La cloche de l'enfer (1973) Online

Just watched this last night after seeing it recommended for fans of obscure 70's horror. It's a shame really that this is one is little known, because it's certainly one of the finest, most disturbing Euro art-horrors I've ever seen. Renaud Verley does his best Malcom McDowell impersonation as a young man who is put in an insane asylum by his aunt and her daughters, in order to steal his inheritance. He comes back after a few years, with horrible plans for those who wronged him. Deliberately slow paced, it all builds up to an intense and unforgettable finale. This truly unsettling tale of revenge is brilliantly enhanced by the gloomy and oppressive atmosphere, and brilliant cinematography, filled with strange angles and a gorgeous color palette, as well as a particularly bizarre soundtrack. The film also counts with great performances by Viveca Lindfords as the vicious Aunt, as well as Maribel Martin (who also starred in two of my favorite Spanish horrors "The House That Screamed" and "Blood Spattered Bride"), Nuria Gimeno and Christina Blanc as the protagonist's equally disturbed cousins. It's really sad that the director Claudio Gerin died on a tragic accident on the last day of shooting. He was a real craftsman and one could only dream of what would've his career been like, as he could've become a master of European horror cinema, and I think I can actually consider him one judging by this masterpiece alone. Overall, 10/10.

This mythical film "La Campana del Infierno" (The Bell Of Hell) is a psychological thriller more than a Spanish Fantaterror film. Brilliantly directed by Claudio Guerin , resulted to be a damned picture , specially when turned out to be his untimely swan song since he died by mysteriously fall or jumped to his death from the central bell tower constructed for the movie and being eventually completed by distinguished fellow Juan Antonio Bardem . This near-legendary Euro-Cult item deals with an insane inmate of an asylum (Renaud Verley) is released and returns home for vengeance on his aunt (Viveca Lindfors) and her three daughters (Maribel Martín, Nuria Gimeno, Christina Von Blanc) who had him declared crazy in order to take his inheritance . The young man punishes his aunt and three daughters , with bees and hooks . Who will escape the terror ? . The most shocking horror of all time is finally here ¡

Thrilling as well as elegant film that contains suspense , intrigue ,cutting-edge set pieces and some terror elements . In 1973 Guerin produced and directed this French-Spanish film titled Bell from Hell (La cloche de l'enfer in France), a horror story , highly valued in its period . Guerin in a penetrating style makes a highly appropriate and bright filmmaking , he invite us into an active participation of a cruel game in which the protagonist seeks a peculiar vendetta . A few elements well developed he manages to create a mysterious atmosphere , a mixture among magical dreamlike scene of three sisters entry through the fog, and, of course without giving up a certain amount of cruelty and eroticism ; adding a touch fantasy . Interesting , suspenseful story and screenplay well written by prolific Santiago Moncada . Atmospheric as well as evocative cinematography by Manuel Rojas , filmed on location in Noia, Padrón,Betanzos ,Coruña, Galicia, and Estudios Roma, Madrid, Spain (interiors) . Very good support cast such as Viveca Lindfors , Tito Garcia , Erasmo Pascual as a priest and the extraordinary participation of Alfredo Mayo as a lewd old man , among others. Strange as well as adequate musical score by Adolfo Waitzman .

This very hard to find motion picture was stunningly directed by Claudio Guerin , realizing a personal staging . He had previously directed shorts , documentaries and his first film titled ¨House of the Doves¨ with Carmen Sevilla and Ornella Muti . However his sad and mysterious death cut his promising career . As he died in an accident during the filming of his second movie . In Noya church had built a second bell tower attached to a passage of real wood . Preparing a complicated plan, Guerin wanted to jump from the catwalk to a cantilever of the church, but lost his balance and fell into the void from twenty meters high ; died before reaching the hospital . Distinguished director Juan Antonio Bardem completed filming the last sequence about 7 minutes .

