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| Horror Hotel aka City Of The Dead |
| Directed by John Llewellyn Moxey Patricia Jessel .... Elizabeth Selwyn/Mrs.Newless Dennis Lotis .... Richard Barlow Christopher Lee .... Alan Driscoll Tom Naylor .... Bill Maitland Betta St. John .... Patricia Russell Venetia Stevenson .... Nan Barlow Valentine Dyall .... Jethrow Keane Ahhh I remember the first time I caught this little gem.It had to be 1968 or early 1969.The Detroit CBS station used to run movies at 9:30 am during the week.While it didn't have me hiding behind the overstuffed chair it did creep me out. In 1692 in the New England village of Whitewood the witch Elizabeth Selwyn is dragged to the center of town to be burned alive as a witch.As her familiar Jethrow looks on Selwyn is burned at the stake but she manages to put a curse on the village. Flash forward a few hundred years to a college campus.Nan Barlow is urged by her professor Driscoll to go to Whitewood to do some authentic research on witchcraft.She decides to do so against the wishes of her brother Richard and her boyfriend Bill Maitland. Encountering the thickest fog in movie history Nan ventures to Whitewood.Along the way she picks up a hitchiker Jethrow Kane.When they arrive Nan is creeped out (and so are we) by the fact ol' Jeth exited the car without opening the door.Nan goes to the Raven Inn and gets a room from Mrs Newless.She strolls about the small village which has more fog than any english moor. Nan encounters Pat Russell at her book store.Pat loans Nan a book on witchcraft.Reading the book Nan discovers that witches sacrifice folks two nights out of the year.One is Candlemas eve which happens to be that night.Hearing strange chanting coming from under a trapdoor in her room Nan goes to investigate.Bad move sweet thing... When Nan doesn't return from Whitewood in two weeks her brother calls the police.They do a superficial check.Pat Russell finds Richard and returns a locket to him that belonged to Nan.Richard and Bill decide to go to Whitewood and see what they can turn up.Bill gets into a horrendous accident in the fog when he sees Selwyn being burned at the stake in the middle of the road. Pat is abducted by the coven and is being readied for sacrifice.Richard tries to come to her aid but is captured.Will anyone survive? There is a lot to like about this no budget gem.People who aren't aware of this film are taken aback when they are told it was shot in England using British actors sporting american accents.There are no outdoor shots as this film was shot on a soundstage.The sets, especially the village are wonderfully done as is the graveyard.The Gregorian chants and other music are eerie and appropriate.And let's not forget fog so thick you could cut it with a knife. Again this is a mood piece with a great use of black and white photography.Although it moves swiftly for 78 minutes don't expect MTV type of pacing.Highly recommended. |
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