Mark of the Devil Part II 4K 1973

Exploitation cinema, or trash cinema, to put it simply, has always been the last resort for scaring audiences, from the 1970s to the present day. There have always been many themes for exploitation cinema, but witchcraft and the Middle Ages are particularly interesting from an artistic point of view. Among the most sensational grindhouse films to touch on this theme was the 1970 German film Mark of the Devil. The film gained notoriety due to its violent and extreme scenes, so the release of a sequel was logically understandable and commercially calculated. In 1973, Mark of the Devil Part II was released, directed by Adrian Hoven. Without changing the plot, this film is practically a carbon copy of the first film, albeit with a significant difference, which consisted in both a general softening of the violent scenes and the complete absence of clearly charismatic characters, which undoubtedly had a strong impact on the already mediocre quality of the film.

Of course, the actors in the film perform quite well. Reggie Nalder is convincing in the role of Albino, but no more than that, as is Erika Blank, who plays the martyr.

Ernst V. Kalinke's cinematography is nothing special, merely creating atmosphere and masterfully embodying the film's violent potential.

Composers Michael Holm and John Scott wrote a decent soundtrack for the film, but it serves more as background music, playing unobtrusively in the background.

I recommend this historical horror film to all fans of classic horror and trash.