Land Of The Minotaur (1976)| Peter Cushing| Donald Pleasence| Full-Length Supernatural Horror Film

Описание: Greek supernatural horror film, directed by Kostas Karagiannis and written by Arthur Rowe. The film is also known as "Minotaur" and "The Devil's Men".

As the unaccountable disappearances of young travellers and archaeology students spread fear among the residents of a remote Greek village, a group of students searching for their missing friends sets foot on the local temple ruins. But there is something strange about this godforsaken place. And when the unprepared visitors ignore the warning signs at their peril, they soon add their names to the missing persons' list. Now, the authorities can't help. Will Irish priest Father Roche and an agnostic New York private eye unravel the bloody mystery before it's too late? Can they stop the revival of a local pagan cult and destroy evil in the land of the Minotaur?

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Original Title: Η μάσκα του Διαβόλου
IMDb rating: 4,3/10

Cast:
Peter Cushing
Donald Pleasence
Karol Keyes
Luan Peters
Kostas Karagiorgis
Anna Matzourani
Nikos Verlekis

Movie Trivia:
1. The Father-Brown-like protagonist was originaly written for Peter Cushing, but Donald Pleasence threatened to quit the movie if the role wasn't given to him, because he was tired of playing villains. So, the antagonist role of Baron Corofax went to Cushing, resulting in probably the most chilling performance of his career.

2. Praising the "suffocating ambiance and dream-like atmosphere", as well as Brian Eno's electronic score, film critic Chris Alexander argues that the film is underrated: "Make no mistake, it's a lowbrow exploitation film, but it's one that’s filtered through a very stylised art house sensibility. Don't be swayed by the negative mainstream reviews and general fanboy silence."

3. The movie was filmed in famous archaeological sites such as Diros Caves, Acrocorinth and the Temple of Artemis in Vravrona.

4. British pop stars Karol Keyes and Luan Peters appear in supporting roles.

5. The production of the film was undertaken by the independent company Poseidon Films, which was founded in London by the Greek Cypriot Frixos Constantine and Κostas Karagiannis. Κaragiannis (1932 - 1993) is considered the most productive director of Greek cinema, as he directed around 10-12 films a year. It is indicated that, between 1950-1975, he had shot 85 films.