UnowPriceless hyped garbage

Acensbart Excellent but underrated film

Numerootno A story that's too fascinating to pass by...

Caryl It is a whirlwind of delight --- attractive actors, stunning couture, spectacular sets and outrageous parties. It's a feast for the eyes. But what really makes this dramedy work is the acting.

hwg1957-102-265704 Six people are invited to a cliff top castle in Nassau to hear a will. The will has been made by a dead man whom they hated but who will leave his money to those innocent if they discover the identity of the person who killed said dead man. The storm rages outside, the castle is full of strange passages and a housekeeper with a pet gecko watches them on closed circuit television. Also is the dead man dead? And who is the disfigured man in the well tailored suit? With those ingredients it is a shame the film is lacking in suspense, excitement and terror.The main cast, Scott Brady, Virginia Mayo, David Brian, Lisa Gaye and Hugh Marlowe have all been in better things and can't do much with the silly dialogue. Shelley Morrison as Lupe Tekal d'Esperanza is probably the best thing. A black cat also appears for two seconds. The sets are adequate however and Paul Dunlap provides a good music score.It is an underwhelming film overall.

Vornoff-3 It's a shame, movies like this are generally what I'm looking for, but `Castle of Evil' doesn't even manage the level of suspense of a `Dark Shadows' episode - and is about as talky and stagy as that series. On the whole, this movie is down there somewhere with the Philippino `Blood Island' series, and the more than competent cast gives some of the most wooden performances of their careers. It is easy to see that Hugh Marlowe was just about ready to begin his interminable run on `Another World' because this is about as close to the Soaps as horror ever comes.The plot is a tried-and-true midnight will reading preceding the six people locked in a house knowing one of them is a murderer routine. Fair enough, but the movie betrays what interest the audience might have in trying to resolve the mystery by showing us the murderer in the first few minutes, then even going so far as to demonstrate the means used for the slayings before the mystery is even fully underway. What could have been an interesting group of characters, each suspecting the others and forming alliances and theories degenerates into a group of non-entities being stalked by a Slasher-type disfigured killer (with minimal gore). The contrived ending seems far, far too long in coming.Natives of Nassau will be offended by the racism of the script and hispanics of all backgrounds will no doubt take issue with the pronunciation of the character Lupe's name (sounds like `Loopy'). Scott Brady seems to be dating one of his daughter's friends, and poor Hugh Marlowe just looks confused as Virginia Mayo's tramp character (`just call me Sable, dear') comes onto him. Overall, one gets the feeling everyone in the cast just wanted to get their check and forget about the whole ordeal. Perhaps we should do them a favor and do the same.

bsmith5552 "Castle of Evil" is haunted castle movie much in the style of Roger Corman and England's Hammer productions. Although it doesn't quite measure up to those productions, it is a competent little horror flick. The story involves a group of people who are summoned to a mysterious castle for the reading of the will of the man who has virtually destroyed each of their lives individually. Their host unfortunately has just passed away, or has he? The film contains most of the usual horror cliches and settings. There are the secret passages, sliding doors, dark shadows, murders and the requisite mysterious housekeeper. The film is boosted by its veteran cast of actors who had all seen better days but were still able to deliver solid performances. Scott Brady is the hero of the piece and Virginia Mayo effectively plays a discarded mistress. Hugh Marlowe is along as a doctor, David Brian as a lawyer and the lovely Lisa Gaye as Brady's love interest. Shelley Morrison is quite good as the housekeeper. What now makes this film memorable is the resemblance of the character "Kovic" to a certain former U.S. president. See if you agree.

jim-251 On the surface, CASTLE OF EVIL is a movie about a bunch of people who are threatened my a business-suited robot (with a really bad skin condition) who promenades about the secret passages of a Gothic castle in Nassau (?!). But look again! The film features Scott "Journey to the Center of Time" Brady, Hugh "Earth Vs. The Flying Saucers" Marlowe, Lisa "House on Haunted Hill" Gaye, Virginia "I guess that blows this spook stuff!" Mayo, and last but certainly not least "Shelley Morrison" -- a stunning South American Indian-featured woman -- as "Natividad Esperanza", and her pet gecko-on-a-leash. Secret doors, native superstition, and Shelley at the surveillance console...the movie's a smorgasbord of cliches, bad reads and improbability, but it's great to see this wild assortment of actors ply their trade amidst the pseudo-gothic surroundings. And anyone who can tell us the real name of "Shelley Morrison" will get a heartfelt thank you for those of us who fell in love with her in close up.