Starring - Barbara Steele (Nightmare Castle, Shivers), Walter Brandi (The Vampire and the Ballerina, The Playgirls and the Vampire), and Mirella Maravidi (Behind the Mask of Zorro, Three Bites of the Apple)
Release Date - 1965
Genre - Horror
Tagline - "They rise from dank coffins in the DEAD OF NIGHT to inflict AN EVIL CURSE OF DOOM, murdering their victims in an ORGY OF SLAUGHTER!"
Format - UHD (Personal Collection) (Screener)
Rating (out of 5):
It seems like I've found myself reviewing a handful of films from the middle to late-60s up into the 70s. It's not often that I get to review films this old and really look forward to it but it is strange that I've had so many to review the last week or so. My friends over at Mondo Macabro sent over the Greek sexploitation flicks Sexomania and Lady Desire. At the same time the fine folks over at Severin sent me copies of The Odd Job, Negatives, and Sparrows Can't Sing. It wasn't much longer after that I received their Danza Macabra Volume 4: The Italian Gothic Collection box set with even more 60s and 70s fun. I couldn't wait to check it and went with the first film in the set which is the 1965 film Terror-Creatures from the Grave. Like always, I want to thank Severin for sending this one along.
The film follows a lawyer who visits the estate of a doctor after receiving a letter telling him the exact date and time to be there. The letter was intended for his partner but he was away on business. He decided to go in his place because the letter seemed very important. However, once he arrives he discovers that the doctor passed way almost a year ago to the date and the remaining family, his daughter and her step-mother, have just returned to the villa after being away. He soon learns that the doctor died after a horrible fall and was once a spiritualist who thought he had command over the spirits on the property which once served as a dumping ground during the black plague. As he questions why his partner was asked to be there by a doctor no longer living, he uncovers that everyone that signed as a witness to his death has died horrible accidents besides two and soon learns that it was not an accident and his partner was involved with a murder.
Terror-Creatures from the Grave is a title that I've always loved but never took the time to actually watch. Honestly, I love the title and always thought it was a fucking phenomenal name for a horror punk band. However, it wasn't until I hit play on the film that I realized that I had seen the film before. Many years ago I was sent the Nightmare Castle release from Severin and this film just happened to be one of the special features on that release. I don't remember watching it but I remembered the film very well which is weird considering I really enjoyed it. It's a beautifully shot film that does a fantastic job at building tension and atmosphere. The acting in this one is pretty well done. It is definitely a product of it's time with some overdramatic performances but that is to be expected from films of the time. The characters are very well written and while many of them are a bit cliched, the cast does a great job at portraying them. The story for this one is one I really dig. We have a conspiracy around an accidental death, a little bit of history mixed in with the black death, and then the supernatural aspect. It starts out almost like a slasher before switching gears and hitting us with a great supernatural tale set against the fantastic gothic architecture and brooding atmosphere. It works for the most part. A few of the scenes are a bit slow with one or two being just filler that do absolutely nothing for the plot. A little bit of trimming could have fixed the pacing in this one. Finally, the film has a few deaths with some make-up effects but nothing that stands out. The black death victims look like lepers but they don't look bad. While the make-up effects are decent, nothing in this regard really stands out or is memorable. Overall, Terror-Creatures from the Grave is the kind of film that I really enjoy. I love well put together gothic tales done in black and white. This one really sells the atmosphere and I adore the story. I highly recommend checking this one out!
No comments:
Post a Comment