Very well executed

Awesome Movie

A Masterpiece!

It is not deep, but it is fun to watch. It does have a bit more of an edge to it than other similar films.

The Italians brought us many great Gothic Horror films in the 1960's, some of the best ever made! Unfortunately "Castle Of The Living Dead" is not one of them, totally wasting a gorgeous, creepy locale with sterile camera-work and a plot that goes nowhere. A skanky medieval theater troupe, which includes a dwarf, get invited by Baron Christopher Lee to perform at his castle. Once they get there they discover that he is interested in an unusual kind of taxidermy and is currently working on "the most dangerous animal" - gee, wonder what that could be! Donald Sutherland shows up in a very early role to further spoil the film in a few hammy roles - as a dimwit police sergeant, and almost unrecognizably as an old witch, and an old man. Nothing about the film, short of the locales, is engrossing or frightening in any capacity. The black and white photography which so many other Euro Horrors used to their shadowy ominous advantage, just feels cheap and cost-effective here. The uninteresting dialogue, terrible dubbing, flat camera angles, complete lack-of-scares and overall silliness do absolutely nothing to help. Between Christopher Lee, the lovely Gaia Germani, and being shot-on-location at both the eerie Parco dei Mostri (The Garden Of The Monsters) and the sinister Castle Odescalchi, this should have been a sure-fire horror classic, but it stands as just a horribly wasted opportunity. Skip this snooze-fest and instead go seek out one of the many Gothic masterpieces that both Italy & Christopher Lee have to offer.

Normally I like movies of this kind and from this era quite a bit. But quite frankly, this wasn't one of Christopher Lee's better performances. Be that as it may, this story revolves around a gypsy harlequin wagon as it travels from town to town in France after the Napoleonic Wars. Christopher Lee plays "Count Drago" who invites the small group to his castle where he tries to embalm them due to an insane idea that it will keep them from aging. Never mind the fact that in order to do this he has to kill them first. At any rate, as I said before it wasn't his best performance by a long shot. But while Christopher Lee didn't necessarily achieve his usual standard it was still far better than the performance of Donald Sutherland who played both "Sgt. Paul" and "the witch". Both of those efforts were ghastly in my opinion. That said, about the only bright spot in this film was the presence of the beautiful Gaia Germani as "Laura". But even so she wasn't able to lift this film up all by herself. All things considered then, while it wasn't terribly bad I would only recommend it for die-hard Christopher Lee fans or for those who enjoy horror films from this period. Otherwise it's probably best to look for something a bit more recent.

Castle of the Living Dead, The (1964) ** (out of 4) A group of entertainers are invited by Count Drago (Christopher Lee) to perform at his castle but soon they start to fall dead. An old evil witch (Donald Sutherland) would have you believe that the castle has a certain evil inside. This Italian made horror film is also known as Castello dei morti vivi, Il but under either title this film is a dud. As with many Italian horrors of this period, you have the dark castle, creepy locations and weird storyline but none of them come off very well here. The story moves at a snails pace, which is another thing that haunts many of the horror films from this era. The music score was actually the best thing about the movie so listening to the soundtrack would be better than watching the film. Lee gives a decent performance but for the most part it seems like he's just cashing a paycheck. I did like the fact that they had him looking like Lugosi's character from White Zombie. Donald Sutherland steals the show as he plays three different characters including an old man and the old witch that the troop stumble across on their way to the castle. Sutherland is excellent as the old woman and you really have to look hard to notice that it's him.

A delightful B-Horror film filled with odd characters, shadowed corridors, and a decent plot...Castle of the Living Dead, when viewed late at night, will keep the viewer more amused than scared. I first saw this film as a boy and forever thereafter, tried to remember the title so I could see it again. Where else can you find a movie other than Lord of the Rings, with a heroic dwarf (wish he was born later in life so that he could have played Frodo)and his side kick deaf-mute giant (perhaps the inspiration for Miller's MasterBlaster), Donald Sutherland as a witch and a bungling police/soldier (keeping his trademark smirk in tact), and a beautiful female victim that is saved from poisoning by a thirsty cat. Also, two other performances must be given honorable mention...the sullen Cristopher Lee playing Count Drago, who bears the resemblance of a Gothic Heroin addict..and his henchman Sandro, whose bulging eyes and psycho-drenched laugh, make for added cinema enjoyment. This is a foreign film and carries some of the Socio-pathic drama an early 1960's horror film might entail. No graphic slashing here, but the dart in the eye of the lowly deaf/mute delivers a taste for future gore films. The dubbing is close enough to understand and keeps in pace with the film's B- status. The plot line is basic, but interesting...taking place just after the Napoleanic Wars, a mad Count who is interested in science, discovers a way of prolonging life...only his results are stereotypically creepy. When a traveling troupe of circus performers are bid to come and entertain at his castle, the plot enfolds into a all-out who is going to live and who is going to die story. Sutherland's witch character prophesizes this much, so the tension mounts towards who the final survivors will be. I loved the set of this movie, which must have been filmed on location. The Castle's giant faced back entrance is a must see and the huge stone animal objects in the entangled gardens, make this Black and White film eerie and strange. Wind, shadows, moonlit night, large castle chambers and outdoor gardens...all the makings of a chilling tale. I highly recommend this film, but suggest to view it only late, late, late night...with a pot of popcorn and maybe with one friend. Also, this could be a perfect slumber party film, as well...but would be so with differing results. For when you add these odd Castle of the Living Dead characters, with a mixture of humorous comments and tired people...the outcome is sure to create a cult film status for a new generation of viewers.cuzdogg