Danza macabra
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Danza Macabra (Castle of Blood) is the title of a 1964 black and white Italian horror film directed by Antonio Margheriti, using the pseudonym Anthony M. Dawson. This film is also known as Coffin of Terror, Danse macabre, Dimensions in Death, La Lunga notte de terrore, Terrore, The Castle of Terror, The Long Night of Terror, Tombs of Horror, and Tombs of Terror.
Tagline: The living and the dead change places in an orgy of terror!
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[edit] Cast
- Barbara Steele — Elisabeth Blackwood
- Georges Rivière — Alan Foster
- Margarete Robsahm — Julia
- Arturo Dominici — Dr. Carmus
- Silvano Tranquilli — Edgar Allan Poe
- Sylvia Sorrente — Elsi
[edit] The story
Spoiler warning: Plot or ending details follow.
A journalist challenges Edgar Allan Poe on the authenticity of his stories, which leads to him accepting a bet to spend the night in a haunted castle on All Soul's Eve. Ghosts of the murdered inhabitants appear to him throughout the night, re-enacting the events that lead to their deaths. It transpires that they need his blood in order to maintain their existence. Barbara Steele plays a ghost who attempts to help the journalist escape.
[edit] The Poe Connection
Silvano Tranquili plays Edgar Allan Poe in this movie, and the credits claim that the movie is based a Short story by Poe. In reality no such story exists, although in the opening scene Tranquili is heard reading the end of Poe's story Berenice.
Danza Macabra was remade by the same director in 1971 as Nella stretta morsa del ragno. In this version Poe was played by Klaus Kinski, and the movie claimed to be based on a different non-existent Poe story called Night of the Living Dead.
[edit] Trivia
- Silvano Tranquili appeared in the remake Nella stretta morsa del ragno as a different character named William Perkins.
- Arturo Dominici who plays Dr. Carmus appeared in the role of Javuto with Barbara Steele in La maschera del demonio (1960) known as Black Sunday in the U.S..
