Wednesday, October 24, 2007
GENRE-XPLOSION: SPOOKY HAUNTED CASTLE!
Genre-xplosion is a short, spoiler free introduction to some of the strange and obscure movies and comics that I enjoy. Some of them are brilliant masterpieces... some of them aren't. All of them are entertaining.
CASTLE OF THE WALKING DEAD (1967)
Spooky Haunted Castle
Directed- Harald Reinl
Written- Manfred R. Kohler, Edgar Allan Poe
STYLE: ****
SUBSTANCE: ****
BLOOD/GORE: ****
NUDITY: ****
Scale built on quantity, not quality.
SET-UP:
Count Frederic Regula (Christopher Lee) is sentenced to have a spiked mask (with a strangely silly expression forged on it) belted to his face and to be ripped apart by horses for torturing and killing twelve young virgins in his remote castle. Before the sentence is carried out, he swears vengeance from beyond the grave towards the Judge who found him guilty, and the thirteenth virgin whom escaped his torture chamber and turned him in. 35 Years later, Roger Mont Elise (Lex Barker) and Baroness Lilian von Brabant (Karin Dor) receive separate letters from the long dead Count Regula asking them to journey to his castle to learn the secrets of their pasts.
SEX AND VIOLENCE:
Featuring no nudity (unless you count Karin Dor's cleavage) and very little blood (of which was green), this is really the kind of rare horror movie that can be fun for the entire family.
THOUGHTS:
I can't begin to tell you how much I love this movie! It is just really, really FUN! Based on Edgar Allen Poe's "The Pit and the Pendulum" (there's both a pit and a pendulum in this flick and that's about as close as it gets to Poe's original work), Castle of the Walking Dead is one of those atmospheric movies that just sticks with you long after it's over. From the richly colored visuals to the bombastic 60's instrumental score, to the various skulls, spiders, vultures, scorpions and amazingly creepy old locations, this flick is a treat for the eyeballs and the kid buried deep inside you. The characters are interesting and well portrayed (even when dubbed) and the story is a non-stop thrill ride through a gloomy haunted landscape... and seriously, who does not love Christopher Lee?
The overall plot of the movie may be a bit predictable, but there are enough twists and turns and the movie moves at such a rate, that it never stops being enjoyable. If this sounds like your type of movie, I suggest you check it out.
CASTLE OF THE WALKING DEAD (1967)
Spooky Haunted Castle
Directed- Harald Reinl
Written- Manfred R. Kohler, Edgar Allan Poe
STYLE: ****
SUBSTANCE: ****
BLOOD/GORE: ****
NUDITY: ****
Scale built on quantity, not quality.
SET-UP:
Count Frederic Regula (Christopher Lee) is sentenced to have a spiked mask (with a strangely silly expression forged on it) belted to his face and to be ripped apart by horses for torturing and killing twelve young virgins in his remote castle. Before the sentence is carried out, he swears vengeance from beyond the grave towards the Judge who found him guilty, and the thirteenth virgin whom escaped his torture chamber and turned him in. 35 Years later, Roger Mont Elise (Lex Barker) and Baroness Lilian von Brabant (Karin Dor) receive separate letters from the long dead Count Regula asking them to journey to his castle to learn the secrets of their pasts.
SEX AND VIOLENCE:
Featuring no nudity (unless you count Karin Dor's cleavage) and very little blood (of which was green), this is really the kind of rare horror movie that can be fun for the entire family.
THOUGHTS:
I can't begin to tell you how much I love this movie! It is just really, really FUN! Based on Edgar Allen Poe's "The Pit and the Pendulum" (there's both a pit and a pendulum in this flick and that's about as close as it gets to Poe's original work), Castle of the Walking Dead is one of those atmospheric movies that just sticks with you long after it's over. From the richly colored visuals to the bombastic 60's instrumental score, to the various skulls, spiders, vultures, scorpions and amazingly creepy old locations, this flick is a treat for the eyeballs and the kid buried deep inside you. The characters are interesting and well portrayed (even when dubbed) and the story is a non-stop thrill ride through a gloomy haunted landscape... and seriously, who does not love Christopher Lee?
The overall plot of the movie may be a bit predictable, but there are enough twists and turns and the movie moves at such a rate, that it never stops being enjoyable. If this sounds like your type of movie, I suggest you check it out.
Labels: genre-xplosion
Comments:
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Man I love this movie too, especially the haunted forest scenes with the bodies hanging everywhere. Everyone I show this to agrees, it's an underated classic.
I art direct for a PD dollar dvd company and we released this under the alt title of TORTURE CHAMBER a few years ago.
I art direct for a PD dollar dvd company and we released this under the alt title of TORTURE CHAMBER a few years ago.
That is my favorite scene as well!
Also, best EVER use of a trap door!
That's great about your job, I buy a lot of those Mill Creek DVD box sets, I don't know if thats who you work for, but I really enjoy them...
And your blog!!!
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Also, best EVER use of a trap door!
That's great about your job, I buy a lot of those Mill Creek DVD box sets, I don't know if thats who you work for, but I really enjoy them...
And your blog!!!
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