#underneath its derivative plot‚ heavy cribbing‚ small cast and strained budget‚ there's an altogether more polished bit of kino going on

[mariocki]

Die Schlangengrube und das Pendel (The Torture Chamber of Dr. Sadism, 1967)

"I'm already dead, hanged. Yes, I was hanged. Your body soon adapts a resistance to bullets."

"But, sir, I've not done anything wrong!"

"Of course not. All you did was shoot me somewhat."

#Die Schlangengrube und das Pendel #The Torture Chamber of Dr. Sadism #the blood demon #horror imagery #west german cinema #1967 #harald reinl #manfred r. köhler #lex barker #karin dor #christopher lee #carl lange #christiane rücker #vladimir medar #dieter eppler #peter thomas #edgar allan poe #this ended up being quite a lot better than I'd anticipated; I'd figured it for a Jess Franco style bit of eurosploitation trash but #underneath its derivative plot‚ heavy cribbing‚ small cast and strained budget‚ there's an altogether more polished bit of kino going on #in particular‚ this looks fantastic: the set design‚ lighting‚ aesthetics‚ costuming‚ all are working hard to elevate this above its pulpy #genre origins. Bosch stype frescos‚ rich colourful tableaux‚ dripping gothic atmosphere.. on vibes alone this is a real winner #Lee is high in the credits of course but only really has an extended cameo (this being during his sojourn to europe to escape Hammer for a #while‚ only to end up making even cheaper Hammer alikes for the Germans and Italians). the plot is all Corman Poe cycle‚ loosely inspired #by the works of Poe‚ but with its own nearly wholesome adventuring bent. benefits from having genuinely likeable and compelling characters #upfront (Medar is a consistent scene stealer as a highway robber who gets unwillingly pulled into the gothic shenanigans and becomes a #reluctant heroic accomplice). some startling imagery and a few choice pearls of dialogue too. much better than it would look on paper #definitely one of the better examples of euro schlock from this era‚ and among the best Lee was involved in