This is classic Eurohorror. It makes no sense whatsoever, but it is chock-full of startling visual images, bizarre plot twists, warped psychology, and perverse sex. A young man is unjustly sentenced to a mental institution by his crippled aunt, so (of course) he takes it out on his three sexy, young female cousins (who all end up deflowered and hanging naked in a slaughterhouse). He gets his comeuppance though as a result of various macabre jokes he plays on local would-be rapist and his wife. The ending is yet another European variation on Edgar Allen Poe's "The Black Cat" with a little "Phantom of the Opera" thrown in for good measure. It's too bad the director Guerin-Hill died falling off the titular bell tower while shooting the last scene of this movie. If A Bell from Hell is any indication he could have given the Franco-Rollins-Borowczyx triumvirate a run for their money when it came to arty, vaguely erotic, non-sensical Eurohorror.

I saw this film several times on the late night local movie when I was a kid back in the 70's. With a title like 'A Bell From Hell' you would expect the worst, but it is actually a highly entertaining little Spanish horror film. The plot concerns a man returning home from an asylum bent on taking revenge on those that put him there. These revenge scenes are both horrific and comical-sort of in the tradition of "Dr. Phibes" and "Theatre of Blood"-minus the great Vincent Price! Still, the performances are above average and the plot has not one sleepy moment in it...and watch out for the ironic twist of a finale-you won't see this one coming! Not to be missed-if you can find it.

This fascinating and completely off-the-wall horror/art film is full of memorable imagery and surprising shocks. It's about a man who is released from a mental hospital into the care of his aunt and her daughters. They want to drive him mad again to inherit his vast estate, but he turns the tables on them in a series of surreal and sometimes disturbing "tricks". One of the best scenes takes place in a dungeon. The film is original and you never know where it's going. Worth seeking out.

I saw this movie when I was about 10 years old on an episode of Shock Theater that aired in Georgia. That would have been in the late 70's. I was at an all-girl slumber party, and the last one awake when it came on TV. Talk about a creepy mix of midnight horror at the age of pre-teen sexual awakening. This movie has stuck with me all these years, and has to be one of the more oddly erotic horror movies that I've encountered. I remember John's bedroom being painted red and having a very erotic, yet unhinged feel to it. And the parts with the girls tied up; I was mesmerized. Maybe it just touched the deranged part of myself. ;o)

Back before cable killed late night television horror on local broadcast channels (its all infomercials now), this movie ran a few times on a Southern-California station. It has been some time since I've seen it, but this is the kind of movie that sticks with you: it has incest, mystery, a bee swarm, twisted family revenge, good-looking actors and cool cinematography in an intriguing mix of religious imagery, repressed sexuality and seventies rock'n'roll glamour. The story revolves around a young man's vengeful return home, and a parallel plot following the arrival of a new bell for the town's church tower. The result is a surreal, gothic, darkly humorous horror film - made during Franco's reign, no less! (The first time I saw an Almodover film - "Dark Habits" - I thought of "A Bell From Hell".) This film is also vaguely reminiscent of "High Plains Drifter": lone figure rides into town - this time on a motorcycle - and mayhem ensues in the reckoning. Morricone's influence might be why, at times, the gothic style seems to break wide open into heat and sunlight; think too, of Jagger, Richards, Brian Jones in Morrocco... And there's a big debt to the Hammer Studios style of horror, in that most of the terror is psychological (there is some interesting violence, but I don't remember any full-throttle gore) and the plot relies on a creepy, pervasive atmosphere of threat and sexuality to build the suspense. It would be great to see this re-released on video!

Excellent suspense thriller/horror film. Sexy, sensual, kinky, and sometimes violent. Too bad the director died on the last day of shooting. This was his only film.It was available on VHS on the late 80's - early 90's on Unicorn Video. Perhaps one day it will be back in print!

For much of the time this is a most effective and perverse little horror but there are wayward moments and I am not convinced by the ending. However we have to remember that the poor director died after a fall from the infamous bell tower on the last day of shooting so probably didn't have too much input himself after that! As with much European shock/horror of this period the plot is a little lacking but this one has a most unusual look and feel constantly surprising us as we witness the past and present of a lad who may have been forced into madness by his mother's sister so she could keep the inheritance for herself and her three daughters. Well, all four of them are treated to some tasty revenge before the final denouement and if it doesn't all make complete sense it is a good ride with more than the odd reference to youth disaffection of the time and the lingering effects of Franco who was to live one more year.

Gathering up titles to watch for a poll being held on IMDb's Classic Film board for the best titles of 1973,I started to remember about hearing of a movie from that year from a fellow IMDb'er a while ago,where on the last day of filming,the director died from a mysterious death.Searching round online,I soon discovered that the director was Claudio Guerin,and that the last title he had directed,was one that I had by pure chance recently picked up,which led to me excitingly getting ready to let the bell toll.

