The Long Hair of Death Movie Review

Trailer here.

The Long Hair of Death is a 1964 horror movie directed by Antonio Margheriti and starring Barbara Steele, George Ardisson and Halina Zalewska.

The film begins with a woman called Adele Karnstein who is accused of being a witch and is being taken to her death. Her daugher, Helen begs for her mother's life. She goes to talk to Count Humboldt about it. The execution goes ahead anyway. The witches curses the Count and his nephew, Kurt(Ardisson). She is burned at the stake. Helen decides to avenge her mother but Humboldt throws her into the river to shut her up. Adele's other daughter, Lisbeth(Zalewska) is taken in by the Count. She grows up and Kurt likes her. She doesn't want him. Count Humboldt thinks that Adele's curse is coming true. Kurt agrees. He knows that the witch was innocent. Lisbeth goes into a secret passageway and she sees Humboldt talking to his brother's corpse. She tries to get out of there before he sees her. Kurt wants to marry her. She has no choice. She despises him.

A plague sweeps through the town. Lisbeth tells Kurt that he needs to do something about it. Count Humboldt feels like he is going to die. A lightening strike hits Helen's grave. She returns. The Count does indeed die. Helen comes to the house and says that she is Mary(Steele). She says that she was in an accident. Lisbeth tells her that she can stay. Kurt takes a shine to her. Mary and Kurt flirt and Lisbeth isn't happy. Kurt kisses Mary and tells her that he loves her. Lisbeth finds out and she confronts him. He doesn't care and he and Mary get together. She sees it. A servant is sent with a message to get escorts for Mary so she can leave. He is killed by Kurt, so won't let Mary go.

Kurt tells Mary that he will kill Lisbeth so they can be together. He puts poison in her drink. That night, they go to Lisbeth's room and they think that she has died. Kurt takes her to the crypt and puts her into a coffin. A priest comes down and he locks the gates. They are trapped in there. They manage to escape through a secret passageway. Kurt retrieves Lisbeth from the tomb and places her in her bed. The Next morning, Kurt sees the servant, Grumalda go into the room and she says that Lisbeth is fine. Mary thinks that she is aware of their plan. Kurt is taunted by Lisbeth. One of Kurt's men Von Klage says that he heard a noise in the crypt and he has seen Lisbeth in the chapel. Mary tells Kurt that he needs to do something about Grumalda and Von Klage.

Kurt sees Lisbeth and he is spooked. There is a party at the castle. Kurt is on edge. People have seen Lisbeth and he is starting to panic. He goes to the crypt and Lisbeth shows up. Mary also shows up. She is actually Helen and she and Lisbeth planned it. Lisbeth was dead all along. She leaves Kurt to Helen. Helen torments him and he runs off. He has gone mad. The locals put Kurt into a bonfire by mistake and he can't escape. Grumalda knows he is there but she does nothing to help him. Von Klage asks Lisbeth to set fire to it and she does. Kurt burns alive as Helen fades away.

I liked this film. There was a good cast and the story was interesting. These Italian gothic horror films are always entertaining and this one is no different. I enjoyed it and I will give it a 5/10.