The Murder Mansion (AKA Maniac Mansion, AKA The Mansion in the Fog)

Spanish/Italian co-produced horror-thriller in the vein of those 1940s Universal 'old dark house' chillers. A group of people find themselves stranded on a foggy night and take refuge in a large gothic mansion next to an eerie cemetery. The house's sole occupant informs them that there are no other inhabited buildings in the area, as all the people in the nearby village either died or fled many years ago amidst reports of a plague of vampirism and witchcraft. As the night draws on noises are heard, apparitions are seen, and people start to die.

This look great. The photography, lighting, sound effects, and sets all create a fantastically spooky atmosphere. The cast are all pretty good (several were known for other Italian horrors and crime-thrillers of the time, although no huge names). Where it falls down is the plot. The gathering of this group of people at such an isolated location on the same night depends on some really unlikely coincidences, and yet it is all apparently by design; and when we get the big reveal it's still far from clear as to exactly what went on and why. It's frustrating when it seemed set to be so good. That said, the atmosphere makes it a good movie to have in the background whilst you're carving Halloween lanterns. 6/10