Euro Horror
The Europeans have always done horror well (The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari, Häxan, Nosferatu) but things really took off in the 1960s when gothic horror became a staple courtesy of Italian directors like Mario Bava. Later, Dario Argento and Lucio Fulci picked up the baton with gore classics that have stood the test of time. Often shocking, with women unafraid to take their tops off, nobody did it better than the Europeans, though the Brits gave them a run for their money (though that’s a category all its own).
Links take you to the IMDd. Circled titles: A Point Blank Films fav!
Absurd (1981) 6/10
Follow-up to Antropophagus that provides more fun by following a Halloween-esque plot, with a large dose of gore, and George Eastman having a great time; a bona fide video nasty. aka Anthropophagus 2; The Grim Reaper 2; Horrible
Aenigma (1987) 5/10
Lucio Fulci’s rip-off of Patrick with hints of Phenomena has weird moments (death by snails) and is overwrought and idiotic, but never dull. aka Ænigma
Anima Persa (1977) 7/10
Atmospheric and good looking horror set in a dilapidated Venetian house with secrets in the attic. aka The Forbidden Room
Antropophagus (1980) 6/10
George Eastman co-wrote and stars as a crazed cannibal in Joe D’Amato’s horror with cardboard characters but enough gore to make it an infamous video nasty. aka Anthropophagous: The Beast; The Grim Reaper See also Shocking Sinema
A seminarian on the run holes up with an ex-communicated priest who practises the black arts in slow burning horror high on gothic atmosphere which doesn’t quite pay off. aka The Mysterious Enchanter
Baron Blood (1972) 6/10
Joseph Cotten is back in a cravat as a murderous noble resurrected from the dead in mediocre Mario Bava horror – but a middle of the pack Bava is still better than most. aka The Horrors of Nuremberg Castle; The Torture Chamber of Baron Blood
The Beyond (1981) 8/10
Gory follow-up to City of the Living Dead, this focusses on atmosphere and imagery, and is one of Lucio Fulci’s best. aka 7 Doors of Death
Claudio Fragasso is determined to show the audience a good time in this mix of The Amityville Horror, The Exorcist and Poltergeist, but his efforts are hampered by poor acting and a silly plot. aka La Casa 5
Beyond the Darkness (1979) 7/10
Joe D’Amato’s best horror is a gruesome remake of The Third Eye with Goblin score; the director pushes the sleaze envelope without a hint of guilt, resulting in a perverted, twisted classic. aka Buio Omega See also Shocking Sinema
Beyond the Door III (1989) 3/10
Despite interesting locations (Yugoslavia), this has unlikeable characters, makes no sense and has particularly bad miniatures; unworthy of the other films in the series to which it is not connected. aka Amok Train; Death Train
The Black Cat (1981) 6/10
Patrick Magee uses his psychic abilities to get his cat to kill for him in fairly restrained Lucio Fulci entry, but the plot makes little sense; fun while it’s on.
The Black Cat (1989) 6/10
Unofficial follow-up to Suspiria, this messy Italian horror has a foetus from outer space, Caroline Munro, over-the-top 80s soundtrack, Argento-esque lighting, and plenty of gore and goo.
Black Sunday (1960) 10/10
Barbara Steele plays a vengeful witch in Mario Bava classic with incredible sets and cinematography, grisly gore, and fatalistic themes, putting Italian horror on the map. aka The Mask of Satan; Revenge of the Vampire
Ghosts feed on the blood of the living in Italian horror thick on atmosphere, with shadowy ruins, foggy cemeteries, animal violence, and Barbara Steele. aka Danza Macabra
A Cat in the Brain (1990) 5/10
Lucio Fulci plays a director going insane in unfunny satire that delivers the gore and sleaze – unintentionally creating the perfect reflection of his imperfect career; but it’s certainly no 8½. aka Nightmare Concert
Cemetery Man (1994) 9/10
Rupert Everett must kill the dead again and again in Michele Soavi’s atmospheric, surreal existentialist horror – a gem, there really is nothing else quite like it out there.
The Church (1989) 8/10
Gothic tale of supernatural evil – a visual tour de force that becomes a little long and incoherent, but director Michele Soavi pulls out all the stops, doing mentor Dario Argento proud.
City of the Living Dead (1980) 7/10
Lucio Fulci gorefest, the first of a trilogy, this doesn’t have much of a plot, instead focussing on the set pieces, which are very well done. aka The Gates of Hell
Dark Waters (1993) 6/10
Dreamlike horror set on a monastery island, which adds atmosphere, but this is a little slow considering the ludicrous plot.
Demons (1985) 9/10
Strangers trapped in a movie theatre face off against ravenous demons in this thoroughly entertaining horror with tons of gore, mayhem, rock music, and an apocalyptic ending.
Demons 2 (1986) 6/10
Retread of the original set in an apartment building with half the gore and thrill factor.
The Devil’s Daughter (1991) 7/10
A kindergarten teacher is stalked by a Satanic cult in this dreamlike horror, which is another respectable entry by Michele Soavi, though it goes on for too long. aka The Sect
Eyes Without a Face (1960) 9/10
A plastic surgeon will stop at nothing to perform a face transplant on his daughter in influential French fantastique horror; shocking for its time, and still effective today.
