Sunday 25 October 2020

Satan’s Children (1975)

 


Watching Satan's Children is the kind of experience that leaves you shuddering to imagine what issues and personal demons its makers were wrestling with at the time. Mean spirited, a l'ttle bit too preoccupied with incest, intense in its homophobia yet drawn towards homoerotic imagery, opening up the idea that there was an element of strong, self-hatred going on here. Try to second guess which direction this film is going in, and I guarantee that Satan's Children will run rings around you.

The film initially has the feel of a public information film warning teenagers about the dangers of running away from home, as teenage hero Bobby Douglas flees his bullying stepfather and flirty, troublemaking step sister, both of whom regard him as little more than a glorified houseboy. This mask of social concern soon begins to slip away though and a more sadistic agenda comes into play when Bobby gets picked up by a middle aged biker dude, only to then be hog tied and gang raped by the biker and his buddies. Satan's Children then turns queer hating once Bobby falls in with a satanic group, who regard Bobby with some suspicion and hostility due to him having been raped by men. At which point your mind begins to wander towards this film being the work of some anti-gay religious group, however any allegiance there is shattered by the film's own combative relationship with Christianity as well. Satan's Children's point of view seems to be that Christianity is weak and has become too forgiving and tolerant towards homosexuality, driving young people like Bobby in the direction of Satanism instead. A point made by having Simon, the head Satanist, taunt poor Bobby by bitching “your ass is sore. Poor little boy got raped by some queers. And he's perfectly willing to forget all about it. You must believe in Jesus”. Bobby's presence leads to power struggles within the group. Cult member Sherry falls in love with Bobby, but loses face within the group when his sexuality comes under question. Sherry is also falsely accused of betraying the group by Monica, a closet lesbian who wants revenge after Sherry had rejected her advances. Can Bobby Douglas ever forget his sore ass and find true happiness?

The all-consuming hang up of Satan's Children is homosexual rape, and being tainted by the suspicion of homosexuality because of it. Mental baggage so specific that you can't help but suspect that you are seeing someone's own private hell being brought to the screen. Surely if a person in 1970s Florida just wanted to make a few bucks from the drive-ins they'd have thrown money at a HG Lewis type gorefest or a monster movie throwback like Zaat...Satan's Children feels a far more bitter and personal endeavour. Hateful at it is towards homosexuality it is impossible not to pick up on just how homoerotic Satan's Children gets at times. The male rape scene is graphic and its mere depiction atypical for something aimed at the drive-ins, another scene where Bobby runs from the cult in just his underwear is hilariously prolonged and eroticized. Paradoxically, when it comes to what this film regards as sexually normal, Satan's Children gets all conservative on us. Woman are allowed to keep their bras on while being sacrificed to Satan and Bobby's victorious assertion of his heterosexuality, by bedding Sherry, coyly takes place under the sheets. A troubling, ugly yet unforgettable sexual nightmare caught on film...if I were to be told tomorrow that someone involved in Satan's Children later went on to join the Westboro Baptist Church I wouldn't be at all surprised... this film might have been more aptly titled 'Don't Look in the Closet'.



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