A series of brutal rapes, usually resulting in death, are plaguing a small Wisconsin town (though filmed in Canada, I couldn't tell the difference to be honest). An unusually large amount of semen is found in each attack but tests reveal it to be from just one perpetrator. It's down to the local cop, news reporter and doctor to solve this horrifying mystery. Although this is a supernatural horror movie the attacks are played out in slasher fashion, there are a couple of male victims too. I watched this on a dark, grainy VHS tape, very nostalgic but poor quality, which didn't exactly help my viewing pleasure. To its credit some of the horror scenes are quite effective, helped by a good musical score, and the cast is satisfactory but the microphone makes a couple of appearances, destroying said scenes. Based on a novel by Ray Russell, I have not read this myself but the film completely neglects to show the huge phallus of the Incubus (potential censorship issues perhaps?). I don't like to give away spoilers, all I will say that the twist ending was disappointing, as was the brief shots of the demon itself. However, what I thought really cool was the inclusion of a music video by British heavy metal band Samson featuring a very young looking Bruce Dickinson on vocals before he joined Iron Maiden! If I watch a film on VHS and like it I will usually seek out a disc release but on this occasion I probably won't bother. OK for a late night horror flick though and still better than most modern genre releases.

In a small Wisconsin town a series of aggressive rapes and bloody murders plague the community with the police authorities baffled to who or what is responsible. The local, drained-out Dr. Cordell is called upon to examine the bodies when they start to pile up. He is basically a newcomer to the town, along with his teenage daughter. His daughter's boyfriend is having terrible nightmares that he believes are connected to the brutal deaths and this leads Cordell to the conclusion that they are facing a supernatural threat.

There are some deft touches evident, but what foils this luridly, glum Canadian B-grade shocker is that it's criminally, under-developed. Even though it's compelling, it could have been so much more, but in the end it's a basic routine format of a slasher flick with supernatural overtones that just sits there and turns into an incomplete muddle of who-ha. Just like a dream does, it doesn't make a whole lot of sense and the story fits that description. And for most time what a slow moving and quite uneventful exercise it was. The mysterious story, which is taken by Ray Russell's novel just, seems rather dead and irrational with little in the way of character and sub-plot developments. Also some strange occurrences pop up in the contexts that are never truly expanded on. But maybe that was the editing? These sudden offbeat interruptions involving nightmare sequences lack any sort of structure and the script lacks drive. There is some disquieting, hysterical and rather callous moments worked into the film, but they aren't terribly graphic and there's a small dosage of flesh included. The demonic spirit; The Incubus is mostly kept off screen when it attacks its victims, until it finally shows in a couple of frames in the final few minutes of the film. The design of the monster looked top-notch. When it does come to it's conclusion, it leaves you with a blank expression on your face and you going "Come again?" Quite like what Cassavetes looks like throughout most of the film. The performances teeter on plain drab or dramatically over-the-top. Kerrie Kane takes the cake on that latter point and John Cassavetes in the lead role seems really out-of-it and in a state of bemusement. He plays Dr. Cordell is such a weary state that he just feels distant and rather distracted to what's actually happening. The direction by John Hough is definitely the film's strong point with Hough creating a cold and dark heavy air that sucks the life out of the picture. A highly atmospheric and robust score surrounds proceedings adding to the nauseating awe and the racy soundtrack harps on. On the surface the film's slick photography has a wide range of inventive shots and arty angles. Visually it looked well with many solid techniques integrated into this production, despite some cheap fumbles.

"Incubus" has an interestingly foreboding set-up with a decent looking production, but sloppy handling within the material and out-of-sorts performances bring this one down to mediocre.

I picked up this one solely on the basis of its having John Cassavetes in it. Yes, it is low-budget, but despite that -- or maybe because of it -- the film is surprisingly effective. It's creepy. There's some gore but the slicing & dicing is almost all off-camera. With the exception of one scene about mid-movie, we don't see any of it. That works to make the movie more eerie -- we aren't distracted by the gross-out effect.

