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13 out of 15 people found the following review useful:
A fabulous slice of Euro Gothic!, 8 June 2006
8/10
Author: The_Void from Beverley Hills, England

Emilio Miraglia's crossover between Gothic horror and Italy's finest cinematic export, the Giallo, really is a delightful film for the fan of cult horror. While the movie is certainly no masterpiece, the story moves well and the imagery on display and imagination on the part of the director that is shown throughout elevates a rather simple tale of insanity and murder into an amazing slice of cult cinema. The title alone is graphic and lurid enough on its own, and I'm pleased to say that the film itself carries on this style throughout, with some well worked and ingenious death scenes, as well as plenty of nudity and some truly beautiful cinematography. The story takes place in a castle just outside London, England. We are introduced to Lord Alan Cunningham and a hooker that he is taking home. After brutally torturing and eventually killing her, we discover that his mental trauma is due to the loss of his wife, Evelyn. His friend and doctor talks him into remarrying to ease his mental anguish, and that's a piece of advice that he takes upon meeting the ravishing Gladys...

Despite the fact that this film is very much a piece of schlock cinema, the director appears to have taken it very seriously, and the result is a film that puts a lot of emphasis on the plot and characters, and ultimately this means a stronger show as Miraglia takes time to draw his audience in, rather than just showing blood and nudity and leaving it at that. The acting performances aren't bad, and even though Spaghetti Western star Antonio De Teffè is a little hammy, he convinces in his role; while Marina Malfatti provides eye-catching eye candy. The murder sequences on display are typically gruesome and beyond the immediately obvious, as we watch a woman being ripped apart by foxes and a scene that sees a man burn in a pool containing sulphuric acid. Bruno Nicolai's rock score works very well and brilliantly accents every scene. The film all boils down to a satisfying ending, which despite seemingly coming out nowhere; works well and adequately describes many of the loose ends up until the conclusion. Overall, while this film isn't the best of its kind; it's certainly a very good one and I'm sure that fans of cult cinema won't be disappointed!

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11 out of 12 people found the following review useful:
Albert wants his thirty pounds, 18 November 2005
7/10
Author: Carl Sevier from United States

OK, maybe I'm wrong, but I don't think so. If you want to watch great cinematography maybe you should watch this for a base to judge it on. I have the r rated version and I've seen more breasts in this than in a regular porn movie. This is a wonderful movie to have with a ton of friends over. If there were only more spaghetti horror movies like this.

From the get go, there are red heads galore. And more S&M than you'd have thought could be filmed back in the 70s. I'm not saying this is the best movie of the age, but the costume designer should have won an Oscar. Can you say "Titty"? And the under lying theme of "Get rid of your old flame's s**t!" can't be denied.

Perhaps those who don't appreciate this film aren't the "artsy fartsy" types but this movie also can boasts non-stop high quality Sets. And any flick that involves Red head chicks naked, Rufees, and gore can't be bad. Oh!, and foxes eating intestines.

And let's not mention Aunt Agatha getting her head knocked in ala. Apollo Creed in Rocky IV.

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11 out of 13 people found the following review useful:
Clever mix of gothic horror elements and Giallo story, 13 July 2001
6/10
Author: rundbauchdodo from Zürich, Switzerland

This creepy Italian thriller tells the story about a widowed lord who still suffers from the memory of the death of his red-haired wife Evelyn who betrayed him. So the aristocrat lures red-haired prostitutes into his castle to take revenge on his dead wife again and again: He whips them before he kills them.

But he's obviously not the only whacko in this film, because after he has found a new wife - a blonde woman this time - he seems to be getting better, but strange things happen and there's even a gloved killer who murders a couple of people in quite nasty ways.

This film from the director of the fine Giallo "La Dama Rossa Uccide Sette Volte" (1972, see also my comment on that one) is a clever blending of gothic horror elements (a creepy castle, mysterious events taking place and an empty coffin that suggests that Evelyn indeed came out of her grave) and a typical Giallo story (gloved killer, nasty murders and some surprising twists during the climax). The only letdown is the slow paced start (after a great opening sequence, though), but the second half makes up for that in many ways. The film is not that gory, but there is one particularly gruesome scene when the killer batters a woman with a stone and then throws her into a fox cage - you actually see the foxes munch on her innards.

