Castle Of Blood – Uncensored International Version (aka Danza Macabre/1964/Synapse Films)

 

Picture: C     Sound: C     Extras: C+     Film: C+

 

 

We recently looked at a much underrated Edgar Allen Poe TV series hosted by Christopher Lee that had been around for ten years, yet was just arriving on DVD now.  It adapted some of his best-know stories by him and the concluding installment was about him.  Dubbed Edgar Allen Poe’s Castle Of Blood (1964), the Italian made film was not based on a Poe story, but involved a character with his name trapped in a nightmare.

 

The Poe figure (Silvano Tranquilli) goes to London, England on a dare to go to the supposedly haunted Blackwood Castle for just one overnight stay.  A bet is even made and the “vacation” beings.  At first, it just seems like an old, slightly decaying place.  Of course, that sense of the benign does not last for long and when he meets the mysterious Elisabeth Blackwood (Barbara Steele) who may hold some secret that words may not even describe.  Quickly, a journey into the unknown begins and there may be no way out.

 

Some people just love this film and director Antonio Margheriti (aka Anthony Dawson on so many U.S. prints) directs the film quite well.  The directing is effective enough and the actors are very good.  I liked the effective atmosphere of the film, as well as the production design and editing.  However, it becomes obvious what will happen by the time the 90 minutes ends, though half the fun is getting there.  Steele looks great, of course, while the film proves once again why black and white will never be obsolete.

 

The idea that Poe wrote his books based on real experiences does not have to mean or necessarily does mean anything supernatural happened to him, but the film takes that liberty and that will cross a fine line for purists.  As Kubrick’s The Shining reminds us, the supernatural is not as simple as we think and many of Poe’s stories definitely were not supernatural.  This film does not over-mystify Poe, but poses an interesting what if that makes this film particularly in this cut a must-see, no matter what your final conclusion is on it.

 

The anamorphically enhanced 1.78 X 1 image is a reconstruction, so much work was done to get this extended cut made that it is impressive that it is as consistent as it is.  For that, Video Black looks good, though detail is an issue.  The Dolby Digital 2.0 Mono shows its age, especially since all Italian films post-WWII used dubbing as regular practice at the time.  Though flawed, the sound is clean as compared to many similar Italian releases of the time.  Extras include liner notes by Tim Lucas in a foldout inside the DVD case, stills gallery, the original theatrical trailer and an alternate Woolner Brothers opening when it was issued in the United States.

 

For more information about this and other great titles from Synapse Films, be sure to visit their site at the following link where you can also order these discs:

 

http://www.synapse-films.com

 

 

You can read more about that Poe TV series at:

 

http://www.fulvuedrive-in.com/review/4500/Christopher+Lee+–+Edgar+Allen+Poe’s+“Tales+Of+Mystery+&+Imagination”+(TV+Series)

 

 

-   Nicholas Sheffo