Cassavetes shows his talent -- he can make the worst dialogue sound believable. Unfortunately, the side effect of this is to make his coworkers sound even worse than they might have. Because a lot of the dialogue in this movie does stink out loud. On the other hand, there were a number of interesting scenes where you expected someone to break out in positively bad, cliched dialogue and instead -- nothing was said.

Others have commented on the creepiness of the doctor's quasi-incestuous relation with his daughter. It's all true. In fact, it was so blatant I was shocked that it would even get onto the screen. That kind of behavior is something that almost never gets shown.

Summary: good if you want to see a creepy movie with a great actor and lots of strange things going on. Not great art but worth a look.

Seriously, I can easily stomach a lot of on screen blood, gore and repulsiveness, but what really makes this film disturbing & uncomfortable to watch is how the doctor character keeps on rambling about the physical damage done to raped women. He, John Cassavetes of "Rosemary's Baby", talks about ruptured uterus, dry intercourse and massive loads of reddish (?) sperm like they are the most common little ailments in the world of medicine. That being said, "Incubus" is an ultimately STRANGE horror effort. It isn't necessarily awful – although it isn't very good, neither – but just plain weird. The muddled & incoherent script initially revolves on the hunt for a rapist-killer of flesh and blood (even though the title clearly suggests the involvement of a supernatural creature) and it never seems to stop introducing new characters. None of these characters, especially not the main ones, come across as sympathetic and for some never-explained reason they all seem to keep dark secrets. The aforementioned doctor has an odd interpretation of daughter-love and continuously behaves like he's a suspect himself, the town's sheriff (John Ireland) appears to be in a constant state of drunkenness and doesn't even seem to care about who keeps raping & killing the women in his district, the female reporter is even too weird for words and the Galens (an old witch and her grandson) are just plain spooky. All together they desperately try to solve the mystery of whom or what exactly is destroying the towns' women reproducing organs. The sequences building up towards the rapes & murders are admirably atmospheric and the vile acts themselves are bloody and unsettling. Basically these are very positive factors in a horror film, but the narrative structure is too incoherent and the characters are too unsympathetic for "Incubus" to be a really good film. Also, there are quite a few tedious parts to struggle yourself through (like footage of a Bruce Dickinson concert!) and the usually very reliable John Hough's direction is nearly unnoticeable. The final shot is effectively nightmarish, though. For me personally, "Incubus" was a bit of a disappointment, but there are still several enough reasons to recommend this odd piece of early 80's horror to open-minded genre fanatics.

To say that The Incubus is underrated is quite the understatement.From start till finish (even with a somewhat flawed script) it keeps you interested.There is a very good build up in suspense and it is gory when needed.Not everything is what it seems and there are a few red herrings thrown it to keep the viewer guessing.Now there are some sexual themes touched perhaps to deepen the intrigue which do work to a degree but overall distract the viewer a little.It looked like they realised this in the latter part of the film where events have been opened up and defined more and sort of let go these sexual themes.Not that it becomes clearer.Because some oft the raised questions are left unanswered.Which surprisingly works in favour of the ending.The acting is pretty darn good and it is nice to see these fine actors take the main plot seriously.John Cassavettes brings in that extra sophistication and is able to be interesting because of the underlying sexual themes I was talking about earlier and a little sub plot that could be seen as an explanation to his behaviour.But also could be a red herring as well.For the build up of tension and suspense it is extremely effective but I can understand that it could lead to some disappointment for viewers who wanted to see his story explained.Maybe the minimalistic approach of the plot is not for everyone.And normally I don't like that either.But in this case I did.For ones who still aren't convinced I think it is best to view this as a slasher with Gothic elements.Definitely worth your time.

There are many worse horror movies out there! Thank God most of them don't get saddled with John Cassavettes in the cast. This film suffers from his underwhelming acting. From his expression alone you are never sure if he is appalled by the bizarre violence that continues throughout the film or is just amused by it. The story itself is not a bad one but a better director could not have hurt.

