Horror Hotel

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Summary: Horror Hotel: A Cult Classic About a Classic Cult
Review: "Horror Hotel" (1960) is a heavily atmospheric, truly classic horror film. The film tells the story of Nan Barlow (Venetia Stevenson), a hapless college student who investigates the history of witchcraft in the small New England town of Whitewood. Nan's disappearance leads to the discovery of a witch cult led by Elizabeth Selwyn/Mrs. Newless (Patricia Jessel) and Alan Driscoll (Christopher Lee), Nan's professor.

"Horror Hotel" is a gem of the Friday Night Horror Double Feature genre. Low-budget and black and white, with just enough requisite corny dialogue, the film is campy but creepy in portraying the haunted town and its frightening residents.

The setting is deliciously gothic, down to the deserted and derelict cemetery and the darkling clapboard houses. The sun never rises in Whitewood and there is a constant ground mist. (The relatively poor condition of the non-restored VHS edition makes the film paradoxically even more enjoyable.)

Venetia Stevenson is both beautiful and entertaining as Nan the ingenuous college student. Christopher Lee's acting is ferretlike and intense, and Patricia Jessel is wonderfully despicable. Nan's friends, played by Dennis Lotis (as Richard Barlow), Tom Naylor (as Bill Maitland), and Betta St. John (as Patricia Russell) seem appropriately foggy and in the dark about the witch cult.

The film mixes and matches elements of Witchcraft, Satanism and Black Magic. It is definitely not at all documentary nor Politically Correct for Wiccans.

"Horror Hotel" will never win any Oscars, but it is one of the best films of its type ever made. The producers of The Blair Witch Project could have learned a thing or two about Having The Shivers from "Horror Hotel."

Rating:
Summary: A horror fan's secret treasure
Review: A college student studying witchcraft travels to the spooky, fog shrouded town of Whitewater where she learns far more about witches and witchcraft than anyone would ever want to know. With sinister Christopher Lee as her instructor, well, her A will be carved on her tombstone. This eerie little horror film is a masterpiece of its type, unsurpassed for its atmosphere and all-around creepy mood. Patricia Jessel as the innkeeper of the title establishment, and the always memorable Lee are terrific in this neglected classic that is deserving of more honor than it has received. Neglected or not, once seen it is not easily forgotten.

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Summary: Not Sure If I Like It Or Not
Review: A young coed uses her winter vacation to research a paper on witch craft in new england. while staying at the village inn she finds herself marked for sacrifice by the undead coven of witches that have gathered for candolmas eve! The only reason why i dont like this movie is because its in black and white! but its still good!

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Summary: Boring
Review: After reading all of the positive reviews on this film,I decided to buy this movie,what a mistake! There was nothing scary at all about this movie,the film quality was bad and the audio was even worse.At least 10 different times during the movie,the sound would go off when somebody was in the middle of a sentence and you could'nt hear what they were saying.

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Summary: GOOD ATMOSPHERIC HORROR....
Review: AKA "Horror Hotel" this is a good little shocker in b&w from England. VCI does it proud on DVD with nice extras like the interview with Venetia Stevenson (director Robert Stevenson's daughter). She plays Nan Barlow, a college student sent to an eerie fog shrouded village to do a paper on witchcraft and winds up being a human sacrifice instead. Her fiance' and a friend come looking for her and find things indeed off-kilter. The whole village is witch infested save for a blind priest and his niece. Christopher Lee is the sinister professor who sent Nan there in the first place. This is a low budget gem that runs at a brisk pace and keeps you glued to the screen. Highly recommended for horror lovers.

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Summary: Kitchy and cool
Review: All right. This movie is sort of a guilty pleasure and I am giving this 5 stars not because it compares to Gandhi, or anything, but rather because for its genre it gets 5 stars. This movie is set in the 1960's and centers around a town where witches were put on trial and burned in the 1600's. A woman studying witchcraft in a college course (from an overly knowledgeable professor, played by Christopher Lee) decides to go to the town of Whitewood where the witch burnings occurred in order to find more information for a term paper. Let's just say that she doesn't leave disappointed. The cinematography is pretty cool and the b&w filming adds to the atmosphere. The story is pretty well written, and the movie flows well. All in all a good movie - it has scary bits, some unintentionally funny bits and has some sixties kitch feel to it. It is the best movie that you have never heard of (well, maybe not, but it is good - check it out!)

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Summary: This atmospheric chiller is a MUST SEE
Review: Being a big fan of CARNIVAL OF SOULS,a friend let me borrow his CARNIVAL dvd which had HORROR HOTEL on it as well.I watched it not expecting a whole lot but that changed immediately.The atmosphere is unlike anything i've ever witnessed in a horror film.Christopher Lee as usual,is terrific in his patented sinister role.Venetia Stevenson is STUNNINGLY gorgeous playing a young college student that goes to a small town to study witchcraft.Check out HORROR HOTEL,it's easily one of the best "witch" movies ever made.The dark, foggy small town setting is amazing.

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Summary: Leave Whitewood Tonight!
Review: Centuries-old devil worshippers; shunned & ruined churches; ritual knife murders; billowing fog hugging the ground of a malevolent town where no daylight ever shines; evil neo-Gregorian chanting on the soundtrack.......hey, I almost forgot Christopher Lee! As a testament to HORROR HOTEL/CITY OF THE DEAD's enduring eerie power, Lee's eye-rolling broad strokes actually undermine the tension a bit - his villainy is too overt juxtaposed against the sibilant menace of castmates Patricia Jessel and Valentine Dyall, who expertly communicate the delicious anticipation of Satanists luring another unwitting sacrifice to her doom. By contrast, Lee's evil professor is smoldering with madness from his first moment onscreen, when the film would be better served by having him at least appear charming and affable . All is forgiven, however, once we get to the witches' village of Whitewood - the kind of town where the people you pass on a dark street turn, stand immobile and just STARE at you with conspiratorial smiles. As the foregoing might indicate, this low-budget, non-Hammer Brit horror provides a virtual clinic in shadow-dappled black and white cinematography by Desmond Dickinson, filling budget holes with a dank, foreboding expressiveness. Dread pervades the entire 76 minutes of this tightly-constructed and highly memorable shocker; why this isn't considered a classic by most critics and informed fans is a puzzler. If your awareness of British horror films begins and ends with Hammer, do yourself a big favor and get ahold of this movie.

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Summary: Realistic Satanism
Review: Christianity = power, an energy clearly depicted at movie's end, as the shadow of the cross literally burns witches to ashes. Reality is less dramatic: the sign of the cross will remove evil from your midst. The actors subtly, effectively portrayed their characters' 100% dedication to Satanism. When a Satanist and takes their role seriously, grave consequences are the net result, for all (as in 'the ninth gate' with the beautiful frank langella). "Part-time" Christians, those not dedicated 100% to the corporation of the church, were depicted herein. When they despaired, they ran to the Reverend; yet earlier said he was a fool. Want to see classy stars in action, and to experience what satanists do? Look no further than in this beat-up, black and white film.

Rating:
Summary: Horror Hotel is a classic!
Review: Christopher Lee gives his usual ghoulish, brilliant performance in this surprisingly well made "b-movie" horror flick about a small villiage in New England that is inhabited almost entirely by witches! When a beautiful young co-ed arrives to do some class research, she ends up being the next victim of their late-night satanic rituals. There isn't a lot of action in this film, but what there is, builds up nicely and the plot seems to just get more and more fascinating as it moves along. It will definetly keep you on the edge of your seat. Christopher Lee as usual, steals the show. A must for any horror fan!