5 tombe per un medium (1965) Online

I originally caught this black and white thriller in 1966 on a double bill with the color Bloody Pit Of Horror and Terror Creatures made more of an impression on me. It has great atmosphere, graphic special effects makeup (for the time) and a wonderful soundtrack. If anything is lacking, the ending seems a bit rushed. I recommend the VHS version that Something Weird released a few years back. It is struck from an immaculate print and contains the European version of the movie-this includes a brief topless shot (unfortunately not of Babs Steele but she does emerge from her bath in a subsequent tantalizing scene.) The Alpha Video DVD release is taken from a rather scratchy print and is minus the nudity but is available for less than $6.00. This Italian shocker would be a welcome addition to any Euro film collection.

Medieval plague victims return from the dead to terrorise a group of people who were enemies of a dead man with expertise in the occult.

This is another in the cycle of Italian Gothic horror films that were especially popular in the 60's. It stars the queen of Italian horror from this period, Barbara Steele. She was hardly a scream queen however. She was rarely the one doing the screaming, she was usually the aggressor. In this movie she again is no victim and like always she provides some real class to proceedings. The story itself is fairly standard stuff, with nothing out of the ordinary. It's really pretty decent stuff though if you have an appreciation for horror films with a Gothic atmosphere. There are plenty of well used locations and the mood is effective enough. I enjoyed it and recommend it to fans of Italian Gothic.

Even my third generation, dubbed copy of this Italian made creature feature can't obscure the fact that this is a prime slice of Gothic cinema. Walter Brandi (Playgirls and the Vampire) stars as a lawyer sent to a gloomy castle to meet a client...who turns out to have been dead for a year! Barbara Steele is here as the widow of the deceased, and there's a plentiful supply of red herrings, gruesome make-up (all the more suggestive in black and white), thunder and lightning, and terrific atmosphere. The English language print seems to have suffered some cuts (though it is, surprisingly, letterboxed correctly), so I await a DVD restoration.

What's Good About It: Barbara Steele and Mirella Maravidi - not necessarily in that order - atmospheric locations and interiors, bravura camera-work, colorful (if somewhat illogical) plot.

What's Not So Good About It: Slack direction, poor editing and a less than spectacular climax.

If you haven't already seen this film a "spoilers alert" may apply

Mirella Maravidi (a.k.a) Marilyn Mitchell is an attractive romantic lead who can look convincingly frightened and is obviously enthusiastic about the project. Barbara Steele, on the other hand, seems less enthusiastic about playing, yet again, the adulterous wife. However, her under-played characterisation contrasts well with that of her excitable step-daughter, and her death scene is very effective.

One of the key features of "Cinque Tombe" is the choice of locations and Carlo Di Palma's lighting of them. The action takes place early in the last century during the winter - a most suitable time of year to set a horror film. The Villa Hauff, where much of the drama takes place, makes use of Castel Castelfusano - a building with a bizarre truncated shape. The prologue of the U.S. version shows a terrified man hurrying from a tavern late at night through deserted cobblestone streets and down a wide flight of steps. This sequence is ominously lit and conveys a real sense of menace. In contrast, later on in the film, the lake beside which Mirella Maravidi and Walter Brandt walk as their relationship develops is bathed in winter sunlight. In the exhumation scene, a gray mist drifts across a line of gaunt trees that form a backdrop to the cemetery. This location is also overshadowed by an odd-shaped "capella".

The interiors are also superbly fitted out: the walls of Villa Hauff are like an art gallery. The Apothecary's store is lined with wooden chests of drawers and glass jars. The fireplace in Stinel's sparsely-furnished living room is used to frame a glamor shot and, later on, the aftermath of a suicide.

In addition to the atmospheric lighting, Carlo di Palma occasionally treats us to some startling camera-work, such as a sequence quite early on in the film that begins with a high angle long shot of a departing horse and trap, followed by a big close-up of Barbara Steele's eyes as she watches and then turns as the camera draws back to show her furtively examining papers in Walter Brandt's briefcase.

