Rating: 3/5
Hooptober 6.0 | 4/32 | film from before 1966 4/6
CW // Ableism, Assault, Suicide, Murder, Blood, Animal Killing
Scotland, 1910 A group circles Catherine, a medium for some spectral presence. Thunder strikes as she speaks in a foreign tongue. Dr. John Hichcock translates:
The black mark of death is on this house.
Dr. Charles Livingstone administers a shot to John — a quick-acting poison. Charles forces an antidote down John’s throat, reminding him that this process may cure whatever ailment denies John the use of his legs.
John suspects Charles is having an affair with John’s wife, Margaret. Regardless, Margaret finds spending time with John increasingly unbearable. After putting John to bed, Margaret meets Charles in another part of the house and kisses him. Margaret begs Charles to kill John once and for all. So, with Margaret’s help, Charles administers a much higher dosage of the poison.
After John’s funeral, they hear strange sounds in the house. John’s wheelchair squeaks and tumbles down the stairs. They hear John’s voice calling for Margaret but find Catherine in a trance, speaking in his voice. Though they are done with John, he is not finished with them.
Know then that the ASTRAL BODY shall remain firmly bound to the EARTHLY BODY and e'en at times shall so materialise[sp], taking to itself the very semblance of the dead person in so that he shall verily appear to be alive and yet incorporate.
The film has a strong, Gothic tone. A skull sits on almost every table in each room. A music box plays the movie’s theme (which is very good).
The movie doesn’t use all the seeds it plants and takes a leisurely pace between plot points. If you’ve seen enough of these movies, you may figure out the conclusion early, making the film feel longer.
Still, this is a solid Italian Gothic film — perhaps not great, but enjoyable for its mood. Barbara Steele’s performance adds a lot of flair, especially during the climax.
Side note: Leonard Maltin’s Classic Movie Guide mistakenly claims this movie is a sequel to The Horrible Dr. Hichcock. The only similarities are the last name, Hitchcock, and Barbara Steele.