[Demdike@Cult Labs]

Originally Posted by J Harker

Picked Humanoids From the Deep and Galaxy of Terror up from HMVs 88 promotion (2 for ?15).
Actual films are upstairs and I'll disturb the missus fetching them hence stock photos from Amazon.
Got my eye on a few more. Can anyone offer a thought on The Torture Chamber of Dr Sadism and Night of the Demon?
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Yep, both very good.

I really like Torture Chamber. I've reviewed it here a couple of times.

Originally Posted by Demdike@Cult Labs

The Torture Chamber of Dr. Sadism (1967)

Count Regulor is brought back to life after earlier being hung, drawn and quatered and continues his quest for eternal youth by draining the blood of virgins. As he attempts to ensnare his 13th and final victim, played by Karin Dor. The heroic square jawed Lex Barker is luckily on hand to defeat the evil Count.

Another extremely loose adaptation of Edgar Allan Poe's classic story The Pit and the Pendulum, this time from Germany.

For a film that's not widely known or seen there are a succession of notable set pieces, in particular the deliriously disturbing nightmarish coach journey which travels eerily creepy forests, the trees garlanded with corpses and limbs protruding from trunks and branches and the torture chamber itself populated with the bloodless, frozen, naked bodies of the previous twelve victims of the Count.

The horse drawn carriage journey to the Count's castle takes up a good quarter of the films running time, and whilst this could have dragged, in this film its the most memorable part due to the jaw dropping imagery. The hanging corpses in the mist are genuinely frightening. Director Harald Reinl's camera slowly guides past them allowing us the coachman's view of proceedings, no wonder he dies of a heart attack midway through the journey.

Christopher Lee is the film's 'name' but unfortunately he's not in it much other than being hung drawn and quartered at the start he's not in it again until he's revived during the last half hour.

The Torture Chamber of Dr. Sadism aka The Snake Pit and the Pendulum is a good film, perhaps not one of the great Gothic horrors, but the surreal nightmarish coach journey will stay in your head long after the film finishes, more so than the story itself.

I'd only seen this previously a couple of times on a grey market dvd and it looked quite poor, however the new 88 Films Blu-ray looks superb and the 4K transfer brings it's Gothic splendors to vivid life.

Recommended.