As director, Ralph Zucker should have tightened the script - which is essentially a tale of revenge that goes out of control - before starting. He should also have removed some of the more obviously illogical aspects of the plot - for example, if the plague-spreaders had their hands severed before they were hanged and buried in unconsecrated ground, how come it's their hands we see reaching out from their graves! In several scenes, most notably that of the town clerk's office, the dialog needs condensing to prevent the pace from flagging. If the failure to do this was because of pressure or inexperience, the editor should have been able to tighten the scenes. Unfortunately, the editing - especially in the second half - looks more like a basic assembly job than skilled cutting. Unnecessary "cover shots" are left in: when the shock discovery of an empty grave prompts the hero to phone his business partner, we don't need to see him leaving the graveyard to locate a phone - you can cut straight to him making the call! A shot of mummified hands inside a glass case coming to life, if kept short, can be scary; a prolonged tracking shot of all the hands wriggling (and doing nothing more) is not. Now, if one of those hands had suddenly smashed through the glass....

As far as the disappointing climax is concerned, it looks as if the film either fell seriously behind schedule and/or ran out of money. The final scenes look hastily improvised. If the director hadn't intended to show the plague-spreaders at the climax, it was a mistake to show one of their disfigured hands after Stinel's suicide. A partial manifestation two-thirds of the way through the film leads us to expect to see more later on. When this doesn't happen, we feel let down.

In spite of its faults, "Cinque Tombe Per Un Medium" or "Terror Creatures From The Grave" has a lot going for it. If Ralph Zucker had had more experience, a less restrictive budget and a better editor, the film might have been a minor classic. As it stands, I believe this is a case of a film being saved by atmospheric locations, an imaginative lighting cameraman and a couple of enthusiastic actors.

An attorney (Walter Brandi) arrives at a castle to settle the estate of its recently deceased owner. The owner's wife (Barbara Steele) and daughter reveal that he was someone who was able to summon the souls of ancient plague victims and, in fact, his spirit was roaming the castle at that very moment.

Not surprisingly for an Italian film of 1965, the quality (at least in the copy released by Mill Creek) is of average or below average quality. And unlike Mario Bava's "Planet of the Vampires", which came out the same year, this film is in black and white. Hopefully some day a company will invest in cleaning up an original print. (Dark Sky Films would be perfect for this, if we use their version of "She-Beast" as a template. Comparing the Mill Creek version of that film with Dark Sky's is the difference between trash and treasure.)

The most redeeming element of this film is Barbara Steele, who steals the show with her large, mesmerizing eyes. Walter Brandi, who plays the attorney Albert Kovac, is a formidable lead, and it is a shame I am not better acquainted with him. He appeared in other horror gems of the era: "Bloody Pit of Horror" and "Curse of the Blood Ghouls", and acts as sort of a poor man's Giacomo Rossi-Stuart. Interestingly, the actress who showed the most potential -- Tilde Till, who played the maid -- never acted in anything else.

Director Massimo Pupillo gave producer Ralph Zucker the directing credit, despite Zucker having no directing responsibilities at all. Why Pupillo found this film not worthy of carrying his name is beyond me... it is a solid story, allegedly based on the work of Edgar Allan Poe (though I do not know which story and rather doubt the source). To say Pupillo was a rival of Bava would give him too much credit, but he is an important figure in the early Italian horror scene.

Perhaps, in fact, Pupillo was a colleague of Bava's. The film's writer, Romano Migliorini, also wrote the Bava classics "Kill Baby Kill" and "Lisa and the Devil"... not to mention the original "Inglorious Bastards". So maybe they were all within the same circle? Yet, Bava now has the glory while this atmospheric Gothic horror -- easily on par with Roger Corman's Poe films -- is left forgotten.

Luca Palmerini's review consists of two words: "good stuff". Ignoring the occasional audio problems and lackluster video quality, this is a fair statement. The plot, acting and directing are all superb, and any fan of classic film will really enjoy it. Again, I hope a better copy surfaces, but until then there is still enough to appreciate here.

When an Italian Gothic Horror film from the 60s stars Barbara Steele, this is more or less the recipe for cinematic perfection, at least in the mind of yours truly. The wonderful Miss Steele, doubtlessly the most iconic Horror actress ever, is best known for her fantastic roles in some of the most fascinating Italian Horror films, including Mario Bava's masterpiece LA MASCHERA DEL DEMONIO ("Black Sunday"/"The Mask of Satan", 1960), Antonio Margheriti's masterpiece DANZA MACABRA ("Castle of Blood", 1964) and I LUNGHI CAPELLI DELLA MORTE ("The Long Hair of Death", 1964), Mario Caiano's AMANTI D'OLTRETOMBA ("Nightmare Castle", 1965), Camillo Mastrocinque's UN ANGELO PER SATANA (1964), and Riccardo Freda's L'ORRIBILE DR. HICHCOCK and LO SPETTRO. Outside Italy, she starred in another one of the all-time greatest Gothic Horror films, Roger Corman's PIT AND THE PENDULUM (1961), alongside fellow Horror legend Vincent Price. While Massimo Pupillo's 5 TOMBE PER UN MEDIUM aka. TERROR CREATURES FROM THE GRAVE (1965) is not among the most memorable Italian Horror films starring Steele, it is nonetheless an entertaining and creepy little flick that my fellow Eurohorror buffs should enjoy.

