The Baron Against the Demons

Director: Ricardo Ribelles

Allied Entertainment Inc

R1

Web: http://www.alliedentertainment.com

In the closing stages of the 21st Century, the battle continues between Good and Evil. On the side of good is a religious organization called the Exorcio Deus Machine which has undertaken a crusade against the encroaching darkness. One of their prime commanders is the Baron.

During a mission behind enemy lines to exterminate some female comrades who have been “perverted” by evil, the Baron is taken prison by witch Lady Pervertvm. He is tortured in various unmentionable ways until she is able to get hold of some of his sperm. She then uses the Baron's seminal fluid to fertilize the Beast-Ragnarok to breed a new race of demons.

The Baron manages to escape but at the cost of a fellow warrior’s life, haunted by guilt, he begins a bloody Crusade against the beast and its minions.

This is one of these films which has to be seen to be believed, it is hard to describe just how unique it really it. It is a mixture of Sword and Sorcery, Medieval Crusade and Space genres with puppets, thunderbird-like sets and some very dubious acting. There is a very strange “religious” background which at times includes “ye’s” and “thou’s” and even occasional statements in Latin. The script is utterly ludicrous, the special effects border on the insane and it is so utterly, utterly beyond definition that it reaches a certain level of “cult” film greatness that is not often seen on screen !

The puppets border on perverse, they are a mixture of Jim Henson’s Muppets and Peter Jackson’s Meet the Feebles, they are very adult and at times bewildering bizarre. Beast-Ragnarok being ridden across the sky by Pervertvm and then sating his hunger on her body parts is really quite over the top and the war scenes in which puppets battle against each other using retro weapons with Wagner in the background are nothing short of astounding ! The sets are well done but at times are more than obvious and have a sort of R Rated adult “Thunderbirds” feel. However, this B-gradeness makes it even more entertaining and it seems to move further and further into madness as the film progresses.

Throughout the film we seem to more from genre to genre with retro Sci Fi moving into semi-medieval crusade with bagpipes playing and flags waving, we even have an Arthurian ending with the sword in the stone !!

All this adds up to an awesome experience, there is everything to make this a cult classic. So often it attempts to be a serious science fiction film and this makes it even more over the top and hilarious. Semi naked warrior women mating with monsters, a witch called Pervertvm stealing the semen of the hero to create a new race of demons, puppet creatures which are slowly developing consciousness by following any new hero (good or bad), strange religious motifs and on and on, The Baron Against the Demons has it all and provides ample blood and guts as well.

A strangely satisfying experience !