All in all an interesting and unusual film that is worth looking for (although it's not easy to get it on tape at the moment).

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8 out of 9 people found the following review useful:
Nice mix of Giallo and Gothic horror, 16 December 2005
7/10
Author: bensonmum2 from Tennessee

*** This review may contain spoilers ***

Lord Alan Cunningham has been a troubled man since the death of his wife. The only release he can find from his torment is by luring women that remind him of his dead wife to his castle and then brutally murdering them. That is until he meets Gladys. The two are quickly married and Lord Cunningham appears to be cured. But a series of strange events involving the possibility that his first wife has returned from the grave seems to send him over the edge.

The Night Evelyn Came Out of the Grave is one part Giallo and one part Gothic horror. It's not the greatest example of either sub-genre you'll run across, but I was reasonably entertained throughout. There are plenty of twists and turns in the plot to keep you guessing up to the very end. While I've seen enough of these Gialli that I'm rarely surprised anymore, there's no way I could have predicted all the twists in the last act. The acting is about average for this kind of film, but it was nice to see Marina Malfatti with a large role as Gladys. Most of the rest of the cast will be familiar to fans of 70s Italian films.

A word of warning about the DVD – there are a bunch of El Cheapo DVD companies out there that offer The Night Evelyn Came Out of the Grave. One appears to be about as good as the other. The best that can be said about these DVDs is that they are watchable (and I'm being generous). If this sounds like a movie that would be of interest, I've read that NoShame DVD has acquired the Region 1 rights. Based on their track record, it should be worth waiting for. I'll definitely upgrade once it's released.

Edit (5/7): NoShame's new DVD of The Night Evelyn Came Out of the Grave is, in a word, stunning - especially when compared with what's been available until now in Region 1. I have a new appreciation for the film and actually enjoyed it much more than I did just a couple of months ago. It's like watching a whole different movie.

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5 out of 5 people found the following review useful:
She's Waiting., 12 August 2007
6/10
Author: lost-in-limbo from the Mad Hatter's tea party.

Emilio Miraglia's "The Night Evelyn came out of her Grave" is an entertaining slice of perversely manipulative and seedy Gothic Euro-horror. The way the format works out (Gothic crossed Giallo) is a delicious web of eerie uncertainty and devilish twists, where is it the cracking mind of the protagonist or maybe the supernatural has something to do with the mysterious occurrences and demented happenings. Where never quite sure how it will pan out, despite its strictly routine and what you think a simple set-up. It does create many effective and spontaneous passages, like a layer upon layer structure, which compellingly builds up to its show-stopping, and unforeseeable conclusion. Which eventually goes out of its way to shock. Miraglia sharply paints a sombre atmospheric setting that at times embraces a dreamy elegance and for the darker, glum moments it's covered with moody shades due to its shadowy lighting. There's plenty of rough, jolting blocks of viciously nasty violence, sensual nudity and sordid fetishes. Bruno Nicolai's peering camera-work is smoothly orchestrated and Gastone Di Giovanni's wicked, bustling music score fits every scene. The pacing can get rather stumpy and editing can lumber with little rhythm, but it has a certain glow and the strangeness of the idea seems to hold you. The performances fair up decently, with a voluptuous Erika Blanc looking rather stunning and nailing down her part. Antonio De Teffè's nervous wreck portrayal is finely tuned in a neurotic sense and Marina Malfatti is there to shower us with her gratuitous looks. Rod Murdock colourfully hams it up, with winning results and Giacomo Rossi-Stuart is suitably adequate as the stable-headed doctor. There are able performances from Joan C Davis and Roberto Maldera too. The story can get patchy with few plot-holes, but it has a sedately arresting, stylised appeal.

