Lady Morgan's Revenge (Italy - 1965) is the latest contribution to the genre by Massimo Pupillo, author of The scarlet executioner and one of the best Italian gothics viz. 5 graves for a medium (Terror Creatures from the Grave), with Barbara Steele.
Wrapped in elegant black and white, Lady Morgan's Revenge is a giallo/thriller genre film in gothic sauce in which the delicate erotic undertones, the enchanting nineteenth-century setting (Castel Fusano) and the unexpected ending that flows into horror (ghosts and vampires) are to be appreciated.
Well structured in plot, Lady Morgan's Revenge however, could prove tedious because of the slow pace at which the story develops. The film shows off typical elements of 1960s Italian Gothic, reminiscent of such films as Vampires by Riccardo Freda, Dance Macabre by Antonio Margheriti or The three faces of fear by Mario Bava. However, the whole thing, personalized by Pupillo, is punctuated by several predictable and poor suspenseful moments that dampen the viewer's attention.
The cast turns out to be interesting, but standing out above them all are the dazzling Erica Blank as the wicked housekeeper and Paul Muller who plays the shady and greedy Harald. Not to be outdone are Gordon Mitchell, an icon of Italian cinema, here as the murderous butler and also Barbara Nelli, the very sweet and naive heiress.
While inferior to other excellent Gothic (5 graves for a medium, The scarlet executioner) by Massimo Pupillo, Lady Morgan's Revenge is all in all an enjoyable film that deserves proper attention.
Plot: Architect Pierre Brissac (Michel Forain), the future groom of wealthy Susan Morgan (Barbara Nelli), is attacked during a sea voyage. Convinced he is dead, the young Englishwoman from a noble family marries Sir Harald (Paul Muller), a treacherous man interested solely in her inheritance. With the help of the butler (Gordon Mitchell) and the housekeeper (Erika Blanc) in fact, Sir Harald will drive Susan to suicide. The woman's spirit, however, will return among the living to take revenge on her murderers.
In the cast: Barbara Nelli (The Scarlet Executioner), Paul Muller (Otherworldly Lovers, Frankenstein's Daughter), Erika Blanc (The Third Eye, Operation Fear), Gordon Mitchell (The Seven-Stone Cross, Blood Delirium), Michel Forain and Carlo Kechler.
The screenplay is by Giovanni Grimaldi (Danza Macabra).
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Distributed by CG Entertainment, Lady Morgan's Revenge is present in DVD format in Sinister Film's "Italian Gothic" series. Extras include the film trailer.
A must-see film for lovers of Italian Gothic and fans of Massimo Pupillo.
DVD EDITION.
Video: 16/9 1.85:1
Duration: 82′
Audio: Dolby Digital Dual Mono | Italian
N. Discs: 1
Subtitles: Italian
Extras: Film Trailer
