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Terror in the Crypt (Italian title: La cripta e l’incubo) is a 1964 Italian-Spanish horror film directed by Camillo Mastrocinque. The screenplay was by Tonino Valerii and Ernesto Gastaldi, based on the 1872 novel Carmilla by Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu. It was the third film adaptation of the novel, following Carl Theodor Dreyer’s Vampyr (1932) and Roger Vadim’s Blood and Roses (1960).
Production
According to Valerii, the script was written in three days, while Gastaldi stated that it was written in 24 hours. Gastaldi has also claimed that he lied to a producer that they had a script ready, and then returned home to pen the script to return to the producer with the following day. The original title of the script was entitled La maledizione dei Karnstein (lit.: “The Curse of the Karnsteins”).
The film was originally going to be directed by Antonio Margheriti. Due to other commitments, the film was given to Mastrocinque to direct. Mastrocinque was more prominently known for his comedy films, and was suggested by agent Liliana Biancini in order to help find the director new work. Valerii was also the assistant director on set, and later claimed that he personally shot several scenes of the film.
Release
Terror in the Crypt was released in Italy on 27 May 1964 where it was distributed by MEC. It grossed a total of 69.541 million Italian lire. Terror in the Crypt was released straight to television in the United States by AIP-TV as Crypt of the Vampire. It was released theatrically in the United Kingdom as Crypt of Horror.
The film was released on DVD in 2012 by Retromedia/Image in the United States where it retains the title Crypt of the Vampire, while the credits in the film call it Terror in the Crypt.
Reception
In a contemporary review The Monthly Film Bulletin wrote: “This is occasionally quite atmospheric, with an effective climax and some nice shots of the castle battlements by moonlight and so forth. For the rest, though, it is slow and static, indifferently acted and directed, and poorly dubbed.”
See also
Christopher Lee filmography
List of horror films of 1964
List of Italian films of 1964
List of Spanish films of 1964
Notes
References
External links
Terror in the Crypt at IMDb
