Rating summary

Movie		2.0
Video		4.0
Audio		4.5
Extras		3.5
Overall		3.0

The Devil's Men Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov March 28, 2022

Kostas Karagiannis' "The Devil's Men" (1976) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Indicator/Powerhouse Films. The supplemental features on the disc include new program with producer Frixos Constantine; new audio commentary recorded by critics and authors David Flint and Adrian J. Smith; archival audio program with Peter Cushing; and more. In English, with optional English SDH subtitles for the main feature. Region-Free.

A priest, a private detective, and just another girl.

How likely is it that The Devil’s Men would have been a much more exciting film had it been made by an Italian director? I’d say extremely likely. Actually, it is guaranteed that an Italian director would have produced a pretty special genre film with the exact same material Greek director Kostas Karagiannis was given to work with. Where does this confidence come from? It comes from Karagiannis’ very obvious failure to recognize that The Devil’s Men could not have been a serious film, which is the catalyst of every major problem in it.

Before I explain what type of film The Devil’s Men would have been with an Italian director behind the camera and why, however, here’s a quick summation of its story:

On a picturesque Greek island whose main attraction is a giant crumbling fortress, members of a secretive cult kidnap drifters and visitors and then kill them to honor an ancient evil force. They commit the ritual killings in an underground temple and before a massive statue of the mighty Minotaur, but Father Roche (Donald Pleasance), who has been secretly gathering information about the killings, believes that they are worshiping God’s oldest nemesis. When a couple of foreign visitors disappear without a trace, Father Roche contacts New York-based playboy-turned-private detective/private detective-turned-playboy Milo (Kostas Karagiorgis) and a few days later he arrives in the area with his mistress, Laurie (Luan Peters), ready to solve the mystery. However, the wealthy Baron Corofax (Peter Cushing), who is the leader of the cult, and a few of his closest assistants immediately begin sabotaging Milo’s investigation.

It is very easy to tell that Karagiannis was influenced by The Wicker Man because his direction does a lot to infuse The Devil’s Men with the type of ambience that makes the latter a seriously spooky film. Indeed, the psychotic behavior of the island’s residents, Baron Corofax’s chameleon-esque personality, and the worshiping ceremonies are just a few of the very obvious clues revealing the blueprint Karagiannis worked with to impress, which is the exact same blueprint Robin Hardy utilized when he directed The Wicker Man. Unfortunately, because Karagiannis lacked the skills to accomplish his goal, The Devil’s Men does not have a proper identity. As a result, everything that takes place in it looks either awfully bland or seriously bad.

But a handful of tweaks like the ones Italian directors mastered to perfection during the ‘70s and ‘80s instantly could have transformed The Devil’s Men into a very exciting genre film. For example, a change in tone promoting plenty of adult humor as well as some gratuitous nudity to go along with it would have produced quite the spectacle. In fact, when Pleasance reaches out to Karagiorgis in New York, for a short period of time it actually begins to look like Karagiannis is preparing to introduce precisely that kind of a dramatic change. Then once the action moves to the Greek island, Karagiannis could have encouraged Pleasance and Cushing to begin mocking each other and with the former’s exquisite sense of humor the fireworks would have been absolutely glorious. After being handed the screenplay, an Italian director immediately would have recognized the possibilities and then made the best of them.

In its current form The Devil’s Men spends a little over ninety minutes stuttering and it is painful to watch. There are a couple of sequences where it seems like Pleasance and Karagiorgis are actually on the verge of walking out on Karagiannis, but somehow manage to stay with their characters and appear invested in the drama. It must have been very, very hard work. Or, it could be that the exact opposite is true. It was summer, there was plenty of outstanding traditional Greek food, and a constant supply of aged Metaxa, so a bit of work was done only to get The Devil’s Men to appear somewhat coherent.

The Devil's Men Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Presented in an aspect ratio of 1.66:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, The Devil's Man arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Indicator/Powerhouse Films.

According to press materials, the release is sourced from an exclusive new 2K master, which was also used to produce this Region-B release.

The visuals have very strong organic qualities and on my system they were very attractive. Naturally, I think that it is fair to speculate that the film hasn't looked this good before on DVD or VHS. (I have never owned a copy of it on DVD, so I don't know what previous home video presentations might have looked like). However, there are some minor traces of ageing that introduce small but noticeable fluctuations. Also, in a couple of different areas it is pretty easy to tell that select primaries have lost some of their native lushness. I still think that the overall color balance is very nice, but when you sit down to view the film you will quickly realize that time has left some marks that only a much more elaborate restoration could have properly addressed. There are no traces of compromising digital tweaks. Image stability is good. (Note: This is a Region-Free Blu-ray release. Therefore, you will be able to play it on your player regardless of your geographical location).

The Devil's Men Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

There is only one standard audio track on this Blu-ray release: English DTS-HD Master Audio 1.0. Optional English SDH subtitles are provided for the main feature.

The Devil's Men has a surprisingly interesting score by Brian Eno, which might be its greats strength. I thought that the lossless track handled it quite well, though I did notice some minor shakiness in the upper register. However, there are some unique effects that go along with it, so most viewers will likely miss it. Clarity and sharpness are good. Balance is good too, but keep in mind that the original English track features quite a bit of overdubbing, so the unevenness that you may spot from time to time is entirely inherited as well.

The Devil's Men Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Frixios Constantine: This Life and the Next - in this new program, producer Frixos Constantine recalls his initial encounter with director Kostas Karagiannis and discusses his involvement with The Devil's Men. In English, not subtitle. (8 min).

• The John Player Lecture with Peter Cushing - the event was conducted by David Castell at the National Film Theatre in London on January 21, 1973. Peter Cushing discusses his career and some of the most memorable parts he played over the years. Audio only. (92 min).

• Commentary - this exclusive new audio commentary was recorded by critics and authors David Flint and Adrian J. Smith in 2022.

• Trailer - this vintage U.S. trailer promotes the film as Land of the Minotaur. In English, not subtitled. (3 min).

• TV Spot - this vintage U.S. TV spot promotes the film as Land of the Minotaur. In English, not subtitled (1 min).

• Super 8 Version - a Super 8 version of the film. In English, with optional English SDH subtitles. (94 min).

• Image Gallery - a gallery of vintage promotional materials for The Devil's Men.

• Booklet - an exclusive booklet featuring a new essay by Andrew Graves, an archival interview with star Donald Pleasence, extracts from original promotional materials, an overview of contemporary critical responses, and film credits.

The Devil's Men Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Can you imagine Race for the Yankee Zephyr as a deadly serious action film? I can't either. It is as entertaining as it is because David Hemmings understood what type of identity the film needed and knew how to direct its stars, one of which was Donald Pleasence. The Devil's Men looks ridiculous and the overwhelming majority of the time quite amateurish as well because Kostas Karagiannis did not know how to do it right. Its story is botched, its tone isn't right, and its stars are mismanaged, which means that the film does not have a proper identity. I think that an Italian director like Fernando Di Leo, or even someone lesser known like Mario Gariazzo, would have cooked up a much more exciting genre film with the same material and resources Karagiannis was given to work with. Indicator/Powerhouse Films have produced a pretty nice release of The Devil's Men, but you should not consider a blind buy. If possible, rent it first, and then determine whether you wish to have it in your library. If you reside on the other side of the Atlantic, please keep in mind that there is an identical British release as well. RENT IT.