Rating: Summary: Cheesy but funny Review: This is a great movie if you want to see the cheesy side of the Salem witch trials....predictible but would be fun to watch with a big grop of people to make fun of it...It's awesome
Rating: Summary: One Of The Greatest Films Of All Time Review: This is a true classic. Like Psycho the low budget only made it a better movie because the director was able to capture the idea of people who were in their own private hells.
This is a good movie to have kids watch to inform and educate them about the dangers of satanism and the occult. Once kids watch this movie they won't want to get involved with witchcraft or anything like this.
Jeff Marzano
Rating: Summary: Spooky unknown little horror film Review: This is a very intruiging, unknown little horror film starring Christopher Lee as a college professor/Satanist, who lures a beautiful young student into his web of witchcraft-loving pals in a small New England town. Crisp black & white photography, chilling atmosphere, one not to be missed by lovers of suspenseful horror flicks.
Rating: Summary: Really great gothic visuals Review: This is an atmospheric gothic in a mysterious small town complete with covert witches' coven, secret passages, a mysterious desolate olde towne full of mysterious and vaguely menacing nocturnal strollers, foggy dark nights and wonderful mood-enhancing black and white photography. They're the only colors to in which to see a gothic. It's not my top gothic pick, but I actually own this one so that says something. I only give this one 4.75 stars, for I found the ending lacking somehow relative to the previous quality of the movie. Yet because of its wonderful visuals, mood and atmosphere, I am certain that I will watch it again.
Rating: Summary: Really scary Review: This is one of the all-time great scare movies, made great by beautiful b&w studio photography and intense spooky atmosphere. The presence of the stunning Venetia Stevenson in the first part of the film doesn't hurt either. She was easily the most gorgeous woman on celluloid in those days. Why didn't she make more movies????
Rating: Summary: FANTASTIC VERY SCARY Review: This movie is SO GOOD. The ending is the best part! This is the way a good horror movie should be made.....dark and creepy.
Rating: Summary: Real horror Review: This movie scares you not by special effects, but by real horror. The music ( The closing theme especially ), The mystery of whats under the the trapped door on the floor and the atmosphere ( The desolate look of Salem ) makes it extremly effective. Its in the same realm as The omen . This is horror at its best.
Rating: Summary: Witches and atmosphere Review: This review is of the VCI DVD - called CITY OF THE DEAD also known as HORROR HOTEL.COTD is a great creepy witch story with lots of atmosphere, a great New England setting and lots of fog. The film starts with wonderful title sequence with faceless, hooded figures and medieval chanting. Then a recreation of a 1600s witch burning in Massachusetes. The exploration of witches in a fog drenched town. Finaly great tension and action in a graveyard setting. If you like fun/scary, old style, black and white films that rely on atmosphere rather then special effects this is for you. Almost on par with the original Dracula, the original Haunting, The Uninvited (Ray Miland), The Innocents (Deborah Kerr) and all the Val Lewton films. The VCI version has great extras and VCI acquired a beautiful wide-screen print of the film. The VCI DVD is the best version yet. My only complaint is that the sound is a bit thin even for an older film but the original soundtrack for the most part excelent.
Rating: Summary: An Atmospheric Sleeper Review: Well made testament to the Brits talent for making atmospheric horror films. The makers of this film later went on to much more successs in the horror field with their company Amicus Productions, the major rival to Hammer Films during the 1960's. Based on most of the information I had read about "Horror Hotel", I was expecting a pretty good movie. But along with the Italian entry "Black Sunday", also released in 1960, this film remains the most atmospheric horror film I have ever seen. Why can't they make movies like this anymore?
Rating: Summary: THE BEST OF THE WORST Review: When I discovered that this classic movie was in DVD format, I immediately bought it. HORROR HOTEL is a gem in that "Bad Movie" genre. It makes anything directed by Ed Wood seem stale. And unlike the Ed Wood movies, HORROR HOTEL has the rare quality of never losing your interest. This is probably due to the fact that despite the delightfully bad production values, and the HORRIBLE dialogue, there is actually a story. In addition the acting is more "camp" than bad, thus making the characters more fun to watch. I have never shown this movie to anyone who was disappointed in it. This movie is best viewed in groups, otherwise the unintended humor is wasted. Make special note of the number of times the word "Whitewood" is uttered.
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