I have to admit I was drawn back to this film after years of searching because the Library/Museum in the story, with it's Gothic look that might have come straight out of Lovecraft has always stuck in my mind. And there is enough true mystery involved to make you keep wondering who the culprit really is up to the final; moment. I wouldn't eat a lot of greasy popcorn while watching this one.

Based on Ray Russell's dark bestseller, this John (WATCHER IN THE WOODS) Hough-directed bust has little going for it.

Though it does not lack gory violence, it lack narrative sensibility and "characters".

The "Incubus" of the title is a demon endowed with a mammoth penis that shoots red sperm into vaginas during intercourse -- or, to be more precise, rape.

John Cassavetes, moonlighting from his successful directing career, is convincing as a doctor who questions the circumstances of the bizarre attacks on young women.

Horrific possibilities of the victims spawning demonic offspring are not considered -- and neither is the audience's tolerance for slow moving garbage.

The script's reluctance to explore the dramatic repercussions of a fertile premise exemplifies the major problems with this vapid Big-Schlong-On-The-Loose exercise.

Shocking, well-made chiller is an undervalued tale of atrocious murder and evil forces.

Small town doctor tries to discover who, or what, is committing a series of violent sexual murders.

Incubus is a tight mystery, with some horrific murder sequences, that builds to an off-beat and eerie climatic twist. The murder scenes are intense and gory, so this isn't a film for the squeamish! The direction of John Hough, along with a bizarre music score, combine to create a dark atmosphere of dread that runs through out the film. It also carries a kind of Gothic vibe as well. Nice filming locations and some stylish camera work also highlight.

The cast isn't bad either. The great John Cassavetes does a solid performance as the new doctor in town. Also good are the performances of Kerrie Keane as the local reporter, Helen Hughes as the town historian, and Duncan McIntosh as a tormented psychic teen.

All around Incubus is a forgotten horror film that needs to be re-discovered and re-evaluated.

*** out of ****

Released right at the height of the slasher boom, The Incubus does borrow a few elements from that then-popular subgenre, but has much more of a mythical and supernatural bent.

A mysterious creature is assaulting women in the small town of Galen and it's up to John Cassavetes' doctor to figure out who's doing this and if they're even human or not.

The Incubus is a sometimes gross and vile movie with its scenes of mostly implied sexual violence, but the mystery is interesting and the final reveal is a surprise.

In a small town, Roy Seeley (Matt Birman) and his girlfriend Mandy Pullman (Mitch Martin ) are camping by the lake. Out of the blue, they are attacked and Roy is murdered while Mandy is violently raped. Dr. Sam Cordell (John Cassavetes) is impressed with the violence and realizes that Mandy has had the uterus ruptured. Then the librarian Carolyn Davies (Denise Fergusson) is also violently raped and murdered. Lieutenant Drivas (Harry Ditson) believes that the women have been raped by a gang while Sam and Sheriff Hank Walden (John Ireland) believe that only one man did. The snoopy reporter Laura Kincaid (Kerrie Keane) is always interfering with the investigation and Sam has a love affair with her. Meanwhile the young Tim Galen (Duncan McIntosh), who dates Sam's daughter Jenny Cordell (Erin Flannery), discloses that he has premonitory visions of the deaths, but his grandmother Agatha Galen (Helen Hughes) tries to convince him that he has nothing to do with the murders. But when Jenny learns about his dreams, she summons her father and Laura and they discover a supernatural secret about the Galen's family.

"Incubus" is a horror movie with an intriguing story, good cast including John Cassavetes and beautiful cinematography. Unfortunately the screenplay is not well written and characters are left behind without explanation. The worst, the deceptive conclusion is awful, since incubus is a demon in male form in folklore that seeks to have sexual intercourse with women. Therefore the conclusion is not in accordance with the legend and is incoherent. My vote is five.

Title (Brazil): "Incubus"

Note: On 05 November 2022, I saw this film again.

John Hough's horror films are a mixed bunch, but this one is far more interesting than its horrendous critical reception would suggest. It is ostensibly a detective story of a small town policeman (John Cassavetes) investigating a series of unusually vicious rape homicides. Hough uses the structure to raise some provocative questions about penetration as violation. Sex and violence as one, forged and bonded in repression, resentment, sadism and envy.

