A lush and good looking tale of gothic intrigue, this has a great setup being set in late 1800's Paris in a theater that primarily focuses on tales of grand guignole. However, what results is a confusing and emotionally empty film that deals with one of the troop members Herbert Lom who is presumed dead after committing a horrific murder, coming back to seek revenge. Jason Robards plays the troop leader who uncovers the fact that Lom is still living, and the beautiful but lifeless Christine Kaufman plays the leading lady who has a series of horrific nightmares that are basically just the same scene replayed over and over. Michael Dunn is the sniveling dwarf who simply rants and raves to provide more creepiness.
There's little motivation don't you see what you've provided for any of the goings-on here, and the result is a completely disappointing Gothic horror that no more resembles the Bela Lugosi 1932 classic than any of the other American International films celebrating the works of Poe did their original source. But those at least were enjoyable and decently made, and while this has the style, what it doesn't have is the story.
American International at the time was focusing on shocks through gruesome visuals mixed yes with psychedelic nonsense that instantly dates the film's. While some of them (particularly the Dr. Phibes series) come off better, others (like this and "de Sade") are complete misfires. Lom seems to be basically repeating his "Phantom of the Opera" role, yet that at least had the Hammer touch. The Poe touch here has all the bad luck of a black cat attached, so this is one that is easy to scratch off your list.
There's little motivation don't you see what you've provided for any of the goings-on here, and the result is a completely disappointing Gothic horror that no more resembles the Bela Lugosi 1932 classic than any of the other American International films celebrating the works of Poe did their original source. But those at least were enjoyable and decently made, and while this has the style, what it doesn't have is the story.
American International at the time was focusing on shocks through gruesome visuals mixed yes with psychedelic nonsense that instantly dates the film's. While some of them (particularly the Dr. Phibes series) come off better, others (like this and "de Sade") are complete misfires. Lom seems to be basically repeating his "Phantom of the Opera" role, yet that at least had the Hammer touch. The Poe touch here has all the bad luck of a black cat attached, so this is one that is easy to scratch off your list.