Alucarda
Encyclopedia
Alucarda is a 1978 Mexican horror film directed by Mexican horror
filmmaker Juan López Moctezuma, starring Tina Romero
in the title role. Often thought to be based on the 1872 novella Carmilla
, it revolves around two teenage orphan girls living in a Catholic
convent, who unleash a demonic force and become possessed
by Satan
. Although it was made in Mexico, it is an English language
film. It was released in theaters across Mexico on January 26, 1978.
.
While playing in the nearby forest, the girls stumble upon a band of mysterious gypsies, and subsequently unleash a demonic force after opening a casket at a nearby burial site. What follows is a bloody chain of events after both Alucarda and Justine become possessed by the Satanic
entity, and wreak havoc on the convent and its inhabitants.
, murder
, demonic possession
, exorcism
, orgies
, and lesbianism, among other things, within a religious setting. All of these things made the film controversial, especially for the time it was made. Because of its extreme violence, scenes of sacrilege, and perversely defiled religious imagery, it has gained notoriety among fans of the horror genre.
The film has been often compared to Ken Russell
's 1971 horror film
The Devils
, and William Friedkin
's 1973 film classic The Exorcist
, because Alucarda was released within five years of both of them, and because they share similar plot themes.
and a B-movie
cult classic
. While it is not widely known by horror fans, many fans who have seen it consider it an unrecognized gem.
Columnist Michael Weldon of the Psychotronic Video
Guide said the film was "The strongest, most imaginative, and visual witch movie since Ken Russell's "The Devils"." Well-known Mexican filmmaker Guillermo del Toro
has also expressed his appreciation for the film and other works from director Juan López Moctezuma.
Horror film
Horror films seek to elicit a negative emotional reaction from viewers by playing on the audience's most primal fears. They often feature scenes that startle the viewer through the means of macabre and the supernatural, thus frequently overlapping with the fantasy and science fiction genres...
filmmaker Juan López Moctezuma, starring Tina Romero
Tina Romero
Tina Romero is a Mexican film, television and stage actress, made famous by starring the film Alucarda in 1978.-Early life:Tina Romero Alcazár was born on August 14, 1949, in New York City. She is a daughter of Mexican parents and her family relocated to Mexico in 1958 where she developed her...
in the title role. Often thought to be based on the 1872 novella Carmilla
Carmilla
Carmilla is a Gothic novella by Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu. First published in 1872, it tells the story of a young woman's susceptibility to the attentions of a female vampire named Carmilla...
, it revolves around two teenage orphan girls living in a Catholic
Catholic
The word catholic comes from the Greek phrase , meaning "on the whole," "according to the whole" or "in general", and is a combination of the Greek words meaning "about" and meaning "whole"...
convent, who unleash a demonic force and become possessed
Demonic possession
Demonic possession is held by many belief systems to be the control of an individual by a malevolent supernatural being. Descriptions of demonic possessions often include erased memories or personalities, convulsions, “fits” and fainting as if one were dying...
by Satan
Satan
Satan , "the opposer", is the title of various entities, both human and divine, who challenge the faith of humans in the Hebrew Bible...
. Although it was made in Mexico, it is an English language
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
film. It was released in theaters across Mexico on January 26, 1978.
Plot outline
The film takes place in a Mexican convent that not only serves as a place for nuns, but also as an orphanage. Alucarda, a fifteen year old orphaned girl, has lived at the convent her entire life. Another girl of near age, Justine, arrives at the convent, also an orphan. She and Alucarda become very close friends, and form a relationship that borders on being sexualHuman sexuality
Human sexuality is the awareness of gender differences, and the capacity to have erotic experiences and responses. Human sexuality can also be described as the way someone is sexually attracted to another person whether it is to opposite sexes , to the same sex , to either sexes , or not being...
.
While playing in the nearby forest, the girls stumble upon a band of mysterious gypsies, and subsequently unleash a demonic force after opening a casket at a nearby burial site. What follows is a bloody chain of events after both Alucarda and Justine become possessed by the Satanic
Satanism
Satanism is a group of religions that is composed of a diverse number of ideological and philosophical beliefs and social phenomena. Their shared feature include symbolic association with, admiration for the character of, and even veneration of Satan or similar rebellious, promethean, and...
entity, and wreak havoc on the convent and its inhabitants.
