Blood Castle

Starring:Erna SchÃ¼rer, Carlos Quiney, Agostina Belli, Enzo Fisichella, Ezio Sancrotti, Cristiana Galloni, Antonio JimÃ©nez Escribano, Christian PathÃ©, Mariano Vidal Molina, Javier de Rivera (II), Renato Paracchi, Franco Moraldi, Giancarlo Fantini
Director: JosÃ© Luis Merino
Studio: Retro Media
Product Type: DVD

Average customer rating:

The first Hammer film I saw
Christopher Lee could replace his predecessor Bela Lugosi as Count
Christopher Lee...as Count Dracula
I Liked This One
BEST IN THE HAMMER DRACULA SERIES

Dracula Has Risen from the Grave
Starring: Christopher Lee , Rupert Davies , Veronica Carlson , Barbara Ewing , and Barry Andrews
Director: Freddie Francis
Manufacturer: Warner Home Video
ProductGroup: DVD
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ASIN: B0001FVE68
Release Date: 2004-04-27

Amazon.com

Dracula Has Risen from the Grave is the third Christopher Lee Dracula film from Hammer Studios. While trying to rid the former Dracula's Castle of evil after the mysterious death of a local girl, the Monsignor inadvertently raises the dark prince from his deathly slumber. Once awaken from the grave, the parched prince only has one thing on his mind, the yummy taste of blood which he fiendishly extracts from the local maidens. Though a little weak in plot, Dracula Has Risen from the Grave still comes off as a strong vampire film, delivering the goods on the gothic visuals, eerie sets, and Lee's performance. --Rob Bracco

Description

When the niece of a prominent clergyman becomes Dracula's victim, the monsignor vows to put a stop to Dracula's deadly ways.

Customer Reviews:

The first Hammer film I saw.......2006-11-01

I was like 10/11 and it was on one of the old cable "superstations." I had always loved old monster movies, but this was like Dracula on speed for me as a kid. As I've grown, I have amassed a large Hammer film library and was delighted to see this out on DVD. It's easily one of my favorites. For the newcomer to Hammer films, they all move fairly 'liesurely' (read, 'slow') and are driven by lots of exposition. But, to me, that plus the settings, cinematography and high-class acting really gives the Hammer films a special class that other horror films severely lack. I recommend this one highly.

Christopher Lee could replace his predecessor Bela Lugosi as Count.......2006-09-26

Christopher Lee could balance and continue his charismatic predecessor Bela Lugosi(1882 - 1956) in the 60's Hammer british Dracula series.

This film is a great example for Lee as Count.

The differences are:
- Lugosi was more a theatrical Dracula from Broadway. Lugosi acted very elegant, exclusive & gentleman as a Dracula star. His charming style becomes a legend.
- Lee is more a mainstream Dracula star. He is not a theatre star like Lugosi did in 1931. He'd prefer a type of cold elegant beast. His style is less charming because he has to accustom himself into various directions in eight Dracula series.

Lugosi played as Dracula three times:
1. Dracula 1931
2. Return of the Vampire 1944
3. Mark of the Vampire 1935

Lee played as Dracula 8 times (see Filmography Imdb)

Frankly Bela Lugosi was a bit more charismatic than Christopher Lee, but Christopher Lee could balance the great charisma of his great predecessor.

Christopher Lee...as Count Dracula.......2006-07-28

I have watched this film several times in my adult life and find it impossible to put down. I still get a kick out of it when I watch it again...I am used to watching Christopher Lee acting as Count Dracula and have a good collection of films with him as the main actor. In the late 1950s to early 1960's the Hammer Film Production (Pine Studios) of England did a splendid job both in cinematograph and conveying the Gothic mood in their films of Dracula. Its choice of Christopher Lee was splendid because he just fitted in the role appropriately. Other scenes included the frightened villagers gathered in a tavern to drink beer and discussed in whispers about the terrifying powers of the Count; the sound of horses galloping down the deserted village road on a driverless carriage; the final dissolution of the Count's body into dust only to be resurrected again with a few drops of human blood by his bat companion; the Count himself engaging the lonely traveller in a prolong dialogue in the candle-lit hall of the castle; and he telling the traveller that he had earlier "eaten", then the distant crowing of a village rooster which was hint for the Count to rise up and go back to his stone coffin before struck by the sunlight were naturalistic atmosphere that only Hammer Film Productions had successfully interpretted in all its classic films on Dracula.

It would be a good idea to buy this film as a starter and then gradually collect the entire series. [...]

I Liked This One .......2006-02-16

The Only reason this one surpasses "Dracula - Prince of Darkness"
is that Dracula Actually Talks in this one also Veronica Carlson is so Beautiful I don't know why but i liked this better than
"Horror of Dracula" I hate that when these Dracula Movies end and go on to a new one the story from the last one is forgotten and Dracula sees new people and sees another girl and he dies again i dont look at these as Sequels i look at them as assorted
storys sort of like "The Adventures of Dracula" but anyway even though after "Horror" Christopher Lee hated Doing Dracula and Peter Cushing was'nt in most of them this is My Favorite One along with "Horror" and Dracula A.D. 1972

BEST IN THE HAMMER DRACULA SERIES.......2006-01-30

This film, the fourth of the Hammer Dracula Series (third with Christopher Lee), is in my opinion, the best. As a few other reviewers have noted, HORROR OF DRACULA seems to have maintained it's status as "Best vampire film" based on years of people believing it because some film critic once said so. Is it a bad film? No, it's quite good, but this one is better.

Why? Because the film has such a dark, gothic look and sound to it. Because the story is interesting in that it is the holy men of the church who set Dracula loose (one of them even becoming his henchman), while the unbelieving atheist sets out to save the day (or least save his girlfriend). Further, this film clearly demonstrated the fact that for all their faith, knowledge and effort the protagonists can't always do it alone. They need for the antagonist (Dracula) to make a fatal error or series of errors to bring about his own destruction. This time around, Dracula does just that, setting-up his own demise on the cross.

This DVD version comes with language selection, scene selection, and has good picture and sound. A must have addition for any fan of Hammer.

Average customer rating:

Solid production
An excellent film version of the Bram Stoker classic.
Jack Palance is miscast, but Richard Matheson's script is interesting
ok but should have had a different ending
Decent Adaptation. Notable for Introducing Lovelorn Dracula.

Dan Curtis' Dracula
Starring: Jack Palance , Simon Ward , Nigel Davenport , Pamela Brown , and Fiona Lewis
Director: Dan Curtis
Manufacturer: Mpi Home Video
ProductGroup: DVD
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ASIN: B000060MVD
Release Date: 2002-08-27

Customer Reviews:

Solid production.......2006-08-18

This 1974 version of Dracula, starring good old Jack Palance, is a nice solid production. Palance gives a somber, but at the same time also a ferocious portrayal of the legendary count and warrior prince.
This movie has a nice gothic feel to it, and most of the actors are decent. That said, I don't think that younger people will enjoy this film, since it doesn't contain a lot of action and special effects. Remember that it was made in the 70's. But if you are looking for a vampire movie with some nice atmosphere and one of the best Dracula interpretations ever, then this is for you.

