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Gli orrori del castello di Norimberga (1972) More at IMDbPro »

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40 comments in total

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9 out of 10 people found the following comment useful :-
Pretty Good, 26 March 2004
Author: Gafke from United States

A young man travels to Europe and visits the ancient castle of a rather notorious ancestor called Baron Blood, a man whose name is still not very popular in the surrounding villages. Seems the Baron was a bit of a sadist, just in case the "Baron Blood" title didn't give it away already. Our young hero, Peter, meets Elke Sommer, and instead of breaking into the castles dungeon in the middle of the night and having sex like any normal hot young couple in the early 70s,

these two brilliantly decide instead to perform a centuries old ritual designed to raise the dead. When will these people learn? The Baron rises, seen first as a Phantom-of-the-Opera type guy with a face like a spoiled casserole, and later as a wheelchair bound and Maybelline dependent Joseph Cotton.

This really isn't a bad little film. There's some great spooky lighting techniques, some even better funky music and some gorgeous shots of the European

countryside. The ancient, crumbling castle is a wonderful set and the death

scenes are quite gruesome, especially the one featuring an Iron Maiden-ish

casket and a guy who looks a LOT like the late great Peter Lorre. In a nice twist, there's even a centuries-dead witch who turns out to be the GOOD guy! (Or girl, as the case may be) The acting isn't that great, but it doesn't make this an unwatchable film by any means. The story seems loosely based on the life of

Vlad the Impaler, but still manages to be original and interesting. A nice feeling of dread permeates the entire film. One of Bava's best efforts.

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9 out of 11 people found the following comment useful :-
Stylish but disappointing., 16 February 2002
Author: Infofreak from Perth, Australia

Mario Bava is one of the greats of horror cinema, but I wouldn't judge his importance by 'Baron Blood'. It isn't close to his best work. While stylishly directed (to be expected being Bava) and with plenty of atmosphere, it is low on both suspense and gore, and sets up a potentially dynamite premise (the resurrection of an evil Vlad The Impaler-like maniac hell bent on revenge), then goes nowhere much with it. One or two sequences are outstanding, but overall it's a major disappointment, and the usually excellent Joseph Cotton (who did some strong genre work in movies like 'The Abominable Dr Phibes' and 'Soylent Green') is a bit of a let down in the title role. Even so, no Mario Bava movie can be dismissed entirely, and for all its flaws it's still worth watching more than almost all of Hollywood's recent puerile and uninspired horror output.

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6 out of 6 people found the following comment useful :-
Glorious Mario Bava's horror film. **Spoilers**, 6 March 2006

Author: HumanoidOfFlesh from Chyby, Poland

*** This comment may contain spoilers ***

This glorious Italian horror film made by Mario Bava concerns a young couple(Antonio Cantafora,Elke Sommer)who manage to revive a cruel sorcerer-Baron Otto Von Kleist(Joseph Cotten)from the 1500s.Posing as a cripple,the Baron assimilates back into society and buys back his old castle,where he begins torturing and murdering innocent locals in his dungeon.It takes an enchanted amulet to defeat him,as all his victims rise from the grave for revenge.Veteran filmmaker Mario Bava's direction is truly splendid,the cast features plenty of Euro-horror regulars including Massimo Girotti,Luciano Pigozzi and young Nicoletta Elmi and there are some memorable horror set-pieces for example we see scenes containing:disfigured characters,hanged people,characters locked inside of a torture device and a couple of crusty zombies.The film is stylish and offers plenty of wonderful Gothic atmosphere.The use of lighting is especially notable."Baron Blood" is definitely not the best Mario Bava's horror film,but if you are a fan of Italian genre movies or Hammer productions you can't miss it.9 out of 10.

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6 out of 6 people found the following comment useful :-
Underrated Bava, 4 February 2005

Author: bensonmum2 from Tennessee

*** This comment may contain spoilers ***

While I prefer Bava's Black Sunday and Kill Baby...Kill, this is a good movie that I would highly recommend. Baron Blood combines the best elements of a good old-time ghost/haunted house story with a modern day slasher film.

