Horror
1 hour and 30 minutes
Unrated
Written by: Mario Caiano & Fabio De Agostini
Directed by: Mario Caiano
Produced by: Carlo Caiano
Cast:
Barbara Steele
Paul Muller
Helga Liné
A mad, sadistic scientist on the loose!
In the annals of Italian horror cinema, there have undoubtedly been several films over the years that have fallen out of relevance and into obscurity. These films were the ones being pushed out quickly so that they could make a profit on the coattails of another more successful film. Mario Caiano's film Nightmare Castle, is a good example of all of this.
Nightmare Castle has "mocksploitation film" written all over it. The film follows templates put into place by two incredibly successful Italian horror films that came before it: Mario Bava's 1960 film Black Sunday, and Riccardo Freda's 1956 film I Vampiri. With Black Sunday, Mario Bava perfected the gothic horror film over thirty years after it having gone out of style - using the then unknown British actress Barbara Steele in two different roles. Nightmare Castle also boasts Steele in two separate roles in a gothic setting. Caiano unquestionably knew this would draw in fans of Bava's film and generate more revenue.
Freda's I Vampiri is one of the first films ever to place the idea of vampirism in a modern context. Indeed, the idea that young blood transfused into an older body could regenerate youth had been around before, but it was never connected with the traditions of horror. This storyline of a scientist pumping a young person's blood into an older woman to regenerate her youth is recycled by Caiano in Nightmare Castle.
These elements of mocksploitation are not surprising in the least, especially considering Nightmare Castle's 1965 release date. The 1960s was a time where low-budget films were thriving on grind house and drive-in theater screens. Many of these low-budget films used these mocksploitation tactics to appeal to mainstream audiences in order to draw in more viewers. It worked less often than filmmakers would have hoped.
Despite the blatant similarities to Black Sunday and I Vampiri, Nightmare Castle contains some really incredible, and creative moments. For starters, the film is quite violent - even more so than anything Bava was producing at the time. Its still tame by today's standards, but viewers might be shocked to see just what is shown in this older gothic chiller. A brutal flogging scene, Steele's character subjected to acid being dripped on her body, a brutal blow to the head, and finally an intense electrocution. The effects are done quite masterfully, and are even more amazing to witness in the film's beautiful black & white framing.
Enzo Barboni was the film's director of photography and the film is beautifully captured. The black & white really creates gorgeous and haunting shadows within the film's castle setting, and is most effective during the dream sequences. Steele's character is over saturated with white - a white dress, her pale skin and bleach blonde hair. While it may not be as detail oriented as one of Bava's films, Barboni did a masterful job capturing the film in a beautiful manner.
The film's score was composed by the legendary Ennio Morricone, who is most famous for his work on Sergio Leone's Man with No Name spaghetti western trilogy. Morricone's talent shines through, even at such an early stage of his career. The delightful, and even cheerful, piano score works effectively in contrast with the scenes of horror. And a organ-based piece is present to the pleasure of all gothic horror fans everywhere.
Despite the dialogue being dubbed, the performances are all standard for a 1960s gothic film. Steele does a wonderful job - as is expected. Her talent really shines through with her performance of an innocent and tormented young girl - something vastly different from her usual typecast performances. Paul Muller is also excellent as the sadistic scientist husband of both of Steele's characters.
The film's strongest asset is its tie in with the supernatural. While the I Vampiri-plotline plays a major part of the story, it is intertwined with an incredibly haunting ghost story. This subplot showcases Nightmare Castle's creativity within a mocksploitation context. And the climax - involving Steele donned in complete burn-make-up - is truly a standout moment in gothic horror and Italian horror cinema.
Even with its now forgotten status, and its elements of mocksploitation, Nightmare Castle is able to triumph over its flaws by boasting outstanding special effects, beautiful cinematography, an outstanding score, and performances by iconic actors all set within a creatively told ghost story.
6.5/10
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