DOOMSDAY

Many films seem to fit together nicely as a double feature. For some films, it is merely the titles that complement each other (as in the case of I Drink Your Blood/I Eat Your Skin - the latter was originally titled Zombies; it was re-titled specifically for the double-bill). For others, it may be part of a distribution deal; some distributors sell multiple films to theaters to unload a less desirable movie as a second feature.

However, some of the best double features are ones who share common ground, or a theme. With the advent of video and DVD, anyone can create their own double feature - and a theme is probably the most entertaining way to go about it.

One theme that can be explored is one that could have been straight out of the drive-in era: evil entities from the early 70s.

THE DEVIL’S NIGHTMARE
Vacationers on a tour bus are forced to take shelter in a remote castle due to circumstances beyond their control. Each tourist has their own vice, all of which correspond to the seven deadly sins. The tourists succumb to their temptations at the hands of a succubus, leading to their demise. The only remaining vacationer, a priest, decides to strike a bargain with Satan himself (after being forced to seek refuge in a church by the Devil); he offers his soul in exchange for the souls of his fellow friends (it is revealed that the value of the priest’s soul is higher than those of his friends, since he will save many more souls in his lifetime). The Devil considers the deal…..

MESSIAH OF EVIL
A few lonely people find themselves in a coastal ghost town with a strange and evil history. A man and two friends investigate the mystery while staying indoors at night; flesh-eating ghouls roam the streets after sundown, awaiting the return of “the stranger,” an evil entity that kills without mercy and eats human flesh.

These two films from the early 1970s (one is a European gothic horror masterpiece starring Erika Blanc as the succubus and Daniel Emilfork as Satan; the other is an artfully-conceived sleeper directed by Willard Huyck, who was responsible for bringing comic book character Howard the Duck to the screen) showcase nightmarish images and narrative elements that have since resurfaced in more prominent horror films. The most obvious example of a film featuring the seven deadly sins as the main plot element is Se7en, starring Morgan Freeman and Kevin Spacey. Scenes from Messiah of Evil featuring images of eyes tearing blood and ghouls devouring raw meat at a local supermarket have shown up several times in other films since its release. It is, however, the inclusion of evil characters such as the Devil (The Devil’s Nightmare) and a figure of ultimate malevolence (”the stranger” from Messiah of Evil) that constitutes the common ground between these two films. For viewers, these films are relatively easy to find, and have been released together already on a double feature disc by Diamond Entertainment.

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