All of Bava's trademarks are here - imaginative lighting, wonderful sets, and dramatic locations. Combined, they create the perfect horror movie atmosphere. Unfortunately, another Bava trademark is here as well - a weak script. There are some plot holes big enough the drive the Baron's castle through. But with Bava's style and skill as a director, the plot problems seem very minor.

The film concerns the evil Baron Otto von Kleist. After having been brought back to life, he continues the murderous ways of the past. There are some truly frightening moments in the film. (I'm not talking just creepy, I mean downright scary.) Examples would include the scenes involving the summoning of the Baron or Elke Sommer running from the Baron through the dark streets.

Speaking of the chase scene, films like Halloween or Friday the 13th were obviously heavily influenced by this movie. One could easily envision either Michael or Jason chasing Elke through the foggy streets.

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6 out of 6 people found the following comment useful :-
`The Agony of Hell' …. Terrifically brought to live by Mario Bava!, 5 March 2004

Author: Coventry from the Draconian Swamp of Unholy Souls

*** This comment may contain spoilers ***

(Small spoilers included) This is a brilliant film…I'm getting rather monotonous when reviewing Mario Bava films, but I can't help it. The man just made nothing but masterpieces and cult-highlights! Perhaps not the most genius film to state Bava's importance, Baron Blood still remains a stylish gothic wholesome that destroys practically all American horror movies. Baron Blood contains a lot of suspense and a rather fair amount of gore and maniacal slaughters. Other than that, all the usual Bava characteristics are present such as beautiful music, breath-taking locations and top-scenery (Von Kleist's torture chamber!!!). I just love the basic plot of Baron Blood! The key figure is a bloodthirsty madman, who was cursed to suffer eternally in hell back in the 17th century. A direct ascendant of his found a parchment, containing a formula to bring him back. Driven by curiosity he and a female architecture student (Elke Sommer – who already worked with Bava in the sublime ‘Lisa and the Devil') speak the words and true terror is resurrected once more. Innocent inhabitants of the small Austrian town start to die in horrible ways again. Meanwhile, a mysterious and lonely millionaire comes to town and buys the Baron's castle… Could there be a relation between the dwelling maniac and this man?

There are some serious plot holes in Baron Blood – almost the size of a melon - and the acting performances in this film surely are below standards. The constant screaming of Elke Sommer might become annoying after a while and especially Joseph Cotton disappoints with his uninspired performance. Cotton is best known for his role as Vincent Price's opponent in `The Abominable Dr. Phibes'. In spite of these few negative aspects, Baron Blood still is a MUST for Italian horror lovers and fans of horror cinema in general. If it were only for the haunting sequence in which Elke Sommer is being chased through the dark and foggy small streets of the village. Like none other, this scene proves that Bava is a master in creating a claustrophobic atmosphere.

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7 out of 8 people found the following comment useful :-
Bava's Best, 23 August 1999
Author: LJ27 from Vancouver, Canada

This 1972 film is the best film Mario Bava ever made if you ask me (and I like most of his films). I first saw it on TV when I was 10 years old and got lost in the parts about the witch but don't worry, those parts don't take up much of the film and it gets itself back on track quickly for a really great, cool climax that was truly ahead of it's time. Best of all, it is SCARY! Scenes of the heroine being hunted by the living dead Baron Von Kleist still make me nervous and I must've seen this film 20 times ( I own a VHS and a laserdisc copy of it if that shows how much I enjoy it). Joseph Cotton gives a really fine performance as Mr. Becker, the man who wishes to restore the Baron's castle, and the other main characters are likeable (important if you are to care whether or not they die). Bava is in top form here with some of the best horror film lighting ever done and builds suspense time and again. Don't watch it if you are going to be distracted because you do have to pay attention if you don't want to get lost but if you watch it closely, it's pretty easy to follow. Recent copies of the film are widescreen which is good, but have the original Italian score. The earlier pan and scan tapes are the American International Pictures version which contains a much scarier score by Les Baxter. The widescreen copy is supposedly uncut but I can't tell any difference other than the framing and the score. Either way though, it is a scary, fun horror masterpiece that I always enjoy watching again and again. If you've never seen it before, I dare you to watch it alone late at night.

