MonsterGirl’s 150 Days of Classic Horror #92 LIVING DEAD AT MANCHESTER MORGUE (Let Sleeping Corpses Lie) 1974 & TOMBS OF THE BLIND DEAD 1972

Jorge Grau’s The Living Dead at Manchester Morgue (1974), also known as Let Sleeping Corpses Lie, and Amando de Ossorio’s Tombs of the Blind Dead (1972) stand as two of the most distinctive European horror films of the early 1970s, each leaving a unique mark on the evolving zombie subgenre. Both films, though sharing the undead as their central threat, diverge sharply in tone, style, and thematic focus, reflecting their directors’ sensibilities and the cinematic currents of their time.

The Living Dead at Manchester Morgue, directed by Grau and starring Ray Lovelock as George and Cristina Galbó as Edna, opens with a collision—literal and metaphorical—between countercultural youth and a suspicious, conservative establishment. After Edna accidentally damages George’s motorcycle while reversing her car at a petrol station, he insists on her giving him a ride to the Lake District, where he was heading. These two strangers are forced to travel together through the English countryside, their journey soon intersecting with a series of bizarre and grisly murders.

The catalyst for the horror is an experimental agricultural machine emitting ultrasonic radiation, allegedly to kill insects but inadvertently reanimating the dead. As the narrative unfolds, George and Edna become entangled in a web of suspicion, with Arthur Kennedy’s Inspector embodying the era’s institutional mistrust and willful ignorance, more interested in scapegoating the living than confronting the supernatural truth.

Spanish filmmaker Jorge Grau also directed Ceremonia sangrienta (1973), also known as Legend of Blood Castle or The Female Butcher, which delves into the legend of Countess Bathory. Showcasing his versatility across drama and social commentary, Grau also directed the crime thriller Violent Blood Bath (1974) starring Fernando Rey and Marisa Mell.

Grau’s film is notable for its slow-burn structure, beginning as a murder mystery before gradually revealing its zombie threat. The cinematography, marked by bleak rural landscapes and overcast skies, lends the film a grounded, almost documentary realism that heightens the shock when violence erupts into a gruesome and disturbing explosion of carnage.

In the early moments of The Living Dead at Manchester Morgue, Edna is alone because she has gotten out of the car to ask for directions to her sister’s house. George is elsewhere, having left Edna to continue on foot after their earlier encounter at the petrol station. A hush falls over the misty countryside as Edna finds herself alone by the riverbank, the world around her is eerily quiet except for the sound of the lapping of water and the distant call of birds breaking the silence.

Then out of the tangled undergrowth, a figure emerges—gaunt, mud-streaked, and impossibly pale, its movements slow and ponderous, eyes empty and lifeless, glazed with the blankness of death. And there’s something unmistakably menacing about the way it lumbers forward with a heavy, unnatural gait, arms reaching out as if drawn to her living presence. Edna, paralyzed by disbelief, watches as the dead man draws nearer – his clothes soaked and breath rasping in the cold morning air—draws closer. With every dragging step he takes, the tension coils tighter, until instinct seizes her and she flees the scene, stumbling through the tall grass, her heart pounding. 

Behind her, the nightmare in pursuit moves relentlessly and silently, a grim warning of the terror that is only beginning to unfold. This scene perfectly captures the film’s blend of dread and melancholy; the rural landscape is forever tainted by the shuffling presence of the undead. 

Another moment that marks the film with building dread: Trapped inside a stone crypt surrounded by zombies. After following noises to a crypt, George and Edna discover an empty casket and a murdered man. They are then locked inside, where they encounter the zombified vagrant who proceeds to bring other corpses to life. The situation escalates as the newly awakened zombies surround them, forcing George and Edna to escape through a hole into a freshly dug grave. The tension continues as the zombies pursue them into the church, leading to a desperate barricade and harrowing confrontation.

The hospital scene in The Living Dead at Manchester Morgue is a crescendo of horror and chaos, suffused with dread and visceral violence. As the experimental radiation triggers a new wave of reanimation, the hospital’s morgue becomes ground zero for the undead uprising. Bodies that were moments before silent and cold now lurch from refrigerated caskets, their pallid flesh bearing the marks of autopsy incisions and death’s indignities. The sterile corridors are soon awash with panic as the zombies descend upon the living. In a particularly gruesome moment, a small squad of undead attacks a hospital receptionist, first strangling her, then tearing into her flesh with feral intensity, rending skin and muscle, and ripping out organs with a grotesque, clinical brutality.

The carnage spreads rapidly: Dr. Duffield (Vicente Vega) is killed, and Katie (Jeannine Mestre), already shattered by trauma, is murdered and reanimated, turning on her own sister Edna in a nightmarish reversal. The hospital, once a place of healing, is transformed into a claustrophobic slaughterhouse, its fluorescent-lit halls echoing with screams and the relentless shuffle of the dead.

