Horrors of the Black Museum(1959) Movie Review

Trailer here.

Horrors of the Black Museum is a 1959 horror movie directed by Arthur Crabtree and starring Michael Gough, Shirley Ann Field and Geoffrey Keen.

The movie begins with a woman called Gail who receives a gift of a pair of binoculars. She ends up dying when she uses them and there are spikes in them which go through her eyes. Her friend, Peggy goes to the police. They ask about Gail's boyfriend. A man called Edmond Bancroft(Gough) goes to the police and he looks at the binoculars. He is a writer and he is there to ask questions about the murder. The police don't have any clues. There is a place in Scotland Yard called the 'Black Museum' and the binoculars seem to come from there. Bancroft goes to an anitque shop and he sees a dagger which he buys and places into his own museum with his friend, Rick. It emerges that Bancroft has more items in his morbid collection. He is very interested in objects that have a bloody past.

Bancroft is being seen by a doctor who thinks that he should be in hospital because he is obsessed with the killing. He falls out with his lover, Joan and she ends up dead. The police come. The residents tell them that the man they saw was old. A kid spotted Bancroft. She tells the police, but they don't take her seriously. Joan's head is missing. Superintendent Graham(Keen) speaks to Bancroft about the nasty business. The killer is found and he is a crazy man who confesses to dozens of other crimes. The police can't hold him. They decide that they might be able to use him to flush out the real killer.

Rick is meeting his girlfriend, Angela(Field). He tells her that Bancroft has a hold on him. Rick tells her not to tell anyone about them yet. Bancroft goes to the antique shop and talks to the lady who works there. She has something for him. She tells him that he needs to pay her for all the help that she has given him. She knows that he is associated with the murders. He makes a bargain with her but he kills her after. He ends up murdering the doctor also because the doctor has figured out that he is the killer. Rick helps him dispose of the body. Rick isn't very happy about it. Bancroft catches Rick with Angela. She wants to know more about the work that Rick does with Bancroft.  Bancroft is furious and tells him that women cannot be trusted.

Bancroft injects Rick with something. He tells Rick that he will leave everything to Rick and he wants him to take over his 'work' when he is gone. He also tells Rick to get rid of Angela. Angela is afraid of Bancroft. Rick takes her to the funfair and he kills her. He runs off and the police are after him. Bancroft is at the police station with his new book. He hears them receive a phone call. Rick is on the ferris wheel. Bancroft rushes there and talks to him. Rick tells him that he did everything Bancroft told him and jumps off the ferris wheel, killing himself but not before killing Bancroft. The police realise what was happening and they solve the murders.

This is a good film with a fine cast. There is plenty to like about it. It has a good story and is very entertaining. Michael Gough is good in the lead role. I recommend this one and I will give it a 6/10.

Seven Deaths in the Cat's Eye (1973) Movie Review

Trailer here.

Seven Deaths in the Cat's Eye is a 1973 Italian horror movie directed by Antonio Margheriti and starring Jane Birkin, Hiram Keller, Francoise Christophe and Serge Gainsbourg.

The movie begins with someone dragging a dead body into a basement. A ginger cat is watching. Cut to Corringa(Birkin) who is going to stay in Dragonstone Castle in Scotland. She used to visit there with her mother in the past. She meets her mother, Lady Alicia(Dana Ghia) and also her Aunt Mary MacGrieff(Christophe). A woman called Suzanne(Doris Kunstmann) is there also. She is a French teacher. James(Keller) is her cousin who also happens to be there. James who has a pet gorilla also called James. Two more people live in the castle- Dr. Franz(Anton Diffring) and Father Robertson(Venantino Venantini). Mary has little money and she is going to have to sell the castle. Lady Alicia is not going to help her with her money issues. Lady Alicia is smothered with a pillow by an unknown killer.

Corringa sees James at her window and she is creeped out. She hears a cat howling. She looks for the cat. She finds a passageway underneath the castle and discovers the dead body from the beginning of he movie. She passes out. Dr. Franz thinks that Alicia was murdered. The cat watches her funeral and jumps on the coffin. The locals discuss the strange cat. It follows people and there is some story about vampires. Corringa talks to James and he tells her she should leave. She tells him about the body she found. Dr. Franz is having an affair with Suzanne. A man called Angus is murdered. The cat sneaks into Corringa's bed and scratches her. She has a nightmare about it.

A policeman(Gainsbourg) comes to the castle. He shows Dr. Franz the body of Angus. Dr. Franz is worried about the police finding out that he gave Alicia a death certificate stating that she died of natural causes. Corringa tells James that she needs to go to the family tomb and see if her mother is still in her coffin. She does so and discovers that the coffin has been broken. Her mother is no longer in it. James is following her. His gorilla has been let out of its cage, Corringa and James sleep together. Dr.Franz gets killed next. The cat is there. The gorilla gets killed. Mary wants to get rid of Suzanne.

The inspector shows up. He knows that Alicia was murdered. Carringa tells him about the empty coffin. She finds a cufflink in the tomb. It belongs to James. He tells her that he had to cover up the murders. He hides because he thinks that the cops will take him in.The inspector is looking for him. He is hiding in a cave. Suzanne is the next to die. Corringa finds Mary standing over her body. She chases Corringa. They end up in the cave. Corringa finds her mother's body in there. James talks to the inspector and tells him that the killer is in the castle. The priest is the killer. He posed as a priest so he could kill the family members and inherit everything.He is actually part of the MacGrieff family too. The inspector turns up in time to find out the truth.

This is an interesting giallo. There are a lot of red herrings in it but it is fun trying to figure out who the killer is. I liked the kitty too. I will give it a 5/10.