In 1911, the attorney Albert Kovac (Walter Brandi) arrives at a Gothic castle in order to settle the will of the owner, Jeronimus Hauff. Hauff died one year earlier, but insisted in being interred for a year, before being re-buried. The castle is now inhabited by Hauff's daughter Corinne (Mirella Marvadi) his second wife, Corinne's step-mother Cleo (Barbara Steele), and the caretaker Kurt (Luciano Pigozzi). The rest of the personnel leaves the castle by night, since it is said to be haunted. In the 15th century, the Hauff castle had been the scene of the grisly execution of several man accused of deliberately spreading the plague out of pure malice. At the attorney's arrival, the village near the castle is struck by a series of mysterious and violent deaths...

As almost all Italian Gothic Horror films, this one is elegantly filmed and supported by a moody score. For 1965 standards, the film includes several moments of rather explicit gore. The death scenes are great and there are some awesome macabre set-pieces such as a glass showcase displaying severed hands. While there is no explicit sleaze or nudity, the film delivers some mild erotic scenes, such as Barbara Steele taking a bath. The settings are nice, and the film maintains an eerie atmosphere from the start. The storyline is not too coherent, and, sadly, Barbara Steele's screen-time is very limited. Apart from Barbara Steele, the most well-known face in the film is Italian cult regular Luciano Pigozzi, who is known for his resemblance to Peter Lorre, and who was part of countless Italian genre flicks from the 60s to the 80s.

Overall, 5 TOMBE PER UN MEDIUM is not one of the highlights in Barbara Steele's Italian Horror filmography; however, this has to be seen in the context that the film is in excellent company. Italian Gothic Horror films with Barabara Steele are generally as atmospheric and great as Horror cinema gets, and even this lesser one is a highly entertaining film that Cult lovers should not miss. Barbara Steele, we worship thee!

In one of the many Italian horror flicks from the early-to-mid 1960s, lawyer Albert Kovac (Walter Brandi) goes to a country estate where it turns out that the owner has been dead for a year. This family buried plague victims hundreds of years earlier. But the owner might have never totally left, and his widow Cleo (Barbara Steele) is the most eye-opening of people.

Oh, I can't accurately describe "5 tombe per un medium" (called "Terror-Creatures from the Grave" in the US). You gotta see it. A previous reviewer accurately called it top-notch Eurohorror. Some scenes really give you a "gotcha" feeling. And above all, Barbara Steele is HOT HOT HOT! You're sure to like this movie.

pure water...pure water

Quintessential spaghetti horror film; it even stars Barbara Steele, the queen of such films. Every is there, the over-blown scenery including a medieval castle, a cast of delectable victims, the couple in love, and lots mysterious, unexplainable deaths, and as a bonus a memorable soundtrack. Is it the work of a maniacal killer(of course) or something more?

Another of those Barbara Steele Italian horror movies. I guess it's the dark black hair that always gets her cast as a heavy. She is always quite striking and a pretty good actress. This one is full of revenge, plague, and pestilence. Apparently, the lord of the manor has been mistreated or privy to the shenanigans of about five people and seeks revenge from the grave on them. One is his unfaithful wife, Steele. Each murder is set up in some bizarre way, each person murdered in an ugly, undignified way. There's always something in me that says, "Did they really deserve to die, or could he have cast them into some legal trap, like the Count of Monte Cristo. But death it is. Some of the people who die are not horrible people, but it doesn't matter. This guy has powers in the great beyond. What about his soul, one full of vengeance. Why have the spirits allowed him to be so heartless and venomous. The two good people, are a young lawyer and the daughter of the castle's former resident. She is tiresome and rather insipid. He is mostly confused. Nobody in his right mind should still be in that castle. But it is quite scary and visually impressive. It's worth an hour and a half.

