Satan's Wife
| Satan's Wife | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Directed by | Pier Carpi |
| Screenplay by | Pier Carpi |
| Starring | Anne Heywood Valentina Cortese John Phillip Law |
| Cinematography | Guglielmo Mancori |
| Edited by | Manlio Camastro |
| Music by | Stelvio Cipriani |
Release date |
|
| Country | Italy |
| Language | Italian |
Satan's Wife (Italian: Un'ombra nell'ombra, also known as Ring of Darkness) is a 1979 Italian horror film directed by Pier Carpi.[1][2]
Plot
[edit]The Prince of Darkness seduces four young women, spreading his seed so that his scourge may take human form.
Cast
[edit]- Anne Heywood as Carlotta Rhodes
- Valentina Cortese as Elena Merrill
- John Phillip Law as the Exorcist
- Frank Finlay as Paul
- Marisa Mell as Agatha
- Paola Tedesco as Anna Merrill
- Irene Papas as Raffaella
- Lara Wendel as Daria Rhodes
- Ian Bannen as the Professor
- Ezio Miani as Lucifer
- West Buchanan as Peter Rhodes
- Carmen Russo as the Dancer
- Patrizia Webley as a Prostitute
Production
[edit]The film is an adaptation of the director's 1974 novel Un'ombra nell'ombra.[3][4] It had the working title La signora delle mosche ('The Lady of the Flies').[4] Carpi's announced temptative cast included Jean Seberg, Terence Stamp, and Marilù Tolo.[4]
The film had a troubled production, with shootings starting in January 1977, being interrupted after a few weeks for lack of funds, and resumed in early 1979, with producer Piero Amati replacing Carpi as director for several scenes.[4] Amati went bankrupt shortly later.[4]
It was one of several Italian films starring Anne Heywood.[5]
Release
[edit]The film was released in Italian cinemas in the fall of 1979.[4] The original version of the film, lasting 106 minutes, is considered lost.[3] The international version, lasting over 20 minutes less (85'), has been described as "lacking continuity in more than one point" because of the cuts.[3]
Reception
[edit]Domestically, the film bombed at the box office.[4] Italian film historian Roberto Curti described the film as "an ambitious work, [...] with passages of minutious realism and oneiric, visionary and esoteric digressions".[4]
References
[edit]- ^ "Satan's Wife". Rotten Tomatoes.
- ^ "Satan's Wife". TV Guide.
- ^ a b c Pulici, Davide (December 2004). "Un'ombra nell'ombra". Nocturno Dossier. 29: 49.
- ^ a b c d e f g h Curti, Roberto (2018). "From the Coven to the Lodge". Mavericks of Italian Cinema: Eight Unorthodox Filmmakers, 1940s-2000s. Jefferson, North Carolina: McFarland. pp. 18–21. ISBN 978-1-4766-7242-7.
- ^ Vagg, Stephen (4 May 2025). "Not Quite Movie Stars: Anne Heywood". Filmink. Retrieved 4 May 2025.
External links
[edit]- Satan's Wife at IMDb
