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  After a picnic is called off due to a sudden shower, Ben Holden (CHARLES BATEMAN) his girlfriend Nikky (AHNA CAPRI) and his little girl K.T. (future phony Jan Brady GERI REISCHL) find themselves witness to a brutal car accident. They report the incident in a nearby town only to find the inhabitants of said town hostile and verging on insane. Once more, all attempts to flee the area are nixed by supernatural forces. Seems oldster Satanists have infiltrated the community and they need X amount of tots to complete a body switching ritual and lil K.T is primo material.Having watched this PG-rated 70's Satan flick years ago on VHS and being mostly unimpressed, I have to say the DVD presentation is another story altogether. Vibrant colors, bizarre camera angles and a generally unnerving atmosphere diluted by the pan and scan edition are here perfectly represented. The story structure is indeed off putting, but it adds to the general sense of confusion and non-reality that becomes a strong point for the film. Hallucinations, nightmare logic and loose ends swirl in a molten mixture of pure post-ROSEMARY'S BABY, Me-decade occult-infused surrealism. Don't expect answers and don't expect a victorious climax. BROTHERHOOD OF SATAN is more interested in slowly crawling up your spine than having you at the edge of your seat. I have probably used the adjective "creepy" on this site a thousand times, but after watching this nonsensical dance with the devil in its proper aspect ratio, I have a brand new appreciation for its meaning. What we have here is an under-appreciated classic that demands revaluation. 
- Toy tank is used to flatten car
- The nutzo crying baby doll that shakes and kills
- Nicky's crazy dream
- The horseman statue that comes to life and causes a decapitation
- The priest checks out some MONSTER BRAINS worthy satanic illustrations
- STROTHER MARTIN (SSSSSS) blissfully bounces off the walls as the leader of the coven. The final scenes with the elderly standing next to the children that they will soon inhabit is as humorous as it is disturbing
I remember seeing this one on the late night horror show when I was a kid, more than once, and remember literally NOTHING about it except that it freaked my shit out. I wonder if a revisit would do the same? So many movies, so little time…
I adore this movie. It's one of those great underrated classics that only solidify (sp?) how amazing filmmaking was in the 70s.
Oh yeah, and LQ Jones? So hot… He's in this awesome Charlie's Angels where he is part of one of the most impressive (small scale) stunts I have ever seen. Worth seeing just to see him throw someone across a room!
One of the most interesting things about this movie, was the inclusion of Alvy Moore, who is most famous for playing Hank Kimball on Green Acres. He was known for his comedy talents, but was a pretty impressive guy in the world of horror as well… His producing credits include this film and A Boy and His Dog (which LQ Jones directed from his own adapted screenplay of the book) and Moore also starred in that really bad slasher Scream (the from 81) and also was in They're Playing with Fire and Mortuary. I also read that he was in WWII. He's kind of a real man, if you ask me… Are you asking me?
Another great review.
Hi, 2008! I just watched Brotherhood of Satan last night. Fantastic movie. The streaming version on Crackle looks almost HD.
I wonder if this movie inspired the "satanic panic" of the 1980s? The scenes of children being lured to the black mass reminded me of this.
For my part, I remember being traumatized by the decapitation scene when I saw this on TV as a kid. That was the only part of the movie I recall seeing before last night. The way the head (in silhouette) just falls off the body still turns my stomach.
Oh, I knew you'd have the answer! I've been trying to recall the title for days. All I could remember was a couple with a little girl and her doll driving into town in a station wagon, talking to a cop, and then the ending. I keep confusing it with The Town That Dreaded Sundown, only because it has "town" in the title, and because the satanic cult in the movie isn't a brotherhood. Turns out it's been on my shelf this whole time. Doh. You're indispensable!
Creepy flick perfect for rainy day viewing. This movie also has TWO Brady Bunch connections… in addition to the already mentioned Geri Reischl ("Fake Jan"), one of the other children is played by Debi Storm ("Molly Weber" from the My Fair Opponent episode)