The film is riddled with hints of the incestuous desire the protagonist has for his daughter. Hough thus plays with audience identification, seeking to implicate the viewer in a repulsive sexuality which, in a graphic morgue-table scene of a naked female cadaver, extends to incorporate necrophilia. The otherwise conventional plot is spiced up by a contemplation of p.o.v. as moderating aberrant sexuality. No wonder that critics and audiences found the film overly offensive and distasteful. Undeterred, Hough would treat similar themes in his equally maligned "American Gothic".

Graphic, contemplative and unrelenting in its bleakly oppressive visual style, this is a disturbing film experience: one of the more confrontational of taboo-breakers dealing with the always problematic theme of sexual homicide.

Intriguingly enough, the film has some elements in common with Wes Craven's "Deadly Blessing" released around the same time, and dealing with sex crime, isolated communities, deceptive innocence, female independence and role expectations, and the other-worldly demon, the Incubus.

I watched this film on Amazon Prime as it sounded as if it had an interesting premise. Unfortunately, though it was a bit entertaining in its own way, it failed to live up to the very promising premise. I am not sure what happened as the story seems to skip at points and seems to not want to fill in blanks to the viewers as if perhaps the book was required reading to fully understand what is going on. Though, having never read the novel, I cannot say if it fully develops the characters and their motives better or not; nor, if the story's plot holes filled in.

The story starts with a young couple at a quarry or something, enjoying the afternoon and into the evening. Well, during the night, the female is attacked and raped violently while the male is killed in brutal fashion. We are then introduced to a creepy dad and his daughter and the film loses points for the actor they got to play the father because at times he seems interested in his own daughter! Well, he gets called in to perform surgery on the girl who was raped and he also performs the autopsy...not sure that was a normal occurrence or not back then. Well, more rapes and murders take place and the doctor along with the chief of police and a news reporter try and figure out if these killings are being performed by a group or if their is something more hideous and evil at work.

There are just too many plots going around in this one and at times they wish to focus on the mundane rather than the grisly killings. What is going on? Who cares! Instead, lets focus on the father and daughter's relationship. Not sure if the dad was directed to look like a creeper or of it was just how he performed. Graphic killing, what do we do? Let's show the dad putting the moves on the news reporter! This approach left so many questions and a lot of the film underdeveloped.

So, the premise was good and they really do start off with a bang with the killing of the couple at the quarry; however, beyond that the film is fraught with incredibly long stretches of nothing interesting happening. The ending was predictable to me, despite all the misdirection and such so that did not help. I will say it is worth a watch as it held my attention, I was just left with too many questions and with an ending that just kind of fettered out...

Every time a teenage boy has a dream, another woman in a small New England is viciously attacked and it's up to a reporter and a doctor (played by, of all people, John Cassavetes) to figure out what's going on.

The ick factor is laid on pretty thick right from the beginning of The Incubus as a young woman is separated from her boyfriend and attacked by an unseen creature in an abandoned shed and we meet our film's hero as he gazes at his teenage daughter's nude body as she towels off after taking a shower. It's only nastier from there, but it's mostly evenly paced and has a real jolter of an ending even if it could have been better executed.

But just interesting enough to keep me watching until the end. The acting wasn't bad, but the ending was weak, easy to predict, and abrupt. There were also things left unresolved.

While the hysteria-laden, small town shocker 'Incubus' falls short of 'The Manitou' or 'The Beast Within', John Hough's grisly creature feature maintains much of its deliciously demonized appeal! Some shock-seekers, perhaps, may find the gleefully girl-goring, nightmare-spawned behemoth unusually camera shy, the experienced director commendably orchestrates a number of splendidly overwrought, stridently shriek-slathered set-pieces! This undeniably formulaic frightmare is greatly enlivened by the capable cast, Stanley Myers atmospheric score and a luridly twisted finale! This darkly dreamt demon's especially brutal modus operandi still offers 80s Splatter Mad Hatters a memorably malefic display of Brimstone-blasted B-horror!

