Ghosts & Haunts Movies

In this grindhouse favorite that blends '60s sexploitation with Euro-Horror, five exotic dancers are travelling through Europe with their manager (Alfredo Rizzo) and an accompanying musician. When bad weather stands them in the middle of nowhere, they seek shelter in a castle that, conveniently enough, has been turned into a hotel by the master of the house, Count Gabor Kernassy (Walter Brandi). With no money to pay their bill, the dancers "work" off their debt by showing off their dance routines (which in turn allows them to show off their figures). However, it turns out that Kernassy isn't the only count who lives at the castle; another member of the Kernassy family, a vampire who has been undead for the past 200 years, also haunts its halls, and the bloodsucker soon discovers that one of the dancers, Vera (Lila Rocco), bears a striking resemblance to the great love of his life from two centuries ago. L'Ultima Preda del Vampiro has been released in the U.S. under a variety of titles (including The Playgirls and the Vampire, Curse of the Vampire, Daughters of the Vampire, Desires of the Vampire, and Last Victim of the Vampire) and a number of different running times, ranging from 66 to 85 minutes (depending how much of the original film's nudity and dancing had been cut), though the complete version is now available on home video. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

In this remake of his own La Danza Macabra, director Antonio Margheriti casts Anthony Franciosa as writer Alan Foster, who accepts a bet from Edgar Allan Poe (Klaus Kinski) and his friend Thomas Blackwood (Enrico Osterman). No one has ever survived a night in Blackwood's castle, but the skeptical Foster gladly accepts the dare. The castle is striking and scary, which soon begins to affect Foster's mind. He meets Blackwood's sister Elisabeth (Michele Mercier) and the jealous Julia (Karin Field). Julia's portrait had intrigued him earlier, but it is Elisabeth whom Foster beds, only to see her stabbed by a stranger. The attacker's body vanishes after Foster kills him, and he quickly realizes that the castle is inhabited by vampiric ghosts. Foster must survive the horrors of the night and hold on to not only his life, but his sanity as well. This is an atmospheric film, full of crypts, skulls and mist, and Margheriti's direction is assured. The acting is solid all around, with a fine supporting cast including Peter Carsten, Raf Baldassare, and Silvano Tranquilli, though fans of the original might miss Barbara Steele just a little. Overall, this is a worthy remake with some spooky moments and a well-written script by Bruno Corbucci and Giovanni Grimaldi. The music was composed by the prolific Riz Ortolani. ~ Robert Firsching, Rovi

The House of Dies Drear is a spooky old mansion where several strange events have occurred of late. An out-of-town family moves into the home, only to be confronted by an odd recluse (Joe Seneca) and by a neighbor warning them to get out "while you got the chance." The youngest members of the family (Howard Rollins Jr. and Shavar Ross) suspect that a human agent is causing the so-called "supernatural" events, and set out to investigate. House of Dies Drear originated as a two-part episode of the PBS series Wonderworks. It was first shown November 5 and 12, 1984. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Adapted from the novel by James Herbert, this subtle, melancholy British chiller owes a great deal to Henry James's The Turn of the Screw. The story opens with a chilling prologue in 1905 England, in which a young boy fails to prevent the accidental drowning of his sister. As a young man, David (Aidan Quinn) is still tormented by guilt and remorse. After several years in the United States, David returns to England to continue his work researching and debunking claims of the supernatural. His latest investigation into the alleged haunting of Edbrook Manor -- at the behest of the Marriell's family nanny, Tess (Anna Massey) -- introduces him to the eccentric company of the lovely Christina Mariell (Kate Beckinsale) and her brothers Robert and Simon (Anthony Andrews and Alex Lowe). Despite repeated warnings from Tess that mischievous spirits are at work, David refuses to concede that the house is haunted -- until the angelic vision of his drowned sister reveals the true nature of his strange hosts. The rich period setting lends a classy Merchant Ivory touch to the film, and the high production values indicate the guiding hand of executive producer Francis Ford Coppola, but the performances are a bit too cold and detached to provide any legitimate tension. Fans of the classic 1961 film The Innocents will not find the central mystery particularly challenging. ~ Cavett Binion, Rovi

This silly but absorbing horror film from executive producer Roger Corman's New Concorde studio concerns four college students who accept an offer of ten thousand dollars to fix up an old house. What they don't know is that the house was owned by a cult of devil worshippers in the 17th century and that there is a gateway to Hell in the basement. Before long, severed hands are caressing the naked Susan (Suzanne Bridgham) in the shower, her boyfriend Rick (Christian Harmony) is possessed and has sex with their friend Tammy (Lauren Woodland), and goofy Owen (Don Maloney) is menaced by what appears to be a clawed ghost. It's actually Evelyn Van Buren (Teresa De Priest), a demon in human form who slept with the house's original owner, corrupting his soul and leading him to take part in vile Satanic orgies before the whole place was burned to the ground and the current home built on top of the remains. The kids bring in Professor Lamont (Roy Scheider), who reluctantly agrees to investigate and ends up getting his face gorily ripped off his skull by the vengeful Evelyn, whose direct descendant Lydia, a clairvoyant, must help the terrified students battle her ancestor before they all get sucked down to Hell. Writer/director Michael B. Druxman throws in elements of everything from The Haunting to Night of the Demons, but his primary influence seems to be the Italian cult classic L'Aldila. ~ Robert Firsching, Rovi

