There are a lot of movies out there about the Devil. So many, someone could write a book looking at the genre of Satanic films and it would no doubt be a weighty tome.
And someone did. And not just any someone, but Nikolas Schreck – musician, filmmaker, author, and one time Black Magic practitioner who not only worked with Church of Satan founder Anton LaVey, but was married to his daughter Zeena, with whom he collaborated in the music ensemble Radio Werewolf. Now based in Berlin, Schreck continues to make music; I recently discovered his stellar take on David Bowie’s classic “I’m Afraid of Americans.”
Though he renounced the church decades ago, Nikolas Schreck clearly has the bonafides to have written the expansive and enlightening The Satanic Screen: An Illustrated Guide to the Devil in Cinema.
Originally published in 2001, this new edition comes from Headpress Books and is the definitive guide to the Devil’s appearance on celluloid, from the earliest days of silent film through to his most recent appearances terrorizing moviegoers. Schrek doesn’t mince words, good or bad, as he looks at 100+ years of Satanic cinema, and his knowledge of the genre is unparalleled.
It’s worth noting that on a personal level, what I found most compelling about The Satanic Screen: An Illustrated Guide to the Devil in Cinema was the book’s introductory chapter on the history of Satan himself, and his appearances, or lack thereof, in both the Old and New Testaments. Schreck clearly defines terms like “satan” and “lucifer” found in the Bible that clearly suggests that the long held interpretations of Scratch as God’s adversary and the embodiment of evil is more a social construction than something written in the good book. To say I learned a lot is an understatement. It’s an absolutely riveting introduction and worth the price of admission alone.
Illustrated with film stills and Nikolas Schrek’s keen observations, anyone interested in the subject will find much to love within The Satanic Screen: An Illustrated Guide to the Devil in Cinema.
