Alucarda (1978)

Now THIS is what I call a horror movie! Directed by Jodorowsky's disciple Juan Lopez Moctezuma, Alucarda starts off as a fairly straightforward fantasy period piece. The beautiful orphan Justine is sent to live in a convent after the death of her parents. Run by a group of fanatical nuns who mummify themselves in shroud-like habits and engage in self-flagellation to cleanse themselves of sin. Justine meets another beautiful orphan, Alucarda who takes her on excursions into the woods where they meet a hunchbacked gypsy and investigate a satanic crypt. And then they make a pact with the devil. Soon we are bombarded with generous nudity, orgies presided over by goat-masked priests of darkness (these make what go on in my dorm look tame), buckets of blood, and plenty of screaming. By the end, the film has reached the heights of ridiculousness. A guilty pleasure flick by all means. But Moctezuma's direction is delicious, and the visual flair is first rate. There are some truly surreal and eye-popping sequences. I was planning to try and watch one horror movie a day for October, but after being bowled over by this, I think it may be time for something a little lighter next.