TheCapsuleCritic

Having recently written a review for WEB OF THE SPIDER (1972), Antonio Margheriti's color remake of his 1964 CASTLE OF BLOOD (LA DANZA MACABRA), it's only right that I should also write one for CASTLE. As mentioned in the WEB review, CASTLE is one of the most important and highly regarded examples of Italian Gothic cinema, second only to Mario Bava's BLACK SUNDAY (1960). Like SUNDAY, the star of the movie is British actress Barbara Steele who by then was firmly established as the "Queen of Italian Horror" much to her regret at the time. But as Steele's more critically acclaimed big name European pictures such as 8 1/2 and YOUNG TORLESS have been mostly forgotten, Barbara (now in her 80s) is quite happy to talk about the low budget Italian horror movies she once regarded simply as a meal ticket.

Although BLACK SUNDAY is the movie that made her famous, Steele regarded CASTLE as her favorite. A part of the reason for that is she admired and liked working for Antonio Margheriti (billed under English pseudonym Anthony Dawson) more than she did her other Italian Gothic directors. Another is she considered the story more plausible plus it gave her a satisfying single part to play instead of her usual double good girl/bad girl roles. To reprise the plot of my SPIDER review, a skeptical reporter in the 1840s accepts a wager to spend one night alone in a haunted castle on All Souls Day (Nov. 2nd). Once there he encounters a number of inhabitants whom he later discovers are not among the living. The ghosts need his blood to prolong their existence for another year and this is the only night they appear.

Director Margheriti filmed the movie with 3 cameras at once which not only allowed him to save time, but also provided him with a variety of shots and angles to choose from. This gave CASTLE the look of a film with a much larger budget. The B&W photography for the exteriors is wonderfully atmospheric, while the interiors are sharply focused and creatively lit. The actors play second fiddle to the visuals although Steele gives an intense performance. The plot is nothing new but the story has some interesting variations explaining the afterlife of the ghosts. I did catch two significant faux pas but not on the first viewing. See if you can find them. CASTLE retains its overall air of unease and is the very definition of 19th century Gothic. The English language version is 8 minutes shorter than the Italian to remove two suggestive scenes...For more reviews visit The Capsule Critic.

The European phenomenon of the German crime film or Krimi lasted from 1959 until 1972. The vast majority of these films were inspired by the works of British mystery writer Edgar Wallace (1875-1932), and most of the rest focused on the writings of his son Bryan Edgar Wallace (1904-1971). Two production companies were involved in the making of these movies. The Italian-sounding Rialto Films made over 30 movies based on Edgar's writings, while a rival company, CCC Films, cranked out 18 Krimis, the bulk of them based on the works of son Bryan. The CCC titles added a mild horror angle to their crime scenarios. One of CCC's best offerings was THE HANGMAN OF LONDON (1963), released outside of Germany as THE MAD EXECUTIONERS.

HANGMAN deals with vigilante justice. Contemporary London (ca.1963) is rocked by a series of mysterious hangings. They all occur at night in out-of-the-way public places. Each victim has a long criminal record, some having committed heinous crimes, and all have managed to escape punishment through flight or legal loopholes. Adding to the mystery is the fact each is hung with Scotland Yard's own "Black Museum" hangman's rope which is returned afterwards, only to disappear again before each hanging. These hangings are carried out by a group of hooded Inquisition-like figures. Scotland Yard Inspector John Hillier is determined to crack the case while also tracking down a serial killer who beheads women, one of whom was his sister, and leaves their bodies in plastic bags.

The inspiration for the film is Edgar Wallace's detective novel THE 4 JUST MEN which dates back to 1905. The cast is all German, part of an unofficial Krimi stock company, who would appear throughout the series. For HANGMAN, Hansjorg Felmy was Inspector Hillier, Maria Perschy the female lead, Dieter Borsch the principal villain, and Chris Howland the comic relief (all Krimis featured a comic relief character). The photography is suitably noirish and there are several macabre touches such as transporting the victims to the place of their death inside of a coffin, in a 19th century horse drawn hearse. Director Edwin Zbonek keeps things moving along so you must pay close attention to keep up with the dual plot lines. Avoid the English dubbed version if you can...For more reviews visit The Capsule Critic.

THE WEB OF THE SPIDER (1972) is director Antonio Margheriti's color remake of his 1964 DANZA MACABRA (CASTLE OF BLOOD) which, along with Mario Bava's LA MASCHERA DEL DEMONIO (BLACK SUNDAY) is considered one of the twin pillars of Italian Gothic Cinema. This genre flourished between 1957-1972 making SPIDER one of the last examples of Italian Gothic Cinema to be made before this style would be eclipsed by the Giallo genre which consisted of contemporary crime stories that, thanks to the abandonment of censorship standards, included gratuitous nudity and graphic, misogynistic violence. DANZA was not a success at the box office so Margheriti decided to redo it in color. This time it was a success, but the director later dismissed SPIDER saying that the addition of color had robbed the story of its atmosphere.

Set in the mid-19th century so that Edgar Allan Poe could be included as a character, the story concerns skeptical reporter Alan Foster who accepts a wager that he cannot spend one night alone in a nearby haunted castle. Dropped off by Poe and the castle's owner, he unexpectedly encounters a number of people inside this castle, including a beautiful woman he falls in love with. He later discovers she and the others who inhabit the castle are dead and must relive their deaths on this one night of the year, November 2nd, which is All Souls Day. He witnesses their various demises before realizing he is to be next, thus enabling the dead to prolong their unholy existence and return next November 2nd. Will he be able to escape the castle with his life intact and collect the bet? The ending is a surprise.

It's true that SPIDER lacks the overpowering atmosphere of the B&W original and also doesn't feature Italian Gothic icon Barbara Steele as did the first film. However it benefits from a bigger budget and better acting by the principal players. The reporter is played by American actor Anthony Franciosa who brings an earnest intensity to the role especially after discovering the castle's secret. Euro favorite Klaus Kinski is a suitably deranged Poe. Most IG fans may dismiss this version but I personally find SPIDER stylishly lit, well photographed, and as enjoyable as its predecessor, just in a different way. Like most European horror films SPIDER exists in several bad public domain copies so you've been warned. The original, uncut versions of both movies are now available on streaming services and on home video...For more reviews visit The Capsule Critic.