THE DEVIL IN A CONVENT (1899)
aka Le diable ou couvent
#Article 4069 by Dave Sindelar
Date: 11-2-2012
Directed by Georges Melies
Featuring Georges Melies
Country: France
What it is: Trick film

The devil appears in a convent, and, after frightening some nuns, he conjures up demons and redecorates the place.

No, this isn’t an example of seventies Eurotrash nunsploitation; it’s another Melies short from the silent era. In terms of its basic story, it’s actually quite similar to yesterday’s THE DEVIL AND THE STATUE, but it’s more energetic, more elaborate, and a lot more fun. The special effects come thick and fast in this one, though the imps the devil conjures up don’t partake in any of their trademark tumbling; they mostly just sit there or run around with pitchforks. This is probably the most enjoyable of the various Melies shorts I’ve seen lately.