Crypt of the Vampire (1964) follows a nobleman and his daughter plagued by an ancient family curse that links them to a vampiric ancestor. As mysterious deaths spread through the estate, suspicion falls upon the daughter herself, while dark secrets emerge from the crypt below. This Italian-Spanish gothic horror blends decaying castles, spectral menace, and repressed desire in a tale of inheritance, dread, and the undead.
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[La cripta e l’incubo] survives as one of Italy’s more stylish Gothics of the period, with a cloying vein of suppressed desire running through it and a group of more than competent actors being upstaged by oodles of crepuscular atmosphere.
Jonathan Rigby, Euro Gothic: Classics of Continental Horror Cinema (Signum Books, 2016) -
Among Italian Gothic films about female vampires, Terror in the Crypt deserves a place of its own. … While far from reaching [Sheridan] Le Fanu’s refined allegories, and saddled with its share of clumsy or throwaway moments, Terror in the Crypt is noteworthy for its portrayal of sensuality and female desire. As with many other Italian horror films of the period, the supernatural component allows the scriptwriters and the director to push the pedal of transgression: Ljuba’s demonic influence justifies the lesbian relationship between her and Laura, which forms the film’s core.
Roberto Curti, Italian Gothic Horror Films, 1957-1969 (McFarland, 2015)
Selected disc options for Crypt of the Vampire
| Extras | Severin BD-A/US 2021 | Retromedia DVD-0/US/OOP 2006 |
|---|---|---|
| The Crypt Keepers - Interviews with Co-Writer Ernesto Gastaldi, Co-Writer/Assistant Director Tonino Valerii and Film Historian Fabio Melelli | has extra | |
| Horror !!! - Vintage Documentary with Boris Karloff, Christopher Lee, Vincent Price, Roger Corman and Roy Ashton | has extra | |
| David Del Valle Interviews Christopher Lee | has extra | |
| The Man Behind the Mask: Christopher Lee Remembers Boris Karloff | has extra | |
| Monsters & Vampires: The Film Books of Alan Frank - Interview with Author Alan Frank | has extra | |
| “Cinescope: Christopher Lee” - Vintage TV Interview with Actor Christopher Lee | has extra | |
| Interview Outtakes with Actor Christopher Lee | has extra | |
| Q&A with Actor Christopher Lee at University College Dublin | has extra | |
| Vintage Interview with Actor Christopher Lee | has extra | |
| “O Sole Mio / It’s Now or Never” Music Video - With Actor Christopher Lee and Singer Gary Curtis; With Optional Commentary by Gary Curtis | has extra | |
| “She’ll Fall For Me” Music Video - With Actor Christopher Lee and Singer Gary Curtis; With Optional Commentary by Gary Curtis | has extra | |
| US Theatrical Trailer as “Terror in the Crypt” | has extra |
Notes
- Severin’s Blu-ray is included in “The Eurocrypt of Christopher Lee Collection” box set with Sherlock Holmes and the Deadly Necklace (1962), Challenge the Devil (1963), Castle of the Living Dead (1964), The Torture Chamber of Dr. Sadism (1967) and Theatre Macabre (1971-1972); and contains a 100-page booklet with writing by Jonathan Rigby (“Christopher Lee: The Continental Connection”).
- Retromedia’s “Widescreen Edition” DVD contains no extras. It is also available with Slaughter of the Vampires (1962).
~ Have you spotted a mistake or would like to suggest a disc be added? Let us know ~
Ultimate Edition
Combine the best digital presentation with a selection of choice extras for the ultimate edition.
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The Crypt Keepers (35:01) -
Horror !!! (1964, 16:29) -
David Del Valle Interviews Christopher Lee (2021/1985, 27:16) -
The Man Behind the Mask: Christopher Lee Remembers Boris Karloff (1991, 35:05) -
Monsters & Vampires: The Film Books of Alan Frank (18:11) -
“Cinescope: Christopher Lee” (1976, 54:38) -
Interview Outtakes with Actor Christopher Lee (2001, 19:16) -
Q&A with Actor Christopher Lee at University College Dublin (2011, 18:19) -
Vintage Interview with Actor Christopher Lee (1975, 16:23)
| Presentation |
Severin BD 2021
|
|---|---|
| Extras | The Crypt Keepers - Interviews with Co-Writer Ernesto Gastaldi, Co-Writer/Assistant Director Tonino Valerii and Film Historian Fabio Melelli Severin BD |
| Horror !!! - Vintage Documentary with Boris Karloff, Christopher Lee, Vincent Price, Roger Corman and Roy Ashton Severin BD | |
| David Del Valle Interviews Christopher Lee Severin BD | |
| The Man Behind the Mask: Christopher Lee Remembers Boris Karloff Severin BD | |
| Monsters & Vampires: The Film Books of Alan Frank - Interview with Author Alan Frank Severin BD | |
| “Cinescope: Christopher Lee” - Vintage TV Interview with Actor Christopher Lee Severin BD | |
| Interview Outtakes with Actor Christopher Lee Severin BD | |
| Q&A with Actor Christopher Lee at University College Dublin Severin BD | |
| Vintage Interview with Actor Christopher Lee Severin BD | |
| “O Sole Mio / It’s Now or Never” Music Video - With Actor Christopher Lee and Singer Gary Curtis; With Optional Commentary by Gary Curtis Severin BD | |
| “She’ll Fall For Me” Music Video - With Actor Christopher Lee and Singer Gary Curtis; With Optional Commentary by Gary Curtis Severin BD | |
| US Theatrical Trailer as “Terror in the Crypt” Severin BD |