I really like this movie - a very dark and eerie setting!

gilligan1965

"Cannibalistic vampires who eat their guests...and, feed their guests (and, their own villagers), to guests...and, who live in a long-gone, archaic town that 'pops-up' every so often!" "WHAT!?!?"

This is one of those very good and quite disturbing European horror movies made in Spain/Italy (and, sometimes in Portugal) in the late-1960s-early-1970s that became a drive-in staple, and, cult-classic! Others are "Mark of the Devil;" "Tombs of the Blind Dead;" "The Hanging Woman;" "The House on Haunted Hill;" "Horror of the Zombies;" "House of Psychotic Women;" etc...and, all of those 'Hammer' horror greats! Let us not forget the forgotten 1966 William Shatner Esperanto classic "Incubus!"

The Europeans really know how to set-the-stage for a fantastically-scary horror film...but, they should...they invented 'The Dark Ages' and 'The Inquisition;' and, their ancestors lived through or died in these (some of my own ancestors surely did, too). They're the 'best' for creepy-old settings; eerie-old castles and buildings; and, adding some 'real' history to old myths and producing great horror films! :)

In the day, these movies were probably looked-upon by adults as 'silly'...but, we horror-fan kids (now, horror-fan adults who're older than our parents were back then), looked upon them as "AWESOME!" I still do! I suppose I never grew up!?!?

I saw this movie at the Memorial Drive-In in West Springfield, Massachusetts, during a 'Dusk-Till-Dawn' movie marathon in the 1970s when I was a kid; and, it made such a creepy impression upon me that I found it later on VHS as a young adult. Now, in my late forties, I still enjoy watching this now and again (especially with my Son who loves horror movies - imagine that!?!?)...it's actually a very good movie!

NOTE - it's no small wonder that this movie is being rated so low on IMDb since many of the people doing the rating are expecting a 'sexual' orgy!?!? In this case, "orgy" means 'any actions or proceedings marked by unbridled indulgence of passions - an orgy of killing.'

This movie means a lot to me because I saw it as a child of seven or 8, with my Dad (RIP), and, because of that, I like to reminisce about my childhood because it was a great childhood. Movies like this/these; horror comics; and, "Fangoria" and "Creepshow" magazine; were a big part of my (and, my friends') childhood in our tweens and teens.

If you're a horror-movie fan and haven't seen this, or, any I've listed, please do...and, if you have any suggestions for old horror movies, please, let me know. I've seen a lot of horror movies, probably more than most people, but, I know that I haven't seen them all.

This is very good, and, I give it EIGHT STARS! :)

score 8/10

gilligan1965 26 August 2015

Reprint: https://www.imdb.com/review/rw3305555/