Xenia: Priestess of Night

A presently lost underground feature movie, filmed entirely in San Francisco in 1976. Originally shot on beautiful Double X Negative black and white motion picture film (used extensively in studio films of the 1940s), this sequence derives from a digital transfer of a vintage (1990) 1" analog telecine, and shows some scan line artifacting and strobing with fast movement, general image degradation, and cropping at the sides (the latter due to incompetent digital transfer). The present whereabouts of the original film print and negatives is uncertain, though it is still hoped that the entire film can be digitally restored from the original elements. The visual aesthetic was an attempt to re-create the look of Poverty Row horror features of the 1940s, like those produced by Monogram and PRC studios. There was no budget, and everyone worked for free.

Directed by Dana M. Reemes, Xenia: Priestess of Night leans on a strong ensemble — Dana M. Reemes, Dennis Edwards, Herb A. Lightman — to carry a story that balances spectacle with character.

The film landed with audiences for its craft and performances, and remains one of the most talked-about horror titles of 1976.