“So weird! …So shocking! Do YOU dare see it!” Synopsis: A woman and her lover are tortured and killed by her sadistic husband. The pair return from the grave to seek vengeance. Original Italian Title: Amanti d’oltretomba

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Calamity Brains:

Nightmare Castle is chock full of classic horror movie goodness. If old standard scares and creepy castles are your thing, you’ll probably enjoy this flick. The combination of a mad science story and ghost story gives this film its own spin on the genre, and involves enough lying to make anyone doubt the institute of marriage.

The effects are very hit or miss – for the first half of the movie, generally miss. Old-fashioned special effects often come across as corny to modern audiences, and Nightmare Castle doesn’t often rise above to keep its effects from being laughable. However, there’s some great makeup in the latter half of the film (supported by interesting camera work) that holds up quite well. In terms of ambiance, the music and sound effects are both excellent and do justice to the genre.

Paul Muller is delightfully creepy as the scheming doctor, and though his first wife Muriel (Barbara Steele) is hardly a sympathetic character, it’s easy to feel for his second wife, Jenny (also played by the versatile Barbara Steele). Dr. Arrowsmith makes gaslighting look easy, and plays those around him with consummate skill. Everyone loves a good villain, and Dr. Arrowsmith is easy to hate.

All in all, Nightmare Castle is a good choice for those looking to experience more in the way of classic Italian horror. It may not go over well with all modern viewers, but it’s worth a watch.

Calamity Brains’ Rating: C
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