User Reviews

Early '70s Italian Gothic horror about a journalist, Alan Foster (Anthony Franciosa), who makes a bet with Lord Thomas Blackwood (Enrico Osterman) that he can stay overnight in Blackwood's castle... and survive. Blackwood is good friends with Edgar Allan Poe (Klaus Kinski). Such is the vapid nature of this film that Poe's character is totally inconsequential to the plot. Six writers cobbled together the mishmash of a script. Franciosa spends the majority of his on-screen time wielding a candelabra and looking handsome. Finally, some eye candy shows up in the personae of Elisabeth Blackwood and Julia (Michele Mercier and Karin Field). What could have become a ghostly threesome devolves into a convoluted plot about romantic intrigue amongst the better-off-than-you, as shadows of the past reunite for a fancy ball, witnessed by Foster and his unsolicited companion, Dr. Carmus (Peter Carsten), who shows up halfway through the film: He manages to suck whatever life there was out of it, as he assumes the role of expositor and waxes eloquent about what happens to snakes after they are chopped in half. The principals' psychodrama plays out in front of them, and there is much murder and mayhem. Foster interacts effortlessly with these spirits, oblivious to the notion that there might be a trick being played on him. By the time the action ensues, we are ready to call for our last dance card. So cheap was the transfer of this film to video that the copyright shows up about five minutes before the end of the film, an end that doesn't come nearly soon enough.

After Castle of Blood's disappointing box office, Antonio Margheriti felt he could remake the film in color and have it be more successful.

Edgar Allan Poe (Klaus Kinski) is our narrator and Kinski shows up for the beginning and the ending of the movie. He's interviewed by Alan Foster (Anthony Franciosa), who challenges him as to the truth of his stories. This leads to a bed with Lord Blackwood (Enrico Osterman) about spending a night in his castle, a place where he soon meets Elisabeth (Michèle Mercier, Black Sabbath) and quickly falls into love - and bed - with her before she announces that she's no longer alive.

There's also Julia (Karin Field), William Perkins (Silvano Tranquilli) and Elisabeth's husband,Dr. Carmus (Peter Carsten). The ghosts need his blood to come back to life, but Elisabeth helps him to escape, only for him to impale himself on the gate, dying just as Poe gets there.

I adore that the tagline of this is "Based on Edgar Allan Poe's Night of the Living Dead." He did write a poem "Spirits of the Dead" and the 1932 movie The Living Dead was based on Poe's "The Black Cat" and "The System of Doctor Tarr and Professor Fether" as well as Robert Louis Stevenson's The Suicide Club. But no, he has nothing to do with Romero's movie.

I really like the soundtrack by Riz Ortolani but this can't compare to the black and white - and yes, Barbara Steele appearance - in the original. That said, Kinski is awesome in every second he's on screen, looking like a complete madman.

Antonio Margheriti's 1971 remake of his classic "Castle of Blood" has always been criticized for being inferior in every level to it's predecessor. While I do think "Castle of Blood" is a better film, "In the Web of the Spider" does not stand so far behind. Made on a bigger budget than the 1964 version, Margheriti does a good thing by taking a different aesthetic approach than the candle-lit B&W nightmare that is the latter, and instead lighting up the set with a nice range of deep blues and orange gels to show off the more elaborate locations. It also enjoys a better cast than the original, with a highlight being the presence of Klaus Kinski as Edgar Allan Poe. At first glance, he might not seem very right for the role, but he truly nails it in a absolutely maddening performance. They even made his role slightly larger than the original, by adding a superbly creepy introduction scene in a crypt that sets the tone for the rest of the picture. Albeit not as memorable as Barbara Steele, Michele Mercier (the protagonist from the Telephone segment of Mario Bava's "Black Sabbath") is a good replacement and she has great chemistry with Anthony Franciosa (Argento's "Tenebre"), even more so than Steele and Riviere in "Castle...". Also, I found the film to be somewhat more frightening than it's predecessor, specially towards the ending. The best example of which is the scene where Carmus descends into the crypt and coms across a corpse being reanimated. The effects used in the scene are more subtle, but all the more effective in my view. Riz Ortolani's score is rather uneven. There are some memorable tunes, particularly the hauntingly beautiful love theme and the song that plays during the ball sequence, but the rest is a routine and rather distracting orchestra piece intended to create a creepy environment, whereas there are more than a few scenes where I think absolute silence would've made it all the more effective. Still, it doesn't really ruin the picture, and as I've said, it wasn't all bad. The film's major problem is the fact that it's virtually a scene-by-scene remake of the original. Surely, there are some slight improvements, such as the shirtless, hunky ghost that was looked silly in the original is now dressed and more menacing-looking, and the ending is also more subtle and tragic. Still, these elements are only a very small portion of the piece, and while they do make a difference, the whole thing failed to impress me story-wise, because I knew exactly what was going to happen next in every scene. There are no big changes and/or improvements to make it essential viewing for those who have already seen "Castle of Blood", which is a pity really, since it does have some great assets and even surpasses the latter in some ways. Also, where "Castle of Blood" felt provocative and ahead of it's time with it's depiction of sex and lesbianism, "In the Web of the Spider" feels way too restrained and tame, specially for a film that came one year after "The Vampire Lovers", which dealt with some similar themes. The sole 'gore' scene we get to see is in the very end, and is restrained to a brief shot of blood flowing from Franciosa's wound. Mind you, I'm not a gorehoud, nor do I think violence is essential to make a horror film good, but in this case I think it was more than necessary, if only to make it stand out from the original. None of these cons stopped it from being a fun and atmospheric slice of Italian Gothic, but it makes me sad to give it a mere a 7/10. If you're a fan of this type of film and haven't seen "Castle of Blood" yet, I think you might better watch this one first, but otherwise I unfortunately can't go as far as calling it the forgotten gem of continental horror it could have been.

