The Chilling Touch of Cold Steele

[CyrusL]

Hello. We don't discuss the work of the '91 Revival series cast very often, although many of them like Roy Thiness have very interesting resumes. While plundering my local Suncoast, I ran across a vintage Barbara Steele film, "Castle of Blood." (Not to the confused with "Nightmare Castle", one of those titles considered to be in the public domain like "Little Shoppe of Horrors", "Last Man on Earth"or "The Terror", good films that sadly clog up the collections section at the end of the horror DVD section in endless variations of faded transfers. Okay, that's the editorial, now on with the point.)  Anyway, I found this film, as well as the watershed "Black Sunday" which I already to be very enjoyable films. They both have great black and white photography, drenched in gothic atmosphere , very stylish and creepy. They have some of the feel of DS itself when it was black and white and were no doubt somewhat influential, with castles, witches, weird family secrets, ghosts and vampire-like creatures (mind you neither film has true vampires.) Barbara herself is a striking figure with large dark eyes, full lips and flowing hair but an aloof and otherworldly beauty. While often imperfectly dubbed, she seems as she was born to these works. I  was wondering if anyone else here has an affection for these films and has any others of this era they like.

(Italian horror film regulars ==>) 

Michael                                                      

[PennyDreadful]

Oh indeed!  Barbara Steele is a horror icon up there with some of the greats of the genre in my opinion.  I was thrilled that she came back to the world of the supernatural when she did DS back in '91!  She has this eerie, cold quality about her which I think is very effective in these films.  I think, very often, the female horror stars don't get their due.  I  asked once on the classic horror film board (my other fave board to read)  if people considered her and Elsa Lancester (who admittedly has less of a terror-movie resume) to be up there with the likes of some of the male horror stars.  Very few people replied.  It's actually been quite awhile since I've watched one of Ms Steele's movies, but I will have to sit down one night and watch Black Sunday and Castle of Blood.

 

[retzev]

I love CASTLE OF BLOOD, and Synapse's DVD release is fantastic.

NIGHTMARE CASTLE is also a great one, but avoid the budget public-domain version. Retromedia released a beautiful, uncut, wide-screen version under the title THE FACELESS MONSTER.

Mario Bava's THE WHIP AND THE BODY is my personal favorite of the Italian Gothics. No Barbara Steele in it, but the beautiful Daliah Lavi fills her shoes quite nicely, and it's got Christopher Lee...what more could you ask for?

[Gothick]

I love Barbara Steele's early Italian horror films.  There are still quite a few I have never seen.  I'm not sure I have the film you mention.  I do have one that has Edgar Allan Poe as a character in it. Steele has a short but effective part in that one.

I keep meaning to get Caged Heat, which I think dates to 1974 and is available at the rental place down the street from where I work.  I heard Steele had a great part in that.

G.

[Mark Rainey]

Barbara Steele's always been a class act in my book. Like her a lot, and I thought she did quite well playing Dr. Hoffman as she did.

I've always liked Roy Thinnes a lot, too, particularly in The Invaders back in the day. Haven't seen the show in I don't know how many years, but I'd love to check it out again. Just the other day I watched Journey to the Far Side of the Sun, the Gerry & Sylvia Anderson SF production. Still a visually impressive movie, and Thinnes is fine in his role. (I'm a sucker for the Anderson productions; currently working my way through the UFO series on DVD.)

 

[Janet the Wicked]

Years ago, many moons, many, many, many moons, there was an independent TV station in Boston that broadcast these films. "The Braniac" was a little Mexican gem of a picture. Oh, how I long for those rainy Saturday afternoons sitting in front of the telly watching bad horror movies.
I think the horror host for channel 56 in those days was called "The Mad Ghoul". Yeah, I've seen and enjoyed several of these foreign horror films. Yep.

[AKA Laura's Fires]

Saw "Mask of Satan" on the Svengoolie show when I was about ten years old...scared the heck outta me!

I've been a Barbara Steele fan ever since.  

[BuzzH]

Oh, how I long for those rainy Saturday afternoons sitting in front of the telly watching bad horror movies.  I think the horror host for channel 56 in those days was called "The Mad Ghoul".

We had something similar here, only it was called 'Saturday Chiller' (afternoon) and 'Creature Feature' (late night).  Both were on Channel 20 and hosted by a guy calling himself "Count GoreDeVore".  Incidentally he was also "Captain 20" for the kiddie hour.

Cyrus/Michael, do you remember this guy?  

[BuzzH]

I thought she did quite well playing Dr. Hoffman as she did.

