Tower of Screaming Virgins (1968)
** 1/2 (out of 4)
Based on the Alexandre Dumas novel, this film tells the story of a Queen who has a lust for blood. Each night men are taken to a deadly tower and in the morning their bodies are discovered. One man decides he has had enough and plans to overthrow the Queen.
This German film is certainly a very strange one. It has been released under a number of titles but its TOWER OF SCREAMING VIRGINS is perhaps the most infamous of the bunch. The film's title and promotional materials makes you think that you're walking into a Euro horror picture but that's not really the case. This here is basically a swashbuckler film that someone like Errol Flynn would have appeared in had he been the age he was when he did THE ADVENTURES OF ROBIN HOOD. What sets the film apart from others in the genre is the fact that this one does feature horror and sleaze elements.
The most surprising thing about this picture are some rather bloody and creative torture and death scenes as well as plenty of female nudity. This film certainly lived up to its reputation as being a rather dirty little picture adn this stuff certainly helps keep the film moving and entertaining. I think the film also deserves credit for having a nice atmosphere, some great costumes and I really liked the cinematography and look of the picture. All of these elements certainly make the film worth watching.
At the same time, I found most of the story and most of the performances to be rather forgettable. Whenever something "dirty" wasn't happening the film really dragged. Still, with that being said, the flaws with the picture aren't great enough to keep people from checking it out.
** 1/2 (out of 4)
Based on the Alexandre Dumas novel, this film tells the story of a Queen who has a lust for blood. Each night men are taken to a deadly tower and in the morning their bodies are discovered. One man decides he has had enough and plans to overthrow the Queen.
This German film is certainly a very strange one. It has been released under a number of titles but its TOWER OF SCREAMING VIRGINS is perhaps the most infamous of the bunch. The film's title and promotional materials makes you think that you're walking into a Euro horror picture but that's not really the case. This here is basically a swashbuckler film that someone like Errol Flynn would have appeared in had he been the age he was when he did THE ADVENTURES OF ROBIN HOOD. What sets the film apart from others in the genre is the fact that this one does feature horror and sleaze elements.
The most surprising thing about this picture are some rather bloody and creative torture and death scenes as well as plenty of female nudity. This film certainly lived up to its reputation as being a rather dirty little picture adn this stuff certainly helps keep the film moving and entertaining. I think the film also deserves credit for having a nice atmosphere, some great costumes and I really liked the cinematography and look of the picture. All of these elements certainly make the film worth watching.
At the same time, I found most of the story and most of the performances to be rather forgettable. Whenever something "dirty" wasn't happening the film really dragged. Still, with that being said, the flaws with the picture aren't great enough to keep people from checking it out.