Horror

Though it has somehow or other managed to escape all the standard reference books, this film is a real and unheralded discovery--a visually distinguished and absorbing Gothic thriller, halfway between Bava country and the Mexican gothics like "The Witch's Mirror".

"Blancheville Monster" where have you been hiding? Right off the bat, we are treated to a deliciously evocative visual opening--a wintry, bare tree ridden country road, awash with an icy looking rain, beyond which stands the distant castle on the mountain.

Ann Radcliffe would be well pleased! And the film keeps on delivering: two attractive female leads, a mysterious and scarred man locked in a tower room, frequent thunder and lightning, and all the necessary accoutrements of remote castle Gothic, from flickering torches to doleful turns on the family harpsichord.

The countryside in which the film is shot has the desolate beauty of a November day, and strongly suggests the Brittany in which the film is set, (though not shot). In this sense, some of the landscapes resemble those in Bresson's "Diary of a Country Priest." Devotees of the genre are herewith advised to seek this out. It's far more deserving than some of its over-hyped relatives.

A list of the neat elements of the film a.k.a. " Horror ", a.k.a. "The Blanchville Monster,"...1. It's Italian, 2. black and white, 3. "Horror" sneakily appears as an occult film but really a psychological horror film, and 4. the ultra-creepy background music. I watched this movie when I was a 10-year old watching it on shock theater late Saturday night. There are a few boring parts and some parts that should never been put into the film, such as Rodrigues playing the keyboards. But I'm a little prejudiced on bragging on this movie because I've never seen an Italian horror film I didn't like ( Black Sunday, Black Sabbath, Suspiria, Inferno, etc. ).

A young, beautiful blonde, her best friend from college with her brother and an admirer of her blonde beauty reach "home," the stately residence of the famed and fabled Blachevilles. Upon arriving there, we meet the brother Roderick, a scary looking housekeeper that seems to possess a station way above her ranks, and a doctor that oozes something not closely related to charm. It seems that all the old servants have been let go and that the patriarch - the father- has recently died - or not? I liked this film for several reasons. If nothing else it has atmosphere. The castle used is an impressive set. The black and white cinematography accentuates the rooms of the castle, a huge family tomb, grounds swirling with fog, and a lot more. We have a huge organ being grinded out in a few scenes in classic horror classic fashion(say that fast five times). The story and the "monster" are nothing fantastic at all, but the film works because the artful direction is able to build suspense. Now, if you are the type of viewer that needs a lot of action, then you really must stay away as this film is more talking and all red herrings(in what turns out to be a not all that clever mystery of who is the Blancheville monster). There is some rather preposterous story about an ancient curse on the family that will die off when the last female(?) descendant turns 21 - utter rubbish. But it is incidental when one looks at the way the film was filmed, and the pace slowly creeps up from slower to slow and then finally fast at the end in the revelation of what has lain cloaked the whole time. This was an Italian production with lots of Spanish influence(much of the cast is Spanish). The actors are all decent and able to make you believe in them at times. This is by no means a great horror film, but it, as other reviewers have noted, is in the same vein as a Roger Corman movie of the same period or a black and white Hammer film. This is the Euro version with no big stars but a decent story and lots of mood.

This "pretty good" Corman-styled quasi-Poe entry complete with Vincent Price lookalike, and red herrings, is a little too plodding for it's own good and needs some more frequent and stronger moments of horror to make it to the "very good" level. The same can be said of the Corman-Poe films and such, yet they had great indelible scare moments, fabulous art direction in color and Vincent Price to keep them interesting. This looks like a late night spook show staple from the 60s and 70s, and is fine as such, except I saw it without commercials. I kept thinking it would be better if I'd watched it on an old B&W 20" portable TV on a wire-rack TV stand with potato chips and soda, and a chair with lumpy cushion on a chilly and windy October night just to get into the period.

I sought out this little gem after reading about it in Tim Lucas' bio of Mario Bava. Lucas believes the effects in this 1962 b/w strongly resemble Bava's technical flourishes. I sought out this title for this reason, but also because I collect films of the era containing the word 'monster' in the title. I also have a growing appreciation for Gothic Italian horror and mystery. After snapping it up on Amazon for about five bucks including postage, I am pleased to announce that it was well worth my time and effort.

There is a lot to like about this movie, including an eerie score and loads of captivating locations and sets; the crumbling abbey is reminiscent of Universal's "Dracula" but much more realistic and effectively photographed. Moments of the film seem over the top, and overcooked, but it stands up well for its time overall. This is especially desirable to those of us who recall the old Shock Theatre days of television, and enjoy Italian Gothic horror of the 60s.