Incubus (1965)

Director:

Leslie Stevens

Writer:

Leslie Stevens (writer)

Release Date:

November 1966 (France)

Genre:

Horror

Plot:

On a strange island inhabited by demons and spirits, a man battles the forces of evil.

Plot Keywords:

Incubus | Succubus | Demon | Nudity | Drowning

Cast

William Shatner	...	Marc
Allyson Ames	...	Kia
Eloise Hardt	...	Amael
Robert Fortier	...	Olin
Ann Atmar	...	Arndis
Milos Milos	...	Incubus
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Jay Ashworth	...	Monk (uncredited)
Forrest T. Butler	...	Monk (uncredited)
Paolo Cossa	...	Narrator (voice) (uncredited)
Ted Mossman	...	Monk (uncredited)

Directed by
Leslie Stevens

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Leslie Stevens		writer

Produced by
Elaine Michea	....	associate producer
Anthony M. Taylor	....	producer

Original Music by
Dominic Frontiere

Cinematography by
Conrad L. Hall
William A. Fraker		(uncredited)

Film Editing by
Richard K. Brockway		(as Richard Brockway)

Costume Design by
Forrest T. Butler

Makeup Department
Fred B. Phillips	....	makeup artist

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Maurice Vaccarino	....	assistant director

Art Department
Ted Mossman	....	property master

Sound Department
Jay Ashworth	....	location sound
Arthur Cornell	....	sound editor (as Arthur J. Cornall)

Camera and Electrical Department
Jordan Cronenweth	....	assistant camera
Norman C. McClay	....	electrician
Charles Rosher Jr.	....	assistant camera (as Charles Rosher)
Charles Rosher Jr.	....	camera operator
William A. Fraker	....	camera operator (uncredited)

Music Department
John Caper Jr.	....	music editor
Dominic Frontiere	....	conductor

Transportation Department
Richard Margrave	....	transportation

Other crew
Gary Adelman	....	restoration consultant
Richard S. Brummer	....	restoration consultant
Mary Chaffee	....	continuity
Wayne Fitzgerald	....	title designer: main titles
Mona Skager	....	assistant: Mr. Stevens

Production Companies

• Contempo III Productions
• Daystar Productions

Special Effects

• Consolidated Film Industries (CFI)

Also Known As:

Incubus (France) [fr]

Runtime:

78 min

Country:

USA

Language:

Esperanto

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

USA:Unrated

Filming Locations:

Big Sur, California, USA

Company:

Contempo III Productions

Trivia:

After this film generated acclaim in film festivals around the world and in successful theatrical showings in France, a lab mistakenly destroyed the negative and all prints; it was lost never released on video. Then, after years of searching, one print was discovered in the permanent collection of the Cinémathèque Française in Paris. From that sole surviving print, this film has been digitally restored with remastered sound. It has since been re-circulated online, generating a new fan base.

Goofs:

Crew or equipment visible: During the long fight between Kia and the goat, the shadow of the camera is clearly visible several different times.

Quotes:

Marc: I see the heart of darkness... the universe unfolding... taking my breath, my blood, my life... down below, below, below...

Movie Connections:

Featured in Blade: Trinity (2004)

Review as an average viewer then as an Esperanto-enthusiast

First, I will critique the film as an average viewer and then as an Esperanto-enthusiast. For Shatner fans this film is a must. For art film aficionados it is also a must. Those who dislike Shatner or art films will dislike this film; those who dislike Shatner -and- art films will -despise- this film. Those who liked the old Twilight Zone and Outer Limits will probably enjoy this film. It is a well-made film. And as far as concept films go, Incubus is very coherent. It has a strong, if thin plot line and does not stray often from it. Many art films are not... tight. What I mean by this is that often in art films there will be many tangents and/or moments where one feels that the camera was left running and the actors weren't given any directions. Or the film just has absolutely no plot (not necessarily a bad thing) and is merely a serious of events, which are bizarre, quaint, or whatever. Not so in Incubus. This film actually borders on the mainstream. Especially if one compares it with something like Un Chien Andalou or Tetsuo: The Iron Man.

The film looks beautiful. Cinematographer Conrad Hall went on to win 2 Oscars and was nominated for 7 others in films to come. He'll probably be nominated again for this year's Road to Perdition. I wonder if Wim Wenders was inspired by this film. The demons in Incubus stand around like Wender's angels did in Wings of Desire (US remake: City of Angels).

On a less formal level, Incubus is just a neat movie. It's a neat idea with neat actors, neat shots, and neat music. It is set in an allegorical world, which is why writer/director Leslie Stevens chose Esperanto for its language. He didn't feel that a national or ethnic language would seem right for this tale. (Do demons speak Spanish, English, Swahili, or Russian? Do humans in this realm speak Chinese, Yiddish, or French?) So, choosing Esperanto was a bold artistic choice and something to be praised whether one is an Esperanto-enthusiast or not.

Some would consider the film a psychotronic classic, putting it the realm of Attack of the 50ft Woman or Plan 9 from Outer Space, but Incubus is far above that. It is probably one of those sad souls which is not camp enough to be a cult classic and not artsy enough to be an art house classic, and too artsy for mainstream, so Incubus will probably wander in classification limbo indefinitely.

Many have criticized the pronunciation of Esperanto in Incubus. I am not an expert. I have only been studying the language for a couple of years now. But my TV is going out so I didn't have the luxury of subtitles and I was forced to listen to it. I was able to understand it pretty well. From what I've heard and read about the film, I was expecting it to be unintelligible. Esperanto scholars have been way too harsh on these actors. It seems to me what we're dealing with here in Incubus are accents. This is something the vast majority of Esperanto speakers will probably never overcome. Think of those who have learned English that you know. They probably don't pronounce English perfectly. Think of actors like Arnold Schwarzeneger, Jackie Chan, Desi Arnaz, Gerard Depardieu, and Marlene Dietrich. Hell, half the actors in Hollywood do not speak English correctly. Esperanto is a second language to everyone and everyone will not speak it perfectly. But it seemed to me that the majority of Incubus' dialogue was spoken correctly. The thing to note in it should be how naturally the actors speak Esperanto.

This film is an absolute treat for E-o enthusiasts. Aside from Gattaca, this is the only film one will hear it spoken at any length. It is definitely the only film entirely in this language. For those who want to practice E-o comprehension this is a gem. Some will disagree, but it's been my experience that even the most seasoned E-o speaker will make mistakes yet the need for comprehension will remain. Dealing with accents is just a fact of life with any language.