An excellent film version of the Bram Stoker classic. .......2005-11-23

Although this is neither the best, nor the most faithful film verison of Bram Stoker's novel (that honor goes to "Count Dracula" with Louis Jordan), it scores well on several levels.

Jack Palance is perfectly cast as Dracula, truly frightening at times, yet also a somewhat sympathetic and tragic figure. The film makes passing reference to his (very) long career as warrior and leader and the crushing loss of his wife, which has clearly haunted him through the centuries. These references effectively echo actual events in the life of 15th Century Wallachian prince Vlad Tepes ("Vlad the Impaler"), Stoker's inspiration for the fictional vampire Count, which few Dracula films do. Palance also adds a degree of sexuality to the role that few actors have achieved, particularly in his "love" scenes with Fiona Lewis.

Like most film adaptations, this one is not entirely faithful to Stoker's novel. The character of Renfield is missing, for example, and Jonathan Harker is reduced to a hapless victim, who disappears for most of the film, reappearing near the end as yet another vampire, who is quickly dispatched. This is one of several similarities to the 1958 Hammer film "Horror of Dracula," which also includes a similar death scene for the Count. Palance's interpretation is also closer to that of Christopher Lee's in the Hammer film than any other film portrayal and it stands in sharp contrast to Bela Lugosi's seminal performance in Universal's 1931 "Dracula."

The film also drops many of the traditional movie Dracula set pieces. For example, the Count never turns into a bat, a misty cloud, or a wolf (although he does employ wolves as his familiars). The usually reliable cross and garlic aren't very effective as vampire deterrents.

All of that said, this is one of the better Dracula films. It is atmospheric, well written, paced and filmed, and captures the essence of the good Count - both the terror he spread and his own tragedy.

AW

Jack Palance is miscast, but Richard Matheson's script is interesting.......2005-09-04

This 1974 television movie version of "Dracula" is an attempt to adapt Bram Stoker's original novel. Director Dan Curtis had some bona fides in the realm of vampires as the producer of the television soap "Dark Shadows" and the prime time drama "The Night Stalker." More importantly, the script was written by Richard Matheson, who just in terms of his television resume was the renowned writer of not only classic episodes of "The Twilight Zone" but also the scripts for the television movies "Duel" and "The Night Stalker." The problem here is the decision to cast Jack Palance as Dracula. He is not as bad as John Carradine, but he is heading in that direction, not because Palance is a bad actor but because he is just flat out wrong for this role, especially since there is a sense of presenting the Count as a tragic figure, which should manifest itself in more ways than looking sad.

The fidelity to Stoker's novel is the main strength of the first part of the film where Jonathan Harker (Murray Brown) goes to meet the Count in Transylvania, and Matheson earns bonus points for linking the vampire to Vlad the Impaler. However, because the movie is made for television there are some extensive cuts. Reducing the band of vampire hunters who join with Dr. Van Helsing (Nigel Davenport) to just Arthur Holmwood (Simon Ward) is understandable, but the decision to jettison everything at the lunatic asylum hurts (although I supposed once you lose Renfield you really cut your link to Universal's 1931 "Dracula"). What we get in its place are the flashbacks that try to create sympathy for Dracula mixed in with what happens in England where Jonathan's fiancée, Mina Murray (Penelope Horner) visits Whitby to be with her friend Lucy Westenra r (Fiona Lewis), who starts sleepwalking and evidencing a loss of blood. Holmwood calls in Dr. Van Helsing to solve the case, and it is he who tells them about the nosferatu. However, Lucy is doomed and that leads to the final mad dash to beat the Count back to his castle in Transylvania. In terms of finishing off Dracula, this one comes up with one of the better endings.

Palance is miscast, actually being closer to the portrayal of Dracula by Christopher Lee, saying little but trying to look vicious. If this were a Hammer film, fine, but that is not what the script indicates. Meanwhile, Davenport is simply making bad choices in the role of Van Helsing, so that you never feel the Doctor is smart enough to take down the Count. You can decide for yourself which one of these two you would most like to get rid of, but I will maintain that a different actor as Dracula, one who would bring to life the charming and dangerous Count of the novel, could have made this one of the best Dracula adaptations ever. Everybody else in the cast is okay, although seeing Pamela Brown as Mrs. Westenra is bittersweet; the actress who made her mark as Jennet Jourdemayne in Christopher Fry's "The Lady's Not for Burning" died the year after making this film.

"Dracula" was the last of a series of classic horror stories that Curtis remade for television, going back to 1968's "Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde," and then versions of "Frankenstein" and "The Picture of Dorian Grey" in 1973, and "Turn of the Screw" and this film in 1974. However, the main reason I round up on this one in the end is simply because of Matheson's script. You just need to try and look past the casting to see what he was trying to do in adapting Stoker's novel. Then you can decide where this adaptation stands in relationship to "Nosferatu," the Lugosi "Dracula," "The Horror of Dracula" from Hammer, "Count Dracula" by Jess Franco with Christopher Lee, the BBC adaptation of "Count Dracula" with Louis Jordan, the Frank Langella "Dracula," the Werner Herzog remake of "Nosferatu the Vampyre, " Francis Ford Coppola's opulent "Bram Stoker"s Dracula" with Gary Oldman, and, for something interestingly different, Guy Maddin's ballet adaptation "Dracula: Pages from a Virgin's Diary." Just do not be surprised if this one comes out dead (or undead) in the middle.

ok but should have had a different ending.......2005-05-15

this is a good adaption of the novel but i thought the ending of the movie was too common. i saw that ending in the "horror of dracula", made in 1958. another thing, in the book, johnathan harker did not become a vampire. i dont know why they did that and i would only get this if you dont like the book, otherwise, stay away.

Decent Adaptation. Notable for Introducing Lovelorn Dracula........2005-03-04

This version of "Dracula" was shown on American television in 1973, but had a theatrical release in Europe. It was adapted and directed by Dan Curtis, who changed what he felt was weak reasoning to explain why Count Dracula wants to move to England in Bram Stoker' s novel. Instead of vague ambitions of conquest in England, Curtis made Count Dracula the un-dead incarnation of the real 15th century Wallachian Prince, Vlad Tepes, who travels to England in order to be reunited with the reincarnation of his long lost love. This love storyline was inspired by the vampire television series "Dark Shadows", for which Dan Curtis was executive producer. It was borrowed by Francis Coppola and writer James Hart in Coppola's lavish 1992 film "Bram Stoker's Dracula".

