tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3369610344911858466.post4791929728547454011..comments2024-01-09T04:01:00.672+00:00Comments on Breakfast In The Ruins: Gothic Originals: The Virgin of Nuremberg (Antonio Margheriti, 1963)Benhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14951955227326548340noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3369610344911858466.post-41755888200769816312020-06-16T15:05:12.765+01:002020-06-16T15:05:12.765+01:00Thanks again for taking the time to comment Cam102...Thanks again for taking the time to comment Cam1020 - that's a really interesting take on things. I also picked up the blu-ray of 'Web of the Spider', watched it via the longer Italian cut, and found it to be a bit of a slog. It has a good story of course, but I'd probably side with the general belief that 'Castle of Blood' handles the material better. Although I've not seen the earlier film for a few years, I recall it being more eventful, more successful in building a genuinely uncanny/unsettling atmosphere, and for including a few shockingly violent/kinky moments which the '70s version surprisingly didn't seem very interested in returning to or amping up.<br /><br />I do agree though that the music for 'Web..' is great, and your thoughts on the film definitely make me think I should give it another go, perhaps trying the American cut. Like all of Margerhiti's horror films, it definitely has some good set dressing and dusty gothic atmos.<br /><br />(Oh, and just a bit of probably-unnecesary consumer info re: Severin's release of 'Castle of Blood' by the way - if I recall correctly it's just a new scan taken from a slightly battered print of the shorter American version, which is why they included it as a bonus on their 'Nightmare Castle' disc rather than giving it a standalone release. It looks pretty good, but I think the older DVD with the full length/uncut version is probably still preferable.)<br /><br />Benhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14951955227326548340noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3369610344911858466.post-22771275207477744782020-06-14T21:19:58.765+01:002020-06-14T21:19:58.765+01:00I have to agree with you on all fronts regarding V...I have to agree with you on all fronts regarding Virgin of Nuremberg - a very middle-of-the-road effort from the generally reliable Margheriti. Regarding Castle of Blood and Web of the Spider, though, I recently had a much different experience than yours. I watched the Garagehouse Pictures Blu-ray of Web back to back with the Synapse DVD of Castle a few months ago, and I walked away with renewed appreciation for Web. Castle on the other hand felt very much like a "museum piece" (as Jess Franco once described The Awful Dr. Orlof), very old-fashioned and soap-operatic. Castle undoubtedly has more atmospheric cinematography and enjoys the significant advantage of casting Barbara Steele, but overall I found Web of the Spider to be the more dynamic and nuanced of the two films. I can't help but feel that if Web had more adventurous, Bava-style lighting, it would be much better regarded today. I also feel that the Riz Ortolani soundtrack for Web is a significant improvement over his work on Castle. In all fairness to Castle of Blood, I should probably watch the HD copy from Severin Films before passing final judgment, and I only watched the shorter American cut of Web of the Spider. Though I recall enjoying the Italian cut when I watched it several years ago, seen today it could drag in spots. Cam1020https://www.blogger.com/profile/13933374843198678415noreply@blogger.com