There are no vampires, witches or ghosts, but the horror in this genuinely creepy Italian grande guignol are impossible to deny. Better than many others of the same themes, this is still equally chilling, only missing the presence of Barbara Steele, even though there is a role in this that seems to have been written for her.
Every element that makes films of this type so intriguing is there, and while it is said to have been influenced by the stories of Edgar Allan Poe, there is enough in it to make it seem fresh and filled with its own ideas. An old family curse is said to be out to kill the daughter of a recently deceased count. Allegedly, her surviving past the age of 21 will end their reign, so her father is rumored to still be alive and determined to kill her.
While it was pretty obvious to me what was going on, it is fun watching everything unfold. The blonde girls are the heroines, while the beautiful brunette housekeeper is assumed to be evil. This is one worth re-watching, a rare quality of the many films in this genre which are often too laughable to believe.
Every element that makes films of this type so intriguing is there, and while it is said to have been influenced by the stories of Edgar Allan Poe, there is enough in it to make it seem fresh and filled with its own ideas. An old family curse is said to be out to kill the daughter of a recently deceased count. Allegedly, her surviving past the age of 21 will end their reign, so her father is rumored to still be alive and determined to kill her.
While it was pretty obvious to me what was going on, it is fun watching everything unfold. The blonde girls are the heroines, while the beautiful brunette housekeeper is assumed to be evil. This is one worth re-watching, a rare quality of the many films in this genre which are often too laughable to believe.