Showing posts with label Barbara Steele. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Barbara Steele. Show all posts

Friday, September 17, 2010

BARBARA STEELE: DANSE MACABRE-CASTLE OF BLOOD (1964)

When American author Edgar Allan Poe visits London, he is approached by British journalist Alan Foster, who becomes the target of a peculiar wager. Not believing Poe's assertion that all of his macabre stories have been based on actual experience, Foster accepts a bet from Poe and his friend Sir Thomas Blackwood that he cannot spend an entire night in the Blackwood's haunted castle. Once installed in the abandoned castle, Foster discovers that he is not alone, as he is approached by various beautiful women, handsome men, and a doctor of metaphysics who explains that they are all lost souls damned to replay the stories of their demises on the anniversary of their deaths. 

Thursday, September 9, 2010

BARBARA STEELE: THE SHE-BEAST (1966) PLUS MONSTER MANIA-CHERRY HILL, NJ

A blood-thirsty Transylvanian witch returns from her grave to destroy the descendants of the townsfolk who executed her. For two hundred years her corpse lies in wait at the bottom of a river. A honeymooning English couple crashes their car into the water triggering the resurrection of the witch who launches into a murderous rampage, viciously attacking her prey with whatever implements are close at hand. As the grief-stricken husband searches for his missing bride, a resident of the town informs him that the witch has used his wife's soul to come back to life and that they must perform an exorcism on the monster if they ever hope to see the young woman again. Armed only with this arcane knowledge, the two follow a trail of bloodshed and carnage to the witch's lair to banish the demonic presence and reunite the couple.
I recently had the honor of meeting Barbara Steele at Monster-Mania in New Jersey. She was very kind and fun to talk to. When I told her we came all the way from Chicago just to see her, she was flattered and gave us cool Black Sunday shirts. I had her sign my Mario Bava: All the Colors of the Dark book too. The 13 hour drive was worth it thanks to my friend Ken Gage and his fuel efficient Toyota Prius.
A cool Jersey cemetery.