The story is set in the year that Bram Stoker's gothic horror novel "Dracula" was published. In 1897, an English real estate agent named Jonathan Harker (Murray Brown) arrives in the town of Bistritz, in what was then Hungary, to offer a selection of properties to a nobleman by the name of Count Dracula (Jack Palance), who plans to relocate to England. Harker finds the Count a demanding host, and Dracula proceeds to England leaving Jonathan imprisoned in his castle, terrorized by his blood-thirsty wives. Several weeks later, in the seaside town of Whitby, where Dracula's sailing ship has beached, Jonathan's fiancée, Mina (Penelope Horner) arrives to visit an ailing friend. Mina's dear friend Lucy (Fiona Lewis) has taken ill. Lucy's fiancé Arthur (Simon Ward) has called a specialist named Dr. Van Helsing (Nigel Davenport) to diagnose her. Van Helsing believes that Lucy is the victim of a vampire, an un-dead creature that sucks the blood of the living to survive, but he and Arthur are unable to protect her, and she is transformed into the living dead herself. When Dracula discovers that his new vampire bride has been destroyed, he is enraged and plans to take his revenge on Mina.

This version doesn't have the emotional depth of some of the better theatrical adaptations of "Dracula". But it is not a low-rent production. We get to see the interiors of many lovely mansions. This Count Dracula is supposed to be a sympathetic monster, who wishes only to be reunited with his lady love. But he is ungracious and blunt. And Palance's expressions seem campy -nothing new in Dracula films. In contrast to the novel and most adaptations, Jonathan is absent from the major action of the film, Van Helsing is level-headed, and the vampire and his hunters confront each other directly on several occasions. Their battle isn't covert. Everyone is well aware who his enemies are. This is a solid adaptation, but not a great one. It's most notable for being the originator of the lovelorn Dracula storyline -or the romantic hero persona. 3 1/2 stars.

Castle of Blood (Uncensored International Version)

Average customer rating:

castle of blodd
Bloody castle
Finally, the uncut version
Sets, lighting, camerawork
One Night of Mystery... Love... and TERROR!

Castle of Blood (Uncensored International Version)
Starring: Barbara Steele , Georges Rivière , Margarete Robsahm , Arturo Dominici , and Silvano Tranquilli
Director: Antonio Margheriti
Manufacturer: Synapse Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B000067DCX
Release Date: 2002-10-22

Description

When American author Edgar Allan Poe visits London, he is approached by British journalist Alan Foster, who becomes the target of a peculiar wager. Not believing Poe's assertion that all of his macabre stories have been based on actual experience, Foster accepts a bet from Poe and his friend Sir Thomas Blackwood that he cannot spend an entire night in the Blackwood's haunted castle. Once installed in the abandoned castle, Foster discovers that he is not alone, as he is approached by various beautiful women and handsome men, and a doctor of metaphysics -- who explains that they are all lost souls damned to replay the stories of their demises on the anniversary of their deaths!

Customer Reviews:

castle of blodd.......2007-03-09

It is one of the most beautiful horror based on a great Barbnara Steel
interpretatio

Bloody castle.......2007-02-18

You could say that "Castle of Blood" is based on the best story Edgar Allan Poe never wrote -- despite what the opening credits say, I cannot find any Poe story called "Danse Macabre."

But despite that, this vintage horror movie is still quite entertaining as a Gothic tragic romance. It suffers from a rather thin plot, but makes up for it by soaking the entire story in atmosphere -- lots of dungeons, coffins, crazed murders, cobwebby corridors, and vampiric ghosts. A danse macabre indeed.

Edgar Allan Poe (Silvano Tranquilli) is on a visit to England, telling a gruesome story to his friend Lord Blackwood. A cocky journalist, Alan Foster (Georges Rivière) is there to interview him, but he ends up taking a wager from Blackwood -- to disprove the supernatural, he'll spend the night of November 2nd (All Souls' Day) in Blackwood's haunted castle.

The castle turns out to be as creepy as expected, but not as abandoned -- Alan meets the beautiful Elizabeth (Barbara Steele), and falls for her despite the fact that she's... well, dead. As the night goes on (with the help of the local wacky scientist), Alan sees the tragedies that led to her death, and those of the other ghosts who drift through the place. But he doesn't realize that the ghosts have plans for him too...

"Castle of Blood" was one of those beautifully decadent-looking Eurohorror movies, full of sumptuous atmosphere and genuinely creepy ghosts. It seems slow by modern standards, especially since there isn't anything jumping out or gratuitous gore'n'guts.

The plot itself is rather thin, with a contrived love story (they fall in eternal love in five minutes!). But who cares? That plot is substantial enough to carry all this atmosphere -- creepy, ghastly atmosphere, peppered with the occasional gruesome murder or flashback to parties. The castle itself seems like a dead rotted thing, covered in cobwebs and dust.

And the story picks up substantially in the second half, when Alan finds out what made all these ghosts in the first place (it involves stabbing, bludgeoning, and lesbian groping). Then director Antonio Margheriti throws a deliciously gruesome plot twist into the story, which elevates it from a ghost story to real, bloodthirsty horror.

Riviera is the one weak link in this movie's cast; his Alan is so smug and stiff that it's hard to care what happens to him. Instead, the good performances are provided by the dead: Steele as the frightened ghostly waif, Margarete Robsahm as her chilly maid, and Arturo Dominici as the most sedate horror scientist ever. Tranquilli also gets a nod for his solid cameo as Poe.

"Castle of Blood" is short on plot, but miles long on atmosphere. And it turns out that it's all this vintage horror movie needs -- nasty ghosts, sumptuous decay and a giant castle.

Finally, the uncut version.......2006-08-27

I used to watch this film all the time as a kid on Channel 5's Creature Features, and found out early that it had been cut. Why it took almost 40 years to finally get an uncensored version is a true mystery, but finally, here it is, and well worth the wait. I'm a big fan of 'old dark house' movies, good or bad, and this one is good. One of the finest of the Italian horror wave that produced Mario Bava (among others), this film is beautifully realized in atmospheric black and white. The director remade this film in the 70s as Web of the Spider, with Anthony Franciosa. Not bad, but not as creepy as the original.

Sets, lighting, camerawork.......2006-08-14

This haunting movie has remained in my memory for 40 years since I saw it in the 60's. Don't expect a great deal of plot. However, the decay and melancholy of the castle together with the lighting and camerawork are what makes this movie work. Often slow moving but finally with an unforgettable atmosphere this movie is a must-have if you like to be haunted in an old-fashioned way. Through it all the lovely Barbara Steele gives a wonderful performance. The English dubbing, while a little strange, simply adds to the overall effect.

One Night of Mystery... Love... and TERROR!.......2006-07-26

A journalist takes a bet that he can't spend an entire night in a "haunted" castle. How many times have we seen this plot? AH, but such a premise may never have been done with such style, mood, sensitivity, etc. as seen here. Based on Edgar Allan Poe's "Danse Macabre", this film reeks atmosphere and spookiness in every single frame of film. I suspected it was Italian --hard to be sure, as my old TV copy had all English-sounding names ("Anthony Dawson", it turns out, is NOT the English actor who appeared in 1962's DR. NO). Barbara Steele (PIT AND THE PENDULUM, the 90's remake of DARK SHADOWS), frustrated with the attitudes of Hollywood types, thumbed her nose and had more success overseas. Some of the voices used for dubbing sounded familiar to me... I suspect the actors involved also dubbed such shows as SPEED RACER.

