Saturday, July 20, 2024

 'Tomb of Torture' aka 'Metempsycho'. (1963) – Antonio Boccacci.

Her physician father's (Adriano Micantoni) efforts to aid his increasingly distressed daughter Anna (Annie Alberti), tormented by recurring nightmares over the death of the beautiful, yet ill-fated countess Irene who she eerily resembles, prove disastrous. The only feature made by former pulp novelist Boccacci remains a feverishly enigmatic cauldron of pulpy Italianate Gothic schlock, oft prone to hysteria-laden theatrics, Tomb of Torture is certainly not without minor interest to vintage Grisly Gothic addicts. Palpably weird, oblique, injudiciously sluggish, Metempsycho is demonstratively not on par with the finest macabre works of Margheriti, Franco, Freda or Bava, yet the innate strangeness residing herein proved bizarrely fascinating to me! Many will find this eccentric high Gothic oddity a torturous experience in mediocrity, yet I found the foreboding atmosphere, oneiric qualities, dingy dungeon dynamics, and the cob-webby creature feature theatrics frequently compelling! A clear highlight is the lurid climax, and master composer Armando Sciascia's quality, atmospherically strident spazzy jazzy score! 

 "I loved, Irene, but somebody KILLED HER!!!”

 






 



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