Land of the Minotaur
Directed byKostas Karagiannis
Written byArthur Rowe
Produced byFrixos Constantine
StarringDonald Pleasence
Peter Cushing
Music byBrian Eno
Production
companies
Getty Pictures Corp.
Poseidon Films
Distributed byCathay Films (United Kingdom)
Crown International Pictures (United States)
Release dates
  • 11 August 1976 (1976-08-11) (Greece and the United Kingdom)
  • 25 May 1977 (1977-05-25) (United States)
Running time
95 minutes
CountriesGreece
United Kingdom
United States
LanguageEnglish
Box office$1,020,000[1]

Land of the Minotaur (UK title: The Devil's Men) is a 1976 horror film directed by Kostas Karagiannis and written by Arthur Rowe. The film is also known as Minotaur and The Devil's Men.[2]

Land of the Minotaur is actually the name of the shorter [86 minutes] U.S. edit of the film. When seen as The Devil’s Men, it is the full 94 minute European cut.

Plot

Tourists visiting a Greek archeological site are being abducted by a strange cult, intent on providing their God - the Minotaur - with sacrifice. Irish priest Father Roche (Donald Pleasence) enlists the help of Laurie Gordon, an archaeological student, and Milo Kaye, a private detective, to find out what has happened to them.

Cast

  • Donald Pleasence as Father Roche
  • Peter Cushing as Baron Corofax
  • Luan Peters as Laurie Gordon
  • Kostas Karagiorgis (credited as Costas Skouras) as Milo Kaye
  • Fernando Bislamis (credited as Dimitris Bislanis) as Sgt Vendris
  • George Venlis as Max
  • Vanna Reville as Beth
  • Nikos Verlekis as Ian
  • Robert Behling (credited as Bob Behling) as Tom Gifford
  • Anna Matzourani as Mrs. Mikaelis
  • Anestis Vlachos as Shopkeeper - Karapades
  • Jane Lyle as Milo's Girlfriend
  • Jessica Dublin (credited as Jessica) as Mrs. Zagros

Reception

Critical response for Land of the Minotaur has been predominantly negative. TV Guide gave the film one out of four stars, calling it "[a] distinctly silly effort".[3] HorrorNews.net found the film enjoyable in spite of its contrived plot, commending its soundtrack and chemistry between its two leads.[4]

Praising the "suffocating ambiance and dream-like atmosphere", as well as Brian Eno's electronic score, Chris Alexander argues that the film is underrated: "Make no mistake, it's a lowbrow exploitation film, but it's one that’s filtered through a very stylised art house sensibility. Don't be swayed by the negative mainstream reviews and general fanboy silence."[5] Emanuel Levy rated the film three out of five.[6]

References

  1. ↑ Donahue, Suzanne Mary (1987). American film distribution : the changing marketplace. UMI Research Press. p. 298. Please note figures are for rentals in US and Canada
  2. ↑ Land of the Minotaur (1976), retrieved 25 April 2020
  3. ↑ "Land Of The Minotaur - Movie Reviews and Movie Ratings". TV Guide,com. TV Guide. n.d. Retrieved 11 December 2020.
  4. ↑ "Film Review: The Devil's Men (1976)". HorrorNews.net. Creepy Jeffy. 12 April 2014. Retrieved 11 December 2020.
  5. ↑ Alexander, Chris (10 May 2020). "On Land of the Minotaur". alexanderonfilm.com. Archived from the original on 3 February 2022. Retrieved 14 November 2022.
  6. ↑ "Land of the Minotaur Reviews". Rotten Tomatoes. Archived from the original on 7 February 2022. Retrieved 14 November 2022.


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