The plot builds slowly, inexorably... First the journalist wanders an empty house... OR IS IT? Then he meets the beautiful and lonely Steele, and the two fall in love so quickly one wonders if there isn't something in the air. Then a noted doctor appears and begins explaining what's REALLY going on... except, there's more to HIM than meets the eye as well. Throughout, the lead character refuses to take anything at face value, despite the growing number of mysteries, impossibilities, and MURDERS. Only at the very end, perhaps, does it finally sink in that-- YES-- the house IS haunted! But too late...

It wasn't until the climax that I realized just how much the entire story structure (and even the photography!) reminded me of a story I used to hate but came to appreciate as the years went by... "THE GUESTS" from the classic 1st season of THE OUTER LIMITS. Creepy house... creepy inhabitants... one man lost in it all... and a girl he falls for, who does all she can to help him escape. It would appear this film and that one were made the SAME year! Could they both have been inspired by the same source material?

It took a bit tracking this down here, simply because-- HOW MANY ALTERNATE TITLES do some films need? Depending on the print, this one's been known as CASTLE OF TERROR, LA DANSE MACABRE, CASTLE OF BLOOD, LONG NIGHT OF TERROR, TOMBS OF HORROR and TOMBS OF TERROR ! (I had to consult another website to see WHICH one it might be listed under here!)

A CLASSIC! When you're done watching all 8 of Roger Corman's POE films, put this one on next. They make a good fit.

Average customer rating:

Surely A Horror Classic
One of the lesser films in the Barbara Steele ouvere
Classic 60's Horror Starring Scream Queen Barbara Steele
For this price,... come and get it
Spooky Movie!

Nightmare Castle
Starring: Giuseppe Addobbati , Rik Battaglia , Helga Liné , Paul Muller , and Barbara Steele
Director: Mario Caiano
Manufacturer: St Clair Vision
ProductGroup: DVD
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ASIN: B0001GH7A4
Release Date: 2004-02-10

Customer Reviews:

Surely A Horror Classic.......2007-06-08

Aside from the dubbing being off, Nightmare Castle is one of the best horror films from the 'Love Generation'(besides Rosemary's Baby or Night of the Living Dead, The Innocents), yet. It sticks right to the plot, which some horror movies of that time definetly do not, if they ever had one at all. Plus the yummy Barbara Steele plays a double role in this one, as brunette and a blonde-the best of both worlds. It definetly has all the makes of a classic victorian horror story, with a touch of sexuality of course.

One of the lesser films in the Barbara Steele ouvere.......2005-12-11

"Nightmare Castle" (Originally "Amanti D'oltretomba," but a.k.a. "Night of the Doomed," "The Faceless Monsters," and "Lovers From Beyond the Tomb") begins with Dr. Arrowsmith (Paul Müller), discovering his wife, Muriel (Barbara Steele), in the arms of her lover, David (Rik Battaglia). There is a lesson to be learned here regarding trying to make out in secret in a greenhouse, but it is too late for thse two because the doctor decides to torture and then electrocute them to death as part of his scientific experiments. Then he drains their blood from their corpses, throws their hearts into an urn, and injects the blood into Solange (Helga Line), his loyal but ancient servant. She was Arrowsmith's lover in the good old days and the blood transforms her back into a beautiful woman.

Then Arrowsmith finds out he has made one little mistake. It seems that according to her will his wife's fortune goes not to him but to Jenny (Barbara Steele in a blonde wig this time). Fortunately, Jenny is a bit off of her rocker, so Arrowsmith decides to marry her so that he can then drive her mad by giving her hallucinogenic drugs so he can finally get his hands on that inheritance. However, Derek Joyce (Lawrence Clift), Jenny's doctor, stands in the way of the plan working. Then Jenny starts having strange dreams about murders in the greenhouse, Joyce discovers the two hearts in the urn, and Solange needs another blood transfusion. How ever will it all end?

If this is your first Barbara Steele film it may well end up being your last. The story is a hodge-podge of more familiar and better told tales from that period. Steele already played both the good and the evil girl in her best known film, "Black Sunday," you can name your haunted house movie where past crimes are remembered, and if you want to try and take the high road you can see some parallels with "Rebecca." Besides, the film is not only in unglorious black & white, it looks like it was shot on videotape and I kept thinking this is what "Dark Shadows" would have looked like if it had been on television in the 1950s. Director Mario Caiano does nothing here to impress you and once you get past the initial sadistic torturing of the lovers if you were expecting the film to take advantage of Steele's looks you would be sadly mistaken.

Classic 60's Horror Starring Scream Queen Barbara Steele.......2005-10-25

Italian director Mario Caino's film "Gli Amanti Del'otre tombe" was dubbed in English and sold to American audiences in 1965 as "Nightmare Castle" starring Barbara Steele who had appeared in Federico Fellini's "8 1/2". Barbara Steele was for many years a celebrated "scream queen" of horror films. Her exotic beauty- dark hair, cat-like eyes and pale skin, made her a hot item in Italian cinema. In Nightmare Castle, Barbara Steele plays a beautiful but spoiled scientist's wife who dallies with the gardener. When her affair is discovered, her husband tortures the lovers through electrocution in his dungeon. The lovers die. Some time afterward, the scientist marries his dead wife's look-alike sister or half sister. She becomes a victim in the scientit's twisted world but the lovers from beyond the grave make it possible for her to win out in the end. The cinematography is black and white but chilling and Gothic in its ambiance- old castles, dungeons, ghosts, creepy noises. It's an enjoyable movie with really great piano/organ music as well even if it's repetitive. However, for an old 60's film some parts are awfully violent and scary so this is material to be viewed by adults and serious horror fanatics. And of course fans of horror legend Barbara Steele.

For this price,... come and get it.......2005-04-23

Sometimes people demands what worth his/her money, not the value of a stuff. I don't think this is a crap movie, but supposed not everyone will enjoy it. To watch this movie, you should be a B/W horror movie fan, or at least Barbara Steel fan. You should be comfortable with old days gloomy situation.

The story is about a landlord killed his unfaithful wife Muriel (Barbara Steel) and her lover. Instead of bury them, he burned them and preserved their heart. Jenny(also by Barbara Steel), his new wife, had a serial nightmare upon Muriel. When examined by a young doctor, all misteries start to uncovered, that put his life also in danger.

That's the story. Consider it if you like. But for the product, the price just right whether you like it or not.

Spooky Movie!.......2005-01-12

I have seen this film several times, and it is a very creepy film, especially for an old black and white film. Get it, you can't go wrong for the price. It's a classic.

Fu Manchu Tu-Fer: The Blood of Fu Manchu/The Castle of Fu Manchu

Average customer rating:

Not quite the pit of despair, but close...
Christopher Lee will do until a real Chinaman shows up!