An atmospheric, at times startling, and continuously mysterious and involving picture, 1965's "Terror-Creatures From the Grave" nevertheless turns out to be a somewhat tarnished gem in the crown for the so-called Queen of Horror, Barbara Steele. In the film, hunky leading man Walter Brandi arrives at the moldering mansion of Jeronimus Hauff, in the year 1911. An attorney, he learns from Hauff's widow (our Babs) that her scientist/spiritualist husband has been dead for almost a full year, and was thus incapable of summoning anyone to his house. But when Hauff's grave turns out to be empty, and all his old "friends" start dying one by one, Hauff's demise--or possible return from the dead--becomes open for debate. Into this moody stew, director Massimo Pupillo blends some eerie music (courtesy of Aldo Piga, and including a haunting medieval tune regarding "pure water") as well as some mild gross-out sequences: a hoofed-out eye cavity, an acid-scarred face, leaking guts after a saber impalement, and quivering boils on a plague victim's face. The film also boasts some effective B&W lensing and realistically run-down set decoration. As for our Barbara, although she is absent from the screen for at least half of the picture, she makes a decided impression with what time she has. Just look at the expression on her face during and just after her death scene...not for nothing has she been called the Queen of Horror! On the down side, the ending of this film is a terribly rushed affair, concluding with a lame deus ex machina windup not to be believed. Worse, we never even get to see those "terror-creatures from the grave"...only their deformed hands as the camera lets us observe from their POV. I cannot imagine any horror fan being completely satisfied with this denouement. Still, all in all, pretty effective stuff, especially for lovers of '60s Italian horror or Ms. Steele. Oh...and some more bad news. This DVD comes to us courtesy of those indolent underachievers at Alpha Video, with a fairly damaged print and lousy dubbing. If ever a horror film warranted a loving restoration....

When a movie is badly dubbed into English with a horrible video and sound transfer and yet still manages to keep you interested, you know you are watching a good film. Barbara Steele stars in this Edgar Allen Poe tale revolving around a plague, revenge, witchcraft and zombies. Stylishly striking shots, creepy Gothic atmosphere, a quick moving, interesting story and some wonderfully gory special effects will keep you straining your eyes and ears while attempting to watch this goodie, which sadly, is only available via a horribly washed out, faded, garbled, splotchy print shoveled out by several discount/dollar DVDs - but its definitely worth the effort. Someone please remaster this classic. Of special interest to anyone who likes Hammer, Italo or Gothic Horror and Barbara Steele fans.

Saw this one in a version called "Cemetery of the Living Dead" and was left shaking my head at the reviews I saw on IMDb, especially the ones that call this one of the great Gothic horror films.

Granted, this film has a lot going for it. First, there's Barbara Steele, who just had to be in a film to guarantee it a creepy quality.

Second, there are some great castle sets. The difficulty with this is that you often can't see the expanse of them because the film was shot so tightly, but maybe that's the print I was watching.

Lastly, there's the story, which had some definite possibilities. There are plague carriers rising from the grave to spread the infestation. There are suicides to avoid these ghostly creatures. There's the deceased lead character, who has harnessed the power of life and death.

The problem is that "Cemetery of the Living Dead" is so cheaply filmed that little of this matters. Instead of suspense, there are endless shots of people walking around rooms and down hallways, all to zero purpose.

The plague makeups are also lousy. The dubbing is even worse. Beyond all that, the ghosts of the plague carriers are never shown, unless you count their rubbery "monster" arms. Nowadays, you could buy a better prop at a Halloween shop...for $5.00.

Lots of promise to this one, but nothing is delivered. If you like watching people wander around, then this is the movie for you.

An attorney, Albert Kovac(Walter Brandi)visits a villa, reporting to go over a will for a wealthy occult professor, Geoffrey Hauff, who had reportedly died, accidentally falling down steps. His death was recorded by five people, and each one whose name was written down on the report are dying in unusual ways. Albert's vehicle suffered a damaged engine thanks to an owl(!)and he remains at the behest of Geoffrey lovely daughter, Corinne(Mirella Maravidi), who is worried for her life. The Hauff villa was erected where a hospital housing those diseased with the black plague, their severed hands(..a punishment for purposely spreading their disease to others)in a trophy case within the hall containing pictures and various artifacts found by Geoffrey as he conducted his research into the morbid history of the area. There are graves nearby the villa which hold those who died in the hospital, and it was said that Geoffrey was attempting to contact the dead, hoping to bring their spirits from their eternal slumber. Along with Corinne is her step-mother, Cleo(Barbara Steele)once a potential actress, who gave up the stage to marry Geoffrey. There's obviously more to the story for why would those specific men who reported Geoffrey's death be the ones dying? The fifth witness's name is anonymous and he could hold the answer as to why those he was with that night are winding up dead.

