Le château des morts vivants

A delightful B-Horror film filled with odd characters, shadowed corridors, and a decent plot...Castle of the Living Dead, when viewed late at night, will keep the viewer more amused than scared. I first saw this film as a boy and forever thereafter, tried to remember the title so I could see it again. Where else can you find a movie other than Lord of the Rings, with a heroic dwarf (wish he was born later in life so that he could have played Frodo)and his side kick deaf-mute giant (perhaps the inspiration for Miller's MasterBlaster), Donald Sutherland as a witch and a bungling police/soldier (keeping his trademark smirk in tact), and a beautiful female victim that is saved from poisoning by a thirsty cat. Also, two other performances must be given honorable mention...the sullen Cristopher Lee playing Count Drago, who bears the resemblance of a Gothic Heroin addict..and his henchman Sandro, whose bulging eyes and psycho-drenched laugh, make for added cinema enjoyment. This is a foreign film and carries some of the Socio-pathic drama an early 1960's horror film might entail. No graphic slashing here, but the dart in the eye of the lowly deaf/mute delivers a taste for future gore films. The dubbing is close enough to understand and keeps in pace with the film's B- status. The plot line is basic, but interesting...taking place just after the Napoleanic Wars, a mad Count who is interested in science, discovers a way of prolonging life...only his results are stereotypically creepy. When a traveling troupe of circus performers are bid to come and entertain at his castle, the plot enfolds into a all-out who is going to live and who is going to die story. Sutherland's witch character prophesizes this much, so the tension mounts towards who the final survivors will be. I loved the set of this movie, which must have been filmed on location. The Castle's giant faced back entrance is a must see and the huge stone animal objects in the entangled gardens, make this Black and White film eerie and strange. Wind, shadows, moonlit night, large castle chambers and outdoor gardens...all the makings of a chilling tale. I highly recommend this film, but suggest to view it only late, late, late night...with a pot of popcorn and maybe with one friend. Also, this could be a perfect slumber party film, as well...but would be so with differing results. For when you add these odd Castle of the Living Dead characters, with a mixture of humorous comments and tired people...the outcome is sure to create a cult film status for a new generation of viewers.

cuzdogg

An intriguing slice of 'Golden Age Italian Gothic Horror,' this tale of a mad scientist called Count Drago (played by Christopher Lee) attempting to experiment on performers in a traveling circus rather than animals makes for a desirable curiosity piece, even though it's not very good. Alongside Lee, the cast includes Eurocult fave Philippe Leroy (The Frightened Woman), and Donald Sutherland in his first three film roles (he plays a Napoleonic soldier, an old man, and a Witch in heavy make up and a dress). As well as featuring an heroic dwarf named Nick, the movie has a complicated production history. Michael Reeves (Witchfinder General) received his first film credit aged just twenty, and a mere five years before his tragic barbiturate overdose, as assistant director, but it was rumoured that he contributed a lot more including directing an exciting sword fight on the castle walls. There were also rumours that Mario Bava provided special effects for the film. The movie was directed by Luciano Rick under the pseudonym of Warren Kiefer, and so grateful was Donald Sutherland for him giving him his first movie credit, that he named his son after him.

Ambiance is what it's all about, and this film has plenty of it. The setting is Europe during the Napoleonic era. A traveling circus troop has been invited to perform at a mysterious castle for a Count and his sleazy looking sidekick. This appears to be Donald Sutherland's first film, and he does a terrific job in a dual role. His presentation of an old hag-like witch is unforgettable. After seeing the movie, I found myself repeating some of the macabre rhymes, such as "Some will live and some will die before the morning sun is high." The acting is solid throughout. Don't expect a lot of action or violence. There's plenty of suspense throughout, however. The female minstrel is most exotic looking, and one watches in anticipation that she might eventually hike her skirt. The tension generated is occasionally broken by comic relief; some of it unintentional no doubt. There is a bit of sword play at the end, which appeared very awkward, but the awkwardness seemed to enhance the realism in a most peculiar way. It had been years since I had seen this film, and I fondly recalled it. I was successful in locating a reasonably crisp copy on DVD. I plan on watching it again soon. I easily rate it a 7 out of 10 based on entertainment value. After all, how many films can offer up their own midget toss?

Low budget Italian horror film is no big shakes but there's a few things worth mentioning about it. First, it's Donald Sutherland's film debut (in two roles, no less). Why they had him dress up as old hag I do not know. Budgetary reasons I suppose. Sutherland does nothing to impress in his debut. We also have the great Christopher Lee slumming here and giving a typically solid Lee performance, though not his best. There's also a dwarf among the circus performers. He's pretty good and gets to be a hero, which will impress certain types.

The story is about a troupe of circus performers summoned to a castle to entertain the mysterious Count Drago (Lee). Little do they know Drago is a weirdo who performs experiments involving embalming animals and people. This certainly sounds intriguing enough but somehow the film manages to be unexceptional and, for the most part, boring. Lee completists and Spaghetti horror fans will want to check it out. I wouldn't recommend it to anyone else.

Christopher Lee pops up in a lot of shonky Euro-horror, but I didn't expect to see Donald Sutherland's name to appear in the opening credits for Castle of the Living Dead. Sutherland's big screen debut sees the actor playing multiple roles: firstly, he plays an old hag who warns the members of a travelling acting troupe of impending death if they continue to the castle of Count Drago (Lee) where they are to perform; then he plays the incompetent police sargeant who is oblivious to the count's experiments in the suspension of life, using humans subjects; and according to IMDb, Sutherland also plays an old man, but I don't recall seeing that character.

The film's main star, Christopher Lee, could play his role in his sleep: villanous aristocrat Count Drago is bread and butter for the actor. The count is assisted in his work by a drooling maniac called Sandro (Mirko Valentin), who captures victims for Drago. In the film's best (ie. Funniest) scene, Sandro chases Nick (Antonio De Martino), the troupe's heroic dwarf, to the top of a tower, picks the little fellow up and throws him over the parapet. The dwarf, or rather a very unconvincing dummy, falls and lands on a pile of hay. Extra points awarded for dwarf throwing! Another cool moment sees Drago using a toy catapult to fire a poisoned dart into a man's eye. Nasty!

The direction by Warren Kiefer is rather clumsy, as is the editing, and the dubbing is terrible, but the crude technical nature of the film adds to its charm. Kiefer does make good use of his gothic location, especially the ornamental gardens and grottos that surround the castle (I know I've seen that place in another old horror film, but I can't quite put my finger in it*). All in all, this is a fun piece of low-budget Euro-horror that trundles along at a decent pace and never bores -- far from a classic but certainly worth a go for fans of this kind of hokum.

*I just read Bezenby's review, which lists other films that use the same location. The film I was trying to think of was Meridian (AKA Phantoms) starring Sherilyn Fenn.