Land of the Minotaur

Lore & Background

The film was shot in Greece and released in Greece and the UK by Cathay Films on 11 August 1976. In the US, it was released by Crown International Pictures in 1977 under the title Land of the Minotaur, with its running time trimmed by eight minutes. The plot involves a cult led by Baron Corofax that kidnaps tourists and sacrifices them to a fire-breathing Minotaur statue. The investigation is led by Father Roche, played by Peter Cushing, and private detective Milo Kaye, played by Donald Pleasence.

Reader's Guide

Land of the Minotaur has received mixed to negative reviews. TV Guide scored it one out of four stars, calling it 'a distinctly silly effort.' John Stanley described it as 'a dreadful British-Greek production... bereft of logic, characterizations, suspense.' Del Vecchio and Johnson criticized the script, sound quality, dubbing, and editing, noting that both Pleasence and Cushing were 'hideously squandered.' However, some critics have defended the film: Chris Alexander praised its 'suffocating ambiance and dream-like atmosphere' and Brian Eno's electronic score, calling it underrated. HorrorNews.net found it enjoyable despite its contrived plot, commending the soundtrack and the interaction between the two main characters. Emanuel Levy rated the film three out of five. The film has been released on VHS and DVD in the US, and on Blu-ray in the UK and US by Powerhouse Films on 22 February 2022, including both the original UK version and the shorter US cut.

Did You Know?

• The film's score was composed by Roger Eno.
• The US cut, titled Land of the Minotaur, is 86 minutes; the European cut, The Devil's Men, is 94 minutes.
• The film was produced by Poseidon Films, formed by Greek-Cypriot Frixos Constantine.
• In the film, the Minotaur statue is described as having 'two gas-burners up its nose.'