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9 out of 13 people found the following review useful:
Evelyn Should Have Stayed Buried!, 2 August 2005
4/10
Author: BaronBl00d (baronbl00d@aol.com) from NC

Italian horror/suspense film about a wealthy English lord who cruises pubs and taverns for girls with red hair just like his recently deceased wife Evelyn. You know he must have really loved his wife, because he brings them to his home - a huge, rotting castle - and makes them disrobe and then tortures them, whips them, and kills them. The most bizarre aspect of this film for me was that somehow by the film's end, we see this guy played by Antonio De Teffe as the HERO of the film. Anyway, soon, under the advice of his playboy uncle Roberto Maldera, De Teffe settles down with a girl he meets at his uncle's party. She moves in and strange things begin to happen to De Teffe's fragile state of mind. He begins to see and hear his dead wife and finally, well, just look at the title if you are still curious. Also, family members and friends begin to die in the most brutal fashions. Poor Aunt Agatha(she looks like she might even be younger than De Teffe and they have her in a wheelchair and trying to look old) meets her fate in a foxy fashion. Another man is injected and then buried alive. And of course, there is a whole explanation as to why/how Evelyn did what she did. Director Emilio Miraglia does do some things fairly well: the settings in the film are well-suited for this film though trying to make us believe it is England is ludicrous at best. None of the actors look English. Many having dark black hair and Mediterranean complexions and wearing clothes an Englishman wouldn't be caught dead in. The cars drive on their wrong side of the road. But all that notwithstanding, the crypt scene was effectively shot and I liked the cheesy resolution too. And of course any film with the sultry, red-headed Erika Blanc is always a plus. There is a streak of sexual perversion; however, which I found somewhat appalling with the idea that torturing women was quite alright and healthy in order to relieve one of his mental demons. C'mon.

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8 out of 12 people found the following review useful:
Sexy,stylish and compelling Italian giallo., 30 June 2006
9/10
Author: HumanoidOfFlesh from Chyby, Poland

Alan is a rich playboy haunted by the memory of red-headed Evelyn, his dead and unfaithful wife.He brings red haired prostitutes to his gloomy castle where they are whipped and killed.But when he marries Gladys,the terrible things begins to happen:his brother-in-law Albert is buried alive,aunt Agatha is fed to the foxes and Evelyn herself seems to pop out of her crypt with a sexy body and grinning skull face.1971's "The Night Evelyn Came Out of the Grave" is an enjoyable and stylish giallo with lovingly-photographed murders and plenty of sleaze.Every killing is associated with nudity and there is a lot of Gothic mood throughout.The location sets including a decrepit castle,a shadowy mausoleum and a sinister torture dungeon are truly creepy.The film is worth seeing for Erika Blanc's sensuous coffin striptease alone.9 out of 10.Fans of Italian gialli should give it a look!

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3 out of 3 people found the following review useful:
Weak mystery at times makes very little sense., 14 May 2009
3/10
Author: Aaron1375 from Alabama

*** This review may contain spoilers ***

This Italian semi-horror movie starts out very much like a soft core porn movie and turns into a mystery that has a few to many loose ends to be good, that and the fact it is rather dull just makes this film rather unwatchable for my tastes. The only thing really worth watching are the many boobs spread throughout the film. The story has a guy who at the beginning of the movie luring girls to his castle where he proceeds to take them to his dungeon, go berserk and seemingly kill them. They show the nudity, but they never really show the murders at this point in the film. Then the guy finds a nice red head at a party and proceeds to make out with her and marry her. He has a thing for red heads you see as his beloved former wife Evelyn was also one, she also died under circumstances that must have not been the viewing audience's business. After a lot of talky scenes murders start to take place involving snakes, foxes and such. At this point it is easy enough to figure out who is responsible for the murders and what the motive is then you have a nonsensical ending where everything wraps up not so nicely. This movie just did not work for me, it left me with to many questions and the last third of the film just did not have the boobs of the first two thirds of the film. Explaining Evelyn's death would have helped the film as would have some sort of ending where Evelyn did rise from the grave. Granted the title is not totally misleading as she did sort of leave the grave, just not under her own power. The gore is very light for the most part as there is a scene with the foxes and a scene at the end with quite a bit of blood too. I just thought for the most part this movie was a tad dull.

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3 out of 3 people found the following review useful:
Stylish Gothic Giallo, 6 August 2008
7/10
Author: Benjamin Gauss from Salzburg, Austria

*** This review may contain spoilers ***

"La Notte Che Evelyn Uscì Dalla Tumba" aka "The Night Evelyn Came Out Of The Grave" of 1971 is an exquisitely strange mixture of Giallo and Gothic Horror. Before seeing this film, I was long looking forward to it, since Gialli and Gothic Tales are my two favorite sub-genres in Horror, and it did not disappoint. Among my fellow Italian Horror buffs, director Emilio Miraglia is most praised for his Gothic Giallo masterpiece "La Dama Rossa Uccide Sette Volte" (aka. "The Red Queen Kills Seven Times") of 1972, which is one of the most atmospheric and brilliant genre gems ever to be released. While this film is nowhere near as great, it is definitely a highly original little film that no Italian Horror lover should consider missing."The Night That Evelyn Came Out Of The Grave", may have some little flaws, but it is without doubt a highly original film with some downright ingenious aspects. The film delivers delightful weirdness and sleaze in an eerie castle setting.

