Nigel P The first thing that strikes me about this studio-bound chiller is its cast of (mainly) British actors labouring under soft American accents. Presumably designed for ease of selling to an international market, it nevertheless seems an otherwise unnecessary distraction and slight deviation from the heady atmosphere of this Milton Subotsky-scripted production. Produced by an uncredited Max Rosemberg, this could be seen as a fledgling Amicus project. Amicus were to become rivals to Hammer's horror output over the next decade.Stunning Venetia Stevenson plays Nan Barlow, whose occasionally wooden performance is recompensed by her extraordinary screen presence. Her prolific acting career would be over the following year, and she remains something of a cinematic enigma. Here, she is joined by a scowling Christopher Lee and Valentine Dyall, as well as a formidable Patricia Jessel in the dual role of Elizabeth Selwyn and Mrs. Newless."I warn you, young feller. They don't like strangers in Whitewood."Douglas Gamley and Ken Jones' music score veers from traditional horror accompaniment, which enhances the gloom, and light jazz, which doesn't; it does, however, lend a sense of laconic style to some scenes, especially those featuring Stevenson.The ending is unlikely given the circumstances and I can't imagine that didn't dawn on the players and those behind the scenes. And yet everything is played very seriously and the low budget is used to fine effect, giving everything an ethereal, not-quite-real sense of displacement.

Michael Ledo "Horror Hotel" and "City of the Dead" are the same feature. On March 3, 1692 the small community of Whitewood burned the witch Elizabeth Selwyn (Patricia Jessel) for consorting with the devil. In modern time Professor Alan Driscoll (Christopher Lee) teaches a course on witchcraft. Student Nan Barlow (Venetia Stevenson) wishes to conduct research for a term paper by going to a small Puritanical town. Driscoll programs her GPS for Whitewood....okay he writes down directions on scratch paper.Okay, the movie was a flashback to old TV horror sets. The "town" and graveyard was unashamedly on a stage covered up by the presence of Transylvanian thick fog. The film plot was classic, but dated. Available on some multi-packs.

ctomvelu1 A witch is burned at the stake in 1692, and shows up as the proprietor of an inn in the same town, Whitewood, Mass., centuries later. A college student in New York or Connecticut or somewhere equally close by is urged to visit the town by one of her professors, who teaches witchcraft and is a native of Whitewood. There she quickly discovers all is not right. For one thing, the place is constantly shrouded in mist. And the only church is shut and in disrepair. When she abruptly disappears, her brother and a friend come looking for her. Christopher Lee stands out as the seemingly kindly professor who is actually a member of the Whitewood coven. While filmed on sound stages, the movie is very atmospheric and creepy and holds up well.

InjunNose Top-billed (on posters advertising the film) Christopher Lee is actually more of a supporting player in "The City of the Dead", a mature, well-handled horror piece. He's joined by equally talented performers like Patricia Jessel, Valentine Dyall, and the lovely Betta St. John, and they're all superbly directed by John Llewellyn Moxey ("The Night Stalker") in this tale of a resurrected New England witch cult. It's an interesting role for Lee: as an uptight university professor who is secretly a member of the coven (and who points a hapless female student in the direction of the spooky, decaying village where the group performs its sacrifices to Satan), he skulks, stares furtively from the corners of his eyes and generally lacks the authority of a Dracula-type character. In other words, he's more fun to watch here than in many of the roles with which he is normally associated! A solid, stylish fright flick that gets all the little details right, "The City of the Dead" is highly recommended. It's a shame that horror filmmakers have abandoned the time-tested formula used so effectively here by Moxey.