morrison-dylan-fan Continuing ICM's Italian and Cult challenges,I started looking for a series/collection I could watch. Whilst checking other titles,I found a Barbara Steele box set that I had picked up years ago,which led to me opening the set,by freeing the creatures from the grave.View on the film:Treating producer Ralph Zucker to the "credit" as he disowned the film, director Massimo Pupillo makes his dissatisfaction visible in the first half by overlaying a dominant narration,that drains the atmosphere from the crumbling Gothic Horror set. Opening the family graves in the second half, Pupillo pulls in the Gothic chills with a clever use of roaming shadows to represent the unseen monster, and sticky, plague-ridden practical effects revealing the marks they leave behind.Not working well with the rest of the cast/crew for 4 days until Pupillo had a massive row with her in front of everyone, Barbara Steele's more detached manner as Cleo Hauff actually works,thanks to it creating the impression of Hauff attempting to keep a dark family event secret from the creatures from the grave.

Coventry Being a Barbara Steele AND Italian Gothic horror fanatic, "Terror-Creatures from the Grave" has been standing on my must-see list for many years, and I also owned a bootleg copy on DVD, but it was literally unwatchable with picture quality as poor and diseased as the plague carriers the film revolves on. Now that I've finally watched a restored version, I still can't say I'm wildly enthusiast about the film even though it features everything that I usually seek for in horror cinema. Perhaps it's because I saw so many other Gothic horrors in between the time I first purchased and eventually watched "Terror Creatures from the Grave" or perhaps it's simply because the story never truly shifts into gear despite all its potential strong points. During the opening credits, and even proudly on the DVD-cover already, the movie claims to be inspired by the works of Edgar Allan Poe. Well, that's easy marketing! The script isn't an adaptation of one of his stories, but because Poe wrote about the Black Plague (undoubtedly the source is "The Masque of the Red Death") he gets mentioned as an inspiration and a much wider audience is attracted! Besides, who needs extra marketing when you've got the one and only Barbara Steele - at the peak of her popularity - starring in a bathtub sequence? The plot is chock-full of macabre elements and the atmosphere leaves plenty of space for ominous tension and supernatural strangeness that unfortunately never comes to the surface. Handsome young attorney Albert Kovac gets summoned to the estate of Professor Hauff for arranging his last will and testament, but upon his arrival Albert finds out that the good Prof has been dead for nearly a year. His beautiful second wife Cleo is skeptical and wary of Albert presence, but her equally attractive stepdaughter Corinne is delighted and even hopes for Albert to help solving the mystery surrounding her father's death. Albert finds out that the family mansion got built up from the remnants of an institution where 16th century plague carriers used to be locked away (that's just asking for trouble) and the Professor found a method to resurrect them from the death. With the first anniversary of the Professor's death approaching, several people who were close to him are dying in mysterious and gruesome ways. "Terror Creatures from the Grave" easily could have been a modest genre classic, what with its uncanny references towards the Black Plague and multiple eerie make-up effects, but the pacing is dreadfully slow and the script is far too talkative. Massimo Pupillo really should have studied the films of Mario Bava a little more carefully, and then he would have known that Italian Gothic horror primarily thrives on atmosphere, cinematography and better use of set pieces rather than on drivel. Mrs. Steele seems a lot less interested in her role here than, say, "Black Sunday" or "Castle of Blood", but even with a mediocre performance she still depicts an impressive wicked stepmother character.

MartinHafer When an attorney arrives to do business with the owner of an estate, he learns that the man is dead. However, he's been dead a year and the letter was only sent recently! The signature and seal appear real...how could this be? Instead of just going back home (like any normal person), the attorney hangs about for some time--and people begin to die. Could this dead man who was apparently obsessed with contacting the souls of dead plague victims be reaching from beyond the grave for revenge? Well, considering the film stars Barbara Steel, who made a career out of Italian horror films, you can probably assume the worst.Although I like horror movies, I sure found my attention waning throughout the film. Much of it was because the script was pretty dull and convoluted and much of it was the cheapness of the production. Either way, Steele fanatics might be the only ones who really like this one.

Scarecrow-88 An attorney, Albert Kovac(Walter Brandi)visits a villa, reporting to go over a will for a wealthy occult professor, Geoffrey Hauff, who had reportedly died, accidentally falling down steps. His death was recorded by five people, and each one whose name was written down on the report are dying in unusual ways. Albert's vehicle suffered a damaged engine thanks to an owl(!)and he remains at the behest of Geoffrey lovely daughter, Corinne(Mirella Maravidi), who is worried for her life. The Hauff villa was erected where a hospital housing those diseased with the black plague, their severed hands(..a punishment for purposely spreading their disease to others)in a trophy case within the hall containing pictures and various artifacts found by Geoffrey as he conducted his research into the morbid history of the area. There are graves nearby the villa which hold those who died in the hospital, and it was said that Geoffrey was attempting to contact the dead, hoping to bring their spirits from their eternal slumber. Along with Corinne is her step-mother, Cleo(Barbara Steele)once a potential actress, who gave up the stage to marry Geoffrey. There's obviously more to the story for why would those specific men who reported Geoffrey's death be the ones dying? The fifth witness's name is anonymous and he could hold the answer as to why those he was with that night are winding up dead.Unremarkable Gothic horror flick from Massimo Pupillo, who didn't take credit for it(..I can't say I blame him), using a disconcerting score to keep the viewer on edge even though nothing happens for great lengths. The copy I watched(Terror Creatures from the Grave)was ravaged by time, the quality of both the film itself and the audio track have seen better days. I kept hoping that the creatures of the title might make an appearance so that I could at least appreciate something for sitting through this tedious ordeal, but even at the end, we see none of those who rose from their caskets(..Tombs of the Blind Dead did this soooooo much better)and I felt cheated. Steele has a rather thankless role as the wife with secrets, who knows more about that night when her husband died than she's letting on..I think pretty much anyone watching can figure she's not exactly an innocent. There are some icky make-up grue such as the effects of the plague on a victim's face who assists his master in releasing the spirits of those damned, the effects of a face damaged by the trampling of a distressed horse, and the guts sticking out from the stomach of a victim who impales himself on a sword. Brandi is about as bland as the presentation of the film. Alfredo Rizzo is the local village doctor, Nemek who works with Kovac in determining what is killing the men. Recognizable Italian character actor, Luciano Pigozzi has a very small(..but important)role as Kurt, Geoffrey's loyal and trusted servant who talks to no one. Tilde Till is the very nervous and superstitious maid who trembles while working in the villa. Check this out only if you're a Barbara Steele completest, because the movie itself never rises above a mediocre, shambling exercise that lumbers along at a languid pace challenging you to stay awake. This could sure use a restoration, but I'm not certain it'd be worth it.