The plot:

Released from a mental health hospital after serving 2 years for being accused by a relative of attempted rape,Juan is told that he must go back to live with his aunt and three sisters,and to also attend a regular parole hearing.Taking a sidetrack before following the orders,Juan goes to live in his late mum's house,which has been kept safe by a 'wooodland guardian'.Whilst living at his mum's house,Juan gets a job at a local slaughterhouse,where he stays until he suddenly decides to quit,due to 'Having learnt everything I need'.

Driving down to his aunt Marta house,Juan interrupts a meeting that Marta is having with a leading local politician called Don Pedro about a new bell that is being installed into a church,thanks to Juan's cousins Maria,Teresa and Esther deciding to play a 'game' on Juan and introduce themselves as ghosts.After Pedro has run away as fast as his legs could carry him,Juan begins to fear that the years he has spent in the mental health hospital has led to him becoming psychologically damaged,thanks to Marta and his 'kind' cousin's doing everything to make sure that things appear off-centre to Juan.

Attempting to clear his mind,Juan decides to get onto his motorbike and drive around the near by countryside.Expecting to not run into anyone,Juan is stopped in his tracks by Don Pedro and a gang trying to rape the 'woodland guardian's' daughter.Chasing the gang away,Juan gives the girl a lift safely back to her dad.As Juan starts to drive away,he begins to suspect that his cousin's and Aunt Marta are trying to make him feel insane so that they can steal the inheritance that his mum has left him.Playing along with his cousins seductive games,Juan begins planning how he can make the bell ring for his family for the final time.

View on the film:

Despite the movie having modern machinery such as motorbikes,a film projector and trains,director Claudio Guerin Hill, (and uncredited co- director Juan Antonio Bardem,who completed the last day of filming,after Hill either accidentally slipped,or jumped off the location's church bell tower)and cinematography Manuel Rojas root the film deep into the Dark Ages,with Hill and Rojas covering every corner of Marta's house with an eerie fog,which along with giving the movie an intense Gothic Horror atmosphere also expresses in a brilliant visual manner the fog that is blocking Juan from seeing his families mind games.

Along with the chilling fog,Hill also gives the moments of extreme violence a dazzling contrasting,stylized appearance,by placing a beautiful object (such as a rose) in front of the violence,to show how ruthless action's can be 'blocked out' by peaceful symbols.

Keeping a balance so that the viewer can not get a full grip on his sanity,Renaud Verley gives a fantastic performance as Juan,with Verley showing the confusion from his families mind game gradually transform into a smirk splatted across his face,as Juan begins to plan vicious games that he can against his family.Dressed head to toe as a woman in black,Viveca Lindfors gives an excellent performance as 'kind' Aunt Marta,with Lindfors showing Marta's hatred for Juan being buried deep in every one of her winkles,with the beautiful Maribel Martin,Nuria Gimeno and Christina von Blanc matching their aunt's hate for Juan with their deadly seductive games.

Made at a time when General Franco's dictatorship still had a firm grip on screen,the screenplay by Santiago Moncada superbly takes some sharp bites at Franco's power,with hangings (1000's of which were given personal approval by Franco),and lines such as 'We were all free then,the past didn't exist and the future wasn't a threat',hinting at the horrors taking place in the post-Civil War Franco's Spain.

Keeping away from turning the movie into a lecture about the horror's of Franco's Spain,Moncada soaks the film in a nerve-wrecking Gothic Horror atmosphere,thanks to Moncada making all of the character's eerily strange,with the aunt and cousin's feeling like living ghosts as the shadow from the church bell tower covers the land,and begins to toll for them all.

