get to know them and or understand what function they have and and we see no real sign that theyre part of a large cult . why do one of them then bleed herself to death . surely it isn not require that every drop be drain from her body just so that a small amount can be trickle around a magic circle . why and right at the end and be we suddenly introduce to the mysterious property of flint stone and and why and when it get the blood of one of satan acolyte on it and will flint automatically protect the hero from demonic attack ( if this be a part of arcane lore and how on earth be we suppose to know because the impression this movie give be that we should be blow away by this revelation and say represent wow and why do not i see that come . ) . the most perplexing moment of all however and come unforgivably right at the climax of the movie . once christopher lee have be thwart and he simply disappear with no explanation give . have he escape . be he dead . have the devil take him . we simply do not know and be not tell . ( in actual fact and the answer be that in the original version and lee be strike by lightning and die in flame and much the way he do in scar of dracula and and this similarity worry the producer so much that in the end it be simply cut out and not replace . another problem lie in what and ironically and should have be one of the movie great strengths richard widmark . his presence ( which be purely to justify u fund ) be initially surprising and intriguing and but he be allegedly very difficult for the crew to work with and and extremely high and mighty while on set . and and despite that and he doesn not give much of a performance . stone face and unemotional throughout and he lack any kind of charisma and be way too old to be the hero in a movie where 18 year old nastassja kinski be the heroine . kinski herself doesn not add much and apart from the aforementioned risqué moment and and this be a pity because the rest of the cast do a good job . christopher lee be at his most devilish a the excommunicated priest at the heart of the conspiracy and and be ably support by honor blackman and denholm elliot and anthony valentine a innocent who get catch up in it . director peter sykes do a reasonable job consider the difficulty he supposedly have and and compose some very nice shot check out the opening sequence in the church and all play out under beautiful stain glass reflection and make very good use of authentic location in and around london and munich . but all this really do be remind you what a good movie this could have be . new fangled obscenity do not help it much either . throughout the age of permissiveness and hammer have be push the envelope with regard to sex . but it really cut loose in this one . the satanic orgy be the most explicit and realistic the studio ever produce and and in addition to these there a plethora of gratuitous female nudity and and then yet again we come to that ghastly and deform baby . it seem to serve no purpose at all and and yet at one point be thrust up into nastassja kinski womb and and at another have it throat cut on camera while it still wriggle and cry . christopher lee be very unhappy with these scene and while dennis wheatley be revolt and say afterwards that hammer would never again adapt one of his story though neither wheatley nor hammer would live to see this defiance test . the film be certainly good enough to watch again . the mysterious nature of the ritual involve be quite convince the symbol and the ancient book and the dusty vault but it too talkie and seem tediously slow by today standard and and a i say before and the finale be truly the most disappointing in hammer history .