Touches You

Too much of everything

Overrated

Just perfect...

A young artist named Hans is hired to do a study of a famous local landmark,a windmill that contains stone statues of notorious female monsters of the past.One day he meets a mysterious,dangerously beautiful woman at the mill.Before long,he is drawn into her clutches.Giorgio Feronni's gloriously colorful horror film "Mill of the Stone Woman" is obviously influenced by Georges Franju's horror classic "Eyes Without a Face" and Mario Bava's "I Vampiri".Admittedly the first half of the film is pretty slow and rather confusing, however there is enough eerie moments to satisfy fans of early 60's Italian Gothic horror.The location sets are truly atmospheric,for example the crumbling mill of the film's title is a decrepit place,filled haphazardly with ominous statuary and ancient religious icons.So if you are a fan of Italian horror you can't miss this gorgeously photographed gem.9 out of 10.

Without question an inappropriate, inane, or pulpy comic book style title has waylaid many a significant and otherwise worthy terror film. "Curse of the Cat People," remains affixed to a story of child psychology, "Kill Baby Kill," remains affixed to a wondrous 19th century European ghost story, and here, perhaps worst of all, "Mill of the Stone Women," is the awkward moniker stuck to this artistically accomplished film.With a clunky title like "Mill of the Stone Women," it is scarcely any wonder that the film has remained largely unknown,unremarked upon, and unavailable for nearly 50 years ! What a pity, for here is a story produced with such an aesthetically accomplished loving care that each frame breathes a compositional beauty of the highest standard.The felicitous combination of Arrigo Equini's art direction and Pier Ludovico Pavoni's photography in this picture, recalls the best of Jack Asher, Floyd Crosby, Mario Bava, Bernard Robinson, and Daniel Haller and has, in not a few of the tableaux rendered here, even surpassed these masters. Even Mario Praz would probably approve!From the opening shot of the windmill on the lake under a leaden sky, to its shadowy, beautifully appointed interior parlors, complete with the anti-heroine, Scilla Gabel, peaking mournfully through the portières--while the soundtrack gives forth with a disquieting numinous wail--the film rarely fails to sound the genuine Gothic note.Add to that one of the most disturbing, (far more so than "House of Wax") use of a waxworks yet seen on the screen. For here we have, not merely figures of unsettling visage, but figures that mechanically encircle a stage--Joan of Arc, Cleopatra, Mary Queen of Scots, sallying threateningly towards the camera in a nightmarish parade--all to the accompaniment of a tune that might have been composed by Truman Capote! There are many exquisite scenes to savor: Miss Scabra's blood red boudoir, a scene of her beneath the lid of a dusty glass coffin holding yellow roses against her very dead, old ivory like complexion, a laboratory sequence that pulls out all the stops, a charming stop at a beer garden type pub, complete with accordions and pretzel stands, a climactic fire with the dummies melting in grotesque close-ups, not to mention a beautifully costumed, very accomplished, and handsome cast of players.Miss Gabel seems very much in the Gina Lollobrigida mold, but manages facial expressions of such uncanny yearning that is easy to imagine Mr. Brice falling under her spell. In this sense, she joins company with Barbara Steele, as one of the very few women able to combine beauty and eeriness in equal measure.Pierre Brice approaches his assignment with convincing earnestness and looks very much like a cross between Stephen Boyd and Horst Buchold.A special compliment should be paid to the Technicolor here, which never shrieks, but delivers cold blues and unearthly reds in a fashion that favorably recalls Pressburger's "Tales of Hoffmann." And take a good look at the hutch in the ante-room of Mr. Brice's bedroom; it is the same one featured in Jacqueline Pierreux's parlor in Bava's "Black Sabbath"--the one she keeps her liquor in. Perhaps Mr. Brice had a yard sale! In any case, to fans of the genre, this film is highly recommended.

Though I'm not quite as enamored with the film as others here, there is still much to enjoy in this sorely neglected tale of a young man researching a creepy old windmill's lurid "carousel" and his love for the owner's mysterious daughter.Made at the same time as Bava's "Black Sunday", Ferroni's "Mill" relies on and succeeds at it's goal for the same reasons- Atmosphere in abundance and true artistic flair. Every inch of the windmill is ominous and each room (and there are many) has its own distinct feel, lighting, and color palette. With this strong foundation in place, the movie builds in the details, including a wild hallucination scene, the actual workings of the carousel, a daughter who appeared very dead but is soon quite fine, and many others.Despite being a visual feast, well acted, and having a solid (if not overly original) plot line, the movie still suffers from a sizable problem- Pacing. As a die-hard fan of '60's horror, I have no beef with a deliberate build-up, but in this case it goes a bit overboard. There are a fair share of scenes that are filled with stretches of unnecessary dialog and lots of wandering around the mill with no real reason to be found at the end. Tighter editing would have helped immensely.Flaws and all, "Mill Of The Stone Women" is a classy film that needs to be seen. Had I watched it just once, I have little doubt my rating would have been higher. Give it a one-time viewing and absorb it for maximum effect.

Mill of the Stone Women is the story of a researcher named Hans who is finishing a book on the famous sculptor Professor Wahl and his carousel. The carousel features wax representations of women being tortured and killed in a variety of sadistic and inventive ways. A meeting with the Professor's beautiful, seductive daughter, Elfi, ignites conflicting passions within Hans because of his one true love Liselotte. Things are even more complicated because breaking the news to Elfi will not be easy. She suffers from a rare disease that can cause death if she becomes too upset or disturbed. In addition, Hans is convinced that Professor Wahl is up to some twisted experiments that may involve several of the local women including his Liselotte. Hans must solve the mystery of the windmill and the carousel if he is to save himself and the one woman he cares about.What Works: Atmosphere, Atmosphere, Atmosphere. If you're into atmosphere with your horror, look no further than Mill of the Stone Women. Most movies can't claim to have 1/10 of the atmosphere found here. The barren landscape, the isolated windmill, the constant overcast skies, the dark corridors with secret rooms in the windmill, the eerie music, the twisted carousel of death, and the Gothic trappings everywhere you look all add to a movie that just drips with atmosphere. The movie takes it's time and doesn't rush or try to force things. There's a real foreboding sense of unease that runs throughout the movie. There are moments when you might think the atmosphere is going to literally ooze from the screen into your living room.Scilla Gabel. Gabel is one of those women of the 60s that I don't think exist anymore. She's from that Sophia Loren - Claudia Cardinale – Daliah Lavi mold of women that were a product of that time. She may never be confused with a great actress, but she has a screen presence that's hard to beat.Prof. Gregorius Wahl. What a character! Robert Boehme does an excellent job of playing a mad, but goofy, genius. By the end of Mill of the Stone Women, though, it's easy to feel some sympathy for him as his dreams are shattered. It's an excellent piece of acting from a man whose acting credits only include this movie.Wooden Shoes. Any movie with people wearing wooden shoes has to get a bonus point from me.What Doesn't Work: Slow Going. For me, this is a plus. But I put it here to warn those who prefer a movie with a killing or explosion every five minutes.Love Story. Because Hans represents a new, exciting life, it's easy to see why Elfi might quickly fall for him. And, because Elfi is such a looker, it's easy to see why Hans might be interested in Elfi. But the fact that both are declaring their undying love for each other after one five-minute meeting stretches the imagination quite a bit.In the end, Mill of the Stone Women is one of the finest examples of a Gothic, atmospheric movie ever made. The film plays like a combination of The House of Wax meets Eyes Without a Face. It's a wonderful movie that I enjoy more each time I get the chance to watch.