"The Bell From Hell" sadly suffers from a couple of incredibly badly dubbed DVD-versions that carelessly got dropped on the market somehow. Personally, I owned a version that I tried to watch FOUR times, but never got past the opening 15 minutes because I couldn't understand one iota of what the characters were mumbling. Luckily enough, the eerie atmosphere and dark cinematography looked so promising already that I never gave up the search for a decent version! And I'm glad I didn't, otherwise I would have missed out on one of the most uniquely bizarre & original horror films ever made in the European continent! This is a seriously strange movie, raw and perhaps slightly perverse, but really stuffed with ingenious story lines and highly impressive shock-sequences. The plot is twisted and introduces the handsome young Juan on the day he's released from the mental asylum. He was institutionalized for quite a long time, since the day his mother died, largely because his crippled aunt wanted sole control over the family fortune. Now that he's released Juan gets back at her and her three gorgeous daughters through wicked mind games and torture. You'd think Juan deserves his vengeance, but his sick pranks do indicate he's really insane... Synchronous with these events, the movie displays images of a brand new church bell being prepared for service, yet the connection with the main characters only becomes clear near the climax. "The Bell from Hell" is a really good film! There are some very freaky scenes (the dungeon!) and some hard gore (the abattoir!) but director Claudio Guerín maintains style throughout his whole film. Perhaps not as brilliantly as Mario Bava or Antonio Margheriti would do it, but certainly sufficient. The music is terrific (another Euro-horror classic that turns a harmless lullaby into a terrifying tune) and the girls all look ravishing. Sure there are quite a few holes in the script and several continuity-errors, but any fan of European exploitation horror is easily able to look past all that. Equally (in)famous as the film itself is the accident (?) that killed the young and promising director Claudio Guerín. Days before completing the film, he fell off the church decor. I'm sure the contemporary dictator Franco didn't attend his funeral, as Guerín's film can also be seen as a mockery of his repressive regime. Don't you love trivia?

This is a pretty well done film of its ilk. As is the case with most of these, we have the deep psychological, "Psycho" like motivations. The problem with this one is that we can't answer if we have a true victim or sociopath? Are we to take this young man's trials as an excuse? He spent time in an institution. Did he crack, or was he relatively sane, filled with revenge? Who's to know. What we have is a slaughterhouse film, full of horror and carnage. There is an enjoyment in seeing those who are evil get theirs, but, then, there are normal courses. This movie is pretty well filmed although I think some of the cinematography is a little trite (close up, long shot), but there are some startling images and a fair amount of imagination. The sound on my print is terrible, making the initial conversations virtually impossible to understand. Maybe this one might be worth some restoration.

John (Renaud Verley) was sent away to the asylum for his slightly off-center behavior by his Aunt Marta (Viveca Lindfors). His eccentricities come into the open after he is released from the asylum. John briefly took a slaughterhouse job (in a particular showing sequence) before he returns to his homestead to confront his Aunt about what he wishes to do with his inheritance that she now controls. But John's quirky behavior masks his interior and the horrors beneath. What pranks and punishment will John visit upon his family and the people around him? "A Bell from Hell" managed to slip out of Spain past General Franco's repressive regime. The familial and social commentary on display might have gotten the filmmakers in trouble. Oddly enough the director died after a fall from the bell tower on the last day of filming. It was never clear whether the fall was an accident, suicide or something more sinister. It certainly gives the film a rather shady reputation. "Bell" on its own bears a few similarities to Hitchcock's Psycho. The basic crux of the story surrounds a malleable family member being perverted and controlled by a senior family member. "Bell" is a very well acted and photographed piece that deserves to be noticed and fans well-made thrillers should seek out.

This is a true unique creepy movie of the early 70's. No Hollywoodtrash, pure sickening. Scene's at an abattoir, incest, rape and that with no blood and almost no nudity. Excellent how this movie takes you to the end, a bit slow the first half but then suddenly it all start moving in the Italian way, sometimes it made me remind of 'The beyond'. Beautiful filmed and great performances. Weird how an open door and some fog combined with "frere jacques" can make your flesh creep. If you can stand animal cruelty search the full uncut of this one, I can't tell if the DVD release is uncut. You will stick until the end...

Released on probation from a psychiatric clinic, morbid practical joker John (Renaud Verley) returns to his late mother's home to plot revenge on the greedy relatives who had him committed in order to get their mitts on his inheritance.

Am I on the right IMDb page? Are all these other reviews for the same film that I saw? I have to ask because they are almost unanimous in their praise while I thought A Bell From Hell was just about as dull and frustratingly incomprehensible as Euro-horror can get (and I've seen quite a few!). I found the narrative confusing, the performances utterly bizarre, the direction torpid, and struggled desperately to stay awake till the very end.