Fu Manchu Tu-Fer: The Blood of Fu Manchu/The Castle of Fu Manchu
Starring: Fu Manchu Tu-Fer
Manufacturer: Blue Underground
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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Drums of Fu Manchu
Adventures of Fu Manchu
The Brides of Fu Manchu [Region 2]
The Vengeance of Fu Manchu [Region 2]
Hollywood's Legends of Horror Collection (Doctor X / The Return of Doctor X / Mad Love / The Devil Doll / Mark of the Vampire / The Mask of Fu Manchu)

ASIN: B000795JNM
Release Date: 2005-02-22

Description

Tu-Times the terror!

Christopher Lee (THE LORD OF THE RINGS trilogy) in two performances as the notorious Chinese Villain at a very special price.

Only 5,000 of this special value-priced two-pack will be available.

Two-pack Includes:
THE BLOOD OF FU MANCHU
EXTRAS:
- The Rise of Fu Manchu - Interviews with Director Jess Franco, Producer Harry Alan Towers, Stars Christopher Lee, Tsai Chin, and Shirley Eaton
- International Trailer
- U.S. Trailer
- Poster & Still Gallery
- The Facts of Dr. Fu Manchu
- Talent Bios
- Liner Notes by Video Watchdog's Tim Lucas

THE CASTLE OF FU MANCHU
EXTRAS:
- The Fall of Fu Manchu - Interviews with Director Jess Franco, Producer Harry Alan Towers, Stars Christopher Lee and Tsai Chin
- Theatrical Trailer
- Poster & Still Gallery
- The Facts of Dr. Fu Manchu
- Talent Bios
- Liner Notes by Video Watchdog's Tim Lucas

Customer Reviews:

Not quite the pit of despair, but close..........2006-11-30

The entry of Jess Franco to Harry Alan Towers' Fu Manchu series signalled the beginning of the end. Fast, cheap and amazingly bad, Franco is one of the few directors who could make Michael Winner look like Stanley Kubrick by comparison. After all, it takes denial on an Olympian scale to have David De Keyser dub three separate characters IN THE SAME SCENE or to include black and white stock footage from 'A Night to Remember' in a colour film (in The Castle of Fu Manchu) and think that if you tint it blue no-one will notice...

'The Blood of Fu Manchu' is marginally the better of his two Fus, but its still a major step down for the Christopher Lee series. Fully restored, but really no better for it, the presentation is enough reason for disappointed Fu Fans to consider adding it to their collection. The print is the best you're likely to see (the film is marginally better shot than most of Franco's efforts) and the extras package is more entertaining than the film (although the same can be said of mending a faulty waste-disposal). The first of a two-part documentary gives a brief background to the series with some candid observations from Tsai Chin and Shirley Eaton, as well as a somewhat more relaxed than usual Christopher Lee, countering Franco's unwarranted enthusiasm; one of the two trailers actually makes the film look good (quite an achievement); and the notes on the Fu Manchu novels are enlightening.

Incidentally, this print credits Peter Welbeck - Towers' regular pseudonym - as writer, but the film was actually written by Manfred Barthel and Jaime Jesus Blacazar.

When even Harry Alan Towers admits a film is bad, you know you're in trouble. On the featurette on The Castle of Fu Manchu he recalls turning to the amazingly untalented and prolific Jess Franco after seeing the final cut and telling him "You've done something I didn't think was possible: you've killed Fu Manchu." And how...

Badly directed, written, acted, photographed, recorded - heck, I'm willing to bet that even the catering was bad on this one - it's a real ordeal even for the most devoted Fu Manchu fan. If you thought the series couldn't get worse after the astonishing use of black and white stock footage from 'A Night to Remember,' you ain't seen nothin' yet. And not seeing it is probably the best thing to do by far.

But, for Fu Fanatics, the disc is still a must buy, if only for the extras and the presentation. The second of the two-part documentary descends into Jess Franco telling Christopher Lee stories about other films, but the rest of the package is well put together and Blue Underground's transfer is the best the film has probably ever looked (not much of a compliment, it's true). Now, if only we could get this kind of presentation on the highly enjoyable initial entry 'The Face of Fu Manchu' or its two immediate sequels 'The Brides of Fu Manchu' and 'The Vengeance of Fu Manchu' - they may not be masterpieces, but they're a lot more fun than these FuBar foulups!

Christopher Lee will do until a real Chinaman shows up!.......2006-07-29

In the amount of time it takes to write this, you will know that I was supremely happy to open my Amazon package and play these two discs back-2-back on a Sunday evening. It was like watching "Creature Features" in the 70's all over again. It brought back good memories and helped erase the fiasco known as "Peter Seller's Fu Manchu". ugh!

If you are particularly offended by white guys playing Asians, don't get this. If you are a collector, get it while it's still in circulation. You get two films for a pretty cheap price. The prints are very clear. As a Chinese guy, I keep wondering why no studio will get an actual Asian to play either Fu Manchu or Charlie Chan. It blows my mind.

In a nutshell, you vill not be velly solly for purchasing this combo!

Average customer rating:

Baron Blood
Starring: Mario Bava , Joseph Cotten , and Massimo Girotti
Manufacturer: Cheezy Flicks Ent
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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Blood & Black Lace
Planet of the Vampires
Danger: Diabolik
KILL BABY KILL
Twitch Of The Death Nerve (a.k.a. Bay Of Blood)

ASIN: B000B0WODU
Release Date: 2005-10-25

Description

A young man, Peter, returns to Austria in search of his heritage. There he visits the castle of an ancestor, a sadistic Baron who was cursed to a violent death by a witch whom the Baron had burned at the stake. Peter reads aloud the incantation that causes Baron Blood to return and continue his murderous tortures. A.K.A.: Chamber of Tortures, The Blood Baron, The Thirst of Baron Blood and The Torture Chamber of Baron Blood.

Average customer rating:

Fun, maybe not for the whole family
Not as much ecstasy as I was anticipating
entertaining erotic vampire flick

The Devil's Plaything
Starring: Nadia Henkowa , Anke Syring , Ulrike Butz , Nico Wolferstetter , and Flavia Keyt
Director: Joseph W. Sarno
Manufacturer: E.I. Independent
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Images in a Convent
Erotic Nights of the Living Dead
Vampire Ecstasy (1974)
Satan's Blood
Felicity

ASIN: B000AM6P20
Release Date: 2005-11-08

Description

DVD Contents: - Feature film: THE DEVIL'S PLAYTHING (1974) - 16x9 Widescreen (1.78:1 Enchanced for 16x9 TVs) - Mini-Documentary: JOE SARNO, A TOUCH OF HORROR - Trailers to other Retro-Shock-O-Rama releases - Liner Notes by film historian / Joe Sarno biographer Michael Bowen

Customer Reviews:

Fun, maybe not for the whole family.......2007-05-04

Joe Sarno was an early director of erotic films who always added a bit of psychological depth to his tales, as well as hints of perverse sex (incest is a favored topic in many of his works). We're not talking Ingmar Bergman here, but unlike many other grindhouse directors, Joe's films are elaborately plotted, well acted, and nicely shot. No blurry out of frame compositions here. Devil's Playthings exhibit many of these traits. The vampirism is left in a gray area, as we are never sure if the Countess is a real vampire, or simply acting out the influences of the cult who believe they have reincarnated her. There is implied brother/sister incest, and true to the period, writhing females painted with mystic symbols. Where are these cults, anyway? Sign me up! The film is soft core, but exudes an erotic throb, and the gals are swell. The head of the cult is one of those women who is creepily sexy. If you're looking for an offbeat piece of retro-erotica, this film will do nicely. And try other Joe Sarno works, they don't disappoint.