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6 out of 7 people found the following comment useful :-
The Baron is back....Let the Blood flow........, 4 March 2005

Author: Prof-Hieronymos-Grost from Ireland

Orrori del castello di Norimberga, Gli aka Baron Blood (1972) Mario Bava Peter Kleist (Antonio Cantafora) an American returns to his ancestral home in Italy hoping to gain information on his family in particular Baron Otto von Kleist known to locals as Baron Blood, who legend has it died a terrible death because of the cruel and sadistic way he would torture and kill the local villagers and also had a curse put on him by a witch that would see him suffer a hundred times what he inflicted on others. Peter is met at the airport by Dr. Karl Hummel(Massimo Girotti)who brings him to Baron Blood's old Castle which he is told is to be renovated and turned into a themed hotel based on the torture chamber of the Baron to attract foreign tourists. Peter has in his possession an old parchment his grandfather gave him that says if you read it aloud in the place where the Baron died he will return from the dead….Peter shows this to Eva Arnold (Elke Sommer) a historical restorer working on the Castle and she agrees to go with him at midnight to the room where the Baron died to read the incantation……A sudden gust of wind blows the parchment into the fire meaning the spell is irreversible…..Things start to get kinda spooky locals start to die and go missing and Peter and Eva believe that the Baron Blood may be back from the grave to continue his bloodlust. Cue the arrival of the mysterious Alfred Becker{Joseph Cotten) a wheelchair bound stranger who buys the castle at auction and announces his intention to live there. The killings continue and soon Eva realizes she is next on the killers list… Stunningly beautiful visuals as always with Bava….The castle in particular is amazing a real bonus to any Horror Director with a visual flair……….Yes there are a few holes in the plot but they didn't detract from my enjoyment……The performances are a little open to debate…. Its hard to know if the acting is bad or just the dubbing actors voice, but I do wish the undubbed versions of Bava's films were all available.

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6 out of 7 people found the following comment useful :-
An excellent tribute to the classic Hollywood horror films of the 1930's, 2 February 2005

Author: k_t_t2001 from Canada

Mario Bava's BARON BLOOD is a fine a tribute to the monster movies of Hollywood's golden age. So evocative of that period is this film that it takes not even a moment's thought to mentally recast Boris Karloff as the Baron, Nan Grey as his intended victim and to tune away the vivid Technicolor into haunting black and white.

As in FRANKENSTIEN or THE MUMMY, the evil in the film is unwittingly unleashed upon the world by the film's hero. In this case it is American Peter Kleist, who returns to the German castle of his ancestor Baron Otto Von Kleist. Even though he is aware that his ancestor, nicknamed "Baron Blood" was a sadistic monster who butchered and tortured the people of the countryside, Peter foolishly recites an ancient spell capable of resurrecting the Baron. The restored Von Kleist immediately resumes his homicidal ways, and now Peter, assisted by the beautiful Elke Sommer as a local historian, must find a way to undo what he has thoughtlessly wrought.

In the classic horror films of the 1930's the monsters were iconic and unforgettable, while the heroes were bland and almost entirely irrelevant. After all, who remembers who played the "hero" opposite Lugosi in Dracula or Karloff in THE MUMMY? (For trivia's sake it was David Manners in both films.) No, the villain/monster may have spent much of the picture lurking about off screen, or skulking in the shadows, but nevertheless he was always indisputably the star of the show.

BARON BLOOD maintains this link to its cinematic forbearers. Antonio Cantafora's Peter Kleist is satisfactory, but eminently forgettable, while Joseph Cotton, obviously having a ball, is terrific in his villainous role. Cotton's performance as the resurrected Von Kleist is spot on perfect, filled with evil charm and malevolent glee. He dominates the screen in the best tradition of the movie monsters of old.

In fact, there is only one significant departure from the classic monster films. Even in the days before the Hayes Commission, blood and gore were rarely seen and usually only suggested in Hollywood motion pictures. BARON BLOOD was produced without such restrictions and, though mild when compared to more recent horror films, it does contain some explicit moments that would have been completely unacceptable in the 1930's. Even as a tribute to the grand old days, it must remembered that BARON BLOOD was produced to appeal to a contemporary 1970's audience. Bava however realized that things modern will inevitably intrude upon the classic, and made light of this by placing soda pop machines in the halls of the Gothic Von Kleist castle and having prerecorded screams available in the Baron's torture chamber at the flip of a switch.