The film's seemingly random plot sees John take a crash course in butchery (the abattoir scenes allowing for some nauseating real-life animal killing), fill his house with strange pets, try to kill his aunt with the aid of some honey and a hive of bees, play a practical joke by pretending to gouge out his eyeballs, strip his cousins naked and suspend them from meathooks, and, in what must be the most incongruous scene in the whole film, rescue a young girl from a group of sex-pest, trigger-happy hunters; all of this potentially entertaining weirdness is relayed in such a mind-numbingly boring art-house fashion that I find the film's popularity genuinely perplexing.

This movie is NOT a bloody, gory film at all - it's quite the opposite! It's a Gothic psychological horror-thriller with a great ending! I was expecting it to be a trashy bloody and gory film but instead I found it to be a good movie.

A man is falsely accused of rape and being insane by his aunt and her 3 daughters. The aunt and the daughters want the mansion and all the money to themselves after the guy's mother died when he was younger. He was locked away and the aunt paid the doctor an insane amount of money monthly to keep him declared insane but his lawyer got him out on probation. Now that he's out he's going to find out why this happened and to get some revenge! It's not bloody nor gory revenge but a thrilling psychological film that will leave you wondering what's going to happen next and the ending is a surprise! :)

Recommended to those that like the slower starting films that build into a thrilling psychological horror.

8.5/10

I don't't know what to make of this film at all, but it certainly had me hooked all the way to the end. The story is pretty unique, and the turns of events are all surprising and unexpected.

The central character is John, a dashing but rather unpredictable man whose behaviour is impossible to interpret for the entire running time of the film. He starts off the story by being released from a criminal asylum on probation, but it is not clear whether he is still dangerous and/or insane. I don't know if this is down to the script or just his indifferent acting. Sadly, as is the case with a lot of 70's and 80's Euro horror films, the English dubbing takes away most of the nuances of any acting performances. Anyway, he immediately revs up his motorbike and sets off for the nearest cattle slaughterhouse where he takes a job and learns the art of killing. Let me say first off that any animal lovers should switch off right now, as what follows is about 5 minutes of the most upsetting slaughterhouse footage I have ever seen. I flinched when I saw a live pig knifed in "Blue Eyes of the Broken Doll" (a Spanish horror flick from around the same era as this one), but this is far worse as we get to see live cows strung up, knifed, bled, dismembered and disembowelled. All the time, their harrowing death screams are recorded on the soundtrack. To my disbelief, the actor playing the part of John is clearly seen carrying out these tasks for real on camera. I guess this must have been par for the course in 1970's Spain, but you certainly wouldn't get any of today's Hollywood stars doing anything remotely similar! As thoroughly unpleasant as this is, it does have the desired effect of making you dread the possibilities that may lie ahead in the film.

With this nasty business is out of the way, John returns to his former home which is an ornate mansion. Soon after this he meets up with his aunt and her three daughters, and it transpires that the two sides of the family have some kind of feud over to whom the estate and its accompanying riches should legally belong to. The aunt has been paying to keep John incarcerated, and at the same time taken control of the family fortune. From here on, the rest of the story charts Juan's warped plot to terrorise and generally have his revenge on the aunt and the three girls for keeping him in the asylum, alongside their plots to try and stop his demented behaviour and claim the inheritance for themselves. It's quite hard to work out who is the innocent party in this war-zone, but it's made pretty clear that Juan is one sick individual. He plays bizarre pranks of all and sundry, often taking great pains to gross people out or otherwise terrify them. But he also saves an innocent girl from a gang of would be rapists, albeit in a scene which seems unconnected with any other events of the plot. However any sympathy the viewer has for Juan soon fades when he actually starts to carry out his designs on the rest of his family, which involve some quite fiendish ideas, culminating in the climax of the film, as Juan takes all three daughters prisoner in a private fully functioning slaughterhouse that he has created by using his experience in the real thing as training. This is the most powerful scene of the movie, and it creates a sense of dread almost on a par with parts of "The Texas Chainsaw Massacre". The slaughterhouse footage makes a brief re-appearance here and I guarantee that a lot of viewers will be watching through their fingers as the terrified girls await their gruesome fate. Be aware, though, that the film has more twists and turns to play out before the final credits roll, and it's well worth seeing through to the end.

