Directed by: Mario Caiano Written by: Mario Caiano & Fabio De Agostini Starring: Barbara Steele .... Muriel / Jenny Arrowsmith Paul Muller .... Dr. Stephen Arrowsmith Helga Line .... Solagne Laurence Clift .... Dr. Derek Joyce Rik Battaglia .... David Release Date: Theatrical: July 16, 1965 (Italy); June 5, 1966 (France); July 5, 1966 (USA) Rating:

An evil count named Dr. Stephen Arrowsmith (Paul Muller) catches his wife Jenny (Barbara Steele) cheating on another man named David (Rik Battaglia).
He tortures and electrocutes both of them to death and removes their hearts from their bodies.
Years later he remarries a woman identical to his late last wife named Muriel and she goes into trances and experiences nightmares and hauntings of Jenny.
Then Jenny seemingly posessed Muriel's body and tries to kill the count for what he did to her.
He hires a shrink named Dr. Derek Joyce (Laurence Clift) to try and cure her from all of this but he thinks that he is way too invovled with her and has deadly plans for him as well.

This was a very interesting B&W Italian horror film that seemed almost promising at first but duriing the middle of it the film gets really boering with the dialgogues between the cast. Plus the audio is off on the actors.
It picks up towards the end and boy does it ever and the film can be very influential.

We have some nice performers in this film but the one who was the best out of all of this is UK celebrity Barbara Steele playing two characters in the film and pulling it off well. She knows how to portray both someone evil and someone frightened too.
Paul Muller is fairly good as an insane doctor and has good serious attitude.
Helga Line also did well playing his assistant and shows nice intensity too.
However, supporting actor Laurence Clift did not have me convinced playing a shrink in the film as he seemed fairly wooden.

There is someone's heart in a small water tank.
A ghosts face is half sliced off

Mario Caiano is very wooden with his work during most scenes of this movie but however he does pick up in some spots.
He knew how to direct both lead actress Barbara Steele and Rik Battaglia acting lustful towards one another by touching and feeling one another.
There's a real disturbing and intense scene's involving Paul Muller torturing these two as well as electrocuting them on a bed.
We see a perfect camera shot on Steele lying in bed and the clock chiming then the camera focuses on her paranoid eyes going into a trance which looks incredibly eerie (This footage was also used in shock rocker King Diamond's video "Sleepless Nights")
He also made sure that Muller showed great serious and evil expressions to his character making him insane.
He also shows great dialogue between both Muller and Steele when Steele is tempted to leave the castle but Muller sweettalks her into staying as it's a very dramatic moment.
He also shows perfect fright with Steele having an expressionless look walking towards Steele almost killing him with a dissecting knife.
The most chilling part was close to the end of the film with both Steele and Battaglia portraying as ghosts creating terror in the castle saving this film from going below average.

Ennio Morricone really knew his craft as a composer which saves this film too from going under. He has perfect timing with his creepy organ playing as well as some nice smooth classical piano playing plus he has nice sharp violin sounds to the film as well.

The German DVD Features:

• Animated Menus
• Direct Scene Access
• Original Movie Trailer
• Movie Lobby Poster
• Trivia Quiz

U.S.A.	VHS	DVD
Canada	VHS	DVD
U.K.	VHS	DVD
Germany	DVD
France	VHS	DVD