‘Just ring for doom service!’
The City of the Dead is a 1960 British horror film directed by John Llewellyn Moxey (Circus of Fear; The House That Would Not Die; I, Desire) from a screenplay by George Baxt (Tower of Evil; Night of the Eagle; Circus of Horrors), with revisions by Milton Subotsky (before setting up Amicus). Released in the US as Horror Hotel
Produced in England by Vulcan Film Productions but set in the United States, the British actors were required to speak with American accents throughout; the movie stars Dennis Lotis, Christopher Lee, Patricia Jessel, Tom Naylor and Betta St. John.
Plot:
In 1662, Elizabeth Selwyn is accused of witchcraft and burned at the stake by an angry mob.
Present-day: On the recommendation of Professor Driscoll (Lee), a young female student, Nan Barlow (Stevenson), travels to the Massachusetts town of Whitewood to do some research into witchcraft.
Nan discovers that the town occupied by the reincarnation, Elizabeth Selwyn, the infamous witch (Patricia Jessel) burned at the stake in the 17th century; in order to sustain her immortality, virgins must be sacrificed to her every year – and this year, Nan has been the chosen victim…
Influence:
Heavy metal band Iron Maiden used scenes from the film in the music video for their song ‘Bring Your Daughter… to the Slaughter’. King Diamond also uses clips in their ‘Sleepless Nights’ video, while Rob Zombie used Christopher Lee’s opening words to similarly preface his track ‘Dragula’ from Hellbilly Deluxe. In addition, punk band Misfits released a song called ‘Horror Hotel’.
Reviews:
“Atmospheric low-budget chiller that benefits from a sparse script, some impressive studio-bound sets, and a genuinely horrific performance from Patricia Jessel.” Alan Frank, The Horror Film Handbook
“Despite a few phoney transatlantic settings and accents it remains the English horror film which comes nearest to reproducing Val Lewton‘s RKO work in the 1940s, and the City – it’s black and rotting buildings saturated in fog and gloom – had an unusual Lovecraftian flavour.” David Pirie, A New Heritage of Horror: The English Gothic Cinema
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“A superbly creepy horror film with a good storyline and acting, and some amazing direction, City of the Dead proved to Rosenberg and Subotsky that there was money in horror films … It comes recommended to all horror fans, and highly recommended to fans of classic and British horror films.” Mondo Esoterica
“The uncomplicated plot is greatly enhanced by atmospheric black-and-white photography, taut direction and some very eerie performances. Patricia Jessel and Valentine Dyall are especially creepy as a witch and her consort.” Gary A. Smith, Uneasy Dreams: The Golden Age of British Horror Films, 1956 – 1976
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Choice dialogue:
Professor Driscoll: “Burn witch! Burn witch! Burn, burn, burn!”
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“Predictably, logic plays no part in the narrative, no-one-, for instance, seems to have noticed that for 300 years, maidens have been sacrificed twice yearly. But Moxey’s assured touch keeps things rattling along at a pace that ensures such inconsistencies and the off limp performance do not get in the way.” John Hamilton, X-Cert: The British Independent Horror Film: 1951 – 1970
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“To say the movie is atmospheric is a gross understatement. There is so much fog swirling around the cursed town, it looks like the surface of Venus. Many scenes are accentuated by the chiaroscuro of flickering flames, and the eerie chanting of the Satanists, like a church choir gone awry, completes the aura of menace.” Hidden Horror
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Filming locations:
Shepperton Studios, Surrey, England
Film Facts:
Legendary bad filmmaker Richard Driscoll re-used the witch-burning footage in his 2008 film Evil Calls: The Raven aka The Legend of Harrow Woods aka Doctor Sleepless
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