The atmosphere throughout is superb. The locations and camera work are wonderful, and there are many unusual camera angles along with some creative editing and montage sequences. Although Renaud Verley makes a thoroughly indecipherable leading man, Viveca Lindfors is superb as the aunt, and her character is a masterpiece of understatement. I think the actress probably dubbed her own voice, and it is the only really effective vocal performance on the soundtrack. The three daughters are typical mid 70's Euro starlets, including the lovely Maribel Martin as the youngest.

I have read that the Pathfinder DVD edition misses out a scene involving John and the youngest daughter exploring grounds as well as some important lines from the aunt. The version of the movie I have seen retains this short sequence and although not vital to the plot, it is a nice sequence to watch. The DVD is also apparently framed incorrectly, and this I would find a major issue as it would undoubtedly mar the entire viewing experience. However as it is nigh on impossible to seek out the full version, which appears to only be available on the incredibly rare Duplivision pre-cert video from the 1980's, then at least the film can be seen in this better-than-nothing DVD version. It's a good enough movie to put up with a few framing issues and cuts (be assured that none of the violence or slaughterhouse footage has been cut), but a properly remastered version would be worth adding to any collection of the greats among European horror cinema. Comment

After the death of his mother Juan was thrown in the mental asylum by his scheming aunt and her three luscious daughters,who want to get their hands on the family fortune.Three years later when his therapy is finished Juan is released and returns to the small seaside town where his mother's abandoned home awaits as do his devious relatives.Juan begins toying with the residents of the seaside town while plotting his revenge against the family who had him unjustly committed."A Bell from Hell" is a twisted and darkly surreal Spanish horror film that has its share of sleaze and gore.It's a crying shame director Claudio Guerin Hill died on the last day of production,having either fallen or jumped from atop the bell tower that figures prominently in the film.There is an almost suffocating aura of menace in "A Bell from Hell".The scenes set in slaughterhouse are shockingly graphic.One can see rivers of blood,disembowelings,slit throats and dismemberment of cows.If you are a fan of European art-house horror Claudio Guerin's swansong is a definite must-see.7 out of 10.

It seems I'm in the minority as far as my opinion about this movie which is fine with me since I'm constantly being harassed by the man. I saw A Bell From Hell as part of Mill Creek's 50 chilling classics collection. The sound quality on this film is so bad that it is almost impossible to hear what the characters are saying. It doesn't seem to have mattered since the plot doesn't know what the hell it wants to say either.

John has been recently released on a probationary term from a psychiatric institution. From there he works at a slaughterhouse for a day or days, the movie is not clear, quits and moves on. From there he returns to his childhood home that his been in the custody of his aunt. Angry that he was institutionalized wrongly by his aunt, John sets out to prove to the world that he is very much a disturbed individual. A plot line involving John's three female cousins and his incestuous relationship with them is thrown in to boot. John is also a practical joker. This seems to encompass most of his free time. Jokes get old. John gets old. Friends, family members and neighbors finally grow tired and the bell becomes Deus ex Machina to all. I struggle to care.

I'm a bit surprised at the warm regard for this film given the fact that it makes little sense at all. Sure it has some nice, interesting visuals, but the story, in a word, is incomprehensible. If I have it right, the story deals with a young man being let out of an asylum on a temporary basis to see if he is indeed now sane. He moves back to his palatial home with all his exotic pets like parrots, fish, a raven, and a monkey(who took care of them in his absence is anyone's guess?). No one else lives there, and his close childhood friends and their mother come for a weekend visit where he tries to discover a plot to keep him in the asylum by these relatives/friends(?). From there we get some intrigue, murder, and plot twists that individually sustain interest but as a whole just do not add up evenly. Whilst all this goes on, the newly repaired, local church gets a new bell - which actually does become relevant at some time in the movie. There are some fantastic scenes in this film but not enough of them for the sake of continuity(trying to stress this point). Characters are introduced in haphazard fashion given little exposition, and they turn out to be very relevant in the film's end. Who was the man at the end? What kind of relationship did he have with the young man? If I have to play twenty questions at the end of the movie, then the movie ultimately failed to convincingly get its point across. Anyway, some scenes which are done effectively are the bell scene that becomes important, the scene with the girls with their hands literally tied, and the end - though no real explanation is given. Yes, this is very typed for the kind of Euro-horror of its time, but men like Bava, Argento, and a few others could make much better transitions between scenes that might not look like they had any real relationship. the first part of this film is very dull and lacking in the imagination department, but things definitely do rev up some by the film's second half.

