Mark of the Devil Part II
A German horror sequel with no real connection to its predecessor.
Mark of the Devil Part II (German title: *Hexen geschändet und zu Tode gequält*, meaning "Witches Are Violated and Tortured to Death") is a 1973 German horror film and a sequel to *Mark of the Devil*.
A young noblewoman, Elisabeth von Salmenau, comes across a band of religious extremists led by Balthasar von Ross and his assistant Natas. After her husband is killed, her young son Alexander is labeled the devil’s offspring. Elisabeth tries to argue for her son’s innocence, but when she rejects Balthasar’s advances, corrupt authorities also declare her a heretic and subject her to torture.
The cast includes Erika Blanc as Elisabeth, Anton Diffring as Balthasar, Percy Hoven as Alexander, Reggie Nalder as Natas, and others such as Lukas Ammann, Jean-Pierre Zola, Astrid Kilian, Ellen Umlauf, Rosemarie Heinikel (credited as Rosy Rosy), Dietrich Kerky, Johannes Buzalski, and Adrian Hoven.
Though marketed as a sequel, the film shares no real story connection with the first movie, only a similar historical setting and scenes of gratuitous torture. Reggie Nalder, who played the villain in the original, appears here in a different role.
The film was released theatrically in the United States in 1974 by Hallmark Releasing, the same distributor as the first film. It has been issued on VHS by various companies, with each release differing in its level of violent content, and has never received an official DVD release in the U.S.
Quick Facts
- Director
- Adrian Hoven
- Writer
- Michael Armstrong / Adrian Hoven / Fred Denger
- Starring
- Erika Blanc / Anton Diffring / Reggie Nalder
- Music
- Don Banks / John Scott / Sam Sklair
- Cinematography
- Ernst W. Kalinke
- Editing
- Siegrun Jäger
- Distributor
- Hallmark Releasing (USA)
- Released
- 1973
- Runtime
- 97 minutes
- Country
- West Germany
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
The film follows young noblewoman Elisabeth von Salmenau, who encounters a group of religious fanatics led by Balthasar von Ross and his henchman Natas. After her husband is killed and her young son Alexander is deemed the devil's spawn, Elisabeth intends to plead the innocence of her son. When she refuses Balthasar's advances, she is also deemed a heretic by the corrupt officials and tortured.
Cast includes Erika Blanc as Elisabeth von Salmenau, Anton Diffring as Balthasar von Ross, Percy Hoven as Alexander von Salmenau, and Reggie Nalder as Natas. Nalder, who played the villain in the first film, co-stars here but plays a different character.
The film was released theatrically in the United States by Hallmark Releasing, distributor of the first film, in 1974. It has been available on VHS in a multitude of releases from different companies, all varying in terms of the violent content, and has never been officially released on DVD in the United States.
Reader's Guide
Mark of the Devil Part II is notable primarily as a sequel that shares no narrative or character continuity with its predecessor, despite being sold as such. Its significance lies in its place within the early 1970s wave of European horror films that exploited themes of witch-hunting and religious persecution for graphic shock value. The film's original German title explicitly promises sexual violence and torture, reflecting the era's marketing of extreme content. The multiple VHS releases with varying levels of violent content indicate the film's controversial nature and the challenges of censorship. Its absence from official DVD release in the United States further underscores its status as a cult obscurity, remembered mainly by genre enthusiasts and collectors of exploitation cinema.
Did You Know?
- The original German title translates literally to 'Witches Are Violated and Tortured to Death'.
- Reggie Nalder, who played the villain in the first Mark of the Devil film, co-stars here but plays a different character.
- Multiple VHS releases from different companies exist, all varying in terms of the violent content.
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