The Unholy (1988)

Director:

Camilo Vila

Writers:

Philip Yordan (writer) and
Fernando Fonseca (writer)

Release Date:

30 March 1989 (West Germany)

Genre:

Horror

Tagline:

Seduction. Submission. Murder. Tonight . . . evil goes over the edge.

Plot:

A priest battles a demon that kills sinners in the act of sinning.

Plot Keywords:

Demon | Devil | Occult | Priest | Religion

Cast

Ruben Rabasa	...	Father Dennis
Nicole Fortier	...	Demon
Peter Frechette	...	Claude
Phil Becker	...	Doctor
Ned Beatty	...	Lt. Stern
Susan Bearden	...	Hotel manager
Xavier Barquet	...	Bell Boy
Lari White	...	Housekeeper
Jeff D'Onofrio	...	Paramedic
Ben Cross	...	Father Michael
Hal Holbrook	...	Archbishop Mosely
Trevor Howard	...	Father Silva
Martha Hester	...	Young nun
John Boyland	...	Dr. Valerio
Claudia Robinson	...	Teresa
Norma Donaldson	...	Abby
William Russ	...	Luke
Earleen Carey	...	Lucile
Jill Carroll	...	Millie
Anthony Deans Jr.	...	Manolo
Frank Barnes	...	Parishioner
Selma Jones	...	Parishioner
Willemina Riley	...	Parishioner
Steven Hadley	...	Parishioner
Anthony Deans	...	Parishioner
Laura Pivacco	...	Lorna
Joshua Sussman	...	Bodyguard #1
David Sanderson	...	Bodyguard #2
Alan Warhaftig	...	Intern
Sandy Queen	...	Nurse
Ellen Cody	...	Old woman
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Donna Barone	...	Demon Lesbian #2 in Nightmare Sequence (uncredited)
Ruth Waytz	...	Demon Lesbian #1 in Nightmare Sequence (uncredited)

Directed by
Camilo Vila

Writing credits
Philip Yordan		(writer) and
Fernando Fonseca		(writer)

Produced by
Oscar L. Costo	....	associate producer
Michael Economou	....	associate producer
Mathew Hayden	....	producer
Dan Ireland	....	executive producer
William J. Quigley	....	executive producer
Wanda S. Rayle	....	executive producer
Duke Siotkas	....	executive producer
Frank D. Tolin	....	executive producer

Original Music by
Roger Bellon

Cinematography by
Henry Vargas

Film Editing by
Mark Melnick

Casting by
Reuben Cannon
Carol L. Dudley

Production Design by
Fernando Fonseca

Art Direction by
Jose Duarte

Set Decoration by
Carterlee Cullen

Costume Design by
Beverly Safier

Makeup Department
Isabel Harkins	....	hair stylist
Isabel Harkins	....	makeup artist
Alan Hedgcock	....	special makeup effects artist
Julie Hewett	....	hair stylist: special effects unit (as Julie Hewitt)
Julie Hewett	....	makeup artist: special effects unit (as Julie Hewitt)
Paul Jones	....	special makeup effects artist
Jerry Macaluso	....	special makeup designer
Melissa A. Yonkey	....	makeup artist

Production Management
Valerie Casuso	....	unit manager
Oscar L. Costo	....	production manager
Gardner Monks	....	post-production supervisor

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Andy Armstrong	....	second unit director
Douglas Bruce	....	first assistant director
Bob Keen	....	special effects unit director
John P. Tuttell	....	second assistant director

Art Department
Barney Baxter	....	construction crew
Eugene Bright	....	propmaker
Michael Bright	....	propmaker
Daniel Carpio	....	propmaker
Harold Collins	....	construction coordinator
James P. Crapser	....	propmaker
Robert Cuevas	....	propmaker
Peter Damien	....	propmaker
Daniel Duarte	....	art assistant
John Eaves	....	model maker
Richard Fojo	....	draftsman
Richard Fojo	....	model maker
José González	....	head scenic artist
Valerie Gough	....	carpenter
James Hendrix	....	propmaker
William Kellow	....	propmaker
Manuel Morales	....	construction crew
James L. Ricker	....	carpenter
Woodward Romine Jr.	....	painter
Sally Romine	....	model maker
Mayo Sanchez	....	set dressing production assistant
Robert Schields	....	property master
Joseph Sedor	....	construction foreman
O.C. Whiddon	....	propmaker

Sound Department
Vanessa Theme Ament	....	foley walker
Patrick Bietz	....	assistant sound editor
Greg Curda	....	foley mixer
Mark Ettel	....	sound re-recording mixer
Jeff Gomillion	....	sound re-recording mixer
Tim Gomillion	....	sound recordist
Dan Hegeman	....	dialog editor
Matthew Iadarola	....	sound effects
Matthew Iadarola	....	sound re-recording mixer
Henri Lopez	....	sound mixer
Leonard Marcel	....	sound designer
Charles McCann	....	sound editor
F. Hudson Miller	....	sound effects editor
T.A. Moore Jr.	....	sound re-recording mixer (as T.A. Moore)
R.J. Palmer	....	supervising sound editor
Mary Louise Rodgers	....	foley walker (as Mary Rodgers)
George W. Scott	....	boom operator: special effects unit
Greg Steele	....	sound recordist
Kelly Tartan	....	sound effects editor
David Williams	....	dialogue editor
Mark Witzen	....	boom operator
David Lewis Yewdall	....	sound designer

