The City Of The Dead

[Foxbat]

Starring: Christopher Lee, Dennis Lotis, Betta St. John,

Patricia Jessel, Venetia Stevenson

Directed by: John Moxey

Black&White, Mono (1960)

DVD

Note – in the USA this movie was known as Horror Hotel

A college student called Nan Barlow is studying Witchcraft and, despite the taunts of her brother and boyfriend, resolves to look deeper into the subject. Encouraged by her tutor (Christopher Lee), she journeys to Whitewood Massachusetts, where witches were burned at the stake 250 years previously. Staying in the decidedly creepy Raven Inn, it does not take her long to discover that, perhaps, the witches were not all dead after all.

A rather turgid beginning soon kicks up a gear into what becomes a decently paced chiller that slowly unfurls its secrets to the viewer.

The set-up is somewhat clichéd with an ‘I wouldn’t go there if I were you’ character warning Nan just before she reaches Whitewood – which, of course, she ignores. And then somebody goes crazy with the fog machine (it’s as if they’ve forgotten where the ‘off’ button is). So, through a swirl of fog enshrouded darkness, our heroine drives into peril. Still, all this serves well to build up a decent sense of menace which is sometimes aided by a somewhat fragmented soundtrack. The Gregorian-style chanting really helps set the mood but the moments of jazz (which seem to haunt movies of this time period) do the film no favour. Still, a good, solid chiller to watch alone with the lights down low.

Normally the extras hold little interest for me (I’m sick to death of ‘the making of’ documentaries and really wish they would use a bit more imagination with the extra space provided by DVD). This one, however, has an absolutely fascinating 40 minute interview with Christopher Lee. He talks about his career, the directors he has worked with, and gives his views on the state of the British Film Industry. Let me say that he pulls no punches and makes a lot of sense. Here is a man of fine intellect and of vast experience. Personally, I think the UK film industry could do a lot worse than take note of what he has to say. Such is the wisdom of his words that it boosts this DVD from a decent film to a recommended purchase. 7 out of 10

[ravenus]

Let me say that he pulls no punches and makes a lot of sense. Here is a man of fine intellect and of vast experience. Personally, I think the UK film industry could do a lot worse than take note of what he has to say.

But he also turns out annoying performances like Saruman
I actually quite like him in the Hammer movies especially non-Dracula ones like The Devil Rides Out, Hound of the Baskervilles and Curse of Frankenstein.

[Foxbat]

He has some interesting reminiscences on his time at Hammer

PS. Did you know that he is involved in a possible remake of The Devil Rides Out? It seems, at present, submerged under red-tape but it may surface at some time in the future. Personally I'm not all that keen on remakes but it might be interesting to see what they do with it this time around.