Unremarkable Gothic horror flick from Massimo Pupillo, who didn't take credit for it(..I can't say I blame him), using a disconcerting score to keep the viewer on edge even though nothing happens for great lengths. The copy I watched(Terror Creatures from the Grave)was ravaged by time, the quality of both the film itself and the audio track have seen better days. I kept hoping that the creatures of the title might make an appearance so that I could at least appreciate something for sitting through this tedious ordeal, but even at the end, we see none of those who rose from their caskets(..Tombs of the Blind Dead did this soooooo much better)and I felt cheated. Steele has a rather thankless role as the wife with secrets, who knows more about that night when her husband died than she's letting on..I think pretty much anyone watching can figure she's not exactly an innocent. There are some icky make-up grue such as the effects of the plague on a victim's face who assists his master in releasing the spirits of those damned, the effects of a face damaged by the trampling of a distressed horse, and the guts sticking out from the stomach of a victim who impales himself on a sword. Brandi is about as bland as the presentation of the film. Alfredo Rizzo is the local village doctor, Nemek who works with Kovac in determining what is killing the men. Recognizable Italian character actor, Luciano Pigozzi has a very small(..but important)role as Kurt, Geoffrey's loyal and trusted servant who talks to no one. Tilde Till is the very nervous and superstitious maid who trembles while working in the villa. Check this out only if you're a Barbara Steele completest, because the movie itself never rises above a mediocre, shambling exercise that lumbers along at a languid pace challenging you to stay awake. This could sure use a restoration, but I'm not certain it'd be worth it.

I saw trailer of 'Terror Creatures from the Grave' while ago and it seriously kicked ass!. When I finally saw the entire flick, I was really disappointed.

It is decent flick, not the worst film I've seen, but something is missing. Don't get it twisted, I liked this one more than I liked 'Bloody Pit of Horror' another film directed by Massimo Pupillo.

Set in a pretty atmospheric location, the movie's plot, based on a novel by late great Edgar Allen Poe, is pretty cheesy about revenge from beyond the grave, just like every second Italian movie in the 60's.

You can see a little bit of gore in my favorite scene where the man in the wheelchair commits suicide. Pretty lame, but still on of the earliest gore in Europe. Also you can see pretty dope oozing-plague face make-up. In the end of the movie, when the clocks started to tick, severed arm begins to move and graves started to open slowly I thought that 'awwww s***t, now this movie really starts!', but nothing really happens. I really hoped to see some zombies covered with plague but only thing you can see is silhouettes of hands, which looked nice thou..

The biggest minus comes from too obvious ending.

Like I said, not the greatest movie in the world, but I can recommend this one to all you euroshocker-collectors and Barbara Steele Fans..

I give 'Terror Creatures from the Grave' AKA 'Cemetery of Living Dead' 6 severed arms out of 10.

• Rob-in-Some-Gruesome -

After receiving a letter from spiritualist Jeronimus Hauff, requesting to discuss the details of his will, lawyer Albert Kovac (Walter Brandi) arrives at the Hauff villa only to discover that his client has been dead for almost a year. Invited to stay the night by Hauff's widow Cleo (enigmatic Italian horror legend Barbara Steele), a perplexed Albert begins to investigate the mysterious circumstances behind his client's death, a series of recent grisly murders leading him to realise the full terrifying extent of Hauff's powers: the ability to call on the spirits of long-dead 'plague spreaders' to help him exact revenge on those who betrayed him.

Stephen King once described Sam Raimi's gruelling 1981 splatter-fest The Evil Dead as 'ferociously original'. Ferocious it most certainly is, but having just seen Massimo Pupillo's stylish Gothic horror Terror Creatures From The Grave (1965) I'm no longer so sure about original, for as I watched, I couldn't help but repeatedly draw parallels between it and Raimi's classic video nasty.

Both films feature a group of people in a creepy abode who fall victim to evil spirits from beyond the grave; both films have someone listening to an old recording detailing the demonic powers at work; both films make use of a lullaby to add extra creepiness; both films have a character who wanders out into some creepy woods only to turn up at the door later covered in wounds; both films have clocks that stop and start at will; and both films feature a demonic POV tracking shot that ends up in an extreme close up of a character's terrified face. Hell, Terror Creatures even has a couple of scenes of nasty gore (albeit in black and white).

