Incubus (1966) is perhaps better known for the sad fates of many people connected with the film than the work itself. So be it. There is a roster of ‘cursed films’ – Rosemary’s Baby, Poltergeist, Rebel Without a Cause, et. al. Often such films have a macabre/supernatural theme. Coincidence? (Of course). Incubus is certainly macabre/supernatural.
It is also known for starring William Shatner, just months away from assuming command of the U.S.S. Enterprise. Finally, the entire script is in Esperanto, “an artificial language devised in 1887 as an international medium of communication.” Again, so be it—but it does have the effect of allowing the film to be seen as ‘foreign’—which assists the odd subject matter.
We are introduced to a village—and in the village is a well with magical water that can heal the sick or improve a person’s appearance. A cluster of beautiful succubi hang around the village, killing the vain, and delivering their souls to the God of Darkness. It’s a living.
A young succubus (Allyson Ames), perhaps bored and looking for a challenge, attempts to corrupt Marc (William Shatner), a former soldier of sterling character. Mistake. Nobody corrupts Captain Kirk. In fact, the succubus falls in love with the Shat (as many female alien life forms will over the next few years). Then, all Hell really does break loose. The Incubus gets in murder mode.
The cinematography (provided by Conrad Hall) itself is a core character: the black and white shading, the mists, pale skin tones, gleaming eyes, the enchanting, nightmare forests—it’s a subterranean world, a swirling pathway to Hades. Even the inside of a church—which provides effective incubus repellent—is dim and hazy.
The film was lost for thirty years—but you can’t keep a good incubus down.
With an uneven script and meandering plot points, Incubus is more interesting than good, a characteristic of many cult productions. That’s among their charms anyway—to gently remind us that failure itself can be wonderful.
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