Horror fans may understandably think that "The Devil's Men" (a.k.a. "Land Of The Minotaur") must be something special, because the film's producers were able to get not only Donald Pleasence but also Peter Cushing to be in their cast. But if they were to actually watch it, they would probably conclude that those two stars only accepted in order to get a working vacation in Greece. The Greek countryside does indeed look spectacular and eerie in some shots, but that's about the only positive thing I can find in this cinematic yawn. Pleasence and Cushing look absolutely bored, and it's no wonder - this is a slow-moving story with plot elements handled in dozens of other movies and TV shows before. It's all made worse by some shoddy production values - frequently it sounds like someone is blowing in the microphone recording the actors' dialogue! Only worth watching if you are curious as to why the British film industry was considered essentially dead in the 1970s.

I recall a still from this depicting a bearded young man being prepared for a satanic rite in a book of my father's called "Horror Films" by Alan Frank. Being set in Greece, this one contrives to feature three actors from the recently-viewed notorious exploitationer ISLAND OF DEATH (1975)! The nominal stars, who make the film tolerable even if being themselves somewhat embarrassed by the material, are the ever-reliable Donald Pleasence (in his combating an evil beyond most mortals' comprehension, here he anticipates his genre-defining turn as Dr. Sam Loomis in the "Halloween" franchise) and Peter Cushing (almost contemporaneously, his frequent sparring partner Christopher Lee had had pretty much the same role – that of the leader of a Satanic cult, typically hiding under a veneer of respectability – in the far superior TO THE DEVIL...A DAUGHTER).I knew going in this did not have a good reputation (which had kept me from purchasing the R2 SE DVD or, for that matter, the R1 disc, where it was paired with the no-less execrable TERROR {1978}) but I was not prepared to have such a good time with the film (albeit mainly at its own expense!). The heroine tells the hero she was pursued by something in the woods (which we clearly see as men in black capes), he reassures her by saying it was probably just a cow on the loose! Pleasence also panics at the sight of the same men, passing by the window of the local inn and alerting his companion, he goes to look for himself but obviously sees nothing at first (a situation which is repeated throughout, eliciting unfavorable comparisons with a typical Abbott & Costello comedy routine!). Also, it always bugs me how the leading ladies of such fare always feel such a pressing need to take a bath but, here, even if she is almost abducted when doing so, a couple of scenes later she is at it again! When Pleasence and the hero come upon the murdered bodies of their friends they realize that one of the devil's men was attached to the back of a van they just happened to find hidden away while taking shelter – usually they travel in the hero's convertible, with Pleasence chiding him for being a "speed demon" – and whom they had carried behind them along a good stretch of road, except that the man concerned (who is revealed to be the local Police Chief who had obviously shrugged their stories of the town being under some evil influence!)...but when they meet him again the very next day and he acts as if nothing had happened, the hero beats the crap out of him but is finally stopped, not by Pleasence but rather by the timely intervention of Baron Cushing conveniently toting a gun (and occasioning Sergio Leone-type cross-cutting from one sweating brow to the other, complete with grandfather clock ticking away the seconds, until he hilariously decides to blow the latter's hands off)! By the way, the prime symbol of evil here is a giant Minotaur (the film was released in the U.S., cut by about 6 minutes, as LAND OF THE MIONOTAUR) which turns up from time to time just long enough to showcase its flaming nostrils and utter obvious portentous lines such as that the infidels who intrude upon its cave must die, ditto Father La Roche (surely, Pleasence's character ought to feel proud that the Devil knew him by name!) – likewise generic (and repetitive) are Cushing's incantations, when not grinning idiotically at the ongoing malevolence! The finale, then, has the hero keeping up his inefficient investigation (he is a private eye) by getting caught and added to the sacrificial altar (or, rather, ancient stone seats), while Pleasence purports to block the moon's rays from shining into the underground lair (since he insists the rites cannot start without this 'phenomenon'), flashes a jewel-encrusted cross in Cushing's face and throwing holy water in the direction of the caped creeps, at which the elders among them literally (and messily) explode! This leaves Pleasence to liberate the victims but also lead the town children (whom Pleasence deems innocent even if, during the ceremonies which incongruously seem to occur during all hours of the day, the deadly blow of the dagger had always been struck by the inn-keeper's teen daughter!) to safety. Perhaps the most notable thing about the film is the fact that Brian Eno (former member of "Roxy Music", then a solo artist and later a leading music producer) composed the score, but the result is largely undistinguished – in retrospect, who can blame him for this apparent lack of inspiration?!

The Devil's Men represents what turned out to be one of the last gasps of the occult obsessed horror scene of the 70's shortly before Halloween came along, tore up the rule book, set fire to it and kicked it screaming through a plate glass window.To cut a long story short a couple of enterprising Greek film makers fancy their chances of nailing together a new film franchise featuring the unlikely double act of womanising, wise talking American investigator Milo and stuffy but kind hearted priest Father Roche. An exiled nobleman is mixed up in some satanic jiggery pokery - offering up tourists as sacrifices to an extremely unfrightening effigy of the minotaur and only Milo and Roche can stop him! Or something like that.The reality is however horribly dull, frustrating and loaded with wasted opportunities. I strongly suspect that the fledgling film makers blew most of the budget on getting Donald Plesance, Peter Cushing and Brian Eno (for the soundtrack) onboard and hoped that would be enough to sway audiences in the English speaking world.It isn't. The Devil's Men looks beautiful with assured, camera-work and fantastic locations. Eno's score, though basically just a one chord drone that he probably cranked out in an afternoon is suitably atmospheric and the movie is laden with cracking 70's crumpet including that Austrailian sort from Fawlty Towers and uber hottie Jane Lyle of Island of Death infamy. But there the positives end. Cushing sleepwalks through it, looking like he has a corn cob up his bum and Pleasance fusses about trying his best, but never quite getting things right. To make matters worse the character of Milo is appallingly flimsy and unlikeable.Okay, so it doesn't look that good. But from there the film simply refuses to go anywhere. There is an insinuation that the local villagers are possessed, but to be fair to them, they never really do anything very much other than shuffle about looking glassy eyed. Perhaps they were just tired? Just when you are sure things will come to some kind of a head Milo and Roche interrupt the Baron's satanic party with laughable ease, sending him on to meet his maker. The statue of the minotaur falls silent and hey presto! Satan is defeated.Yeah right.The inane optimism that The Devil's Men might be the first of a series of films is hammered home by Father Roche's final line mere seconds before the ridiculously rushed ending. "Who knows Milo? Perhaps one day I may call upon you again to help defeat the Antichrist." I'm sure you'll be putting that call in any day now Donald.

"Land of the Minotaur" was an impressive movie with a terrific story line and interesting idea.Tourists in Greece are being used as sacrificial objects for the Minotaur, a Satanic creature of some sorts portrayed as a bull. After three characters are taken to the castle where the rituals are practiced, a young woman and a friend arrive, meeting with a priest. The woman is, I think, the wife or girlfriend of one of the three tourists from the beginning. And this boyfriend is the only surviving tourist of that three, because the others were killed.That night, the woman, the friend, and the priest are attacked by the worshippers of the cult, who all happen to be the people of the town. Soon the woman is kidnapped, and the friend and the priest must go after her and find her, leading up to the somewhat unexplained and could-have-been-better ending.All around, a great movie with a great concept. There are a few noteworthy scenes, such as the woman being chased by cult members in the woods and when they were watching her in the bathroom. Both very creepy scenes. All around, a movie worth seeing.