8. The Body Snatcher
This 1945 film by Robert Wise marked the last time that Boris Karloff and Bela Lugosi appeared on screen together. Based on a short story by Robert Louis Stevenson of the same title, The Body Snatcher dwells in the setting and the mood of a Gothic graveyard, where secrecy is the password and cadavers are the currency.
When a respected doctor’s medical experiments venture a little too far into morally dubious territory, his actions are used as blackmail to pressure him into operating on a sick girl whom he had previously denied his personal treatment.
Few actors could glare, leer, or peer out of shadowy corners like Karloff and Lugosi, and watching them work their magic side-by-side is a priceless experience. Discover the motivations and identity of the body snatcher, and treat yourself to an evening with two Gothic horror icons in this classic film.
9. Incubus
The 1966 film Incubus is one with a strange history and legacy to match its disturbing story. Directed by Leslie Stevens (the creator of The Outer Limits) and starring a young Williams Shatner, Incubus was one of the earliest movies ever filmed in the Esperanto language. Rumors abound of a “curse” over the film and those involved in making it, and the movie itself was thought be lost for many years. Thankfully, it can be seen today in excellent quality.
The story is set in a remote village with a well whose water contains healing properties. When a wounded young soldier arrives in the town seeking help, he soon discovers that the place is also teeming with demons and the forces of evil.
The virtuous young man soon finds himself in a battle over the fate of his soul and his life. Incubus is infused with an otherworldly atmosphere throughout, and moments of pure terror abound. Check out this classic that was fortunately rescued from the dustbin of history.
10. Under Capricorn
This 1949 film by Alfred Hitchcock is often forgotten among his other legendary efforts. Even though Hitchcock himself did not love the final product that Under Capricorn became, there is still much to admire about it. Ingrid Bergman and Joseph Cotten in the lead roles would be enough to draw many classic movie lovers, but the story is an intriguing one as well.
Ingrid Bergman plays a nearly incapacitated alcoholic whose odd habits and disturbed mind have made her a social outcast. But her husband, played by Joseph Cotton, begins to suspect that her mental state is the result of another malevolent presence in their large Gothic home, and he sets out to uncover the cause. Under Capricorn is an undervalued Hitchcock classic and a worthy entry in the Gothic horror genre.
11. Eye of the Devil
J. Lee Thompson’s Eye of the Devil has one of the best casts in Gothic horror history. With Deborah Kerr, David Niven, Sharon Tate, David Hemmings, and Donald Pleasence on the screen, the quality of the script almost wouldn’t matter. Thankfully, Eye of the Devil is blessed with an intriguing story in addition to its dynamic performances that holds our interest throughout.
David Niven plays a wealthy landowner who is called to one of the estates where he owns a vineyard which has been failing. He is quite secretive about his trip, and refuses to bring his wife along or discuss his family heritage through which he acquired the estate.
When his wife and children arrive to visit in spite of his wishes, they find an unwelcoming atmosphere and hostile hosts. A witch and her brother who live on the estate seem especially intent on ruining their experience and driving them away. Eye of the Devil is a classic shocker and a quintessential Gothic horror.
12. Castle of Blood
Here’s a great Gothic film with an original idea: take Edgar Allan Poe, the master of the macabre himself, and plug him in as a character into the type of story he wrote. Add Barbara Steele as a ghostly presence haunting the castle involved, and hope that movie magic results. The concept did in fact work quite well in this 1964 film.
In Castle of Blood, an intrepid journalist confronts the author Edgar Allen Poe, challenging Poe to admit that his horror stories have no basis in reality and are pure fiction. Poe refuses to back down, and a wealthy third party overhearing the conversation dares the journalist to spend All Soul’s Eve in a haunted castle. The skeptic soon learns that though he is the only living person in the castle, he is not alone. Whether or not he leaves alive and wins his bet is something for you to discover by watching Castle of Blood.
13. The Whip and the Body
This 1963 film from Mario Bava pulls out all the stops in an effort to create a relentlessly Gothic atmosphere from start to finish. To accomplish this, it uses all the tools at its disposal: imposing castles with secret passageways, a lush musical score, muddy footprints left by invisible shoes,… and Christopher Lee.
Lee menacingly plays a disowned son who returns home to the family castle after years of wandering. His family is terrified of him, but this only encourages him to stay and torment his unwilling hosts. When he dies suddenly, the family is relieved to be rid of him, but his involvement in their lives has only just begun.
For its time, this film was quite lurid and scandalous, but its effectiveness as a Gothic film cannot be denied. Some parts of Bava’s movie work better than others, but if you love the Gothic horror genre, then The Whip and the Body is a must-see.
14. The Long Hair of Death
The Long Hair of Death is an atmospheric Gothic horror movie with a lot going for it. It’s set in a 15th century feudal castle, features a tale of witchcraft and revenge, and stars Barbara Steele. Antonio Margheriti directed this movie, which also stars George Ardisson and Halina Zalewska, in 1964.
The Long Hair of Death provides us with an effective story of revenge and hatred which spans generations. In the late 1400’s, a woman is burned at the stake for witchcraft, but her daughter lives on to seek the revenge that was denied to her mother.
This movie is sometimes faulted for its script, which can seem difficult to follow, but it nevertheless succeeds wildly in creating and sustaining a heavy Gothic atmosphere. It’s a great fit for an evening when the spooky mood comes knocking.
15. House of the Damned
This chilling little movie takes a simple, original idea and runs with it. The scriptwriter, Harry Spaulding, imagined what might happen to the kind of characters who populated the traveling circus in the 1932 movie, Freaks. Where would they go and how would they live? That’s only a hint of what House of the Damned has in store.
When an architect and his wife travel to an old abandoned estate to assess the property, they soon discover that the previous tenant vanished under unknown circumstances. As they take up residence there to complete their work, strange apparitions appear in the house and mysterious occurrences befall the couple. Things only get worse for them, and they’re left with no choice but to uncover the secrets of the House of the Damned.