Gothic Horror Movies
This above-average horror film concerns a young couple (Antonio Cantafora, Elke Sommer) who manage to revive a cruel sorceror-Baron (Joseph Cotten) from the 1500s. Posing as a cripple, the Baron assimilates back into society and buys back his old castle, where he begins torturing and murdering innocent locals in his dungeon. Veteran filmmaker Mario Bava's direction is assured, and Euro-horror buffs will enjoy the cast, which includes Massimo Girotti ("Terence Hill" of spaghetti western fame), Luciano Pigozzi, Umberto Raho, and young Nicoletta Elmi (Profondo Rosso). ~ Robert Firsching, Rovi
Emily Bronte's enduring tale of a love struggling against all odds is brought to the screen once again in this adaptation created for British television. Cathy (Orla Brady) is the daughter of the goodhearted Hareton Earnshaw (Matthew MacFadyen), who allows a lost soul, Heathcliff (Robert Cavanah), to move into their home. While Cathy and Heathcliff outwardly appear to have little in common, they soon feel a strong attraction to one another, and Heathcliff pledges his undying love to her. However, circumstances conspire to keep them apart; Cathy's brother doesn't want Heathcliff to see her, her wealthy family sees a marriage between them as unthinkable, and in time Cathy agrees to an arranged marriage with Edgar Linton (Crispin Bonham-Carter). But none of this changes the desire Heathcliff feels for the woman he loves. Wuthering Heights first aired in the United States as part of the award-winning anthology series Masterpiece Theatre. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
- Starring:
- Robert Cavanah
- 1975
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Set in 1902 in an Irish island castle, actually the same Italian castle masquerading as an English one in 1967's Assassino Senza Volto, Giacomo Rossi Stuart stars as Count Marnak, who invites a traveling theater troupe to stay at the castle as his guests. Marnak soon becomes obsessed with the troupe's beautiful star, Evelyn (Patrizia De Rossi), who looks enough like his deceased wife to be her identical twin, and the two begin a passionate affair. There are several of those affairs going around for the viewer's voyeuristic benefit, including the standard faux-lesbian scene, but they are soon brought to a halt as many of the participants' heads get cut off by an unseen killer. Rumors of vampirism and unintentionally humorous attempts at Gothic atmosphere are quickly forgotten in favor of the usual red herrings and butchery, leading to the unmasking of a deranged psychopath. ~ Robert Firsching, Rovi
- 2002
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Idiosyncratic Canadian filmmaker Guy Maddin resurrects the style and visual grammar of the silent cinema in this ambitious screen adaptation of the Royal Winnepeg Ballet's acclaimed dance production, which incorporates elements of Bram Stoker's novel Dracula and F.W. Murnau's film Nosferatu. In 1897, a strange and mysterious visitor from the East, Dracula (Zhang Wei-Qiang), arrives in London, and soon puts the wealthy and pleasure-loving Lucy (Tora Birtwhistle) under his spell. Dracula next sets his sights on the virginal Mina (Cindy Marie Small), but when the vampire's machinations begin to alter her personality, her fiancé, Jonathan (Johnny Wright), realizes something is very wrong, and vampire hunter Von Helsing (David Moroni) is brought in to slay the monster. Dracula, Pages From a Virgin's Diary was originally produced for Canadian television; after winning praise from a number of critics, the film was screened at a number of international film festivals before receiving a theatrical release in the United States. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
- Starring:
- Zhang Wei-Qiang, Tara Birtwhistle, (more)
This made-for-TV feature was the tenth screen adaptation of the classic Gothic romance by Charlotte Bronte. Jane Eyre (Samantha Morton, who two years later would earn an Oscar nomination for her performance in Woody Allen's Sweet and Lowdown) grew up an orphan under trying circumstances, but through hard work and determination, she has gained an education and is employed as a governess at the Thornfield Hall estate. Jane quickly falls in love with the brooding and secretive owner of Thornfield, Mr. Rochester (Ciaran Hinds). He soon falls for her as well, but before they can reach the altar, a number of shocking secrets threaten to destroy their romance. This version of Jane Eyre made its American debut on the A&E Cable Network. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
- Starring:
- Samantha Morton, Ciarán Hinds, (more)
Based on a novel by Dennis Danvers, the three-part British miniseries Wilderness asks the question "Can a nice Quaker girl find happiness as a sometimes-werewolf?" At the beginning of each lunar cycle, heroine Alice White (Amanda Ooms) transforms into a wolf -- or at least that is her story. Unable to convince her sweetheart that she suffers from lycanthropy, Alice turns to a psychiatrist who, instead of helping her, draws up plans to exploit her "complex" for his own professional advancement. Despairing, Alice heads to a Scottish wildlife retreat, where the story reaches its startling conclusion. Since its original TV run in 1996, Wilderness has been released to video in a shortened "feature film" version. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
Henry James' classic tale of terror The Turn of the Screw receives yet another screen adaptation in this thriller shot in Spain. A young woman (Sadie Frost) is hired to serve as a governess for two children, Miles and Flora (Nilo Mur and Ella Jones). She is hired by their uncle, the Master (Harvey Keitel), who became the guardian of the youngsters after the death of their parents. While the governess is initially enthusiastic about her job, Miles and Flora soon prove to be quite a handful, and the housekeeper Mrs. Grose (Lauren Bacall), who oversees most of the activities at the Master's estate, is openly antagonistic to her. Before long, the governess discovers the house bears a dark secret involving Miss Jessel (Dayne Danika), the previous governess, and Fosc (Agusti Villaronga), the Master's former valet. El Celo was the first feature from director Antoni Aloy. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
- Starring:
- Sadie Frost, Lauren Bacall, (more)
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