Special Effects by
Barry Anderson	....	special effects technician
Philippa Anderson	....	special effects coordinator
Gary M. Bettman	....	special effects first assistant director
Russ Brandt	....	gaffer: special effects unit
Theresa Burkett	....	creative fabricator
Stuart Conran	....	creature effects crew
Steve Gero	....	best boy grip: special effects unit
Chris Godfrey	....	grip: special effects unit
Neill Gorton	....	special effects makeup
Steve Hardie	....	art director: special effects unit
Robert Janiger	....	special effects sound mixer
Little John	....	creature effects crew
Kristin Frances Jones	....	special effects assistant property master
Duane Journey	....	key/dolly grip: special effects unit
Dave Keen	....	special effects technician
David H. Lloyd	....	editor: special effects unit
Jesse Long	....	script supervisor: special effects unit
Michael Martino	....	second assistant camera: special effects unit
John 'Mac' McWilliams	....	special effects property master
Bruce E. Merlin	....	special effects foreman
Heather Mills	....	special effects production manager
Melissa Moseley	....	special effects unit still photographer
Richard Oswald	....	special effects second assistant director
William Petty	....	creature effects crew
Geoffrey Portass	....	creature effects crew
Roy Puddefoot	....	creature effects crew
Drex Reed	....	best boy electric: special effects unit
Jason Reed	....	creature effects crew
Simon Sayce	....	special effects makeup
Warwick Sayce	....	creature effects crew
John Schwartzman	....	director of photography: special effects unit
Jimmy Thomson	....	pyrotechnician
John Tissavary	....	special effects technician
Cliff Wallace	....	creature effects crew
Cliff Wallace	....	special makeup effects technician
Lisa Welton	....	ceature effects crew
Ken Wheatley	....	special effects mechanic

Visual Effects by
Bob Keen	....	special visual effects
Joseph Yanuzzi	....	assistant editor: Apogee, Inc.
Michael Douglas Middleton	....	visual effects still photographer (uncredited)

Stunts
Tom Bahr	....	stunt double
Artie Malesci	....	stunt coordinator

Camera and Electrical Department
Kenneth Bonet	....	electrician
Carlos Catalanotto	....	second assistant camera: second unit
Joe Catalanotto	....	electrician: second unit (as Joseph Catalanotto)
Manuel Chavez	....	electrician
Kevin Chickanis	....	grip
Andy Clapp	....	gaffer
Mike Clayton	....	key grip
John Drackett	....	grip: second unit
David E. Elkins	....	first assistant camera: special effects unit
Sam Hassel	....	grip
Michael Klimchak	....	assistant camera: second unit
Dan Littlejohn	....	still photographer
Chris Magee	....	first assistant camera
Ernie Marc	....	second assistant camera
Marty Mullin	....	director of photography: second unit
Robert Nelson	....	grip: second unit
Orson Ochoa	....	director of photography: second unit
Rubin Rodrigues	....	best boy electric
Michael L. Smith	....	best boy: second unit
Ramón F. Suárez	....	lighting and visual consultant
Nicholas Woodring	....	electrician: second unit

Casting Department
Wilma Francis	....	casting: New Orleans
Chris Gegen	....	casting assistant: Los Angeles
Robert J. Ulrich	....	casting assistant: Los Angeles

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Michael Safier	....	wardrobe supervisor

Editorial Department
Daniel Craven	....	apprentice editor
Kelly G. Crawford	....	additional editor
Susanne Gervay	....	negative cutter
Michael Karr	....	assistant editor
Bill Lowe	....	assistant editor
Jeremiah Nelson	....	assistant editor
Maurey Sparks	....	color timer

Music Department
Fernando Fonseca	....	composer: additional music
David Franco	....	music supervisor
Jimmy Ienner	....	music supervisor
Steven Jamerson	....	music scoring engineer
Ken Johnson	....	music editor
Peter D. Kaye	....	score programmer
Steve Livingston	....	music editor
Roger Monk	....	scoring mixer
R. Russell Smith	....	scoring mixer (as Rusty Smith)
Michelle Garuik	....	assistant scoring mixer (uncredited)

Other crew
Salomé Breziner	....	script supervisor
Dan Curry	....	title designer
Dawn Darfus	....	production auditor
Betty Davidson	....	craft service: special effects unit
Jack Davidson	....	craft service: special effects unit
Jaffrey Gatto	....	craft service: second unit
Mark Hutto	....	production assistant: New Orleans
George Lakes	....	production auditor
Jack Lorenz	....	production representative
F. Stanley Pearse Jr.	....	assistant location manager: New Orleans
Joanne Schmidt	....	production assistant: New Orleans
Kevin Williams	....	production assistant

Production Companies

• Limelite Studios
• Team Effort

Distributors

• Delta Vidéo Diffusion (1990) (France) (VHS)
• Vestron Pictures
• Vestron Video International (1989) (Belgium) (video)

Other Companies

• Cinema Research  opticals
• Limelite Equipment Rental  grip and lighting equipment

Runtime:

102 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Colour:

Colour

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

Iceland:16 | Norway:18 | Australia:M | Spain:18 | UK:18 | USA:R | West Germany:18

Filming Locations:

Limelite Studios, Miami, Florida, USA

Company:

Limelite Studios

Trivia:

Director Camilo Vila proclaimed that this was not a horror film during its initial release despite the fact that the film was about literal demons from hell.

Movie Connections:

Featured in "Svengoolie: The Unholy" (2001)

Perhaps the only movie featuring a live phone call from Hell.

"The Unholy" is a typical two-star horror effort: serious-minded and with many positive points, but still somewhat disappointing. It has a good basic concept, good (if rather sparse) special effects and a surprisingly distinguished cast (even Trevor Howard, who died the same year, has a small but pretty important role). BUT... it moves kind of slowly, the direction is too often choppy in the wrong places, and when the demon appears at the end, he (or "it") seems childishly conceived (although it's technically well-executed) and doesn't fit in an otherwise very serious movie. Anyway, most horror fans WILL probably find this worth a (single) viewing.