One things has to be said for the smaller DVD/Blu-ray releasing companies. They are taking the time and putting the effort into putting out some long lost films in the most gorgeous looking condition that can be found anywhere. When these same films were released on video way back when the worst looking prints were found and a quick buck was made. Now time is being taken and the difference is visible with each new release. Some call it a niche market. I call it a labor of love.

Garagehouse Pictures is just such a company and while their releases come out slowly they are done to perfection. I mentioned a while back their release of the film THE INTRUDER. Now they've released another film that is worth picking up for fans of horror films, especially those made in Italy.

WEB OF THE SPIDER is a remake of the film CASTLE OF BLODD, the much loved black and white Italian production that starred Barbara Steele. Both films are directed by Antonio Margheriti under the pseudonym Anthony M. Dawson.

The story revolves around a drunken Edgar Allan Poe (Klaus Kinski) telling tales in a bar for drinks while in England. In walks Alan Foster (Anthony Franciosa), a journalist who has been seeking out Poe for an interview. They begin to talk about life, death and what happens after but while Poe believes in ghosts Foster does not. Poe and his friend Thomas Blackwood challenge Foster to put his money where his mouth is and suggest he spend the night in the castle owned by Blackwood.

Foster takes the challenge and the three head to the castle. He's been told by Blackwood that no one has ever survived an overnight visit to the castle on this night as it is All Hallow's Eve. Foster scoffs at the idea of the supernatural and the trio arrive at the gate and the pair leave Foster to fend for himself. He gets through the front gate, walks through a cemetery in front of the estate and finds his way in.

A quick walkthrough of the lower floors, a few passages played on a harpsichord and soon he finds himself face to face with Elisabeth Blackwood (Michele Mercier). She shows him around the estate, talking about things that have happened there. Forster is intrigued by this beautiful woman so much that he begins to fall in love with her.

But as the night moves forward things begin to happen. Where once there were cobwebs and dust there is now a ballroom filled with guests dancing away the night. Elisabeth is now in the arms of her husband as Forster begins to witness the past before his eyes and learns that Elisabeth is not what he thought but just one of many ghosts in the house.

As the night progresses Foster learns of what happened to each of the various apparitions he sees before him. Will he survive the night? Or is there some insidious reason that these wraiths have appeared before him, some need they have for him to continue on with their own survival? The movie is a classic styled Gothic horror film from the setting and costumes to the customs of the time, both past and present in the tale. The sets in use are wonderfully detailed and bring to life the story that unfolds. Not only that we're offered the film in a widescreen presentation, something that's been missing for some time.

The acting is above what most would expect in a film with this sort of topic. Franciosa was an underrated actor who should have garnered better roles. Even so he put his all into the roles he had and it shows in this one. Mercier is equally up to the task matching him from their first scenes together to their last. And Peter Carsten as Dr. Carmus, a ghost who was once a visitor like Forster does a great job as well.

Garagehouse Pictures is releasing this in the best version you'll ever be likely to find. The film has been fully restored and mastered from an uncut, domestic theatrical negative and it shows. The clear, crisp, clean image on view is amazing. In addition to that the film is loaded with extras that include an audio commentary track with George Reis & Keith Crocker, an audio commentary track by Stephen Romano, 2 German Super 8 movie digests, an Antonio Margheriti trailer reel, deleted scenes, an uncut Italian version of the film (non-high def), an art gallery, a collection of Garagehouse Pictures trailers and it features new artwork by Stephen Romano.

Horror fans will want to add this one to their collections. Fans of Italian horror films will be pleased to finally have this film available in such great shape. It offers a sold evening's worth of entertainment and should please most. This is a great example of how good a movie was being made at the time.