Hammer-esque British film based around Sir Francis Dashwood's semi-secret 18th century club. The Hellfire Club has been linked to various Satanic and pagan rites, but appears to have been simply an excuse for drunken debautury and mocking blasphemy by a group of well connected 18th century Brit's. The plot concerns "Jason" (Keith Michell) the presumed dead heir to an English lordship who returns from exile in Europe after his fathers death. Jason's cousin Thomas (Peter Arne) has assumed the lordship and doesn't like the idea of being stripped of it, so upon discovering Jason's identity he hunts Jason down kills his cousins longtime guardian Timothy (David Lodge) and has Jason sent to prison. Timothy had run a travailing circus and upon his death and Jason's capture love interest #1 Yvonne (Kai Fischer) and the other cicus folks mount a rescue for Jason. After his escape Thomas and his men kidnap love interest #1, so Jason returns to the family estate to rescue Yvonne, but his cousins mistress love interest #2 Isobel (Adrienne Corri) betrays him to The Hell Fire club whose meetings he had infiltrated posing as a French aristocrat.Yeah its kind of ridiculous, but its fun and not nearly as graphic as I expected. Jason had been an acrobat at the circus so he gets to do a lot of gymnastics in addition to the rather enjoyable sword play we see throughout the film. This movies cast is padded with small roles from the always good Peter Cushing and Miles Malleson. A really enjoyable romp. ***
You can watch it online for free here.
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