Terror in the Crypt
‘Terror In The Crypt’ happily boasts two gloriously-breasted starlets, and the looming, venerable presence of Christopher Lee, whose sepulchral-toned, Count Ludwig adds much verisimilitude to the overtly familiar Karnstein family misfortunes. ‘Terror In The Crypt’ is a noirish gothic melodrama, with prolific scrivener, Ernesto Gastaldi doing yet another riff on, Sheridan le Fanu’s ‘Camilla’. While the film has an admittedly lugubrious pace, this actually sits quite happily against the musty, high contrast, cobwebbed theatrics. Whereas, Jesus Franco will have even less plot, a surfeit of orgiastic flesh and interminable half-hour zooms; DP’s, Guiseppe Aquari & Julio Ortas have clearly taken care over the breathtaking compositions; with their effective use of chiaroscuro lighting, and some impressive, yet wonderfully subtle tracking shots. The masters are equally atmospheric, allowing one a splendid gander at all the finely honed gothic baroque, Camillo Mastrocinque has so meticulously generated. I was also most impressed by, Carlo Savina’s spare, eerie, piano-led score, placing the viewer dead centre within all these macabre machinations. To the uninitiated this all might seem a tad ponderous, but to those of us who appreciate a ripping yarn; where buxom, kohl-eyed lovelies cower beneath their vampiric violators, and bloody maleficence creeps beyond the boundaries of death, ‘Terror In The Crypt’ is a timeless classic deserving of a little more kudos than it currently generates.
Tags: Reviews