However, spotting these similarities hasn't made me think any less of Raimi: we all have to get our inspiration from somewhere, and The Evil Dead remains a firm favourite of mine, a superb piece of film-making that never fails to entertain. If anything, my love for Raimi's film has helped me to appreciate this particular Euro-horror more than I otherwise might have, every comparison driving home just how inventive and visually arresting Pupillo's film really is, despite its sometimes confusing story, admittedly creaky Gothic clichés, and undeniably weak denouement.

I'm reviewing the Italian version of the film, with subtitles; the US version has extra scenes that make the movie markedly inferior.

Another day, another gothic horror outing for Barbara Steele. I found this one absorbing for the most part. Steele is the star but is slightly sidelined as the story progresses, and her character is fairly one-dimensional. That said Terror Creatures has a lot going for it, there are some nice original touches among the familiar tropes, and the climax is very well realised.

The story of course concerns a notary's assistant turning up at an ancient gothic mansion, which was formerly a medieval leprosarium, when his superior leaves before a letter arrives summoning him urgently. Our hero, played rather blandly by Walter Brandi (!) discovers the writer of the letter, an occultist, has been dead a year, and that a series of deaths of those who witnessed his demise have occured. As usual he turns Sherlock Holmes and attempts to solve the mystery.

While the film has its faults (including a terrible title concocted for the US market!) it also has many good things going for it; the crisp atmospheric cinematography, some well judged horror moments, and an excellent ending. Recommending this one.

When an attorney arrives at a very old manor home of the recently deceased owner, he learns the history of the place: The deceased owner was someone who could summon ancient souls from their graves - they were victims of the plague. The attorney stays to learn more and the occupants of the home will die one by one in a gruesome manner.

Barbara Steele is good in the film. The film is worth watching if you like the "spooky old manor home" type of films, Gothic movies and zombies and/or vampires. It's not the best "spooky old manor home" film but it's not the worst - it's a fairly good and entertaining film.

This movie would be good to make into a double feature with Nightmare Castle (1965) starring Barbra Steele or even The Old Dark House (1932) with Boris Karloff.

7/10

*Spoiler/plot- 1965, (5 tombe per un medium), The occupants of a modern day castle begin to die in gruesome violent ways after an attorney arrives to settle the estate of its recently deceased castle owner.

*Special Stars- Barbara Steele as lead.

*Theme- History can influence today's people and their destiny.

*Based on- Medieval Black Plague legends and superstitious folk tales.

*Trivia/location/goofs- Italian horror film starring with the most famous leading lady of Gothic horror.

*Emotion- A somewhat confusing film trying to follow the massive flashback scenes for the exposition of the castle owners family histories A plot.

"An attorney travels to his client's castle to conduct some business where he learns upon arriving the client died almost a year ago. The client's widow and daughter then tell the attorney an incredible tale of how the owner was able to revive the spirits of long-deceased plague victims and how his spirit roams the halls of the castle. Doubting their story, the attorney begins to reconsider when a rash of mysterious deaths occur at the castle," according to the DVD sleeve's synopsis.

Translated from Italy as "Terror-Creatures from the Grave", this disappointing slice of horror is most notable for the inclusion of the always delectable Barbara Steele (as Cleo Hauff) in its cast. She takes a bath, she screams, and she always livens up a mediocre movie. And, Luciano Pigozzi (as Kurt) is another wasted asset. Walter Brandi (as Albert Kovac) and Mirella Maravidi (as Corinne Hauff) play the more ordinary hero and heroine.

*** 5 tombe per un medium (6/23/65) Massimo Pupillo ~ Walter Brandi, Mirella Maravidi, Barbara Steele

5 tom be per UN medium directed by Massimo Pupillo, is a lackluster spaghetti horror (as in spaghetti western?)! Also known as Cemetery of the Living Dead, this Italian chiller thriller benefits largely from the presence of the stunning queen of horror flicks Barbara Steele. Generally a bunch of nonsense about a terrible plague, in which the victims are then summoned from the dead by an idiot for some vague reason. The transfer is good, but then film was dodge and dubbed to begin with so beware. Still for Steele fans a nice treat at this price.

Reall old and good horror with a great actors and great less directing. Original Italian horror film and really good one.