Not as arty as LISA AND THE DEVIL, not as graphic as BAY OF BLOOD, BARON BLOOD is often unjustly overlooked, or simply dismissed as a minor effort of Mario Bava's later period. Such hasty judgments do the film a great disservice. If BARON BLOOD has less of the striking cinematography of Bava's best films, it must be argued that such innovation would be out of place in a film striving to recapture the look and atmosphere of the original Hollywood horror movies. If one accepts the movie for what it is, a fine tribute to the genre's past, then BARON BLOOD is a great success, both as a homage and as work unto itself.

BARON BLOOD has been released in numerous VHS and laserdisc editions. The DVD release from Image Entertainment is probably the best example of the film currently available, featuring an uncut 1.85:1 widescreen presentation of the film, complete with the original European musical score, which was replaced when the film was released theatrically in North America.

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7 out of 9 people found the following comment useful :-
A masterpiece in imagery, 8 February 1999
Author: BaronBl00d (baronbl00d@aol.com) from NC

Mario Bava was above any star he could ever put into a film for he was the star of the film behind the camera. With the possible exception of Barbara Steele in Black Sunday, Bava's films are noted mostly for Bava's direction and Baron Blood is no exception. The acting in the film is competent, but what makes this a great horror film is the visual landscapes Bava paints for us, whether it is a sadistic caped killer rampaging the tiny streets of a dark European night filled with fog or the stately grandeur of the animated dead within the confines of the castle, Bava is an artist using colours like a Rembrandt or Picasso. Baron Blood is a gruesome film filled with genuine terror and it will scare because it is scary in both content and with its heavy mood looming throughout.

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4 out of 4 people found the following comment useful :-
Very Good Bava Film, 20 February 2001
Author: marquis de cinema from Boston, MA

The closet thing to a remake of Mask of Satan(1960) that Mario Bava ever did was this film. The plotline is the opposite of Mask of Satan(1960) where in this film the witch is not evil. Gli Orrori del Castello di Norimberga/Baron Blood(1972) is an atmospheric supernatural thriller with marvelous cinematography and some good scare scenes. The main source of inspiriation for Baron Blood(1972) is Antonio Margheriti's The Virgin of Nuremberg(1963). Its interesting that Baron Blood(1972) takes place in the birth country of Adolph Hitler. Baron Otto Von Kleist seems to symbolize the atrocities committed by the nazis during the mid 1930s to mid 1940s.

Mario Bava did Baron Blood(1972) right after the controversial blood letting of A Bay of Blood(1971). Baron Blood has some gore scenes but without frequency and show stopping manner of Mario Bava's previous film. Baron Blood was the first and only time that Mario Bava did a film away from home as he didn't like to leave Italy. The music by Stelvio Cipriani is very good. The chase scenes in the film are some of Baron Blood's most exciting scenes. The death of Fritz is a reference to La Maschera del Demonio(1960) and Sei Donne Per L'Assassino(1964).

Elke Sommer doesn't do much in the role of Eva but she does look arousing in short dresses and mini skirts. Elke Sommer would give a much better performance in her next film for Mario Bava called Lisa E il Diavolo/Lisa & the Devil(1974). Joseph Cotten's performance as the evil Baron Otto Von Kleist brings to mind his role as the "Merry Widow Murderer" in Alfred Hitchcock's Shadow of a Doubt(1943). Baron Blood(1972) is not in the same league as the best of Bava's supernatural films such as La Maschera del Demonio/Mask of Satan(1960), La Frusta E il Corpo/Whip & the Body(1963), Operazione Paura/Kill Baby Kill!(1968), and Lisa E il Diavolo/Lisa and the Devil(1974) but is still better than any horror film from Hollywood from the 1990s til now. The set designs for the castle are excellent. The mysterious figure that appears on top of the castle at the end of the film gives me chills everytime I watch this movie.

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