CAULDRON OF BLOOD aka BLIND MAN’S BLUFF (1967) Reviews and overview

  

‘Tops in total horror!’
Cauldron of Blood, also known as Blind Man’s Bluff and El coleccionista de cadáveres, [“A Collection of Corpses”] is a 1967 Spanish/American horror film directed by Santos Alcocer from a screenplay by José Luis Bayonas (The Death Train) and Edward Mann (Island of Terror; The Mutations; Seizure).

The movie stars Jean-Pierre Aumont, Boris Karloff, Viveca Lindfors (The Damned; The Hand; Creepshow), Rosenda Monteros, Milo Quesada (Tragic Ceremony), Dyanik Zurakowska (Sexy Cat; The Hanging Woman), Rubén Rojo, Manuel de Blas (Assignment Terror) and Jacqui Speed.

Karloff’s role was originally intended for Claude Rains (The Invisible Man; Phantom of the Opera), however the veteran actor died during pre-production. In an interview in Fleapits and Picture Palaces, producer Robert D. Weinbach (The Mutations) has also said he considered Basil Rathbone, Edward G. Robinson and Jimmy Cagney for the role! In the US, the film was released on a double-bill with Crucible of Horror by Cannon.

Plot:
Claude (Jean-Pierre Aumont), a photo-reporter for ‘Holiday’ magazine travels to Torremolinos in Spain to interview Franz Badulescu, a “doomed” blind sculptor who is working on his magnum opus unaware that the skeletons he has been using for armatures are apparently the remains of the victims of his evil wife Tania (Viveca Lindfors) and that he is the next target…

Buy Blu-ray: Amazon.com | Amazon.co.uk

Reviews:

“Cauldron of Blood was generally dismissed by horror fans […] Revisited today, with more familiarity with Spanish horror cinema and its own traditions under our belt, it’s easier to appreciate for what it is — not a good film by any means, but more interesting than previously thought.” Video Watchblog

“Spliced into this rehash of the wax museum plots are swinging party vignettes, unconvincing red herrings, and pop culture references galore. It’s much more subdued, and consequently duller, than it sounds.” 366 Weird Movies

“… the disconnectedness of the scenes, and the addition of several stylized sequences (including the opening title, and a dream one third through), make everything vaguely surreal. It’s enjoyable in spite of itself. Karloff is mostly at the mercy of his fiery wife (Viveca Lindfors, who played a sculptor herself in These Are the Damned).” David Elroy Goldweber, Claws & Saucers

Buy: Amazon.co.uk | Amazon.com

Image credits: Classic Horror Campaign | Wrong Side of the Art!

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