Noutions
Good movie, but best of all time? Hardly . . .
Erica Derrick
By the time the dramatic fireworks start popping off, each one feels earned.
Philippa
All of these films share one commonality, that being a kind of emotional center that humanizes a cast of monsters.
christopher-underwood
I'm sure I have seen this before but it would have been the shorter public domain version and not this splendid full length and splendid condition Severin print. Now it is possible to enjoy this super creepy, Gothic horror in all its splendour. Morricone music is a bonus, apparently his first horror score, the cinematography is also good and the very best is made of the splendid mansion that forms the set for most of the movie. Needless to say, Barbara Steele is great throughout in both her roles although she looks better with her natural dark hair than the blond. Full tilt beginning and although some feel this gets a bit wordy in the middle, it was fine by me and didn't seem to let up at all. I was a bit dismayed when it seemed the was going to turn into one of those, 'drive the wife mad movies' but it is much more than that and indeed is surprisingly graphic with electrolysis and blood transfusions. Helga Line also does well but has tough opposition with Steele taking most scenes.
mark.waltz
It's the same old horror set-up; A cheating wife is caught by her supposedly out of town husband and both the wife and her lover are tortured and murdered. The husband takes a new wife (with an agenda, of course) and the spirits of the restless undead return to make their lives a living hell. Paul Muller is the evil scientist who ruthlessly tortures his wife and her lover then gives the wife's blood to the embittered housekeeper (Helga Liné) who is suddenly youthful again. She's extremely jealous when Muller marries the dead wife's half sister (a blonde wigged Barbara Steele, also present as the brunette first wife) with the intention of getting his hands on the estate that sister left sister. But the spirits of the not completely dead want their revenge and the blonde Steele begins to have nightmares which fits completely in plan with Muller's motives of having her declared insane so he can get his hands on the entire estate. Not if the ghosts have their way, and this is where the real nightmare comes into play.Not for the squeamish, "Nightmare Castle" features torture through acid and electrocution, and the victims must suffer greatly before they go off into the restless spirit world of the still wandering undead. Steele has played this type of role many times before, most notably in the cult classic "Black Sunday", and while her part is fun to watch (as always), the technical flaws of this badly dubbed film are sometimes difficult to stand. The characters for the most part are all one-dimensional but the execution (pardon the pun) is exceptional and the macabre elements of the story truly gripping if one is strong enough to stomach it. Helga Liné goes from hunchbacked servant to still embittered beauty so rapidly that it takes a minute to figure out what transpired. Still, there's a lot of fun to be found in this Z-grade Gothic thriller if you can get past the poor photography, extremely tinny sound and sometimes maudlin acting.
catfish-er
I'm working my way through the Horror Classics 50 Movie Pack Collection and NIGHTMARE CASTLE is one of the movies in the set. I am watching them with my soon-to-be seven-year old daughter, which makes most of these movies a laugh riot.However, NIGHTMARE CASTLE is not one of them! In fact, it is just my kind of old-fashioned, B-grade horror movie. It is an especially creepy thriller! Barbara Steele plays a duel role as an unfaithful wife; and, her mentally fragile sister. Despite being obviously the same person, it's easy to suspend one's disbelief because the characters are so completely different – the wig doesn't hurt either.The plot gives way to Dr. Stephen Arrowsmith marrying the sister, to keep his hands on his late-wife's fortune (of course after torturing her and her lover in the first part of the movie). He does this to continue his bizarre experiments, including extracting the hearts of his two victims, for the benefit of his ally Solange, the maid – who really wants to be more than that in the doctor's life.NIGHTMARE CASTLE features beautiful cinematography, lush locations; and, an aptly Gothic castle. It is rather thin on plot; and, has absolutely abysmal dialogue, due to poor dubbing.Barbara Steele is exceptionally well cast; and, offers up apt performances. The score is quite eerie (I wish the sound was better on this print); and, sufficiently intensifies the atmosphere and action.Yes, the plot reads like a sordid melodrama. But, I like NIGHTMARE CASTLE.
PaulyC
When a twisted count finds his wife cheating on him with the gardener, he tortures and kills them both, then removes their hearts. Years pass and he remarries his wife's stepsister who is thought to be crazy but was left lots of money from her now dead sister. Soon she is experiencing horrible dreams and seeing ghosts. A doctor comes to see her to see if she's insane. You see, if she is found insane, the count will be in charge of all her money so he does his best to keep her disturbed, although these ghosts are really those of the counts slain wife and horny gardener. See where this is going? To be honest, it's not a bad movie. The acting is not bad, although the script is a bit weak at times. Barbara Steele plays the wife and stepsister and this movie is pretty much owned by her good performance. It's not all that scary but fairly well shot and has some good ideas but I just don't think it's made creatively enough to make it stand out among lots of other bloody revenge flicks. Not great but makes a fairly decent late night viewing.