Cast
- Tina RomeroTina RomeroTina Romero is a Mexican film, television and stage actress, made famous by starring the film Alucarda in 1978.-Early life:Tina Romero Alcazár was born on August 14, 1949, in New York City. She is a daughter of Mexican parents and her family relocated to Mexico in 1958 where she developed her...
as Alucarda/Lucy Westenraa - Susana Kamini as Justine
- David SilvaDavid SilvaDavid Josué Jiménez Silva is a Spanish footballer who plays for Manchester City and the Spanish national team. Silva is capable of playing on the wing, as a traditional number 10 and sometimes as a supporting striker...
as Father Lázaro - Claudio BrookClaudio BrookClaudio Brook was a Mexican actor. Born in Mexico City, Brook had a prolific career, making around 100 film and television appearances in his 38 years. He won two Ariel Awards. He died from stomach cancer in 1995....
as Dr. Oszek/Hunchbacked Gypsy - Lily Garza as Daniela Oszek
- Tina French as Sister Angélica
- Birgitta Segerskog as Mother Superior
- Adriana Roel as Sister Germana
- Martin LaSalle as Brother Felipe
Themes
Alucarda is notorious for its extreme subject matter and themes, which includes that of SatanismSatanism
Satanism is a group of religions that is composed of a diverse number of ideological and philosophical beliefs and social phenomena. Their shared feature include symbolic association with, admiration for the character of, and even veneration of Satan or similar rebellious, promethean, and...
, murder
Murder
Murder is the unlawful killing, with malice aforethought, of another human being, and generally this state of mind distinguishes murder from other forms of unlawful homicide...
, demonic possession
Demonic possession
Demonic possession is held by many belief systems to be the control of an individual by a malevolent supernatural being. Descriptions of demonic possessions often include erased memories or personalities, convulsions, “fits” and fainting as if one were dying...
, exorcism
Exorcism
Exorcism is the religious practice of evicting demons or other spiritual entities from a person or place which they are believed to have possessed...
, orgies
Orgy
In modern usage, an orgy is a sex party where guests engage in promiscuous or multifarious sexual activity or group sex. An orgy is similar to debauchery, which refers to excessive indulgence in sensual pleasures....
, and lesbianism, among other things, within a religious setting. All of these things made the film controversial, especially for the time it was made. Because of its extreme violence, scenes of sacrilege, and perversely defiled religious imagery, it has gained notoriety among fans of the horror genre.
The film has been often compared to Ken Russell
Ken Russell
Henry Kenneth Alfred "Ken" Russell was an English film director, known for his pioneering work in television and film and for his flamboyant and controversial style. He attracted criticism as being obsessed with sexuality and the church...
's 1971 horror film
Horror film
Horror films seek to elicit a negative emotional reaction from viewers by playing on the audience's most primal fears. They often feature scenes that startle the viewer through the means of macabre and the supernatural, thus frequently overlapping with the fantasy and science fiction genres...
The Devils
The Devils (film)
The Devils is a 1971 British historical drama directed by Ken Russell and starring Oliver Reed and Vanessa Redgrave. It is based partially on the 1952 book The Devils of Loudun by Aldous Huxley, and partially on the 1960 play The Devils by John Whiting, also based on Huxley's book...
, and William Friedkin
William Friedkin
William Friedkin is an American film director, producer and screenwriter best known for directing The French Connection in 1971 and The Exorcist in 1973; for the former, he won the Academy Award for Best Director...
's 1973 film classic The Exorcist
The Exorcist (film)
The Exorcist is a 1973 American horror film directed by William Friedkin, adapted from the 1971 novel of the same name by William Peter Blatty and based on the exorcism case of Robbie Mannheim, dealing with the demonic possession of a young girl and her mother’s desperate attempts to win back her...
, because Alucarda was released within five years of both of them, and because they share similar plot themes.
Reception
After the film's release in January 1978 in Mexico, it never received much attention from critics nor audiences, but over the years became something of an underground filmUnderground film
An underground film is a film that is out of the mainstream either in its style, genre, or financing.-Definition and history:The first use of the term "underground film" occurs in a 1957 essay by American film critic Manny Farber, "Underground Films." Farber uses it to refer to the work of...
and a B-movie
B-movie
A B movie is a low-budget commercial motion picture that is not definitively an arthouse or pornographic film. In its original usage, during the Golden Age of Hollywood, the term more precisely identified a film intended for distribution as the less-publicized, bottom half of a double feature....
cult classic
Cult Classic
Cult Classic is a Blue Öyster Cult studio recording released in 1994, containing remakes of many of the band's previous hits.-Track listing:# " The Reaper" - 5:05# "E.T.I...
. While it is not widely known by horror fans, many fans who have seen it consider it an unrecognized gem.
Columnist Michael Weldon of the Psychotronic Video
Psychotronic Video
Psychotronic Video was a film magazine originally started by publisher/editor Michael J. Weldon in 1980 in New York City as a hand-written and photocopied weekly fanzine entitled Psychotronic TV. It was then relaunched by Weldon under its more commonly known name as an offset quarterly in 1989...
Guide said the film was "The strongest, most imaginative, and visual witch movie since Ken Russell's "The Devils"." Well-known Mexican filmmaker Guillermo del Toro
Guillermo del Toro
Guillermo del Toro is a Mexican director, producer, screenwriter, novelist and designer. He is mostly known for his acclaimed films, Blade II, Pan's Labyrinth and the Hellboy film franchise. He is a frequent collaborator with Ron Perlman, Federico Luppi and Doug Jones...
has also expressed his appreciation for the film and other works from director Juan López Moctezuma.
External links
- Alucarda at IMDb
- Terror Trap: Alucarda page
- DVD review at the Dread Central