She was alright as Hoffman, though holding no candle to the late GREAT Grayson Hall.  LOVED her Natalie DuPres though! Laughed my ass off everytime the woman opened her mouth!!!  Favorite ND scene you ask?  When she's testifying at Victoria's trial and says to Trask, "It is obvious you know nothing of jealous women.  Or, for that matter, women at all!"   

[CyrusL]

We had something similar here, only it was called 'Saturday Chiller' (afternoon) and 'Creature Feature' (late night).  Both were on Channel 20 and hosted by a guy calling himself "Count GoreDeVore".  Incidentally he was also "Captain 20" for the kiddie hour.

Cyrus/Michael, do you remember this guy?   

Definitely Buzz. he went by Count Gore DeVol actually. I have a book on the history of horror TV hosts, and proudly have 6 signatures in it, including his, Zacherly, the Bowman Body, Dr. Madblood, Chilly Billy Cardille and Elvira. Would love to get Svengoolie.
     Anyway, it should be noted Barbara and Dan Curtis have apparently remained friends. She worked in the production of both "Winds of War" and "War and Remembrance" and according to IMDB, also on the staff of "Queer Eye for the Straight Guy." Barabara was in the audience when they had "Dark Shadows" evening at the Director's Guild about 3-4 years ago.
Roger Corman used her in his second Price/Poe film, "The Pit and the Pendulum", filmed in the US. Probably her first color film.

 The film Gothic mentioned is Castle of Blood, aka Danse Macabre. Poe is a character in the framing sequences of that film.

Michael 

[Gothick]

Hey, as a suburban Maryland brat (anyone remember "Land of Pleasant Living"?) I remember Count Gore de Vol well.  He kind of set my teeth on edge at the time, actually, because I took the films so seriously.  Now, of course, the lustre of time has casts its graceful patina over the garish lineaments of his figure, which gleams in memory with a certain nostalgic witchery.  I'm still not sure I can forgive him all those rubber chicken gags, though.

The one I actually enjoyed was Sir Graves Ghastly.  I think I watched his show on Channel 48 out of Philadelphia.  His over-the-top persona amused me.  He has a website as do several of the horror hosts who are still living.

Just to make this somewhat relevant to DS, I'll never forget the thrill when Channel 20 ran a commercial for Dark Shadows in '76, the year it hit our local syndication markets.  They ran a spot that was basically a clip from the scene in 1795 when [spoiler]Barnabas attacked Millicent who had been lured to the Tower room by the nefarious Forbes.[/spoiler]
I still smile when I remember that clip and my friend Marc deadpanning to my Dad who happened to be in the room, "Well, when you're thirsty and you HAVE to have a drink, and there's no water fountain around..."

LOL!

G.

[PennyDreadful]

Count Gore is still at it actually!   He does a great weekly web program at www.countgore.com
Well worth checking out.

[Midnite]

Anyway, it should be noted Barbara and Dan Curtis have apparently remained friends. She worked in the production of both "Winds of War" and "War and Remembrance" and according to IMDB, also on the staff of "Queer Eye for the Straight Guy." Barabara was in the audience when they had "Dark Shadows" evening at the Director's Guild about 3-4 years ago.

She also co-produced Curtis' recent Showtime movie "Our Fathers."

[BuzzH]

Definitely Buzz. he went by Count Gore DeVol actually.

Oh, was it Gore DeVol?  Okay, well....I was *close*!      Hey I was like 5!  

I have a book on the history of horror TV hosts, and proudly have 6 signatures in it, including his, Zacherly, the Bowman Body, Dr. Madblood, Chilly Billy Cardille and Elvira. Would love to get Svengoolie.]

Oooh, I'd love to see that!  Where'd you buy it?  

[BuzzH]

Hey, as a suburban Maryland brat (anyone remember "Land of Pleasant Living"?) I remember Count Gore de Vol well.

Gothick, I didn't know you were from the Washington area!  I remember that DS was on channel 20 in the late 70's too.  I remember I was doing homework one night and flipping around on my old black & white set I had in my bedroom - why my parents let me have a TV in my room in grade school I'll never know!  - and there was an episode on.  I remember thinking to myself, "Oh yeah!  I remember this show!"  I had forgotten the handful of eps I saw w/my older brothers when I was 2 and 3 when it originally aired.  Funny postscript to this story, I used to be plagued by nightmares when I was a kid and my mom was CONVINCED it was because of DS.  But as I've stated above, I didn't REMEMBER the show until I saw it years later.  It was Kolchak: The Night Stalker that caused all the nightmares, but she never knew I was watching THAT!  LOL!  

I'm still not sure I can forgive him all those rubber chicken gags, though.

I remember those gags, bleck!    I *know* I have my old 'Captain 20' club card somewhere.  I'll look for it and scan it if I find it.