8mm Forum: The Devil Commands

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Topic: The Devil Commands

Gary Crawford
Jedi Master Film Handler

Posts: 979
From: Manassas, VA. USA
Registered: Jun 2003

posted October 15, 2007 03:51 PM

I've had this little Columbia digest for years, but had occasion to pull it out and watch it again the other day....and what a gem!! Print quality is fairly good, but the editing is superb. The reel edits down so well that you really don't feel that you've missed very much at all. The original feature had narration from Karloff's daughter to tie it together.....and , if I'm not mistaken, Columbia got a female narrator with similar voice qualities to fill in the gaps of the story so that it all blends together beautifully. The digest doesn't feel hurried ...all the story elements are there and they've even carried the "The End" music all the way out to its conclusion...something a few of the digests tend not to do, letting us down hard at the end. I was really so impressed by this film that I felt compelled to write up this little review. I'd recommend this one to any Karloff or horror fan.

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Osi Osgood
Film God

Posts: 10204
From: Mountian Home, ID.
Registered: Jul 2005

posted October 15, 2007 07:05 PM

Wow, Boris karloff, and his daughter narrating. Nice little review.

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"All these moments will be lost in time, just like ... tears, in the rain. "

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Gary Crawford
Jedi Master Film Handler

Posts: 979
From: Manassas, VA. USA
Registered: Jun 2003

posted October 16, 2007 07:38 AM

Sorry....I wasn't clear in my writing. Karloff's daughter in the movie....not in real life. She talks about how the house she once lived in is now empty...how people shun the place....then proceeds to tell what happened.

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Adrian Winchester
Film God

Posts: 2941
From: Croydon, London, UK
Registered: Aug 2004

posted October 16, 2007 10:03 AM

I agree it's an impressive film - maybe helps the digest that the feature is only about 66 mins. I recently got a 16mm print but I think I'll hang on to the 400'. Collectors are fortunate that Columbia chose a relatively obscure film like this. Sound is a bit sibilant on mine, but OK.

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Adrian Winchester

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Douglas Meltzer
Moderator

Posts: 4554
From: New York, NY, USA
Registered: Jun 2003

posted January 30, 2011 03:44 PM

I finally picked up a copy of this as it seems this one doesn't make the used lists too often. This is very well edited and using Amanda Duff's original narration works wonders in telling the story. If as Gary suggests, Columbia used a female sound alike for additional narration, then the studio put more thought and care into this digest than practically any of their others!