Low-budget horror mogul J.R. Bookwalter (The Dead Next Door) directed this second sequel to the mildly successful Witchouse, another in his Tempe studio's productions for B-movie legend Charles Band's Full Moon Pictures. Cult favorite Brinke Stevens takes over the role of Lilith in this installment, which -- being shot on DV in Los Angeles -- represents more modest aims than the glossier 35mm look of the Romanian-lensed Witchouse 2. Like both of its predecessors, however, the film owes a lot to The Blair Witch Project, as Lilith is revived by a pair of documentary filmmakers (Debbie Rochon, Tina Krause) and their friend, an abused woman (Tanya Dempsey) seeking shelter from her past. ~ Robert Firsching, Rovi

Sam Irvin directed this 2001 send-up of the classic horror films of the '50s and '60s. Starring Cassandra Peterson as her tradmark character, Elvira, Mistress of the Dark, the film finds the well-endowed goth gal spending the night in a mysterious house while en route to Paris, France, circa 1851. Once there, the spooky gags fly as the movie lampoons everything from the work of Roger Corman to the Hammer films. Along with Peterson, the film also stars Richard O'Brien, Mary Scheer, Scott Atkinson, and Heather Hopper. ~ Matthew Tobey, Rovi

Initially conceived as a sequel to David DeCoteau's amusing Prison of the Dead (2000), this straight-to-video horror film was written by minor cult actor Trent Haaga. The story line posits a new reality-based television series along the lines of Fear Factor in which five attractive models must spend the night in a haunted asylum for a million-dollar prize. There's a greedy producer who sets booby-traps for the girls along the way, not knowing that there is a real presence in the hospital -- the ghost of an evil millionaire who had kidnapped several young women years before, hoping to force them to marry him. The contestants make confessions to the cameras strategically placed within, only to have their deepest fears used against them by the malevolent ghost. Joe Estevez shows up as well, adding a small bit of name value to a cast including Debra Mayer, Tanya Dempsey, and Stacey Scowley. This was one of several collaborations between B-movie moguls J.R. Bookwalter and Charles Band, concluding with Dead & Rotting the same year. ~ Robert Firsching, Rovi

As a child, Cheryl (Virginia Bryant) was haunted by dreams of an evil monster, but now that she's grown up, the horror novelist is finding the old nightmares are beginning to come true in this creepy flick from director Lamberto Bava. The terror reaches another level when Cheryl's young daughter is taken captive by the ogre she thought only lived in her mind and her books. A sequel to Bava's Demons 2 in name only, The Ogre: Demons 3 also stars Patrizio Vinci and Alice Di Giuseppe. ~ Matthew Tobey, Rovi

The normally harmless horrors of Halloween turn all too real for eight college co-eds hosting a haunted house in director Jon Keeyes' All Hallows Eve shocker. A deadly spell has transformed the fun-seeking residents of college community Hallow's End into real-life versions of their costumes, and as the town is overrun by a horde of ghoulish fiends, the remaining survivors must race to break the spell or escape the town and hope the curse hasn't spread. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

To assuage the pain endured by his wife Pattie (Sharon Lawrence) after she bears a stillborn child, truck driver Charles Johnson (Beau Bridges) pools his savings and moves himself and Pattie into a new house in an attractive neighborhood. Before long, however, strange and inexplicable things begin occurring in the house--and then there's the matter of those eeries nocturnal noises. Pattie is convinced that the joint is haunted, but Charles concludes that she is merely suffering a nervous breakdown. Made for television, The Uninvited was purportedly inspired by actual events which occurred in Indiana. But once the plot's BIG SECRET is revealed (that ugly tree on the Johnsons' property didn't become gnarled all by herself) we are deeply into Poltergeist territory, replete with a "stacking" scene (with eggs rather than furniture) and an eccentric old psychic (Shirley Knight). Originally telecast by CBS on October 29, 1996, The Uninvited has since been seen on cable TV under the less ambiguous title Victim of the Haunt. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Jacinto Molina's gory horror film Panic Beats concerns a man who plans to murder his wealthy wife in order to keep himself living in the style to which he is accustomed. He enlists the help of a sexy young woman, but that woman convinces him to commit a whole string of murders. Soon she confronts a force of pure evil that may undo the both of them. ~ Perry Seibert, Rovi

Director Shin Tae-ra teams with screenwriter Lee Yeong-jong to adapt author Yusuke Kishi's 1997 novel concerning an insurance investigator investigating a brutal series of murders. Jeon Jun-oh (Hwang Jeong-min) is a bespectacled former bank employee who now makes his living as an insurance investigator. Summoned to the formidable country estate of potential client Park Chung-bae (Gang Shin-il), Jeon is unnerved by his host's jittery behavior, and shocked to find the body of Park's seven year old son hanging lifeless from the ceiling. Everything in this house has a grim aura, including Park's wife Shin Yi-hwa (Yu Seon) - a grieving cripple whose recent stab at suicide is evidenced by the jagged wounds that mar her wrists. After touring the house, Jeon becomes convinced that Park is in fact a psychopath attempting to carry out an elaborate insurance scam. Not only does Jeon suspect that Park killed his own son, but he believes the murderous patriarch is now intent on doing away with his wife as well. When Jeon's attempt to convince the authorities of Park's guilt seem to fall of deaf ears, the sleuthing insurance investigator becomes obsessed with the prospect of uncovering the truth about this strange case. Unfortunately for Jeon and his unsuspecting wife Mi-na (Kim Seo-hyeong), this mystery is much deadlier - and deeper - than anyone ever imagined imagined. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi