About this episode

This episode explores the portrayal of the Devil in 1950s films amidst the rise of science fiction themes.

Filmmakers in the 1950s didn’t completely abandon the dry and dusty lore of the Devil even if it did seem audiences were now much more inclined to see threats in the form of atomic bombs, little green men in flying saucers, and giant monsters unleashed by man’s experiments with radioactivity. A new obsession with science and outer space seemed to temporarily put the Devil on hold, largely pushing the mysteries of black magic off the screen. But the 1950s weren’t a complete loss when it came to the Devil onscreen. They not only introduced an unhinged underground filmmaker who would have a much bigger impact in the decade to come but 1957 also gave us what was, without question, one of the best satanic films of all time – one of the few truly effective films about black magic that can still give you a chill even nearly 70 years later. Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

People in this episode

Hosts: Cody Beck, Troy Taylor

Topics covered

• Devil in film
• 1950s cinema
• black magic
• satanic films
• underground filmmakers

Keywords

• Devil
• 1950s
• black magic
• satanic films
• cinema
• underground filmmaker
• horror

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Mentioned in this episode

Books & works: The Devil Goes to the Movies - Part Three, satanic films, black magic

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