L'orgia dei morti

Firstly everyone expecting gory bloodbath will be sorely disappointed,because this film is almost completely bloodless(however there's some mild violence like quick decapitation,but not too much).Secondly,if you like Euro-horror you'll certainly appreciate "The Hanging Woman".Why?Because it's well-made and there are some lovely atmospheric bits.The acting is surprisingly good and Paul Naschy as a necrophiliac servant Igor simply steals the show!The film reminds me early Hammer horror movies,mostly because it features some elements typical for English horror like tunnels,secret passages,tombs etc.There's also a little bit of sleaze(both ladies have a nude scenes),so fans of nudity will not be disappointed.Of course "The Hanging Woman" has its faults:it's overlong,quite boring and some scenes are rather stupid,but if you like Spanish horror give this one a look.

This film is an example of a zombie movie which has zombies that are created rather than transformed by a virus as generally depicted today. The usual differences between the two are that those created (by voodoo, black magic or science) generally follow instructions from their creator, don't eat flesh and don't infect others. Produced in 1973 in Europe it had a good Gothic feel to it. Likewise, although it was originally filmed in Spanish and dubbed in English the overall effect wasn't too bad either. However, one clear fault was that the lead actor, Stelvio Rosi (as "Serge Chekov") sported a haircut from the early 1970's even though the film was supposed to have taken place sometime in the 19th Century. Not only that but I thought his performance was slightly below that of the rest of the cast as well. On the other hand, some bright spots involved two gorgeous actresses, Maria Pia Conte ("Nadia Mihaly") and Dyanik Zurakowska ("Doris Droila") along with excellent makeup for the zombies. In short, other than the slight miscasting of the lead actor, this was a competent zombie film which fans of this genre might find interesting.

Paul Naschy (born Jacinto Molina Alvarez) was a fixture in Spanish Horror-as far as actor's go, he was that countries Karloff. So when he died in late 2009, he left behind a vast array of work that has maintained a cult following-"Night of the Werewolf", "Blue Eyes of a Broken Doll", "Count Dracula's Great Love"-to name a few. While I mentioned his passing in my review of "Premutos", looking back, I should have written a review of one of his movies instead of that movie. So without further ado, here's a look at the Italian-Spanish production "The Hanging Woman", in which he played a hunchback.

Serge Chekov (Stelvio Riso) is a swinging 70's kinda guy whose come to Scotland to gain an inheritance. In between sexing up the ladies, he runs into the hanging corpse of a lady. Soon, events revolving around a satanic coven, mad science, murder, zombies roaming the graveyard, and Igor (Naschy), who also happens to be a necrophiliac.

Though Naschy only has a supporting role, "The Hanging Woman" is still quite a treat of 70's style Gothic Horror. In fact, much of the film is quite reminiscent of the 70's era Hammer output, with its emphasis on fog drenched atmosphere, Gothic locales and low key exploitation elements such as nudity and some minor gore. The movie itself is quite capably directed by capably directed by José Luis Merino, who offers a nice mix of eerie moments with ones that range from tasteless (Chekov's treatment of women, Igor's um...kinks) with ones that just outright daffy (the reason the dead are walking could have come from one of those old 1940's quickies.) That's part of what makes the whole thing so much fun-sure, it feels a bit familiar at times, but the familiarity helps the movie instead of hindering it. Also worthy of mention is the undertone of black humor that permeates the proceedings. While the movie would never be mistaken for a comedy, scenes involving characters such as a horny witch are clearly done with tongue planted firmly in cheek.

Which brings me back to Naschy. While I mentioned he doesn't have a huge role, fans of his should still love this. Here, he manages to bring all kids of baggage with Igor-insecurity at one moment, to moments that bring forth revulsion the next-with ease. It's easy to see why folks such as myself hold him to such esteem, as he was able to take such characters and make them his own. Such a role and performance is a testament to his talents as an actor.

If there are any problems, it would be that apart from the more eccentric characters (particularly Igor), nobody here is all that interesting. Chekov is just your typical chauvinistic jerk who doesn't have many redeeming qualities, whilst Doris (Dianik Zurakowska) is yet another damsel in distress character. A bit more thought into some of the characters would have helped.

That out of the way, fans of Paul Naschy and European Horror fare will certainly find a lot to enjoy here. If that's your cup of tea, then check it out.

I saw this dubbed Spanish film as The Hanging Woman, on Gorgon Video. The box promised scenes of brutality, rape, and humiliation beyond Last House on the Left. Just to clear the record, this is not true. There is no rape, and the closest thing to humiliation is when an innocent virgin bares her breasts. There is violence and graphic gore, but it really doesn't kick in until the climax. And what a climax! Bloody zombies rampaging in the best Night of the Living Dead fashion, with the luridness increased in typical European style. The final shot is chilling and almost Bergman-esque. However, the rest of the movie is pretty uneventful. Despite a strong beginning and creepy atmosphere--with the dirtiness of the period perfectly captured by grainy, washed-out color photography--most of the film is like an overlong episode of Dark Shadows. Sexy Dyanik Zurakowska has some powerful nude scenes, and her sex scene with Stelvio Rosi helps spice things up...but not much else happens. Paul Naschy, the reason many people seek this out, has a small role as a red-herring necrophile. On the whole, I think The Hanging Woman is worth seeing--but you should know what you're getting into. If you want your Naschy fix, see one of his werewolf movies.

Trivia: La Orgia de los muertos originally hit the States in 1974 as The Hanging Woman. International Artists promoted the film with a Last House-inspired campaign: "For the squeamish, keep repeating: It can't be true, can't be true, can't be true, can't be true, can't be true." Stelvio Rosi was billed as Stanley Cooper.

Frankly, I'm still trying to figure out why I got pleasure from a horror film as effortless and unhurried as this one. If I have to be objective for a second, I would probably say that "La orgía de los muertos" actually didn't have much to offer to begin with. A nice variety of clichés and a predictable ending, are some of the magnificent qualities about this film. Let's just get this straight: the reason why I'm not praising this film, is not because I'm against clichés or predictable endings. I don't think a movie is great, only when it has a plot twist or unpredicted states of affairs. I believe that in order to be decent, a horror film needs to be either entertaining, gory or at least mildly eerie. However, I'm not sure "La orgia de los muertos", provides much of these three virtues. For the contrary, it's a very sluggish movie, with no gore and almost no eerie situations. Perhaps we could say that the story gets interesting and mildly freaky during the last minutes, but that's all. If we were talking about a different film, I would almost certainly say that it doesn't reunite enough elements to be considered a decent horror flick. Nevertheless, there's something about this film that makes enjoyable and it has to do with the fact that it is awfully stylish and nice to look at. The striking and yet ominous European landscapes, the 19th-century wardrobe and the graveyard, create a perfect Gothic background that unquestionably belongs to the horror type. The atmosphere is somehow dark, but still enchanting in a way. The highland village exposes two facades, which makes the scenery so ambiguous and mysterious.

This may be a film that could be considered worn out by some people, but it's still captivating and charming in a spooky way. I could only spot one or two unintentionally funny situations and dialogs, which is a great flattering remark, in this case. Let's just keep in mind that this is a low budget film with actors who didn't even speak Spanish, or at least not all of them, and the film was supposed to be in that language. One of the scenes that really made me burst into laughter, was the one where Stelvio Rosi gets in a fist fight with Jacinto Molina…that was just plain hilarious. Without anything else to add, I can only say that despite of the flaws I mentioned, I believe "La orgia de los muertos" is a film that could be easily enjoyed by Gothic horror fans. Especially the ones who don't need a really complex plot and can appreciate a charming esthetic like the one in this film.