Lord Cunningham (Anthony Steffen) has the unorthodox urge to lure prostitutes (redheads only) into his eerie castle. Followed by a crazy vision, which another red-haired girl (more precisely his deceased wife) runs around naked in the forest, the raged boot-fetishist Cunningham kills the prostitutes in the torture chamber of his castle. His psychiatrist (Giacomo Rossi-Stuart, who is best known for Mario Bava's masterpiece "Kill Baby... Kill!") advises the man to get married again, in order to overcome his strange visions. Cunningham then meets a sexy lady named Gladys (Marina Malfatti)... The storyline is sometimes a bit confused, but overall highly original. Apart from the great Gothic atmosphere and excellent photography, the film also entertains with delightful sleaze. The female characters all tend to get naked as frequently as possible, which is especially welcome with the stunningly beautiful Erica Blanc and Marina Malfatti. The amount of perversions and insanity is equally satisfactory. The killings are not very gory, but stylish and one of them is quite nasty. Anthony Steffen, who is mainly known for his Spaghetti Westerns (sometimes credited as Antonio De Teffe), makes a great psychotic rich guy. The score by Bruno Nicolai is great, and the photography and atmosphere are superb. There are some illogical aspects and plot-holes, though. Lord Cunningham and his cousin have an aunt, for example, who looks only half the age of her nephews. The film has some other flaws, but the great Gothic atmosphere, sleaze and delightful weirdness make up for that easily. Overall, "The Night Evelyn Came Out Of Her Tomb" is a sleazy, original and stylish Gothic Giallo that no Italian Horror lover should miss.

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4 out of 5 people found the following review useful:
Beware of greedy, imaginary unfaithful, worm-congested red-haired corpse brides..., 21 July 2006
6/10
Author: Coventry from the Draconian Swamp of Unholy Souls

*** This review may contain spoilers ***

Completely UNlike expected, I didn't like this creatively titled movie as much as I thought I would. "The Night Evelyn Came out of the Gave" features all the basic ingredients that make Italian horror fanatics' mouths water, and it is in fact pretty good, yet it doesn't leave you with that fantastic feeling of total amazement like so many other gialli/Gothic films do. What went wrong mainly? Well, one too many tedious sequences, for starters, but primarily it's the fact that justice apparently must NOT be done! There's more than one murderer in this story and they honestly don't all get the punishment they deserve. The rest of the film is varying from good to great! Director Emilio Miraglia offers a largely compelling giallo-plot, but with the atmosphere & set pieces of a typical Gothic horror production! This means we're following a convoluted and demented crime conspiracy but set in an ancient ominous castle and featuring eerie family vaults, whips and gigantic cobwebs. Two years later, in 1973, the great Antonio Margheriti also proved with "Seven Deaths in a Cat's Eye" that these two fabulous horror sub genre's can be blend perfectly. And he did it even slightly better, as that particular film didn't suffer from so many holes in the plot. The wealthy Lord Cunningham has the strange habit of luring red-headed beauties to his castle, suffering from a vision of another redhead running naked through a meadow, and subsequently killing the gals barbarically with a whip. This ritual describes his therapy for getting over his wife's death, since she passed away shortly after him (falsy?) accusing her of adultery. When the Lord finally takes everyone's advise and re-marries with a stunning beauty, all kinds of mysterious events occur, indicating that the first wife returned from the dead with a vengeance. Hence the not-so-subtle title! The story is always interesting but the pacing is a little slow and not one character is likable. However, that makes the murders all the more enjoyable! They're not particularly gory, but certainly ingenious! The killing of the wheel-chaired lady is notably brutal! The music and quantity of nudity & euro-sleaze are also tip top, so there are more than enough elements left to reward this film with a positive rating.

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