I just finished watching The Blancheville Monster (1963). Here are my thoughts.

Hello all. I'm a big movie fan who loves films in general. Recently I have been expanding my horizons which includes watching films from different countries. I've been a big fan of horror since I was little, but I haven't delved too deeply into what other countries aside from the U.S and Japan offer. One boxset that got my attention was the Gothic Fantastico set from Arrow Video. This is a set of four Italian horror films from the 60's and 70's. For my first post here, I'll talk about The Blancheville Monster.

The basic plot is that a woman, Emilie, comes back home after being away for a long time. When she gets to her home which is a big castle, she finds out that the people there have changed a lot and seem to be hiding something. Soon she learns that her father, who supposedly died in a fire, is actually alive and wants her dead for some reason. That's the most that I'll give since this movie has a lot of plot twists and there is a lot to unpack by the end.

As for what I like about this film, the number one thing is atmosphere. Off the bat this film starts with a creepy forest in the middle of a thunderstorm. Then the camera pans to the castle and it cuts to a window just as a hand grabs on it and you hear a disturbing groan. It sets the mood so well and it's an example of one of the many memorable shots this film has.

Another thing I enjoyed is the characters. While they aren't amazing, each of them does have a role they serve and all of them have a distinct personality. Some of them seem to be hiding something, which keeps the suspense up for when the big events happen later on and you question who the perpetrator is. For what the film does, it works pretty well and the music only adds to the experience.

Overall, if you enjoy atmospheric B&W horror films with a creepy castle, this is an easy recommendation. I can't wait to go through the other films in the Gothic Fantastico boxset.