Der_Schnibbler
Like most of these once-shocking exploitation movies, the buzz surrounding them today on IMDb comments and online forums is more captivating than the film itself. Blame it on our desensitized 21st century sensibilities but, for whatever reason, if this movie was shocking once, it's not any more, save for perhaps a few sheltered souls that are easily impressed. That's not to say it's a bad film. I just hate to see so many people seek these little known gems out with false expectations.Another reviewer here says the main character (the nun who falls from grace) engages in "lesbianism, child seduction and heresy." Well, the first part is true, for what that's worth. The last part is a given, but then again heresy committed by a nun is not exactly a tall order. As far as "child seduction," well, here we have the reason why these films are so trumped up: modern day, brow-beaten, "politically correct" types who'll get their feathers ruffled at pretty much anything. There's no child seduction in this film, unless you consider a mildly attractive nun trying to seduce an shy and timid teenage boy who unrealistically rejects her purely for plot's sake, i.e. just to make the nun look even more lecherous.The film moves slowly, the nudity is brief (and the protagonist's body is not exactly a knockout), the effects, though cheap, are well done, the one brief scene of lesbianism is almost arousing, and that's about it.The film is worth watching for someone interested in a "study" of a nun's internal repressions and how they affect her view of the outer world (you are never quite sure if the events are happening or if she is deluded) but for anyone expecting some kind of feast of debauchery, ya better forget it. Unless, of course, you're a "politically correct" sissy like so many commentators here.
Witchfinder General 666
"Satánico Pandemonium" is probably best known as the name of yummy Salma Hayek's character in Robert Rodriguez' "From Dusk Till Dawn". What remains unknown to many, however, is the fact that when writing the script, Quentin Tarantino adapted the name from the title of this ingeniously deranged piece of Mexican Nunsploitation Horror. The main protagonist, a sexy nun, by the way, does things that easily compete in weirdness with feeding on bikers and truckers, I may add. People interested in Horror/Cult-cinema will sooner or later find out that Mexican Horror cinema has a very specific charm. This is especially the case with the fistful of weird Mexican Nunsploitation flicks, most prominently "Alucarda" (1978). And while "Satánico Pandemonium" of 1975 is not nearly as ingenious a film as "Alucarda" it is definitely a wonderfully deranged little film that is highly recommendable to Exploitation-lovers. "Satánico Pandemonium" delivers the elements we love about Nunsploitation cinema - lots of female nudity, lesbianism, all kinds of perversions, occultism, violence and gore, and, not least, an enormous portion of religious nastiness - all that in a highly bizarre manner. These elements are highly entertaining for my fellow Exploitation fans, and can easily make the viewer forgive that the plot is almost non-existent and most of the performances are awful. "Satánico Pandemonium" is about the kind-hearted nun Sister Maria (Cecilai Peztez) - certainly the sexiest nun I've ever stumbled upon - who, after the lord of the flies appears to her, changes her pious behavior radically... The film delivers all the sleaze and weirdness one could desire in a Nunsploitation flick. In-between it sometimes gets quite boring, however. Still the film is deranged and bizarre enough to be a delight to genre-lovers. Overall, "Satánico Pandemonium" is not one of the best Nunsploitation films I've seen (it has the coolest title though), but it is weird enough, and more than recommended to fans of deranged Exploitation. My rating: 6.5/10
Alien_I_Creator
One of the most faithful nuns in her convent, Sister Maria finds herself obsessed by the Devil. Obsessed, not possessed, because Satan is an external force in this film. A strapping and vampiric lad, the Devil brings out Sister Maria's inner desires for both sex and blood. Plagued also by her devotion to God, she tries to fight these forbidden desires and lusts with prayer and penitence only to have them come back ten fold. Sister Maria is suddenly caught between Satanic submission or death.Satanico Pandemonium is a good nunsploitation effort in the vein of, the more celebrated, Juan Lopez Moctezuma'a Alucarda. It has sex, nudity, lesbianism, child seduction, self mutilation, blood, and death(not necessarily in that order, of course). The ending is clever and surprising following a bloody and ravenous climax. If you're a fan of nunsploitation and offbeat cinema, do yourself a favor and check out Satanico Pandemonium. You won't regret it.
lazarillo
This is one of only two Mexican "nunsploitation" films that I'm aware of--the other being Juan Monteczuma's excellent "Alucarda". This in some ways is the stranger one though because it is in many ways a traditional and conventional Mexican movie (aside from the naked nuns)while "Alucarda" actually managed to outdo its Italian and European models in its sex-fueled and blood-drenched delerium."Satanico Pandemonium" tells the story of a young nun who literally meets the Devil and is enticed to do all kinds of evil acts including seducing a young boy (and burning down his house with his entire family in it when he threatens to tell), driving a fellow nun to suicide, and murdering the mother superior so she can take her place and corrupt the rest of the convent. Obviously, there's a lot of depravity (and some occasional blasphemy) on display here, which is why its strange that the movie was shot in the same conservative, union-shop style of most Mexican movies of the 50's, 60's, and 70's. It seems rather incongruous (imagine a cheap, technicolor American from the 50's that features full-frontal nudity).Like "Alucarda" this movie is an interesting combination of traditional "nunsploitation", a more "liberal" genre that criticizes the corrupt and repressive nature of the Church (even before the Devil shows up the convent is already seething with corruption and barely repressed sexuality), and the "demonic possession" film, a more "conservative" genre inspired by "The Exorcist" that implies that the younger generation are literally going to the Devil. For most of its running time the movie skillfully shifts back and forth between these seemingly contradictory genres before the intriguing ambiguity finally gives way to a disappointing, even infuriating, ending, which is pretty much a complete cop-out. Still this movie is pretty interesting if nothing else. It's not "Alucarda", but it is no doubt the second best Mexican nunsploitation movie ever