# Movies depicting...the DEVIL!!! **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [July 3, 2008, 4:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-depicting-the-devil/455203 "2008-07-03T16:55:49Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Don\_Draper](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b2d939/32.png) [@Don\_Draper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Don_Draper)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2008, 4:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-depicting-the-devil/455203/1 "2008-07-03T16:55:49Z")
I once read (sorry, no cite) that Satan is perhaps the most widely depicted character in the history of the cinema. So how many movies can we come up that portray the Prince of Darkness, Lord of Lies, Root of All Evil - Lucifer, in any way, shape or form? To start the list - the Exorcist Rosemary’s Baby Fantasia (Night on Bald Mountain segment) Bedazzled Wholly Moses (Dudley Moore parody of biblical stories - John Ritter plays the Devil) Angel Heart (Louis Cypher a.k.a. Lucifer) the Devil’s Advocate the Passion of the Christ Oh God, You Devil! (starring George Burns as both God and the Devil) the Omen Where else does he show up. (And for this thread, ‘appearing’ can include being a spectral, intangible force like in “the Omen” - as long as he’s called by name or title (the Devil / Satan / Lucifer / Beelzebub, etc.) ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2008, 5:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-depicting-the-devil/455203/2 "2008-07-03T17:01:14Z")
[_The Prophecy._](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Prophecy) I don’t suppose [_Dogma_](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dogma_%28film%29) counts as Satan, while his existence is assumed, is an off-camera presence taking no direct role in the action. ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2008, 5:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-depicting-the-devil/455203/3 "2008-07-03T17:03:07Z")
[QUOTE=The New and Improved Superman] Fantasia (Night on Bald Mountain segment) [/QUOTE] Nitpick: [Chernobog](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chernobog) is actually a pre-Christian Slavic deity. ---
**Author:** ![Zebra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/c0e974/32.png) [@Zebra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zebra)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2008, 5:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-depicting-the-devil/455203/4 "2008-07-03T17:06:44Z")
[Complete list](http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000333/) ---
**Author:** ![Sigmagirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c89c15/32.png) [@Sigmagirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sigmagirl)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2008, 5:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-depicting-the-devil/455203/5 "2008-07-03T17:09:09Z")
Damn Yankees. ---
**Author:** ![Slithy\_Tove](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slithy_tove/32/18248_2.png) [@Slithy\_Tove](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Slithy_Tove)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2008, 5:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-depicting-the-devil/455203/6 "2008-07-03T17:09:56Z")
Favorite Satan: [Claude Rains](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0038300/) ---
**Author:** ![Don\_Draper](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b2d939/32.png) [@Don\_Draper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Don_Draper)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2008, 5:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-depicting-the-devil/455203/7 "2008-07-03T17:13:57Z")
[QUOTE=Zebra] [Complete list](http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000333/) [/QUOTE] 😃😃😃😃😃😃😃😃😃😃😃 ---
**Author:** ![singular1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ba9def/32.png) [@singular1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/singular1)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2008, 5:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-depicting-the-devil/455203/8 "2008-07-03T17:15:46Z")
I like Tim Curry in [Legend](http://www.geocities.com/Hollywood/Cinema/2636/legend.jpg). ---
**Author:** ![Sigmagirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c89c15/32.png) [@Sigmagirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sigmagirl)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2008, 5:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-depicting-the-devil/455203/9 "2008-07-03T17:17:35Z")
[QUOTE=Slithy Tove] Favorite Satan: [Claude Rains](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0038300/) [/QUOTE] Second. You just know the Evil One talks like that. Smoooooth. ---
**Author:** ![Shark\_Sandwich](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f04885/32.png) [@Shark\_Sandwich](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shark_Sandwich)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2008, 5:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-depicting-the-devil/455203/10 "2008-07-03T17:17:46Z")
Mr. Frost with Jeff Goldblum. ---
