Another young woman finds herself at the mercy of THE DEVIL’S SISTERS, a recently recovered “lost” film from Florida grindhouse legend William Grefé.
fully post-produced scenes: “Dr. Hoffman and Elizabeth Discuss Barnabas” (59s); “David and Barnabas Discuss Dinosaurs” (1m 35s), the best of the out- takes, which includes some ironic commentary about money and family; “Carolyn and Victoria Dis- cuss Barnabas” (1m 5s), which includes some mutual smoking that might have complicated the film’s rating; “Police Warn Willie and Barnabas” (1m 2s), which features Gilbert O’Sullivan’s “Alone Again (Naturally)” on the car radio; and “Dr. Hoffman Of- fers Victoria Help” (1m 3s), which may have been cut because it suggests that Julia may have sap- phic designs on the governess. DARK SHADOWS’ pre-cred- its sequence proves it was in the right hands to become the ulti- mate depiction of Dan Curtis’ seminal horror romance, though in execution it became some- thing considerably less. How
disappointing, then, that it be- came the final film of producer Richard D. Zanuck, whose JAWS (1975) changed the face of Hol- lywood and led to films becom- ing so much more than they were before.
THE DEVIL’S SISTERS
aka SISTERS OF THE DEVIL 1966, Ballyhoo Motion Pictures, 79m 47s/86m 4s, $19.95, DVD-R By John Charles
Abused by her police officer boyfriend, pretty Teresa (Sharon Saxon) flees to Tijuana in search of work, but quickly finds herself in the clutches of Carmen (Velia Martinez) and Rita (Anita Crystal) Alvarado, who lord over an ex- pansive villa that serves as both brothel and prison. Repeatedly raped and subjected to additional psychological torment, Teresa is eventually relocated to the sib- lings’ ranch, where she learns that
she is only one of several girls in the same seemingly hopeless situation.
Based on the repugnant ex- ploits of two real-life Mexican sis- ters responsible for the deaths of more than 100 people, THE DEVIL’S SISTERS is a darker ef- fort from Florida exploitation di- rector William Grefé, best remembered for lightweight and often silly horror outings like THE DEATH CURSE OF TARTU (1966). While the performances are variable and the filmmaking sometimes unpolished, this lurid thriller is surprisingly potent in its depiction of degradation and implied sexual torture. Told in flashback, the proceedings grow increasingly grim as the film drifts into roughie territory, offering brief instances of eroticism that are later coupled with nasty dis- plays of cruelty, including a dis- turbing sequence where Teresa is bound in barbed wire. The
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