The Mephisto Waltz

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Greg C I read an online review that suggested this was one of the best horror movies of the 70’s so I looked it up and I was impressed. The movie is quite dated so it looks like someone is tripping on mushrooms as the credits start to roll. The movie sets are quite impressive for 1971, the mansion where parts of the movie takes place is gorgeous….Jacquelin Bassett, Alan Alda are quite believable with the limited script and the movie is not like a scream fest type of movie, it’s more like a slow realization that something is off and the horror of finding out what you are dealing with. I had no idea that transhumanism went this far back but obviously it does but they add a satanic twist which just blew my mind. The dream sequences were so creepy especially when they blurred the outer edges of those sequences. You might be surprised to see Pamela Ferdin playin the daughter of Jacqueline Bissett Pamela made appearances in almost all the hit tv shows in the early 70s but her next movie role after this one was Charlottes Web…where she was the voice of Fern She claims she was pushed into the movie business by her mother and regrets not experiencing a normal childhood upbringing and she says the roles just kept coming. She kept steadily working although she never became a household name. She eventually found other interests and is an avid animal activist. Although her role in this movie is brief, I just wanted to point her out, The movie had me on the edge of my seat near the end it is surprising how it ends. I had to give this a 4 because the movie was able to hold my attention all the way thru Rated 4/5 Stars •  Rated 4 out of 5 stars 03/06/25 Full Review Audience Member The devil is in the details itself so to speak. Playing piano is an art form but when it comes to the occult that's another thing. Jacqueline Bisset, Alan Alda and Curd Jurgens. Jurgens is an aging satanist Myles Duncan posing as a virtuoso and is planning to transfer his soul into the young body of an aspiring pianist. But Myles is unaware of the man's dark intentions. His wife Paula Is just as terrified as he's getting closer to perfecting his music. Things seem fine after Myles inherits the man's finances and musical antiques; however it starts getting strange when Myles is acting out of character. Paula starts noticing and it feels uneasy. The score is terrifying, director Alan Alda puts a horrific spin on classical art of music, the cast performs well given the hokum nature of this premise, it's also quite nightmarish with its crazy camera angles. As far as the romance it's sweet but has its own sense of twistedness. Definitely lots of Freudian stuff going on with the supernatural. Rated 4/5 Stars •  Rated 4 out of 5 stars 04/09/24 Full Review ashley h The Mephisto Waltz is a decent film. It is about an old, dying satanist who arranges to transfer his soul into the body of a young concert pianist. Alan Alda and Jacqueline Bisset give good performances. The screenplay is a little slow in places. Paul Wendkos did an alright job directing his movie. I liked this motion picture because of the mystery and horror. Rated 3.5/5 Stars •  Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 03/31/23 Full Review deke p Spooky, intermittently dreamlike ghostly surreality. Hasn't aged well, cuz its 1971 style. Kinda reincarnated body stealing. Big Cast names of the time. I've always heard of it, and often knew it was on tv, but never watched it til now 7.8.22. very slow by todays standards. But ok for its time. Jaquiline BISSET! Rated 2.5/5 Stars •  Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars 03/30/23 Full Review dave s Other than great performances from Jacqueline Bissett and Alan Alda (pre-M*A*S*H), The Mephisto Waltz doesn't really have much of anything to offer. When those around her start behaving oddly, a young woman begins to believe that deals are being made with the devil. Sound familiar? It should – it's a blatant rip-off of Rosemary's Baby. Other than the lack of originality, the primary problems with The Mephisto Waltz are the outdated stylistic excesses – fast zooms, sporadically erratic editing, extreme close-ups, ineffective low angle shots and awkward dream sequences. The movie feels like it's about thirty minutes too long and probably would have been better suited as a Twilight Zone episode rather than a full-length feature. Rated 2/5 Stars •  Rated 2 out of 5 stars 03/30/23 Full Review Audience Member The devil is in the details itself so to speak. Playing piano is an art form but when it comes to the occult that's another thing. Jacqueline Bisset, Alan Alda and Curd Jurgens. Jurgens is an aging satanist Myles Duncan posing as a virtuoso and is planning to transfer his soul into the young body of an aspiring pianist. But Myles is unaware of the man's dark intentions. His wife Paula is just as terrified as he's getting closer to perfecting his music. Things seem fine after Myles inherits the man's finances and musical antiques; however it starts getting strange when Myles is acting out of character. Paula starts noticing and it feels uneasy. The score is terrifying, director Alan Alda puts a horrific spin on classical art of music, the cast performs well given the hokum nature of this premise, it's also quite nightmarish with its crazy camera angles. As far as the romance it's sweet but has its own sense of twistedness. Definitely lots of Freudian stuff going on with the supernatural. Rated 4/5 Stars •  Rated 4 out of 5 stars 01/22/23 Full Review Read all reviews

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