**Author:** ![h.sapiens](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e0b2c6/32.png) [@h.sapiens](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/h.sapiens)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2008, 5:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-depicting-the-devil/455203/11 "2008-07-03T17:19:54Z")
[The Devil and Daniel Webster](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0033532/) with Walter Huston as “Mr. Scratch” ---
**Author:** ![garygnu](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/garygnu/32/2924_2.png) [@garygnu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/garygnu)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2008, 5:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-depicting-the-devil/455203/12 "2008-07-03T17:20:41Z")
[End of Days](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0146675/), Satan is played by Gabriel Byrne. BTW, [here](http://www.imdb.com/character/ch0026839/) is IMDb’s character page on Satan. ---
**Author:** ![Eutychus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a3d4f5/32.png) [@Eutychus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eutychus)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2008, 5:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-depicting-the-devil/455203/13 "2008-07-03T17:22:44Z")
“Time Bandits” ---
**Author:** ![Autolycus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/22d042/32.png) [@Autolycus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Autolycus)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2008, 5:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-depicting-the-devil/455203/14 "2008-07-03T17:24:08Z")
[QUOTE=BrainGlutton] [_The Prophecy._](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Prophecy) [/QUOTE] I thought Viggo was fantastic in that role. “Other angels have made this war because they hate you, you and all humans. God has put you in his grace and pushed them aside. They’re desperate. They’ve never been able to conquer the other loyal angels, and so this war has remained in stalemate for thousands of years. And while this state of affairs endures no soul can meet its god. Your parents, and their parents, and so on from the beginning lie still in wormy earth. Of course, some of them do come to me eventually, for while heaven may be closed I am always open, even on Christmas.” ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2008, 5:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-depicting-the-devil/455203/15 "2008-07-03T17:27:08Z")
**Vincent Price** as Mr. Scratch in the abysmal **The Story of Mankind** ---
**Author:** ![Duck\_Duck\_Goose](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/50afbb/32.png) [@Duck\_Duck\_Goose](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duck_Duck_Goose)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2008, 5:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-depicting-the-devil/455203/16 "2008-07-03T17:30:08Z")
Harvey Keitel in _Little Nicky_. One of my favorite Keitel performances, too. Ignore the Adam Sandler part. Although the tits on the head bit was funny. ---
**Author:** ![Don\_Draper](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b2d939/32.png) [@Don\_Draper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Don_Draper)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2008, 5:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-depicting-the-devil/455203/17 "2008-07-03T17:48:12Z")
[QUOTE=CalMeacham] **Vincent Price** as Mr. Scratch in the abysmal **The Story of Mankind** [/QUOTE] Weird trivia - Tom Baker, one of the many, many folks to portray the title character in “Doctor Who”, wrote a screenplay for a proposed feature film entitled “Doctor Who Meets Scratchman” that would have starred (apart from himself) Vincent Price as ‘Scratchman’ (who would be revealed to be…the DEVIL!!) It never got beyond the writing stage though. ---
**Author:** ![want2know](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/50afbb/32.png) [@want2know](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/want2know)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2008, 5:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-depicting-the-devil/455203/18 "2008-07-03T17:48:35Z")
Are we counting TV? Because if we are, we have to add the _Twilight Zone_ episode, “The Howling Man”. And of course, there’s[The Devil’s Messenger](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0054807/), a _Chiller Theater_ staple. ---
**Author:** ![Astroboy14](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/df705f/32.png) [@Astroboy14](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Astroboy14)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2008, 5:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-depicting-the-devil/455203/19 "2008-07-03T17:53:00Z")
Best Debil ever: [Bedazzled.](http://thecia.com.au/reviews/b/images/bedazzled-800.jpg) ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2008, 5:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-depicting-the-devil/455203/20 "2008-07-03T17:59:13Z")
[QUOTE=Astroboy14] Best Debil ever: [Bedazzled.](http://thecia.com.au/reviews/b/images/bedazzled-800.jpg) [/QUOTE] Hurley is the sexier, but otherwise, I preferred Peter Cook’s performance in the [1967 original.](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bedazzled_%281967_film%29) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-depicting-the-devil/455203.md?page=2)