Pacionsbo Absolutely Fantastic

Plustown A lot of perfectly good film show their cards early, establish a unique premise and let the audience explore a topic at a leisurely pace, without much in terms of surprise. this film is not one of those films.

Humaira Grant It’s not bad or unwatchable but despite the amplitude of the spectacle, the end result is underwhelming.

Aubrey Hackett While it is a pity that the story wasn't told with more visual finesse, this is trivial compared to our real-world problems. It takes a good movie to put that into perspective.

ferbs54 An atmospheric, at times startling, and continuously mysterious and involving picture, 1965's "Terror-Creatures From the Grave" nevertheless turns out to be a somewhat tarnished gem in the crown for the so-called Queen of Horror, Barbara Steele. In the film, hunky leading man Walter Brandi arrives at the moldering mansion of Jeronimus Hauff, in the year 1911. An attorney, he learns from Hauff's widow (our Babs) that her scientist/spiritualist husband has been dead for almost a full year, and was thus incapable of summoning anyone to his house. But when Hauff's grave turns out to be empty, and all his old "friends" start dying one by one, Hauff's demise--or possible return from the dead--becomes open for debate. Into this moody stew, director Massimo Pupillo blends some eerie music (courtesy of Aldo Piga, and including a haunting medieval tune regarding "pure water") as well as some mild gross-out sequences: a hoofed-out eye cavity, an acid-scarred face, leaking guts after a saber impalement, and quivering boils on a plague victim's face. The film also boasts some effective B&W lensing and realistically run-down set decoration. As for our Barbara, although she is absent from the screen for at least half of the picture, she makes a decided impression with what time she has. Just look at the expression on her face during and just after her death scene...not for nothing has she been called the Queen of Horror! On the down side, the ending of this film is a terribly rushed affair, concluding with a lame deus ex machina windup not to be believed. Worse, we never even get to see those "terror-creatures from the grave"...only their deformed hands as the camera lets us observe from their POV. I cannot imagine any horror fan being completely satisfied with this denouement. Still, all in all, pretty effective stuff, especially for lovers of '60s Italian horror or Ms. Steele. Oh...and some more bad news. This DVD comes to us courtesy of those indolent underachievers at Alpha Video, with a fairly damaged print and lousy dubbing. If ever a horror film warranted a loving restoration....

Scarecrow-88 An attorney, Albert Kovac(Walter Brandi)visits a villa, reporting to go over a will for a wealthy occult professor, Geoffrey Hauff, who had reportedly died, accidentally falling down steps. His death was recorded by five people, and each one whose name was written down on the report are dying in unusual ways. Albert's vehicle suffered a damaged engine thanks to an owl(!)and he remains at the behest of Geoffrey lovely daughter, Corinne(Mirella Maravidi), who is worried for her life. The Hauff villa was erected where a hospital housing those diseased with the black plague, their severed hands(..a punishment for purposely spreading their disease to others)in a trophy case within the hall containing pictures and various artifacts found by Geoffrey as he conducted his research into the morbid history of the area. There are graves nearby the villa which hold those who died in the hospital, and it was said that Geoffrey was attempting to contact the dead, hoping to bring their spirits from their eternal slumber. Along with Corinne is her step-mother, Cleo(Barbara Steele)once a potential actress, who gave up the stage to marry Geoffrey. There's obviously more to the story for why would those specific men who reported Geoffrey's death be the ones dying? The fifth witness's name is anonymous and he could hold the answer as to why those he was with that night are winding up dead.Unremarkable Gothic horror flick from Massimo Pupillo, who didn't take credit for it(..I can't say I blame him), using a disconcerting score to keep the viewer on edge even though nothing happens for great lengths. The copy I watched(Terror Creatures from the Grave)was ravaged by time, the quality of both the film itself and the audio track have seen better days. I kept hoping that the creatures of the title might make an appearance so that I could at least appreciate something for sitting through this tedious ordeal, but even at the end, we see none of those who rose from their caskets(..Tombs of the Blind Dead did this soooooo much better)and I felt cheated. Steele has a rather thankless role as the wife with secrets, who knows more about that night when her husband died than she's letting on..I think pretty much anyone watching can figure she's not exactly an innocent. There are some icky make-up grue such as the effects of the plague on a victim's face who assists his master in releasing the spirits of those damned, the effects of a face damaged by the trampling of a distressed horse, and the guts sticking out from the stomach of a victim who impales himself on a sword. Brandi is about as bland as the presentation of the film. Alfredo Rizzo is the local village doctor, Nemek who works with Kovac in determining what is killing the men. Recognizable Italian character actor, Luciano Pigozzi has a very small(..but important)role as Kurt, Geoffrey's loyal and trusted servant who talks to no one. Tilde Till is the very nervous and superstitious maid who trembles while working in the villa. Check this out only if you're a Barbara Steele completest, because the movie itself never rises above a mediocre, shambling exercise that lumbers along at a languid pace challenging you to stay awake. This could sure use a restoration, but I'm not certain it'd be worth it.

wes-connors "An attorney travels to his client's castle to conduct some business where he learns upon arriving the client died almost a year ago. The client's widow and daughter then tell the attorney an incredible tale of how the owner was able to revive the spirits of long-deceased plague victims and how his spirit roams the halls of the castle. Doubting their story, the attorney begins to reconsider when a rash of mysterious deaths occur at the castle," according to the DVD sleeve's synopsis.Translated from Italy as "Terror-Creatures from the Grave", this disappointing slice of horror is most notable for the inclusion of the always delectable Barbara Steele (as Cleo Hauff) in its cast. She takes a bath, she screams, and she always livens up a mediocre movie. And, Luciano Pigozzi (as Kurt) is another wasted asset. Walter Brandi (as Albert Kovac) and Mirella Maravidi (as Corinne Hauff) play the more ordinary hero and heroine. *** 5 tombe per un medium (6/23/65) Massimo Pupillo ~ Walter Brandi, Mirella Maravidi, Barbara Steele

classicsoncall With a title like "Terror Creatures From the Grave", you would think the picture would be an exercise in campy horror and cheesy special effects. But you know, this was actually a pretty neat little creep fest, and for it's relatively compact run time of just under an hour and a half, the picture offers some of the best lines you'll ever come up with in a 'B' grade horror flick. For example:"Are you putting me in the torture room?" - Albert Kovac to Cleo Hauff"I've summoned them from their graves and now I'm among them." - the voice of Jeronimus Hauff"The corpse collectors always come when somebody's doomed." - the library clerk"The living I may fear, but certainly not the dead." - Kovac againTop all of that off with one of the most innovative suicide/hari kari scenes ever, and you've got a unique little excursion into dementia cinema that would be hard to top.I read with some interest the other reviews on this film by other posters, and I have to wonder why I'm in the minority on the following point. Most take it as a given that Jeronimus Hauff was actually dead, and came back from the beyond to take out his revenge on the five witnesses to his purported death a year earlier. But what about that scene when the servant Kurt laid the body of Hauff on the stone tablet, bewailing the loss of his master? Hmmm.