Danza macabra (1964)

User Rating:

7.1/10   

Director:

Antonio Margheriti

Writers:

Sergio Corbucci (screenplay)
Giovanni Grimaldi (screenplay)

Release Date:

29 July 1964 (USA)

Genre:

Horror

Tagline:

The living and the dead change places in an orgy of terror!

Plot:

A writer accepts a bet that he cannot spend the night alone in a haunted castle on All Soul's Eve. Once night falls at the castle...

Plot Keywords:

Castle | Bet | Actual Animal Killed | Nudity | Overnight In A Haunted House

Cast

Barbara Steele	...	Elisabeth Blackwood
Georges Rivière	...	Alan Foster
Margarete Robsahm	...	Julia
Arturo Dominici	...	Dr. Carmus (as Henry Kruger)
Silvano Tranquilli	...	Edgar Allan Poe (as Montgomery Glenn)
Sylvia Sorrente	...	Elsi (as Sylvia Sorrent)
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Giovanni Cianfriglia		(as Phil Karson)
John Peters
Merry Powers
Umberto Raho		(as Raul H. Newman)
Salvo Randone
Benito Stefanelli		(as Ben Steffen)
Johnny Walters

Also Known As:

Castle of Blood (UK) (USA)
Coffin of Terror
Dimensions in Death
Edgar Allan Poe's Castle of Blood
La danse macabre (France)
La lunga notte de terrore
Terrore
The Castle of Terror (USA)
The Long Night of Terror
Tombs of Horror
Tombs of Terror

Runtime:

87 min

Country:

Italy | France

Language:

Italian

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Westrex Recording System)

Certification:

USA:Not Rated

Company:

Giovanni Addessi Produzione Cinematografica

Quotes:

[last lines]
[to himself]
Edgar Allan Poe: Incredible.
[in a ghostly voice-over]
Elisabeth Blackwood: You have stayed with me, Alan.
[in a ghostly voice-over]
Alan Foster: Yes.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in La vendetta di Lady Morgan (1965)

Prime example of Italian horror, superbly captured on a widescreen DVD.

Here's a favorite example of Italian horror cinema, filled with the trademark qualities that have impressed genre-film afficionados for the last half century. It compares favorably with the highly-regarded, Mario Bava classic, BLACK SUNDAY, and features another major appearance by the mysterious beauty, Barbara Steele. The black-and-white cinematography and production design are nicely realized, and an appropriate atmosphere of menace and sexuality is skillfully delivered. All in all, this is a prime example of why Italian horror cinema deserves some appreciation. The music is by Riz Ortolani (of MONDO CANE fame). A very nice DVD from Synapse.