AKA: Das Schloss Des Gralens, AKA: La vergine di Norimberga, AKA: The Virgin of Nuremburg
I decided I wanted to watch something a little different, so I turned to TCM, because while the mention of that station may bring forth mental images of Casablanca, truth be told, they play all sorts of sh*t. Unfortunately they usually air the stuff I like to watch at O-Dark-thirty in the morning and, damnit to hell, I’ve got places to go and don’t function well on only 2 hours of sleep. So I just ended up recording half the stuff they were showing in the last week or so, so I could scroll through it later and came upon this…Ah… An Italian horror film set in Germany and dubbed into English? And it has Christopher Lee? Perfect!
Horror Castle is a gothic horror from the 1960’s. A newly married nobleman and his beautiful bride are visiting his ancestral castle in Germany. The wife wakes up and notices her husband missing one night, goes to investigate and seemingly stumbles upon the aftermath of another woman being killed in the castles medieval torture museum (something no home should be without.)
And of course no home torture museum is complete without the Iron Maiden. I know I don’t
know what I’d do without mine.
She passes out and wakes up later, being told by her husband and others that it was all just a bad dream…except for the creepy-ass head maid who informs her that “he” has returned “to plant the seed of terror in shameless woman’s hearts.” “He” being “The Punisher” (sadly not the one comic book fans would hope for), and The Punisher being a 300-year-old ancestor who delighted in torturing and killing women.
Oh, and one of the maids has just gone missing.
I’m of the belief that one should not be judged to harshly based on a family’s past, but this sort of sh*t is the kind
of stuff that should be disclosed before marriage.
Not being a big believer in ghosts (or not being to bright, take your pick) she fakes taking her prescribed sleeping pills and wanders around trying to solve the mystery of the castle.
Mystery #1 being: Who decided ‘blood red’ was the most appropriate color for the torture room?
This little film has a hell of an atmosphere. Despite being set in the 1960 the surroundings and set pieces, and the time spent around the ancient castle, will from time to time make you feel like you slipped into an period piece. Patterns are antique, curtains abound, and there are conveniently placed candlestick holders to light and have flicker when a thunderstorm rears its ugly head.
The heroine of the tale, Mary, has the very unfortunate affliction of being prone to fainting spells earlier in the movie whenever she runs across something particularly dreadful (like those pesky dead bodies). But she toughens out later into the film and shows a bit of common sense when she realizes after stabbing The Phantom’s wandering hand “it’s not a ghost if it bleeds.” Huzza! There be a brain inside that pretty little head and it knows how to use a knife. She’s also smart enough to be suspicious of everyone, including her new husband, as he is suspiciously absent when the dead bodies start to show up.
Sadly she is not smart enough to know how to ask questions without making the help suspicious of her.
This film was a bit bloodier than I was expecting, it being from the 60’s. At one point a woman has part of her face eaten off by a rat and they’re not afraid to show you the after effects. They don’t shy away from the act itself either. Though it’s not as graphic as it could have been, it’s still uncomfortable to watch. Not exactly torture porn, but probably one of the earlier precursors to it.
There are a couple of miniature sets in the film. Most of them blend in rather well, but there are a couple that are more noticeable, especially a particular recurring one. None of them are stellar, but they’ll only be truly off-putting if you let them be.
Those who watch enough of these movies will probably be able to predict who the killer is. I’m sure no one will be all too shocked. Though I was pleased to see an actual back story included, there is some WWII stock footage that stands out quite a bit, despite obvious efforts to have it blend in to the production.
Though, to be honest, the killer does a better job trying to get his victims to blend into that wooden table.
It was nice to see some of the reasoning behind the killers actions apart from the earlier suggested “she was a whore”, especially when there is no such evidence ever presented to make us believe that the victims were “shameless women” in any way. Perhaps this is a plot hole, or perhaps it can be explained away by his slightly tragic back-story.
Ultimately though, and despite the death toll, he is portrayed as a tragic figure, to the point where he is even granted a tender reunion with Christopher Lee in a scene that would appall (but not shock) me to find out had been the inspiration for many a disturbing homoerotic horror fanficion.
Meine liebe…*sniff*
Overall, I enjoyed it. It’s got a great atmosphere with some gorgeous gothic visuals and a good pace. It’s probably going to be really predictable to those familiar with the genre, but to those attracted to the more aesthetically pleasing horror pieces this one is probably worth a look.
Moral: Some deep, dark, homicidal family secrets shouldn’t be left alive to roam the house. That’s how innocent maids end up in rusty iron maidens.
Michi, your reviews are great!
