MovieChat Forums > Hexen bis aufs Blut gequält (1972) Discussion > Originally was this intended to be sort ...

Originally was this intended to be sort of serious?

posted a year ago by mobocracy (868)
6 replies | jump to latest

Versus just being a deliberate exploitation film?

It has a weirdly intense energy and a sort of seriousness that transcends some of its clumsy exploitation. It also gets very self righteous.

There’s also very limited nudity and sex, and even the rape scenes seem intended to be serious and not exploitative.

That being said, it does have a cheesiness about it, but it’s not completely clear if that it is just low budget and low ability or a specific tongue in cheek purpose.

[–] Daf (107) 8 months ago

To me it felt like the producers knew they were making an exploitation flick but managed to snag some genuine talet both in front and behind the camera by claiming it was a legit period drama, lol!

[–] jcnyclv (1407) a month ago

It was definitely supposed to be a serious horror film. I saw it in the theater when it came out and vomit bags were given to everyone in the audience. Supposedly, people were so horrified that there was a lot of vomiting. It didn't affect me or anyone I knew that way so it was probably just a gimmick to get people to see the movie.

I liked it better when I was 12 than I did when I saw it again at 30.

[–] agentalbert (2477) a month ago

I don't know that the fact vomit bags were given at theaters is any indication of how "serious" a movie the producers intended. That's just pure marketing gimmick. But I think the movie is reasonably serioius in its tone. It's not goofy.

[–] jcnyclv (1407) a month ago

Of course it was a gimmick, but it was supposed to be a seriously scary movie, not a serious drama. It was based on some fact of that time period, but it was also low budget and cheesy.

[–] agentalbert (2477) a month ago

That's cool that you saw it in the theater. At 12? I never got taken to movies like this as a kid.

[–] jcnyclv (1407) a month ago

My friends and I looked a little older so we could get into movies we really shouldn't have been seeing at that age, like this one and The Last House On The Left, Don't Look In The Basement, among others. Not to mention, the teenage ticket sellers at the time really weren't always careful who they let in.