Castle of Blood (1964)
"Danza macabra" (original title)

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, several who had been murdered therein return to life, ... See full summary »

Directors:

Sergio Corbucci, Antonio Margheriti

Writers:

Sergio Corbucci (screenplay), Giovanni Grimaldi (screenplay)

Stars:

Barbara Steele, Georges Rivière, Margrete Robsahm

Cast

Credited cast:
Barbara Steele	...	Elisabeth Blackwood
Georges Rivière	...	Alan Foster
Margrete 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	...	KIller (as Phil Karson)
John Peters
Merry Powers
Umberto Raho	...	Lord Thomas Blackwood (as Raul H. Newman)
Benito Stefanelli	...	(as Ben Steffen)
Johnny Walters

Storyline

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, several who had been murdered therein return to life, reliving their deaths and seeking to kill the writer for his blood in a vain attempt to stay alive beyond that one night. Barbara Steele, as one of the living dead, tries to aid his escape from the castle.

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Plot Keywords:

castle | bet | wager | sex scene | ghost | 

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Taglines:

They love only for blood!

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Genres:

Horror

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Certificate:

Not Rated

Details

Country:

Italy France

Language:

Italian

Release Date:

29 July 1964 (USA)

Also Known As:

The Castle of Terror

Company Credits

Production Co:

Giovanni Addessi Produzione Cinematografica, Ulysse Productions, Vulsinia Films

Technical Specs

Runtime:

87 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (Westrex Recording System)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Goofs

Alan is supposed to be fatally impaled by a spike (which is what we see in close-up), but the spike in the swinging gate could only hit him tangentially. His body remains upright but there is no embedded spike to provide the necessary support. (In any case a supporting spike would need to be not in the gate but in the railing behind him.)

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Quotes

[last lines]
Elisabeth Blackwood: [in a ghostly voice-over] You have stayed with me, Alan.
Alan Foster: [in a ghostly voice-over] Yes, Elizabeth.

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Connections

Remade as Web of the Spider (1971)

User Reviews

One of the better Italian horror films of the 60's

Two men(one being Edgar Allen Poe) in an English pub have drinks with a man eager to earn some quick money.He is dared to spend the night in a haunted house for a quite tidy sum.The catch is the dead of this particular house rise this very night.Previous people that have taken the dare didn't survive. The man takes the dare in spite of the warning.

Once inside the tension begins to rise as the man is joined by previous occupants of the house.He is forced to watch their very own violent deaths as they are repeated this particular night every year.The ghosts then try to lure the young man into joining them,even the ghost(Barbara Steele) who has fallen in love with him.Will he survive to see the dawn?

This is a very well made film.The scares are frequent and you actually care about several of the characters,ghosts included. The house/castle is grim and foreboding.The photography is great and Ms Steele never looked lovelier.

The ending is a real twist that you won't see coming.Give this one an 8!