Anton Giulio Majano

Il Procuratore Generale, barone Wolf von Andergast, vive a Francoforte con il figlio diciottenne Etzel. Come il padre è inflessibile e dotato di senso pratico così il figlio è appassionato e idealista. Un anziano signore, Pietro Maurizius, da anni supplica il Procuratore di essere ricevuto in udienza, ma inutilmente. Etzel ne resta colpito e decide di indagare. Scopre che diciotto anni prima, proprio all’epoca della sua nascita, un uomo, Leonardo Maurizius, sposato con Elli Jahn (ricca e più anziana di lui), era innamorato della cognata Anna, di cui era innamorato anche Waremme. Un giorno Elli viene trovata morta, uccisa da una pallottola sparata dalla pistola di Leonardo. Etzel, convinto dell’innocenza di Leonardo e animato da un profondo senso di giustizia, si allontana da Francoforte per Berlino. Lì, in breve tempo, scopre che Waremme, dopo aver vissuto in America, ora si fa chiamare professor Warschauer e dà lezioni private di inglese. Etzel, dopo avere vinto l’iniziale diffidenza di Waremme, si fa raccontare la verità e decide di ritornare a Francoforte per scagionare Leonardo. Nel frattempo il Procuratore von Andergast è andato a trovare in carcere Maurizius e, per coprire un errore giudiziario originato da un suo pregiudizio, lo convince a chiedere la grazia. Maurizius, ormai stanco, accetta e viene scarcerato, ma non potrà più dimostrare la propria innocenza. Leonardo torna a casa dal padre, che gli muore tra le braccia per la forte emozione. Poi si reca a Colonia e trova Anna trasformata in una donna dal carattere freddo. Maurizius, in preda allo sconforto, si toglie la vita gettandosi sotto un treno. Come epilogo della vicenda Etzel urla al padre tutto il suo disgusto e va a cercare sua madre Sofia, cacciata da casa anni prima. (fonte: Wikipedia)… (mehr)

Nightclub stripper Jeanette (Susanne Loret) is so upset after her sailor boyfriend Pierre (Sergio Fantoni) breaks up with her that she crashes her car, which leaves her horribly burnt and disfigured on one side of her face. At the same time mad scientist / surgeon Alberto Levin (Alberto Lupo) and his assistant Monique (Franca Parisi) are looking for new patients on which to test Levin’s experimental treatments. Monique tracks Jeanette down at the local hospital and persuades her to come to Levin’s clinic where Levin immediately begins working on her. It looks as if he’s successful with Jeanette’s disfigurement completed healed - but unfortunately effects are temporary. Even more unfortunate: Levin’s formula can only secured from the pituitary glands of young women and to secure a steady supply he’s started injecting himself with drugs and transforming himself into a hideous monster to give him the courage to murder woman for their glands. Meanwhile the police have begun a hunt for the missing Jeanette and when Pierre returns from his voyage he too joins the hunt. Time is running short, however, as Levin is getting increasingly unstable and losing control of his transformations. Although “Seddok, l’erede di Satana” isn’t without the occasional flash of originality, it is a typically Italian rip-off, quickly and cleverly exploiting the concept of the recently successful “Les Yeux Sans Visage” (Eyes Without a Face, 1960) and "Il Mulino Delle Donne Di Pietro" (Mill of the Stone Women). All three films share the same broad plot. Director Anton Giulio Majano quickly and efficiently churned out his film in a matter of weeks and although it does deliver some moody lighting and some decent photography here and there that can’t really get past the tedious pacing, the lack of tension and the messy plotting. The dialogue is unintentionally funny on occasion ("Oh my God! Your case is worse than leprosy" shouts the sensitive Levin on seeing Jeanette) and at times groan inducing, such as when Levin goes all serious and tells Jeanette that he learnt his strange new techniques while working in Hiroshima and Nagasaki. It’s worth noting, however, that the scenes where the mad doctor stalks the local canals looking for victims while wearing a raincoat pulled tightly around his face looks strikingly similar to “Don’t Look Now” (1973) and the raincoated murderer in that film. These scenes also a have touch of the proto-Giallo about them. There’s little worth mentioning in the performances with Franca Parisi, a beautiful Sophia Loren lookalike, probably putting in the best turn. “Seddok, l’erede di Satana” apparently translates as Seddok, the Heir of Satan, so it’s not too clear where the Atom Age Vampire translation comes from. Come to that it’s not clear who Seddok was and why he has the dubious distinction of being Satan’s heir. Overall then this isn’t a great film, but it does have the occasional moments and is probably worth catching for Franca Parisi.… (mehr)