well, I've been looking for this for years, another film lost in the NAFTA/GATT shuffle. Amazingly enough, and with little fanfare, Turner Classic Movies dredged up a "restored" print and sneaked it in late night on Halloween, 2005.

Christopher Lee is his usual charismatic self, despite smudges around his eyes as the only real makeup. The plot isn't much of a mystery, but it's fun to watch the cast run through the paces. Often confused with "Blood Castle"/"Torture chamber of Doctor Sadism" in reference works, it's easy to see that many never saw it, since it isn't all that similar except for the star.

The two reasons that kept me looking are writer/1st assistant director Michael Reeves, and the debut role for Donald Sutherland. Reeves did his first direction on this, and some things will seem rather familiar to fans of "She beast", and "Witchfinder General", his later works.

Sutherland plays 2 roles: an unintelligent soldier, and an old hag who speaks prophecy in rhyme. The hag is voiced by another, but Sutherland did his own dubbing for the soldier. Luciano Pigozzi turns up to add his own charm to the proceedings.

Despite comments by others about there not being a huge need for restoration, I have to thank TCM for a lovely job, though the letterbox seems a little tight on top. it's old fashioned, and somewhat obvious, but definitely worthy of preservation.

I've seen up to three directors credited for the film, although only Warren Kiefer is credited on the print I saw, as well as being credited as author of the story and screenplay. This low budget European shocker is the first film usually credited to Michael Reeves, who directed the horror classic "The Witchfinder General" (1968). His films are noted for their downbeat overall tone, and he directed only four feature length films before he died at age 25.

In 1820's Europe, a traveling circus gives a performance. Afterwards, they are invited to Count Drago's (Lee's) castle, to perform for him. On the way there, they are intercepted by an old woman who warns them against the castle and predicts some of them will die. As usual in such films, they ignore the warning and continue on anyways or else there would be no movie.

I've yet to find a good quality print of this film. It's American release was botched, and it ended up playing mostly drive-in theaters, and then fell into obscurity. The best quality print I have found has the ends cropped to make its aspect ratio 4:3.

Lee is head and shoulders better than the rest of the cast. Donald Sutherland is also notable in multiple roles in this, his first feature film appearance that was not a TV movie. The other actors are no better than adequate. The cinematography and score are both functional, at best. In the last 40 minutes, film stops and numbers are projected on screen for 15-30 seconds a couple of times.

If you are willing to overlook the films' faults (score, cinematography, abrupt changes in tone, and an ending that Reeves must have argued against) there are some good scares in this one.

It is worth sitting through if it ever comes your way. Weird factoid: Donald Sutherland's son Kiefer is named after the director. I have no idea exactly why.