You know you're in trouble when John Cassavetes is operating at half-speed instead of full-throttle in a movie, and "The Incubus" is a dreadful, worst-case scenario of a great actor going through the motions to pay the bills. Actually, observing the hammy script and John Hough's 'baroque' art direction, one can hardly blame him. The movie has something to do with a series of rape-murders going on in a small town, with a lot of supernatural hokum mixed in. Somehow, the direction manages to suck tension and interest out of every scene, and Cassavetes seems visibly P.O.'ed at times. The Incubus itself, which doesn't show up until the last scene, is a well-done creation, but it's not worth waiting for.

1/10

I saw this movie when it came out as a part of a double feature with the movie "Pieces." Both movies were scary, funny, and mediocre. With that combination, it didn't take long before the audience members were the stars of the show. It was the perfect storm and the audience participation was off the hook. It was a mixed crowd talking back at the screen, talking to each other, and howling with laughter during both films. God, I wish it had been recorded! When the lights came on after the second film we all filed out with smiles on our faces and appreciation for the experience and each other.

I've never even come close to that kind of experience again, but several years later my friends and I wandered into a free showing of some cult film after watching a Prince movie. It was my second greatest experience at the movies. The audience participation was off the chain for "The Rocky Horror Picture Show."

John Cassavetes stars as a surgeon in a small New England town where a series of bizarre rapes-turned-murders are occurring left and right against the area's female residents. Thrown into the mix is his teenager daughter whose boyfriend claims to be witnessing the crimes as they are occurring within nightmares he experiences.

As far as I'm concerned, John Hough is one of horror's unsung heroes when it comes to mood and atmosphere— if "The Legend of Hell House" or the marginal Disney thriller "The Watcher in the Woods" aren't enough proof of that, "The Incubus" is. This dreary thriller is considerably more violent than Hough's other horror pictures, but has his signature stylistics that I absolutely love.

Like in most of all Hough's work, the cinematography is slick and thoughtful, making goosebumps-inducing use of POV shots. In the film, the camera follows the victims almost like a predator before launching its vicious assault, and each attack is just as effective as the next. There is also a substantial Gothic feel underpinning the events, and the photography accentuates the beauty of New England landscapes (even in spite of the Canadian shooting locales). The musty and discomforting atmosphere of the film is underlined by an unnerving score, another signature element of Hough's films. A somewhat withered Cassavetes is still on his game here, with John Ireland supporting as the miffed sheriff and Kerri Keane as a nosy local reporter.

The chilly, Gothic autumnal environment in which the film takes place is entirely disrupted by its explicit sexual violence, and it features some of the most disturbing and visceral assault scenes I've ever seen in a horror film (the library sequence near the beginning especially stands out). The script's medley of violence and female sexuality under attack is fascinating in its repulsive representation, and even more bizarre are the incestuous undertones and gender-bending revelation at the film's twisted conclusion. While the finale is irrefutably shocking (and the monster makeup surprisingly scary, even by today's standards), I can say that the narrative build-up could have been a tad better handled as it all does seem to come crashing down rather awkwardly; a bit more finesse in script and editing could have remedied this, but the film still works in spite of it.

Overall, I found "The Incubus" to be a formidable and disturbing film; Hough's handling of the rural New England locale is fantastic in atmosphere and tone, and effective, moody cinematography really establishes a menacing and inauspicious feel. The film's one major flaw is the hackneyed pacing in its last act, but I personally found this a forgivable sin amidst the movie's audacious presentation of sexual violence and generally grim demeanor. This is definitely one of the more aggressive horror films of its era in terms of thematics, but the quaint and Gothic feel hearkens back to a more classical and almost British sensibility. A fantastic thriller best suited for viewing on a chilly autumn night with all the lights off. 8/10.