Not as much ecstasy as I was anticipating.......2004-01-06

This German film, which was actually released in 1973, would seem to offer fans of erotic horror a nice little treat. Perhaps it did at the time of its release, but the whole thing comes across as rather bland these days, and this resulted in a little disappointment for this viewer. The storyline itself also has some virtues to it, but the film's rather sparse elaboration of what is actually going on combined with its actors'/actresses' sometimes hard-to-understand English accents keep it from realizing its true potential. The plot revolves around the infamous Baroness Danielle Vaga, an infamous German aristocrat who cut a bloody swath through the pages of mediaeval history, taking delight in impaling many a victim and reportedly drinking her victims' blood. Strangely enough, the local villagers look upon her as a vampire and eventually burn her at the stake. Unfortunately, they forgot to thrust a "cross of Vaga" (actually, I could never really understand the word associated with the cross, so I'm just guessing it was "Vaga") through her heart. Thus, the Baroness swears she will return some day.

It just so happens that a few ladies have been invited to the old castle, ostensibly to discover which of them is a true ancestor of the Baroness. Only two of these girls really matter (and I might add that these are the only two attractive women in the entire film); the constantly hot and bothered Helga carries the movie, as far as I'm concerned, during certain stretches. You also have a pair of uninvited guests who are looking for help following an automobile accident: this is a female doctor of arcane lore and superstition and her seemingly useless brother. Brother and sister are very close - much too close. With everyone in place, we learn bits and pieces about the Baroness' return, watch half-naked women dance and chant to annoying drum music, and meet with only mild erotica on our way to a finish I found disappointing.

There is no gore to speak of, the erotic horror claims are highly exaggerated, all but two of the characters are either unimportant or unlikable, and there is nothing the least bit disturbing or frightening about the castle environment. Despite these facts, the movie actually holds together pretty well - if you can figure out the vague and hard to comprehend dialogue that tries to explain the point of the whole story. One should be aware that this film has also appeared under the titles The Devil's Plaything, Revenge of the Black Sisters, and Veil of Blood. I wouldn't go to the trouble of searching for a copy of the film, but it's worth watching.

entertaining erotic vampire flick.......2001-04-07

Naked women, lesbian and heterosexual sex, vampires, black magic and a great creepy old castle to film in...what more do you want? Despite what you may think from the cover and the rather intrusive new title card, this film was originally titled Veil of Blood and came out in the early 70s. It was filmed in Europe, but everybody speaks (heavily accented) English, so I'm not sure if it's Swedish (one of the stars is a Swedish sex siren) or German or what. Anyway, read the plot description on the back of the video box very carefully, otherwise you won't know what the heck is going on most of the time. It involves a cult of women attempting to resurrect or reincarnate their dead vampire queen. Their process involves some sort of, well, horniness spell that, ahem, agitates everybody in the castle, except for the cross-wearing doctor who's agitated enough by incestous feelings toward her brother, who's too busy gettin' busy with the Swedish sex siren parenthetically mentioned above to notice. There's also a beautiful young brunette who is the alleged reincarnation of the dead vamp, though she's barely a footnote to the proceedings until the last 20 minutes or so, and her lesbian caretaker, who also gets it on with the SSS and willingly joins the vampire cult. Got all that? It doesn't matter, really, as the plot, while fascinating, plays second fiddle to the hallucinatory atmosphere. Every person, male or female, gets naked at least once. There's very little gore but a whole lot of psychedelic tribal drumming, and the spooky castle should get its own co-starring credit. Nobody's gonna put this on their list of all-time faves, but it's a vastly entertaining watch for the erotic horror enthusiast.

Average customer rating:

Your blood will give us life

Castle of Blood (Uncensored Version)
Starring: Montgomery Glenn , Henry Kruger , Georges Riviere , Sylvia Sorente , and Barbara Steele
Director: Anthony M. Dawson
Manufacturer: Westlake Entertainment
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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Bloody Pit of Horror
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Castle of Blood (Uncensored International Version)

ASIN: B000BXHHR0
Release Date: 2005-10-04

Description

Based on Edgar Alan Poe's "Night of the Living Dead", Poe (Silvano Tranquilli) challenges journalist Alan Foster (George Riviere) to spend one night alone in haunted Blackwood Castle. Foster agrees, but soon discovers he is not the only inhabitant of the castle. As he attempts to find an escape from the evil that dwells within the stone walls, Foster struggles to maintain his sanity and his life. Also stars Barbara Steele

Customer Reviews:

Your blood will give us life.......2007-02-14

You could say that "Castle of Blood" is based on the best story Edgar Allan Poe never wrote -- despite what the opening credits say, I cannot find any Poe story called "Danse Macabre."

But despite that, this vintage horror movie is still quite entertaining as a Gothic tragic romance. It suffers from a rather thin plot, but makes up for it by soaking the entire story in atmosphere -- lots of dungeons, coffins, crazed murders, cobwebby corridors, and vampiric ghosts. A danse macabre indeed.

Edgar Allan Poe (Silvano Tranquilli) is on a visit to England, telling a gruesome story to his friend Lord Blackwood. A cocky journalist, Alan Foster (Georges Rivière) is there to interview him, but he ends up taking a wager from Blackwood -- to disprove the supernatural, he'll spend the night of November 2nd (All Souls' Day) in Blackwood's haunted castle.

The castle turns out to be as creepy as expected, but not as abandoned -- Alan meets the beautiful Elizabeth (Barbara Steele), and falls for her despite the fact that she's... well, dead. As the night goes on (with the help of the local wacky scientist), Alan sees the tragedies that led to her death, and those of the other ghosts who drift through the place. But he doesn't realize that the ghosts have plans for him too...

"Castle of Blood" was one of those beautifully decadent-looking Eurohorror movies, full of sumptuous atmosphere and genuinely creepy ghosts. It seems slow by modern standards, especially since there isn't anything jumping out or gratuitous gore'n'guts.

The plot itself is rather thin, with a contrived love story (they fall in eternal love in five minutes!). But who cares? That plot is substantial enough to carry all this atmosphere -- creepy, ghastly atmosphere, peppered with the occasional gruesome murder or flashback to parties. The castle itself seems like a dead rotted thing, covered in cobwebs and dust.

And the story picks up substantially in the second half, when Alan finds out what made all these ghosts in the first place (it involves stabbing, bludgeoning, and lesbian groping). Then director Antonio Margheriti throws a deliciously gruesome plot twist into the story, which elevates it from a ghost story to real, bloodthirsty horror.

Riviera is the one weak link in this movie's cast; his Alan is so smug and stiff that it's hard to care what happens to him. Instead, the good performances are provided by the dead: Steele as the frightened ghostly waif, Margarete Robsahm as her chilly maid, and Arturo Dominici as the most sedate horror scientist ever. Tranquilli also gets a nod for his solid cameo as Poe.