Starring: Walter Brandi, Mirella Mravidi, Barbara Steele. Director: Massimo Pupillo.

This Italian Gothic film stars an ever-good Barbara Steele, but the other actors are all almost sickening, especially the unsupportable blond chick, who lets out some incredibly loud cries and she does it so suddenly that she might be easily considered the most frightening thing in this horrible film(in a negative way, of course!). Although some nice exploitation attempts, the film is bad, really bad. The director, especially, seems to have gone on holiday throughout the all movie and wakes up only at the end of it(but it's too late, pal!). The end is something so ridiculous and so senseless that really make the audience break out a loud laughing(obviously an unintentional one...). I don't want to say anything more not to spoil your surprise!

When an attorney arrives to do business with the owner of an estate, he learns that the man is dead. However, he's been dead a year and the letter was only sent recently! The signature and seal appear real...how could this be? Instead of just going back home (like any normal person), the attorney hangs about for some time--and people begin to die. Could this dead man who was apparently obsessed with contacting the souls of dead plague victims be reaching from beyond the grave for revenge? Well, considering the film stars Barbara Steel, who made a career out of Italian horror films, you can probably assume the worst.

Although I like horror movies, I sure found my attention waning throughout the film. Much of it was because the script was pretty dull and convoluted and much of it was the cheapness of the production. Either way, Steele fanatics might be the only ones who really like this one.

Upon discovering this film, I thought I may well have come across a hidden gem, but unfortunately, despite a sombre opening that looks so promising, Massimo Pupillo's film never lifts itself too far above the ordinary, and what we are left with is a film that falls short of what could have been. The plot takes in intriguing themes of messages from beyond the grave, the black plague and control over the dead, but the handling is such that the themes are never brought to the forefront, and Cemetery of the Living Dead seems content to remain in merely decent territory, rather than upping the ante as it could easily have done. The film begins by following an attorney who arrives at an estate following a letter from the head of said place of residence. However, he soon learns that the sender died a year ago, and after further learning that includes him finding out that the late estate owner had the power to contact the deceased victims of the bubonic plague which are buried around the house, the plot takes a turn for the more sinister.

The main reason I saw this film was due to the inclusion of the great Barbara Steele. Steele has undoubtedly given a number of great performances in horror classics such as Black Sunday and Night of the Doomed, but she's ineffective here in a role that doesn't allow her to deliver what she's capable of. The rest of the support cast isn't very memorable either. The fact that this film is shot in black and white should mean that the atmosphere is a standout, but the picture is pale and far too bright, which saps any foreboding feelings coming from the cinematography out. The plotting is far too relaxed all the way through, and this helps to nip the suspense in the bud; and that's not exactly what you want from a suspense film. Luckily, this film manages to claw some points back thanks to it's set design and Gothic styling's, as while he was forgetting to generate tension; at least director Massimo Pupillo remembered to get the look of the film right. It all boils down to a completely rubbish ending and overall; I'm a big fan of Italian horror, and not even I liked this. Skip it!

If it wasn't for the presence of Barbara Steele (perhaps the most famous female horror film star), this film would have absolutely no interest. It is extremely poorly filmed and moves at an absolute snail's pace until the last ten minutes. There's the typical amount of gruesome deaths but few frights, and it even lacks unintentional laughs to make it a cult film. There could have been a slightly interesting story of a curse which came out of the revenge of murder victims from the black plague who, vindictive over having the disease in the first place, presumably made sure other people caught the disease as well. Two sisters survive the doctor who couldn't treat them and utilized his basement as a mass grave for them. An arriving attorney reveals that he was just hired by their father (who died a year ago) to write his will which gives the hints that a ghost story is about to unfold. But there's also a plot twist surrounding his death from a year ago, and when all is revealed in the last reel, that's when the only interesting situations occur and a few chills may creep into your bones. Otherwise, the story of the black death might simply lead you into a deep sleep.

Having been in a kind of Barbara Steele mood, i decided to throw in the version i have had collecting dust on my video shelf for some time now. Deciding to compare my version to other information that might be listed about this films, i was saddened to find out that the ALPHA VIDEO version listed it's version as a mere 61 minutes, informing me that there was some 24 minutes missing from this release. Saddened i shall now search out the full film and do hope it is a lot better than this well worked over copy i have now. This film deserves to be remastered in a official version that contains everything cut as do all movies being released on to any personal format. ...... Happy Viewing.