Crypt of Horror (1964)

- La cripta e l'incubo
I'd like to see a restored Region 1 release of this one, 27 September 2005

Crypt of Horror appears to be one of those films from the early 60s that has been cut, re-cut, and released under almost a dozen titles. To me, it's a shame that this movie has been treated this way over the years because I found it to be a fairly effective Euro-Gothic treat. The plot deals with Count Karnstein and his fear that his daughter may be the reincarnation of a relative put to death decades earlier for being a witch. Regardless of whether the daughter is a witch or not, members of the Karnstein family are dying rather cruel deaths. The Count must discover the truth to the witch's curse and put a stop to the deaths before the Karnstein family looses another member.

If you are into Gothic horror, there's plenty here to enjoy. Crypt of Horror exudes that Gothic atmosphere and plays a bit like cross between Black Sunday and Castle of Blood. (No, I'm not saying it's as good as either of these films.) I described it to a friend as the best Barbara Steele movie that Barbara Steele never made. A wonderfully creepy castle with miles of secret passages, dreams of dead relatives that become reality, women in flowing white gowns wandering through the night, rituals designed to raise the dead, and a hint of lesbianism are the highlights of the movie. Add to that the presence of Christopher Lee (even if he has very little to do) and you've got the basics of a good movie.

But given my rating (6/10), it's obvious I had some problems with Crypt of Horror. Whether it's the result of editing, poor dubbing, or an incoherent script, there are problems with the plot. There are far too many things that happen that make little sense or seem to have no bearing on anything else going on. Take the housekeeper and her continued attempts to bring the spirit of the dead witch back to life. Sure, the witch is pivotal to the plot, but why is she trying to summon the witch? What is her motivation? At least in my copy of the movie, it's never explained. There are other examples of where the plot gets muddled, but you get the idea.

6/10