The Westlake version of this movie is not as good as the movie itself, though -- the first few minutes are very grainy and green, and while it improves a lot, it's never really what you'd call crisp. The print has some brief jumps, crackles and lines, and that mediocre English dub. Dedicated fans of this movie will want to get the official rerelease, but this one is good enough for an introduction.

"Castle of Blood" is short on plot, but miles long on atmosphere. And it turns out that it's all this vintage horror movie needs -- nasty ghosts, sumptuous decay and a giant castle.

The Christopher Lee Collection - Limited Edition (The Blood of Fu Manchu / The Castle of Fu Manchu / Circus of Fear / The Bloody Judge)

Average customer rating:

WOW!!! NOW THAT'S A COLLECTION!!!
Very Mixed Bag
Great Collection; Bad Disk
Great Set....But......
Excellent collection for an excellent actor

The Christopher Lee Collection - Limited Edition (The Blood of Fu Manchu / The Castle of Fu Manchu / Circus of Fear / The Bloody Judge)
Starring: Christopher Lee Collection
Manufacturer: Blue Underground
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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The House That Dripped Blood
Jess Franco's Count Dracula (Special Edition)
The Devil Rides Out/Rasputin the Mad Monk
Hammer Horror Series (Brides of Dracula / Curse of the Werewolf / Phantom of the Opera (1962) / Paranoiac / Kiss of the Vampire / Nightmare / Night Creatures / Evil of Frankenstein)
Hollywood's Legends of Horror Collection (Doctor X / The Return of Doctor X / Mad Love / The Devil Doll / Mark of the Vampire / The Mask of Fu Manchu)

ASIN: B000096IBZ
Release Date: 2003-09-30

Customer Reviews:

WOW!!! NOW THAT'S A COLLECTION!!!.......2006-04-13

Hey people of the world! DC here. Being a huge Christopher Lee fan myself, I must say that finding this collection was AWESOME!!! This DVD set includes audio commentary, interviews, and much more. Now for the movies...

The Blood of Fu Manchu is a great addition to the Fu Manchu series and stars Christopher Lee as the Asian crime lord. Tsai Chin, from The Joy Luck Club, plays Fu Manchu's daughter, Lin Tang. Richard Greene is excellent as the Asian madman's nemesis, Nayland Smith. Good acting, decent effects. Bottom line, very good movie.

The Castle of Fu Manchu is perhaps not the best in the series but it makes an okay film. Christopher Lee returns for the role of Fu Manchu along with Tsai Chin and Richard Greene. Most people dislike this film but as for me, I think it is a fun film to watch.

Circus of Fear is a great film, no question there, but the DVD suffers from disk problems. It may pause or skip to another scene. It might not even load up at all. I know others are having trouble with their copies as well. Hopefully, Blue Underground will do something about it in the near future.

The Bloody Judge is... well... not excactly my favorite movie out of this collection. Don't get me wrong, Christopher Lee makes an excellent preformance as the dreaded Judge George Jeffreys but to me, the film could have been better.

Well, that just about raps things up. This DVD set is a must for any Lee fan and the extras included on these disks are what make it really worthwhile. Definitely worth your money, although I suggest that you buy this set on ebay instead, you can get it at a much lower price. Gotta go! DC out.

Very Mixed Bag.......2004-03-06

First, to get it out of the way, some copies of the Circus of Fear disc are bad, but Blue Underground's website has instructions on getting a free replacement disc. Overall, these aren't the best films Lee made. The common thread uniting all four is that they were produced by Harry Alan Towers. In addition, three out of four of the films are directed by Jess Franco.

Circus of Fear (the only film not directed by Franco) is based on a story by German suspense writer Edgar Wallace. As is typical of his stories, the film depends not so much upon a good mystery or skilled detective work, but upon the police unravelling hundreds of red herrings designed to confuse the viewer and keep us guessing. It has great acting, including a minor role by Klaus Kinski, and a great setting (a circus), but is not a great film. Lee does not get any major screen time, and for most of that time his face is masked, but it is still a fun role.

The two Fu Manchu films would have been a lot more enjoyable if they both didn't suffer from poor pacing. However, even when they're bad, Franco's films are always interesting, and here we get to see him working with budgets closer to what he deserved. Both films are pure pulp fiction adventure, with members of Scotland Yard attempting to stop the evil Fu Manchu's plans for world domination. As with pulp fiction, most of the characters are pure stereotypes, although this 1960s series made a point of occassionally noting that Fu Manchu does not represent most orientals and is wanted by eastern authorities as well. I far prefer Lee's earlier Fu Manchu films, but neither have Jess Franco as a draw. Lee gets very little screen time in both and seems to be bored with the role.

The film that makes this collection worthwhile is The Bloody Judge, released for the first time in a director's cut which combines several "alternate" endings into one coherent ending. The Bloody Judge is based upon a real British witchhunter. Lee, as the titular judge, abuses his office in an attempt to win the hand of a woman by burning her innocent sister as a witch, and then threatening to burn her as well (what a romantic). Included are exploitative dungeon torture scenes Lee says he was unaware of while making this film. It isn't as good as Michael Reeve's/Vincent Price's "Witchfinder General" (whose success The Bloody Judge was trying to cash in upon), but it is still a good, antiestablishment historical film with a very well done battle scene (Franco also directed the classic battle scenes in Orson Welle's "Chimes at Midnight"). The Bloody Judge is only available as part of this set (likely to help Bill Lustig ensure he recovers the cost of restoring it). Lee gets a lot of screen time in this one and gives one of his best performances.

Overall, The Bloody Judge is the main reason for getting this collection, and I would say that Franco fans will be more pleased with this collection than Lee fans. Here's hoping Blue Underground releases a second collection with the better Fu Manchu films, and Lee's best non-Hammer, non-LOTR film ever, "Blood Demon"!

Great Collection; Bad Disk.......2003-10-12

First, the presentation of these four movies by Blue-Underground is superb. All widescreen format, wonderful color, and only a slight bit of age showing though any of them. Not a problem. If you're a Christopher Lee fan, these movies are a complete joy. And for those of you who enjoy Leo Genn, you've got to check out "Circus of Fear". Leo Genn gives a wonderful performance as an incredibly humble, compassionate police detective, who genuinely cares about people. But...

That brings me to the "bad disk" comment. Apparently there are problems with this first disk. I have two dvd players, and in the G.E. brand player, it kept spitting the disk back out and displaying "unplayable disk" on the digital readout. I finally got it to play by hitting the play button two or three times while it was reading the disk. But, further problems ocurred; skipping again and again, finally freeze ups. I was upset, to say the least.

Then I tried it on the other player, a Panasonic DVD-RV20, and it played flawlessly. I don't know why there would be such an increadible differance between the players. However, I know others are having the same difficulty with their players. So beware. Blue-Underground has issued a statement that they believe something happened during the manufacturing of the disk, and are considering how they can replace the disk in the very near future. I hope so, because this is a great box-set, and I believe any Lee fan would give a lot to own it.

