BLOOD
CASTLE (aka SCREAM OF THE DEMON LOVER) (1971)Director: Jose Luis Merino
Retromedia
BLOOD
CASTLE (aka SCREAM OF THE DEMON LOVER) (1971)The 70s ushered in a new era of
sex and violence to the screen, but some films well-blended it with traditional
gothic trappings. BLOOD CASTLE happens to fit this category to the hilt. Known
in Europe as IVANNA, it was released here by Roger Corman's New World Pictures
as SCREAM OF T
HE
DEMON LOVER on an R-rated double bill with Stephanie Rothman's THE VELVET VAMPIRE.
Pretty young biochemist Dr. Ivana Rakowsky (Erna Schurer) travels to the castle of Baron Janos Dalmar (Charles Quiney) as his assistant. Faced with hesitance and discrimination at first, the Baron unwillingly lets her stay on with frenzied results. Sleeping in the raw, Ivanna has constant nightmares about an unearthly being visiting her bedside for some late-night fondling and torture. Expectedly, she and the Baron fall in love and later wed.
But the Baron is one strange dude.
Walking about with his fierce guard dogs, he becomes tied to the murder of some
local girls. His association with his horny housekeeper results in more torture
and death, but we soon learn that his 
presumed
dead brother is alive, living in a closed off section of the castle. The brother
was burnt really badly, looking like a pepperoni pizza from head to toe, but
he covers his bald cranium with a Tony Orlando wig to resemble the Baron--well
at least in the dark of night. More kinkiness and violent depravity ensue until
the fiery climax.
BLOOD CASTLE is a Spanish/Italian
co-production, which is the best of both world for Euro horror fanatics, and
its director would later helm the Paul Naschy vehicle, BEYOND THE LIVING DEAD
(aka THE HANGING WOMAN, RETURN OF THE ZOMBIES). Although poorly paced, it gives
us an opportunity to see the lovely Ms. Schurer strut around in a nightgown
clutching a candelabra, and there'
s
enough T&A and an interesting enough monster to keep the casual viewer intrigued.
Agostina Belli from the Richard Burton BLUEBEARD also has a feature role in
the film.
Retromedia presents BLOOD CASTLE on DVD fully uncut, as some versions possess a shorter running time. It's letterboxed (non-Anamorphic) at about 1.85:1 and the framing looks accurate. Colors are good, but sometimes the image looks soft and darker scenes are a bit murky, but overall, a decent transfer (the title "Blood Castle" is superimposed much like the previous Wizard video release). The mono audio is acceptable with no major flaws. Extras are the U.S. combo trailer and liner notes by Mirek Lipinski, who intelligently compares the film to the earlier works of Antonio Margheriti. (George R. Reis)