After hearing so many good things about this anthology over the years, I sought out the Italian version and really found this quite disappointing. There is plenty to enjoy and the direction and visual presentation is excellent: some of the heavily stylised sequences (Karloff's psychedelically-saturated introduction especially) have even become quite iconic. So I feasted on that aspect of the film. The disappointment, I'm afraid, comes in the lack of tension and humdrum storytelling.
The first film, The Telephone, is a sort of giallo that proceeds at a ponderous pace, featuring a young lady receiving threatening phone calls from a man with an axe to grind against her. There is a twist in the tale, but it isn't very convincing and doesn't make a lot of sense, either logically or dramatically. A boring and muddled story.
The second film, The Wurdulak, gets off to a promising start with some good old-fashioned folk myth regarding a beloved father returning to his home after attempting to slay a vampire-like creature. The condition here is that if he returns after midnight, it is likely that he has been turned into a Wurdulak. Of course, he arrives at the stroke of midnight, professing to be the good old Dad... but is he? This great premise then starts to fall apart due to some of the implausible actions of some of the characters, the mistiming of the reveal and a subsequent detour into a rote romantic sub-plot. It all looks great and Karloff is a lot of fun, but it feels like a missed opportunity.
The third film, Drop, ends up being the best of the bunch, although it is a very simple story and hence doesn't really have time to present many mysteries or draw you in before giving you the answers. A basic morality tale, featuring retribution from beyond the grave, this one as least benefits from a truly ghastly fright in the form of the dead countess.
Honestly, I think my favourite parts of the film where the prologue and epilogue with Karloff that left me with a big smile on my face!
The first film, The Telephone, is a sort of giallo that proceeds at a ponderous pace, featuring a young lady receiving threatening phone calls from a man with an axe to grind against her. There is a twist in the tale, but it isn't very convincing and doesn't make a lot of sense, either logically or dramatically. A boring and muddled story.
The second film, The Wurdulak, gets off to a promising start with some good old-fashioned folk myth regarding a beloved father returning to his home after attempting to slay a vampire-like creature. The condition here is that if he returns after midnight, it is likely that he has been turned into a Wurdulak. Of course, he arrives at the stroke of midnight, professing to be the good old Dad... but is he? This great premise then starts to fall apart due to some of the implausible actions of some of the characters, the mistiming of the reveal and a subsequent detour into a rote romantic sub-plot. It all looks great and Karloff is a lot of fun, but it feels like a missed opportunity.
The third film, Drop, ends up being the best of the bunch, although it is a very simple story and hence doesn't really have time to present many mysteries or draw you in before giving you the answers. A basic morality tale, featuring retribution from beyond the grave, this one as least benefits from a truly ghastly fright in the form of the dead countess.
Honestly, I think my favourite parts of the film where the prologue and epilogue with Karloff that left me with a big smile on my face!