Amanti d'oltretomba (1965)

Director:

Mario Caiano

Writers:

Mario Caiano (story) &
Fabio De Agostini (story)

Release Date:

5 July 1966 (USA)

Genre:

Horror

Tagline:

A mad, sadistic scientist on the loose!

Plot:

A woman and her lover are tortured and killed by her sadistic husband. The pair return from the grave to seek vengeance.

Plot Keywords:

Heart | Murder | Revenge | Nightmare | Ghost

Cast

Barbara Steele	...	Muriel Arrowsmith / Jenny Arrowsmith
Paul Muller	...	Dr. Stephen Arrowsmith (as Paul Miller)
Helga Liné	...	Solange
Laurence Clift	...	Dr. Dereck Joyce (as Lawrence Clift)
Giuseppe Addobbati	...	Jonathan (as John McDouglas)
Rik Battaglia	...	David

Also Known As:

Lovers Beyond the Tomb
Lovers from Beyond the Tomb
Night of the Doomed (UK)
Nightmare Castle (USA)
Orgasmo
The Faceless Monster

Runtime:

UK:101 min | USA:90 min | Italy:104 min

Country:

Italy

Language:

Italian

Color:

Black and White

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

UK:15 (re-rating) (2005) | UK:18 (re-rating) (1998-2005) | UK:X (original rating) | USA:Unrated | Australia:M

Company:

Cinematografica Emmeci

Trivia:

Director Mario Caiano initially wanted to highlight the gory scenes with red color. The idea was dropped due to budget limitations.

Movie Connections:

Featured in Dusk to Dawn Drive-In Trash-o-Rama Show Vol. 6 (1999) (V)

Badly written, beautifully executed

Laughable dialogue doesn't detract too much from this moody, sometimes disturbing Italian Gothic. The story seems to be loosely adapted from an M.R. James ghost story called "Lost Hearts". Although the torture scenes in the uncut version are remarkably strong for their time, there are other things that are more disquieting. Most hideous of all is the character of Solange, the maid, whose youth has been restored by a dead woman's blood. When she speaks of how the blood grows cold and heavy in her veins, it's a very unsettling moment. The black-and-white photography is beautifully atmospheric. Ennio Morricone's music is more conventional than usual -- especially the mazurka that represents Muriel, which is too simple and sentimental for a Barbara Steele character... but the tremendous Fugue for organ which dominates the soundtrack deserves special mention. In spite of its lapses, and with apologies to Mario Bava, this is still my favorite Italian Gothic horror film!