Truly Dreadful Film

It's complicated... I really like the directing, acting and writing but, there are issues with the way it's shot that I just can't deny. As much as I love the storytelling and the fantastic performance but, there are also certain scenes that didn't need to exist.

All of these films share one commonality, that being a kind of emotional center that humanizes a cast of monsters.

The movie really just wants to entertain people.

Yet another Gothic shocker, the ones that the Italians could make in their sleep by now. Once again events take place at a remote mansion, inhabited by sinister servants. Barbara Steele is on the receiving end of some nasty acts of violence before getting her revenge in the final reel. Sounds just like every other Italian Gothic film you've seen? You'd be right, and it's just as much fun.Once again the use of crisp black and white photography creates some stunning images with light and darkness battling for domination of the screen. Then again I watched this film in a widescreen, pristine print so I may just be biased. There's lots of creeping around in crypts and inexplicable noises in the distance, windows blowing open, etc. which help to give this film a nicely spooky atmosphere. This atmosphere is also increased by a beautiful, stately Gothic score by Ennio Morricone, one of the best composers of all time.The acting is good all round, only occasionally veering into ham. Barbara Steele once again gets to play a dual role, and also gets to dish out/be at the receiving end of some terrible torture. Indeed, the increased violence level here is what sets it apart from the other Gothic entries; while CASTLE OF BLOOD and contemporaries were happy to leave the violence implied and off screen, NIGHT OF THE DOOMED is happy to show some nasty torture in all its glory. One man has his face disfigured, another is burnt alive while tied to a chair, and there's a cruel hot poker moment in there too. The violence is only used occasionally, and there's nowhere near the amount that the blurb states, but it's shocking nonetheless. Steele also gets to wear some horrible makeup at the film's climax.Many people would complain that the pacing of this film is too slow, but I loved it. For the most part Steele thinks she is going insane, hearing noises in her head and dreaming of a murder. There's even an added sub-plot about a servant who seems to have come straight from COUNTESS Dracula and needs to have blood transfusions to keep her young. McDouglas is excellent as the stuffy, seemingly nice but cruelly evil husband, and even the dashing male lead is likable. The special effects are simple and effective; the only failure is a cheap-looking electrocution. Besides, when we have such classic moments as a man wiring up a bath to electrocute an enemy and an impaled heart being thrown in a fire, thereby dispelling the ghosts, it's easy to overlook these minor flaws. An excellent addition to your collection if you're a fan of Gothic cinema.

Caught having an affair, "Muriel Arrowsmith" (Barbara Steele) and her lover "David" (Rik Battaglia) are tortured and killed by her angry and sadistic husband "Dr. Stephen Arrowsmith" (Paul Muller). Further, as it so happens Dr. Arrowsmith is also a scientist who is working on a project which rejuvenates the elderly housemaid "Solange" (Helga Line) into something young and beautiful. After killing Muriel, Dr. Arrowsmith then marries her half-sister, "Jenny" (also Barbara Steele) and because of her frail mental condition tries to push her over the edge so that he can claim the family inheritance from both her and Muriel. What he doesn't count on is the fact that the hallucinations that Jenny sees may be real. At any rate, rather than spoil the movie for those who haven't seen it I will just say that this is a pretty good horror movie for this particular time period. Not only is the acting good by everyone involved but along with that both Barbara Steele and Helga Line are also quite pleasing to the eyes. It is filmed in black and white which may be a turn-off for some folks. Likewise, the story has several developments at the end which might be hard to figure out if you're not paying attention. But all things considered I enjoyed this film and I think most people who like movies of this sort will appreciate it as well.

A crazy scientist catches his wife cheating and tortures both her and her lover to death, after he marries her sister because she inherits the castle and the ghosts come back for revenge.The movie is full of horror clichés. Crazy scientists, castles, ghosts, screaming, but in the atmosphere of a 60's Gothic horror movie those clichés seem to be kind of charming. If this movie was done in our time with the same story and dialogues that made me giggle, but using modern special effects I would not be as generous with my rating.The atmosphere of the movie is definitely its best part. It is very dark and beautiful. The castle and the fact that it is black/white make it look very chilling and one really feels the haunted atmosphere that is the positive part of this movie.Another great thing that saves this movie from a 2/10 rating is the fact that the "Queen of Scream" Barbara Steele is actually playing a dual role. And she is great at it. We can see the strong difference between Muriel and Jenny. The only problem is that the part of Muriel is much better than Jenny. Muriel is the goth beauty with a dark and sexy side while Jenny is sort of a wall flower, and yet we only see Muriel in a few scenes at the beginning and the end. Those scenes are actually very powerful. It is of course not very scary for our time, but seeing Muriel play the organ in the castle at the beginning of the movie made me think that I will love it. Unfortunately the middle of the movie are badly written dialogues that make the movie go very slow.The rest of the cast does a good job with this poor script as well. Paul Muller is great in the role of a crazy scientist and I was surprised to see that this is the only part Laurence Clift has played.This movie is not something that I would consider a classic, but it is beautiful and something one could enjoy on a thunder night in in a dark room while eating candy. For a good old horror movie there definitely are better choices.

Usually I like Barbara Steele's movies, but Mario Caiano's "Amanti d'oltretomba" ("Nightmare Castle" in English) is a little too slow-moving. Steele plays the wife of a scientist who looks like a cross between Christopher Plummer, Donald Sutherland and Benjamin Netanyahu. He kills her after discovering that she's having an affair, only to learn that she left her money to her sister. More shocks follow.The cinematography and setting create a very eerie feeling, and I can forgive the lousy dubbing, but the movie is just too slow-moving. This isn't a terrible movie, but I wish that it had gotten to the main story quicker than it did. Still, Barbara Steele looks great, as always.