Horror Rises From The Tomb (1973)



After some debate with the voices in my head, I decided to start disc 3 of Cult Horror Collection with Horror Rises From the Tomb, a 1973 Paul Naschy film.


Plot / In 1454, in France, the sorcerer Alaric de Marnac is decapitated and his mistress, Mabille De Lancré, is tortured to death having been accused of witchcraft, vampirism and lycanthropy. Before they die, they curse the next generations of their executioners. In the present days (in the 70's), Hugo de Marnac, Sylvia and their friends, Maurice Roland and his beloved Paula, go to a séance session, where they evoke the spirit of Alaric de Marnac. They decide to travel to the Villas de Sade, a real estate of Hugo's family in the countryside, to seek a monastery with a hidden treasure. They find Alaric's head and the fiend possesses them, bringing Mabille back to life and executing the locals in gore sacrifices. After the death of her father, Elvira recalls that he has the Thor's Hammer amulet hidden in a well; together with Maurice, they try to defeat the demoniac Alaric de Marnac and Mabille.


This is a fun movie to watch, and it is a great example of why Naschy is such an icon in Euro-horror. Yes, as is usually the case the story is illogical and has several holes, but it does not matter as this comes across as a bizarre film with an often creepy atmosphere. The movie is filled with delightful perversions, strange rites and enough violence and gore to satisfy almost anyone. The acting is decent and the score is solid. On the downside, the camera work is shaky and the audio dubbing is bad at times. All in all, this is a must see for fans of Euro-horror and Exploitation films, in fact, I think it is a must see for anyone that enjoys the finer points of cult cinema.


Comments

  1. I liked the historical aspect of this Naschy film, but I think I prefer his werewolf/vampire ladies stuff.

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Serial Killer Theresa Knorr: The Disturbing Truth Behind The Afflicted

Creep (2004)

Super Shark (2011)