An emissary from the King of France is attacked on the road. He was sent to contact a certain family. He arrives at their home and he waits for the arrival of the patriarch who is currently away.
The film is nominally based on a story by Leo Tolstoy, which was the basis of one of the stories in Mario Bava's BLACK SABBATH anthology. It is also a throw back to many of the Euro-horror films of the early 1970's, particularly the works of Jean Rollin, Walerian Borowczyk, Jess Franco and others. There are lots of exteriors, actual locations, touches of humor and some genuine horror.
I was in heaven. I could imagine seeing this on a drive in screen back in the day.
What delighted me, beyond the sense of nostalgia, was how creepy the film is images will make your skin crawl. There is something about then that hang heavy on you like a burning tire around your neck. This is a wild ride. It's a film, unlike anything that they make today. It's a film that is at times humorous, but then something happens and the mood changes. "I'm laughing... oh no I'm not..." or backwards again.
And when you see this, and you should see it, you need to take it for what it is. Don't think of films of today think of something else, and some other time. And even though I made references to older films and their directors you have to keep in mind that those directors were an exception even for their times. Just buy a ticket and take a trip to another time.
Recommended
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