Faceless (1988) 6/10
Mean-spirited, nasty Jesús Franco horror – one of his best – with similar plot to Eyes Without a Face and an interesting cast slumming it amid the sleaze.
Ghosthouse (1988) 5/10
Nothing to do with The Evil Dead, this has a plot about a deceased girl, her doll, and a deserted house (from The House by the Cemetery) – sounds promising, but this is lazily directed by Umberto Lenzi. aka La Casa 3
The Horrible Dr. Hichcock (1962) 6/10
Necrophiliac Dr. Hichcock (with no ‘t’) likes to drug his wife for sexual funeral games – and while that sounds outrageous this plays like a gothic Poe adaptation, with Barbara Steele shining as always. aka The Terror of Dr. Hichcock
The House by the Cemetery (1981) 6/10
Final of Lucio Fulci’s Gates of Hell trilogy with plenty of gore, bad dubbing, and silly moments.
Inferno (1980) 8/10
Follow-up to Suspiria that shifts the action to New York and has much to commend it – like the impressive set pieces – though it is definitely a case of style over substance.
Kill, Baby... Kill! (1966) 8/10
A Transylvanian village is haunted by the ghost of a murderous little girl in excellent Mario Bava shocker with gothic imagery up there with his best. aka Curse of the Dead; Operation Fear
Laurin (1989) 6/10
Children are disappearing under mysterious circumstances in a 19th century village in this obscure German period piece that is well-drawn but a little light on horror elements.
The Lift (1983) 6/10
Dutch horror with a great tagline – “Take the stairs, take the stairs, for God’s sake, take the stairs!!!” – but only one idea stretched out over a too-long running time.
Macabre (1980) 6/10
Lamberto Bava’s directorial debut is a dark, necrophiliac horror filmed in New Orleans that is a little overdrawn, with a predictable ending.
An archaeologist opens an Egyptian tomb, and all hell breaks loose in ambitious Lucio Fulci entry that is a confused mess and rather lifeless despite one or two graphic murders.
Maya (1989) 5/10
Messy Italian supernatural horror filmed in Venezuela with unlikeable central character; it has its moments.
Mill of the Stone Women (1960) 6/10
Mario Bava meets Roger Corman by way of House of Wax, with garish colour and pacing issues.
Overbaked follow-up to Suspiria and Inferno that is more Lucio Fulci than Dario Argento – especially in the gore department.
Thin and jumbled Euro horror spiced up with gore and gratuitous nudity. aka Don’t Be Afraid of Aunt Martha
The Night of the Devils (1972) 7/10
Based on the story The Family of the Vourdalak, also used in Black Sabbath, this spices things up with gore and T&A but is somewhat let down by a measured pace.
The Ogre (1988) 4/10
Lamberto Bava horror made for TV with little tension, an intrusive score and a lousy-looking ogre. aka Demons 3: The Ogre
A female rock band are so bad they open a portal to hell, in Italian horror featuring a strangely dubbed Donald Pleasance; nonsensical fun free from the constraints of logic and storytelling.
Patrick Still Lives (1980) 6/10
An Italian sequel to an Aussie classic that is an outrageously sleazy pile of Eurotrash with some notably extreme moments of gore. See also Shocking Sinema
Phenomena (1985) 7/10
Jennifer Connelly can’t really act but gives it her all (props for the maggot-infested pool scene) in this completely wild Dario Argento horror that is one of his most memorable. aka Creepers
José Ramón Larraz Euro horror with a few good moments spoiled by a terrible central performance and a supposedly scary aunt who looks like Carol Channing.
Shock (1977) 7/10
Released in the US as Beyond the Door II, Mario Bava’s final film has nothing to do with part 1, taking a mostly psychological approach without giving up the gore, creating a solid swansong. aka Beyond the Door II
Specters (1987) 5/10
Latter-day Italian horror with mild thrills, nudity, Donald Pleasance shuffling around some dusty tombs, and a rubber demon – all a bit dreary.
The Spider Labyrinth (1988) 7/10
One of the last gasps of old school Italian horror, in the style of Suspiria, The Beyond, and The Church – lots of fun despite the poor FX.
Suspiria (1977) 10/10
Argento opus that is garish, loud (literally, with piercing Goblin soundtrack), and plotless, but it has deservedly become a classic of operatic horror.
The Third Eye (1966) 7/10
Franco Nero is fantastic as a count who loses his fiancée and goes mad in Italian horror with same necrophilia plot and theme later explored with no subtlety in Beyond the Darkness.
A Virgin Among the Living Dead (1973) 6/10
Arty Jesús Franco movie with hypnotic Bruno Nicolai score released in many different forms (with zombie or hardcore footage added); best version quite personal to Franco, if a little dull. aka Christina, Princess of Eroticism
The Wax Mask (1997) 6/10
Italian House of Wax remake originally intended for Lucio Fulci but handed to a special FX guy; the FX are great, but the same can’t be said for the performances and the Terminator-esque finale.
Remake of Castle of Blood, in colour this time – too slow and something of a mishmash, repeating the unnecessary animal violence of the original.
Witchery (1988) 4/10
David Hasselhoff and Linda Blair are stranded on a Massachusetts island in bad supernatural horror that delivers some unintentional laughs. aka La Casa 4