Nightmare Castle screening at the Cult Classic Flicks

We show one of our favourite Cult Classic Flicks every first Saturday of the month*. On Saturday, May 4th, we'll screen Nightmare Castle (1965) with scream queen Barbara Steele. Doors open at 7:30 p.m., and the movie starts at 8 p.m.

This movie uses Steele to its full advantage and even casts the sultry, sinister star in a dual role. A deranged scientist, Dr. Stephen Arrowsmith (Paul Muller), catches his beautiful wife, Muriel (Barbara Steele), conducting an affair with their gardener, David (Rik Battaglia). The enraged Arrowsmith imprisons the lovers in his laboratory. Chained to the wall, Muriel and David suffer slow, painful deaths as the vicious doctor inflicts sadistic torture upon them. When the madman discovers that his late wife left all her wealth to her mentally unstable sister (Steele again, but this time in a blonde wig), he quickly sets about courting and marrying the poor girl. Then, he proceeds to drive her completely mad in an attempt to inherit her fortune.

"Nightmare Castle" is an Italian horror film that is a cut above the rest, with excellent cinematography that is richly photographed. Although the writing isn't perfect, it's hardly noticeable when the alluring Barbara Steele entrances you. One of the greatest scream queens of the 1960s. The film takes place almost entirely in castle interiors, frequently in utter darkness. There are some scenes of depressing violence, but the visuals are rich and beautiful. The motion picture was compellingly directed by Mario Caiano, under the screen name Allan Grunewald, and is an essential and fundamental sight for horror lovers.

This ultimate Barbara Steele movie borders on the unreal, and the horrific organ music by Ennio Morricone is spine-chilling. Also, Barbara Steele's hypnotic eyes are not easy to forget.