Great Set....But.............2003-10-08

The films in this set are superb. Quality and extras are very good and well worth the price.

One problem seems to be with CIRCUS OF FEAR. Several people including myself have discs that lockup during loading and lockup during playing. I have yet to receive a reply from Blue Underground and Amazon regarding this problem.

Excellent collection for an excellent actor.......2003-09-29

When I was very young, I was only allowed to watch certain horror movies- mainly Vincent Price vehicles (especially the ones based on Poe's work) and Christopher Lee's Hammer films. So for most of my life I had a great admiration for this deep voiced, dignified actor. This set contains movies from his 70's B-picture work, but the quality is amazing.

"Circus of Fear" is a fun little picture, and Lee raises it above your usual schlocky circus setting movie. There are also many funny moments scattered throughout. The Fu Manchu movies are a lot of fun- Lee plays the part perfectly and the makeup is amazing. About the only really "offensive" picture on this is The Bloody Judge, and not that much. Jess Franco and Lee seemed to be a great team on these latter pictures, even if at times they disagreed.

Technically, Blue Underground completely gave these releases the red carpet. The transfers are near perfect- all are in widescreen, there is very little grain, colors are just the right tone and they all look superb. The sound is also very well done, I heard no pops or crackles and there are no sound fade outs. The box is very attractive, and the covers are very nice (the inserts contain the original poster art.) Extras are a bit sparse- mainly commentaries and interviews- but they are well done, interesting and informative.

Description

Step right up, folks, and feast your eyes if you dare on the freakiest, creepiest show on earth! It's a four-ring circus of sideshow scares straight from the Something Weird vaults, bound to keep you gasping, screaming, and squirming! First up is the ultimate midnight movie cult classick, Basket Case, the tender story of young Duane exploring sleazy Times Square with his mutant Siamese twin brother stuffed away in a basket! Packed with gore and giggles, this unspeakable ode to brotherly love will have you coming back for more. And you'll swear you're hallucinating when you see the Blood Freak, a killer Turkey-Man who drinks the blood of drug addicts with his beak! It's a monster movie unlike any other, the world's only bloodthirsty-gobbler/anti-drug/pro-Jesus epic. But if you want something a little more feminine, get a load of She Freak, a colorful and kooky carny-noir from producer David F. Friedman (Blood Feast) in which a gold-digging hash slinger finds out the hard way that a midget scorned is a very scary thing. Then take a trip up to Frankenstein#s Castle of Freaks, where the crackpot doctor (Rossano Brazzi) unleashes monsters Goliath and Ook for a monster rumble to top them all. Come on, come all, come scream!

Customer Reviews:

Four very different movies, with great extras.......2004-07-08

For those unfamiliar with Something Weird Video, they specialize in releasing forgotten low-budget movies; their DVD's feature a plethora of bonuses that will keep collector geeks amused for hours on end. If your idea of horror is big-budget CGI-fests like Underworld and Freddy vs. Jason, you will be well advised to skip this box set. If you're a drooling low-budget horror fanatic like myself, read on! But as the package says: "Warning: Contains Graphic Violence, Nudity and Killer Turkeys."

The best known and, in my opinion, best movie in the set is Basket Case, written and directed by Frank Henenlotter. It's about Siamese twins who are separated shortly after birth: as an adult, the normal-looking Duane carries around his hideously deformed evil twin Belial in a large, padlocked basket. Equally gruesome and funny, this cult film truly deserves its reputation. Fans will oooh and aaah at the generous extras included, especially the outtakes, behind-the-scenes footage, and the video short "In Search of the Hotel Broslin," in which Henenlotter re-visits the Times Square locations where he originally shot Basket Case. Hilariously, the people who run the hotel now refuse to let the video crew into the lobby to film! Just goes to show ya, outside of the horror conventions a low-budget filmmaker gets no respect.

Next, we have the Italian release Frankenstein's Castle of Freaks. I would recommend a six-pack of your favorite cold beverage to accompany the viewing of this one, mainly due to the large amount of unintentional laughs. Picture the usual Frankenstein antics with a couple cavemen thrown in, and you've got the general idea. Don't expect lots of blood and gore, but you do get some good nude scenes, one a memorable mud-bath where the girls are spied upon by a voyeuristic dwarf. Something Weird continues along these lines with the inclusion of the short subjects "The Monster and the Maiden" and "Frankenstein and the Naughty Nurse," both of which feature a Frankenstein monster and a stripper.

Step right up, ladies and gentlemen, for writer/producer David F. Friedman's She Freak! This 1967 film made the most of its carnival/sideshow location shooting, or as the poster said, "filmed on actual locations where it COULD have happened!" Storywise it's a semi-remake of Tod Browning's classic movie Freaks, but not nearly as creepy. The main character is the hateful Jade Cochran, a small-town waitress who decides to join the carny lifestyle and claw her way up the ladder. There's lots of outrageous trashy dialogue, and as a fan of old-school carnival/sideshow stuff I enjoyed the colorful setting. The main complaint I have with this movie, or rather the packaging: the DVD cover and the main DVD menu both give away the big "shocker" shot which is the climax of the film. The original trailer, included here, gave it away too, though, so I guess it's that old exploitation way of bringing in the paying customer by whatever means necessary. It's still a fun movie, and there's great old newsreel footage included of sideshow attractions like Siamese twins and a pinhead!

Finally, we come to (shudder) Blood Freak. Do you pride yourself on being a huge fan of such low-budget campfests as Plan 9 from Outer Space and Blood Feast? Me too, but that doesn't mean you are adequately prepared for 1972's Blood Freak, "the world's only turkey-monster-anti-drug-pro-Jesus gore film!" Plot: guy gets hooked on marijuana, eats some turkey meat laced with an experimental drug, and becomes a monster with a giant turkey head that drinks the blood of drug addicts. Ah yes, it's as bad as it sounds. Bizarre, funny at times, includes a couple (inept) gore scenes, but painful....oh so painful. Fortunately, there's a cornucopia of special features, lots of trailers, a gallery of old comic cover art (very cool), and five, count em, five short films! These include "Beggar at the Gates," which is a bizarre Mondo-type overview of American religious sects of the 60's, the anti-drug classic "Narcotics, Pit of Despair," and the self-explanatory "Brad Grinter, Nudist." By far the weirdest of the short films is the soft-core porn "The Walls Have Eyes," starring Steve Hawkes, star/co-writer/co-producer/co-director of Blood Freak. This sleazy little film features a girl shooting up and voyeurism, and definitely gives you a taste of what was playing on 42nd Street in 1969. These copious DVD extras help to compensate for the agony of the featured film itself.

Low-budget film "freaks" unite!

DVD:

DVD

DVD

DVD

Bossa Nova

Dil Bechara Pyaar Ka Maara

Dr. Wai in the Scriptures With No Words [Director's Cut] (RE

DVD: Bob the Builder - Muck's Favorite Adventure

Drunken Master