The director of the frightening "Black Sunday' goes goth again with this modern day visit from an evil Baron from centuries before conjured up by two idiotic adults who know full well the consequences of such actions. This castle of evil, once the sight of hideous torture of a Vlad the Impaler like nobleman, is now a tourist haven even though the guests are basically barely seen extras. Once free from his eternal hell (brought about by a witch's curse), the Baron goes about with more evil, and the two young idiots set out to reverse their grave mistake before he send them to the grave.
There are some genuinely gripping horrors, particularly the plight of the insane groundsman trapped in a spiked casket. When the baron pursues an innocent young girl, you may find yourself on the edge of your seat. Joseph Cotten takes over the type of role that Ray Milland had been playing at the time, a wheel-chair bound mystery man who buys the castle. This isn't the classic of "Black Sunday's" caliber, and is missing the presence of someone like Barbara Steele. Elke Sommer is a stereotypical Fay Wray/Evelyn Ankers horror heroine, and when Baron Blood pursues her through the twists and turns of the castle grounds, the results are equally frightening.
The one laughable element of this poorly photographed thriller is the total inappropriate musical score that seems more fit for romantic comedy rather than grand guignol.
There are some genuinely gripping horrors, particularly the plight of the insane groundsman trapped in a spiked casket. When the baron pursues an innocent young girl, you may find yourself on the edge of your seat. Joseph Cotten takes over the type of role that Ray Milland had been playing at the time, a wheel-chair bound mystery man who buys the castle. This isn't the classic of "Black Sunday's" caliber, and is missing the presence of someone like Barbara Steele. Elke Sommer is a stereotypical Fay Wray/Evelyn Ankers horror heroine, and when Baron Blood pursues her through the twists and turns of the castle grounds, the results are equally frightening.
The one laughable element of this poorly photographed thriller is the total inappropriate musical score that seems more fit for romantic comedy rather than grand guignol.