Episode 195: IL DEMONIO (1963)

Content warning: Discussions of sexual violence. Purificazione isn’t really a witch. The spell she casts on Antonio, a man promised to another woman, doesn’t really have any magic to it. But that doesn’t stop him from creating a narrative that leads to Purif being blamed for the whims of the cosmos (the death of a child, the richness of the soil, etc.). But as the village becomes more and more contemptful of her, it becomes clear that the demon isn’t an external force invading her body or soul – it’s the conservative norms of the society she lives in that afflict Purif, causing her to doubt her sanity and act irrationally. Follow us on Twitter at https://twitter.com/trylovepodcast and email us at [email protected] to get in touch! Buy tickets and support the Trylon at https://www.trylon.org/. Theme: "Raindrops" by Huma-Huma/"No Smoking" PSA by John Waters. Outro music: “Sabba Fantastico” by Piero Piccioni from the IL DEMONIO soundtrack. Timestamps 0:00 - IL DEMONIO (1963) 2:11 - The episode actually starts 4:38 - The ‘true story’ setup 13:44 - Tradition, folk horror, and Purif’s place in the community 18:02 - Dahlia Lavi as Purif 25:18 - Salvatore and the tension between Purif’s view and the audience’s view 37:38 - The possession scene and creating multiple understandings of the self 53:30 - The Junk Drawer 1:00:05 - Cody’s Noteys: Teemin’ with Demons