La cripta e l'incubo (1964)

User Rating:

5.5/10   

Director:

Camillo Mastrocinque

Writers:

Ernesto Gastaldi (screenplay)
Ernesto Gastaldi (story)

Release Date:

27 May 1964 (Italy)

Genre:

Horror

Plot:

Count Karnstein sends for a doctor to help his sick daughter Laura. Her nurse believes she is possessed by the spirit of a dead ancestor;Carmilla...

Plot Keywords:

Painting | Father Daughter Relationship | Bell | Hanging | Black Magic

Cast

Adriana Ambesi	...	Laura Karnstein (as Audry Amber)
Ursula Davis	...	Ljuba
José Campos	...	Friedrich Klauss
Véra Valmont	...	Annette
Cicily Clayton	...	Tilda Karnstein
Nela Conjiu	...	Rowena
José Villasante	...	Cedric the Butler
Billy Curtis		(as Bill Curtis)
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
James Bright-Oman
Christopher Lee	...	Count Ludwig Karnstein
A. Midlin

Also Known As:

Crypt of the Vampire (USA)
Terror in the Crypt (USA)

Runtime:

82 min | Spain:92 min | UK:84 min

Country:

Spain | Italy

Language:

Italian

Color:

Black and White | Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Filming Locations:

Balsorano Castle, L'Aquila, Abruzzo, Italy

Company:

Alta Vista

Quotes:

Lyuba: It's so beautiful here. Perhaps nature has purposely set the stage and is waiting for the actors to enter. But who knows if the play is farce ... or tragedy. This is a spot where one could come for pleasure ... or for death.

Not great Gothic horror

Terror in the Crypt certainly seems like a great film on paper - it's stemmed from the classic novel "Carmilla" by Sheridan Le Fanu and the screenplay is by none other than Ernesto Gastaldi; the man responsible for a number of great Giallo films in the seventies. Adding to the writing credits is the fact that the film stars the great Christopher Lee; but unfortunately the pacing is far too slow and the film is more 'Castle of the Living Dead' than 'Black Sunday'. Anyone that has seen one of the numerous films based on the La Fanu novel will probably know what this film will be about. Count Karnstein comes to believe that his daughter Laura has become possessed by the spirit of the dead ancestor Carmilla and sends for a doctor to help her. However, this does not stop the daughter from being influenced by Carmilla. The film does well on the atmosphere front and director Camillo Mastrocinque delivers a great setting for the film to take place in with a lavish Gothic castle. However, there's just not enough going on to keep the film interesting for the duration and unfortunately despite the positives; the film is not very easy to follow for this reason. Perhaps fans of Gothic horror will find something to like here; but while I consider myself just that, unfortunately I didn't.