This independent British effort is a bit of an anonymous affair despite some occasional sequences of decent Gothic atmosphere. The story, by Lyn Fairhurst, is set in a sleepy French village where Count Sinistre (Hubert Noël) and his vampire cult rule. When a group of English tourists disturbs the cult they are killed off, but the upright Paul Baxter (William Sylvester) escapes back to England taking with him the cult's bat talisman. Sinistre and his cult follow Baxter to England to retrieve the talisman and find new recruits to his cult. There are some intriguing elements to "Devils of Darkness" (the fear of "foreigners", for example, is almost palpable) but for the most part the decent elements are lost in long, boring passages of exposition and speechifying. Director Lance Comfort delivers some good sequences featuring the cult and their rites but shies away when it comes to too much blood or horror. He does throw in a rather strange beatnik party that, in addition to freaky dancing, has some cool suggestions of pot-smoking and implied lesbianism. The acting throughout is rather wooden with William Sylvester making for a stiff lead. Luckily Tracy Reed is on hand to provide some cold sex appeal with her strange and intriguing look. Overall "Devils of Darkness" is slow and over talky, coming off as a Hammer-lite production. It is not all bad, however, and has enough odd and entertaining elements to make it just about worthwhile. ( )