Greetings And Salutations, and welcome to my review of Incubus. Before we get into it, here are my ratings:

Story - 1.25 Direction - 1.25 Pace - 1.00 Acting - 1.00 Enjoyment - 1.25

TOTAL - 5.75

For some bizarre reason, my intuition warned me away from watching The Incubus. I have no idea why, because I have watched better and worse movies than this. Anyway, I decided to take the bull by the horn - that is a terrible analogy considering the storyline - and settled down in front of the gogglebox.

The story is considerably well structured and thought out. However, the writers did a terrible job with the dialogue and some of the characters' mannerisms. Though, this could also be down to the cast or the director. Most of the awful conversations come from the Sam and Laura characters. Sam likes to call the only surviving rape victim "tough guy", usually while forceable twisting her head around. His actions and tone don't come off as a good doctor/patient bedside manner. And Laura's interlocution is disjointed and staid, to say the least. But this could be the actor and actress's delivery or how the director wanted them to convey their lines. Regardless of the reason, I would say that both John Cassevettes and the beautiful Kerrie Keane are not on their best form as the leads in this flick.

Luckily, the rest of the cast is much better, especially Helen Hughes as Agatha Galen. She plays the last in a line of Witch Hunters, and I wouldn't give her any lip. She's perfect in the role and lifts the film when her scenes come around.

As for the direction. Ignoring the terrible dialogue, it's pretty decent. It would have been nice to have more tension, particularly around the attacks. It would have built up the audience to be freaked out by the attacks. The assaults are not exploitation, and for that, I am thankful. And though the FX boys through the claret around, there's not much gore. That doesn't mean some moments won't turn your stomach. In one autopsy, the director gives you an upward shot of the table with one of the cadaver's legs in view. Dr Cordell is holding a large syringe filled with blood, which he empties into a jar. You know exactly where that syringe has been, and that knowledge makes the entire process grosser. But it gets worse when we learn later in the film that it wasn't blood in the jar but red sperm. Urgh!

So the film isn't great, but it does waste an hour and a half...and there's a bonus if you're Metal-Head like me. Bruce Dickinson and his old band Samson make a guest appearance singing Vice Versa. Not a bad tune, and it's on Spotify. Talk about lucky breaks; the other band in the film have to make do with being on the soundtrack only. Evidently, Bruce and the boys were pretty enough to make it to celluloid.

But if you're not into rock, then the story makes the movie worth watching, at least once.

Feel free to come and visit my Absolute Horror list to see where The Incubus ranks in my charts.

Take Care & Stay Well.

When I created that list of titles for people to choose from, The Incubus lay among them - a title I virtually knew nothing about. This always excites me because you never know what you're going to get; a prize-winner or an utter failure. The film's director, John Hough, is the same man responsible for bringing you titles like 1973's The Legend of Hell House, American Gothic from 1987, and the 4th installment in the Howling franchise, Howling IV: The Original Nightmare released in 1988. We're not here to talk about other films, though, so let's discuss what I've discovered about The Incubus.

The premise involves Dr. Sam Cordell (John Cassavetes - 1968's Rosemary's Baby), who along with his daughter Jenny, recently moved to a small New England town by the name of Galen. Uncommon for such a quaint atmosphere, a girl and her boyfriend are brutally attacked; the assailant reportedly raped her but there is no evidence to prove it. This creates a landslide of several other murders in which Sam, with the help of the town Sheriff, investigate these occurrences further to conclude the reason behind them. With each victim surfaces an interesting amount of evidence, or lack thereof. Meanwhile, a teenage boy experiences dreams and visions of the murders and believes himself to be responsible, involuntarily. What they find may be the work of something supernatural....

The Incubus may start off alittle slow but the tension mounts nicely about an hour in. It's unfortunate that more excitement is unavailable earlier on. John Cassavetes does a great job performing the role of a doctor looking for answers. In addition, Hough manages to capture some interesting angles here and there to add to this delightful presentation. This film is best suited for a lazy Saturday afternoon - it's not awe-inspiring enough to captivate a group of your friends but it offers up a touch of spice and all things nice...that is, if you consider a supernatural chiller about a demon "nice."