Bad Habits

Bad Habits

Dank Films

I have always been a sucker for nuns in films; the naughtier the better ! It is something about the perversion of innocence that is so erotic and at the same time subversive. Of course, I am not alone in this fetish; there is a whole genre of exploitation film known as nunsploitation.

It is fascinating to chart the development of this genre throughout cinema history. Most film historians see its precursor in Witchcraft through the Ages (aka Haxan) which was a Danish film by Benjamin Christensen. Its real focus was in the 1970’s with such classics as The Devils, The Nun and the Devil (1973) and Flavia The Heretic (1974).

While it has been generally assumed that the focus of the genre has been on monasteries and the inquisition, there have also been many films which have pushed outside these boundaries and moved the genre into the modern period such as the ever popular Killer Nun (1978). The genre is found across cultures, while there are many Eurotrash Nunsploitation films with a large number of Italian classics, there is also quite a few from Mexico such Satanico Pandemonium (Gilberto Martinez Solares) (1975), Japanam such as Norifumi Suzuki's School of the Holy Beast (1974) and Poland such as Behind the Convent Walls (Interno di un convento) (Walerian Borowczyk) (1978). The Japanese titles are generally marked by their explicitness and emphasis on sado-masochism. In England Nigel Wingrove of Redemption films first explored the genre in his short film Visions of Ecstasy (1989) which was the first film banned in the UK on the grounds of Blasphemy. In it he explored Saint Teresa of Ávila caressing the body of Jesus on the cross as she becomes aroused and enflamed! He later followed this in 1999 with Sacred Flesh. Many of his current Satanic Sluts range includes nuns in a range of fetishistic depictions.

Bad Habits follows in the traditions of nunsploitation and has much in common with the imagery of Killer Nun. It is a stylish, gritty low budget exploration of the life of Sister Marie Fenche, a nun bordering on the brink. It has the look of film noir film presented with dark skys, moody music and an urban aesthetic that is extremely appealing.

“I thought you were married to God ? ….God and I have an open relationship”

Sister Marie has some problems. She is plagued with insomnia, has a drug addiction and finds life a constant bore. Her faith has little influence on her everyday experience and she takes affection where she can get it. She is domination, aggressive and very unstable.

She roams the street at night drinking booze, having sex and having increasingly surreal experiences. One night she goes home with a mysterious stranger only to wake up and find him with his throat cut in the bathtub and her name written in blood on the wall. Is she the killer or is another game afoot ?

The more she tries to unravel what is occurring to her, the more bizarre things become as she encounters all manner of unusual and eccentric characters including the enigmatic but potentially dangerous James Bishop.

This is an extremely effective and intriguing film; Sandra Casa is sultry and just plain dangerous as Sister Marie and all the cast put in excellent performances.

The soundtrack is atmospheric and the cinematography is exceptional. I certainly found Bad Habits a classic example of the high quality cinema that can be achieved on when a limited budget is overcome with buckets loads of creativity and innovation.

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This review will appear in Volume 2 No.5 (2009) of the digital and print edition of Synergy Magazine.

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