AniInterview
Sorry, this movie sucks
Manthast
Absolutely amazing
Ava-Grace Willis
Story: It's very simple but honestly that is fine.
Guillelmina
The film's masterful storytelling did its job. The message was clear. No need to overdo.
mark.waltz
So would say Dana Carvey's "Church Lady" if he were to meet Belinda J. Montgomery's Diane in this over-the-top macabre horror drama from the golden age of the TV movie: 90 minutes (with commercials) and little to no frills. The frills here are saved for the superb cast which is headed by the mysterious Shelley Winters as Lilith, the friendly old pal of Montgomery's recently deceased mother who had a pact with the devil himself to raise their daughter and turn her over to him after 21 years. That time has passed, and while they haven't seen much of each other, Montgomery is beside herself with grief with the old woman suddenly dies in a horrific accident. The overly friendly Winters (think of her as an over caffeinated Ruth Gordon of "Rosemary's Baby") immediately offers Montgomery a room, but soon, Montgomery wants to find her own independence, something the hot tempered Winters will not hear of. Calming down briefly, Winters decides that these things must be done delicately as to not hurt the spell, and sets into motion her plan of action that indeed will turn Montgomery into the living, breathing, earthbound daughter of the prince of darkness and future empress of the underworld.The cast is filled with some great veteran actors, with Joseph Cotten as the attorney for Montgomery's mothers estate, Robert Foxworth as the man of Montgomery's dreams (whom she intends to marry to get away from crazy Shelley), Martha Scott as Foxworth's sophisticated mother, Abe Vigoda as one of the members of Winters' circle of friends, Lucille Benson (taking over where Patsy Kelly left off as Gordon's knitting pal in "Rosemary's Baby") as a nosy neighbor, Thelma Carpenter as another pal of Winters (who makes a great apple strudel), and Ian Wolfe as the Catholic priest who tries to steer Montgomery to making the right choices. Winters eats these types of parts for breakfast, so all eyes are on her when she is on screen. Poor Jonathan Frid, aka Barnabas Collins, is completely wasted as Winters' mute chauffer, having no purpose here other than keeping an eye on Montgomery when Winters is busy stirring her cauldron elsewhere. Coming out just as the supernatural craze of films was taking off with "The Exorcist" (and "The Omen" yet to come), this leaves the story open for a sequel, just as "Rosemary's Baby" had done five years before. Even if this could be considered disturbing for its view of seemingly kindly neighbors being involved in such an evil cult, it is best viewed from a camp perspective.
wes-connors
After her mother is shot dead by a mysterious disabled man, aspiring artist Belinda Montgomery (as Diane Shaw) meets late funeral attendee Shelley Winters (as Lilith Malone). Sweetly sympathetic, Ms. Winters claims she's a close friend of Ms. Montgomery's mother. With no place to stay in the California town, Montgomery moves in with Winters and her mute chauffeur companion Jonathan Frid (as Mr. Howard). Something sinister is in the works when Winters gives Montgomery a ring designed with an emblem that matches one in a portrait of Satan, hanging prominently above her fireplace...She doesn't bat an eye at the portrait of Satan, but Montgomery decides to move in with perky Barbara Sammeth (as Susan Sanford), a young woman closer to her own age, This drives Winters nuts. She arranges for fishy friends led by Abe Vigoda to have a devilish "coming out" party for Montgomery. Late in the running time, Montgomery begins a seemingly diversionary romance with architect Robert Foxworth (as Steve Stone). This ludicrous ABC-TV "Movie of the Week" wastes the efforts of a good cast. Especially slighted is Mr. Frid; the popular star of "Dark Shadows" barely registers.**** The Devil's Daughter (1/9/73) Jeannot Szwarc ~ Belinda Montgomery, Shelley Winters, Robert Foxworth, Jonathan Frid
Draconis Blackthorne
An aspiring mother makes a pact with The Devil for wealth in exchange for her daughter, who would one day marry Satan's son. She despicably tries to renege on the deal, and is promptly punished for her ingratitude. In an attempt to shoot The Devil, the bullet actually penetrates her own chest. Her daughter 'Diane' {Belinda Montgomery} grows up sheltered in convents and private schools, eventually developing into quite a comely young lady until the day of her mother's funeral, where she meets with Lilith Malone {Shelley Winters}, who graciously offers her to stay at her beautiful home, wherein she begins experiencing nightmares and comes upon little secrets here and there, and her suspicion grows. She becomes fascinated by a certain sigil which she notices being virtually omnipresent at the mansion, on objects, and on jewelry upon suspicious persons, including two rather feather-brained women who act like something out of The Stepford Wives.Upon meeting a new friend Alice Shaw {Diane Ladd}, she decides to be out on her own, and leaves the comfort of this veritable palace for an apartment. Here and there, Lilith and her cohorts begin appearing, monitoring her. Jonathan Frid {of Barnabas Collins / 'Dark Shadows' fame} plays a mute butler / limousine driver, who seems to feel for the young lady's perceived plight, when all she had to do all along is merely accept her birthright as the "Princess of Darkness'. One night while at a party thrown by Lilith, Diane drinks a bit too much wherein her repressed carnal expression breaks free and begins lasciviously dancing in the midst of the crowd, who begin hailing her as the said 'Princess of Darkness', as well as 'The Demon of Endor'. Her denial persists, despite her increasing experiences with her own diabolical powers made manifest. She is summoned by a Judge who informs her that her father set up a trust fund for her; who pleasantly agrees to 'give her away' at her impending whirlwind romance and wedding. I thought it rather interesting that she began dating her now dead friend's man, who perished in a freak horse 'accident' {seems that during one of Lilith's unexpected visits, she stealthily lifted a horse figurine from Alice's collection, obviously using it for a Curse}. She meets Steve Stone {Robert Foxworth} and falls horns over hoofs in love. We later come to discover that she meets her true "soul-mate" in his form. Many surprises await the viewer at the end during The Wedding with a truly delightful twist.The Devil's Daughter was released around the same time as all the legendary 'devil movies' such as The Devil's Rain, Rosemary's Baby, The Exorcist, and later, The Omen were, which also includes an 'all-star' cast, and otherwise served to launch the career of subsequent stars.
cerebral-3
Although the "devil's gonna get you" plot may have been an over-kill of the 1970's horror flicks, this film deserves merit for a memorable surprise ending and a seasoned cast including: Shelley Winters, Joseph Cotton, Robert Foxworth, Jonathan Frid and Martha Scott. It would have been a worthy film to make into video!