A young man is released from an institution of some sort, hints are offered that he has legal issues pending, and we assume he is of dubious mental stability. He heads directly for a slaughterhouse where he briefly works but then leaves, stating "I learned what I need to know" (which includes grisly scenes of cows being butchered). From there it's off to resolve long-standing disputes with relatives, including a trio of young cousins, with whom the young man shares sadistic and incestuous ties. While I'm a fan of European films from this era that dwell on strange behavior from misfits of all sorts, this effort fails to deliver to those seeking thrills, horror or titillation. It certainly has all the quirky features of a European thriller from the 70's, but it was a bit thin on all 3 of the above elements. I can't recommend it.

20 something John (Renaud Verley) has been released after many years in a mental institution. His aunt and her three daughters had him sent there so they could get his inheritance. John is well aware of this and is plotting a little revenge of his own.

OK--I saw a crappy DVD transfer. The picture was full frame with faded color and sometimes it was impossible to see what was going on. To make it worse the dubbing was atrocious (this is a Spanish picture) and the version I had had such terrible sound I could barely understand what was being said! So that, of course, affects my review of this. Also, aside from not being able to understand the dialogue or plot there's an incredibly ugly sequence where a young girl is sexually molested and John's revenge on three of his cousins is incredibly sick. Also the film has at least three conclusions--all of them bad. Still some of the acting was good--Verley and old pro Viveca Lindfors are very good in their roles. There's a very creepy atmosphere and there are some clever directorial touches which heighten tension and are pretty impressive on their own. I can't give a very fair review of this film owing to the crappy print I saw. If you can find a good print with dialogue you can hear--go for it. Otherwise--beware!

The strangely titled "Bell from Hell" is feature #6 in the "Chilling Classics" 50-movie boxed set, and is a remarkably good film. A Spanish production that invokes a less color-schematic Mario Bava, it tells the story of a long-institutionalized young man who is released and proceeds to carry out all sorts of trickery and innuendo toward his aunt and cousins (turns out they want to claim his inheritance, but he's not going down without a fight). Though my copy seems a bit jumpy in spots (it's the 93-minute U.S. release), "Bell" still hits all the right notes--creepy atmosphere aplenty (making the nights especially foreboding); great locations; and fine performances. While the plot is nothing new, it unfolds with a series of twists, turns, and surreal images (reaching its peak in the dank, creepy 'slaughterhouse' scene)--this pleasant surprise is never boring. That being said, my star rating isn't more enthusiastic because the sound quality is absolutely TERRIBLE; much of the dialog is nearly impossible to make out (though it's not necessary to surmise the gist of the plot), seemingly due to a poor source print, poorly mastered. I very much hope that a competent company like Blue Underground will acquire "Bell from Hell" and give it the red-carpet treatment it so richly deserves.

What happens when a young man is released from an insane asylum and returns home? Well, he goes for revenge on his aunt and her three daughters, the ones who stole his insurance when they claimed he had gone crazy.

This is another part of the Avco Embassy's Nightmare Theater package syndicated for television in 1975. The others are Marta, Death Smiles on a Murderer, Maniac Mansion, Night of the Sorcerers, Fury of the Wolfman, Hatchet for the Honeymoon, Horror Rises from the Tomb, Dear Dead Delilah, Doomwatch, Witches Mountain, Mummy's Revenge and The Witch).

Bell from Hell isn't an easy watch. It's dreamy at times, brutally realistic at others, particularly the slaughterhouse scene. Juan wants revenge against Marta (Viveca Lindfors, Creepshow) and her three daughters (as well as anyone connected with them), but there are times when he could easily kill them and he lets them escape. A good chunk of this movie feels thrown together. But there's a reason.

Director Claudio Guerín fell - or jumped - from the tower housing the title bell on the last day of shooting and was killed. The film was completed by Juan Antonio Bardem. One assumes that Bardem did the best job he could to combine all the many parts that Guerín into some whole. Throw in the fact that this movie is translated from Spanish to English and you get a swirling dervish of confusion.