Le manoir aux sept cadavres

I am honestly confused by most of these reviews and comments. There is nothing really THAT BAD about this film. It plays like an extended version of an episode of "Night Gallery." There is obvious comparisons to "Children Shouldn't Play With Dead Things" and other genre films but this film really doesn't belong in those categories. I am a fan of the 70's horror genre and did not expect much when I sat down to re-watch this film after twenty years. (DID NOT EXPECT MUCH-GOT THAT!) I would not call it boring or confusing. Too many people enjoy writing overly critical reviews of movies that were never intended to be masterpieces. Too many reviewers also feel the need to compare all movies to each other rather than seeing them for what they are really worth individually. In all of it's "stiffness" this film is still more entertaining than the CGI crap Hollywood dumps on the public in 2008!

I saw this Schockley horror film a half of dozen times since the 1970's and although anyone who seen it would have to admit it very flawed, it to me was a lot of fun to watch! It is an old school type of horror film,doesn't go to far with the blood and gore and relies on spooky atmosphere, music, and sound effects! And man was that atmosphere spooky, especially the opening score! In my own personal opinion, the opening score was one of the spookiest ever in a horror film, and I have seen many! The music from the chorus, the creepy looking house and paintings, the sound effects, and showing how each Beale family member died make that intro very, very, scary! If the rest of the film was as good as the introduction this film would have been a classic, but they didn't seem to want it to be that way! But, for some reason, I still love this film and hope someday they make a remake of it, with the same atmosphere, music, sound effects and creepy mansion, this time focusing on the Beale Family and what lead to their demise!

...but I've seen better too.

The story here is predictable--a film crew trying to film a horror movie in a place where murders occurred. Three guesses what happens. This isn't a total bomb--the cast is fairly good with pros John Ireland, Faith Domergue and John Carradine giving the best performances. It's reasonably well-made--for a low budget film. Just don't expect any nudity, swearing, blood OR gore (the film has a very mild PG rating). I was never totally bored--it's OK viewing on a quiet night. I saw it on video--it was a HORRIBLE print--very dark and some scenes were impossible to see. Still I didn't hate it and it does have a cool ending which surprised me--basically nothing happens up till then so it catches you off guard. Worth seeing but only if you're a horror film completest.

How do you not like a film that has seven murders while the opening credits are rolling? Even the fact that the director write many episodes of the Saturday morning kids show H.R. PUFNSTUF does not detract from the fun (remember that DUNGEON OF HARROW was directed by the man who drew "Howard The Duck"). The film-within-a-film idea was used to great advantage in FRANKENSTEIN 1970 (will someone please release that to DVD in widescreen?) and it works rather well here too. John Ireland is the hard boiled director making a movie about witchcraft in a spooky old house (actually the former Utah governor's mansion) whose owners have all died mysteriously and whose last tenant was a real life witch. John Carradine is Edgar Price, the caretaker who knows the whole family history and is not shy about interrupting filming when Ireland gets it wrong. Faith Domergue (THIS ISLAND EARTH) is the tempermental movie star who seems to be Ireland's now-and-then lover. Also on hand is Charles MacCauley, best remembered as Dracula from the blaxploitation classic BLACULA as a drunken has been whose career is well past its twilight. The action gets a little confusing near the end. We know that a zombie rises from its grave because Ms. Domergue has read a magic chant from the Tibetan Book Of The Dead (conveniently located on a bookshelf) but what happens with Mr. Ireland and a crew member named David is likely to get you wondering "Huh?". Like, is there one zombie or two, and if there are two where does the first one disappear to and other nagging little things like that. Don't let it spoil your fun though, this film is worth seeing. nobody panders to the outrageous plot, everyone turns in a good performance. John Ireland gets the most unforgettable line. About to spirit Ms. Domergue to his bedroom Ireland's romantic plans are sunk when she insists on searching for her lost cat. Handcuffed by the PG rating Ireland barks "FRITZ the cat!" and stomps out of the scene. Fun, and lots of it.

A movie crew shoots its latest satanic flick at a house which had experienced seven actual murders. John Carradine plays the grim grounds keeper who warns of the impending dangers. This felt very much in the spirit of the superior CHILDREN SHOULDN'T PLAY WITH DEAD THINGS, I thought. And like that film we have to sit through a lot of exposition until we get to the ghoulish mayhem at the very end. There isn't much to recommend for most of the first three quarters, unless you like watching people shoot movies. But I always get a kick out of seeing Carradine wandering about in any horror film. Also starring in this movie is an older Faith Domergue (50's sci-fi beauty) which is interesting. And it's funny watching John Ireland playing the part of the most insufferably arrogant director any underpaid actor would ever want to work for. ** out of ****