Horror HotelYear: 1960 Director: John Moxey Written by: George Baxt Threat: Devil Worshippers Weapon of Choice: Cross Based upon: Original |
Other movies in this series:
None
The tyranist's thoughts
I found a cheap copy of this and just had to see it. The fact that it was cheap meant that
I didn't have to expect it to be good. In fact, of all the movies I've purchased for low, low
prices, almost none have been good. Still, that lets me relax and enjoy the odd gem when
I find it. This was just such a gem.
Christopher Lee is a professor at a small college who teaches history. His emphasis is
witchcraft and some students mock him for it. One takes him seriously, though, and
soon she's off for a secluded location in New England to do more research. Little does
she know or suspect, that the old ways may not have died.
The atmosphere of this one is creepy and the setting almost perfect. It feels cheap, but
the cheapness doesn't matter at all. The plot is interesting (if a bit predictable). I found
myself drawn in and really enjoying the whole thing. The best performances are turned
in by the victims as the menacing devil worshippers are mostly seen in full robed regalia.
Not a bit dated, I quickly added this one to my classics pile. I urge you to check it out
when you can as I think you'll be surprised.
Total Skulls: 13
Sequel | ||
Sequel setup | ||
Rips off earlier film | ||
Horror film showing on TV/in theater in movie | ||
Future celebrity appears | ||
Former celebrity appears | ||
Bad title | ||
Bad premise | ||
Bad acting | ||
Bad dialogue | ||
Bad execution | ||
MTV Editing | ||
OTS | ||
Girl unnecessarily gets naked | ||
Wanton sex | ||
Death associated with sex | ||
Unfulfilled promise of nudity | ||
Characters forget about threat | ||
Secluded location | ||
Power is cut | ||
Phone lines are cut | ||
Someone investigates a strange noise | ||
Someone runs up stairs instead of going out front door | ||
Camera is the killer | ||
Victims cower in front of a window/door | ||
Victim locks self in with killer | ||
Victim running from killer inexplicably falls | ||
Toilet stall scene | ||
Shower/bath scene | ||
Car stalls or won't start | ||
Cat jumps out | ||
Fake scare | ||
Laughable scare | ||
Stupid discovery of corpse | ||
Dream sequence | ||
Hallucination/Vision | ||
No one believes only witness | ||
Crazy, drunk, old man knows the truth | ||
Warning goes unheeded | ||
Music detracts from scene | ||
Death in first five minutes | ||
x years before/later | ||
Flashback sequence | ||
Dark and stormy night | ||
Killer doesn't stay dead | ||
Killer wears a mask | ||
Killer is in closet | ||
Killer is in car with victim | ||
Villain is more sympathetic than heroes | ||
Unscary villain/monster | ||
Beheading | ||
Blood fountain | ||
Blood hits camera | ||
Poor death effect | ||
Excessive gore | ||
No one dies at all | ||
Virgin survives | ||
Geek/Nerd survives | ||
Little kid lamely survives | ||
Dog/Pet miraculously survives | ||
Unresolved subplots | ||
"It was all a dream" ending | ||
Unbelievably happy ending | ||
Unbelievably crappy ending | ||
What the hell? |