Too late to save her, George’s desperate arrival, the horrifying sight of Edna is shocking —her features now cold and lifeless. She has been killed by the zombies, and she is among those who have fallen victim to the undead.

The sequence culminates in a fiery confrontation, as he sets the walking dead ablaze in a last-ditch effort to stem the tide, but the devastation is total—flames and blood marking the end of hope within those walls.

Following these events, George is shot and killed by the Inspector, who still refuses to believe in the existence of zombies. The film concludes with the Inspector returning to his hotel room, only to be set upon and killed by a now-zombified George.

The zombies themselves are memorable for their restraint—shambling, deliberate, and eerily silent, they feel less like supernatural monsters and more like a grim byproduct of environmental meddling and bureaucratic hubris.

The film’s memorable moments are Edna’s first attack by a river-dampened corpse, the tense siege in the church where the undead corner Edna and George, and the climactic hospital massacre, where the full consequences of the government’s experiment are unleashed. The film’s ending, with George killed by the Inspector only to return as a zombie and exact revenge, closes the narrative loop with a bitter sense of institutional failure.

The impact of The Living Dead at Manchester Morgue lies in its fusion of ecological anxiety, social critique, and visceral horror. While it draws inspiration from Romero’s Night of the Living Dead, it distinguishes itself with its focus on systemic collapse and the dangers of scientific overreach. Its practical effects, rural setting, and unflinching violence helped cement its reputation as a cult classic and a standout in the European zombie canon.

In contrast, Tombs of the Blind Dead, directed by Amando de Ossorio and starring Lone Fleming as Betty, César Burner as Roger, and María Elena Arpón as Virginia, weaves a haunting, almost folkloric tale rooted in Spanish history and legend.

Tombs of the Blind Dead (1972) is set in motion when Betty (Lone Fleming), her old friend Virginia (María Elena Arpón), and Roger (César Burner) reunite for a countryside holiday. During a tense train journey, Virginia, jealous of the rekindled connection between Betty and Roger, impulsively jumps from the moving train and wanders into the ruins of the medieval town of Berzano- a cursed medieval town. There, she decides to spend the night, unknowingly awakening the cursed Knights Templar—blind, undead revenants whose eyes were pecked out after their execution for black magic and human sacrifice centuries earlier. They rise nightly to hunt the living, guided only by sound. The Templars awaken from their tombs and kill Virginia.

The next day, Betty and Roger, alarmed by Virginia’s disappearance, retrace her steps and become entangled in the legend of the Blind Dead. After Virginia’s brutal death, her friends’ investigation leads them back to Berzano, where they, along with a smuggler, Pedro (José Thelman), and his girlfriend, Maria Silva, search. As night falls, the Knights slaughter most of the group, forcing Betty to flee.

In the harrowing climax, Betty manages to escape the cursed village and scramble onto a passing train, desperate for safety, only to find that the relentless Templars are not far behind – they follow her, boarding the train and unleashing a brutal massacre upon the passengers. It all unfolds into a chilling tableau of nihilistic devastation.

By the time the train pulls into the next station, all that’s left is the grim aftermath of the Templars’ rampage. This unforgettable sequence is widely regarded as one of the film’s most unforgettable and disturbing moments, ending with onlookers recoiling in horror at the grisly spectacle within, bringing the true horror of the Blind Dead into stark relief.

Tombs of the Blind Dead is distinguished by its atmosphere and visual style. Ossorio’s use of slow motion, fog-drenched ruins, and the skeletal, robed knights on horseback creates a dreamlike, hypnotic mood.

The cinematography emphasizes empty vistas and ghostly silence, making the Templars’ attacks all the more surreal and terrifying. The film’s violence is less explicit than its Italian contemporaries, relying instead on suggestion and the uncanny presence of the Blind Dead. Some of the most memorable moments in Tombs of the Blind Dead are the chilling resurrection of the Knights, their eerie, silent hunts, and, of course, the infamous train massacre—a sequence that’s become a landmark in European horror.

The film gives us a twisted backstory for the Order of Templar Knights, painting them as the 11th-century Crusaders. Having returned from the East with forbidden knowledge, they were fanatical, heretical, and bloodthirsty. They broke away from the church and got caught up in dark occult rituals to gain immortality. 

In flashbacks, we see them sacrificing a bound young woman in a gruesome blood rite, slashing her throat and drinking her blood in their quest for eternal life. It’s this act that transforms them into the terrifying, undead revenants who rise from their graves each night to hunt the living. After the villagers rebelled against their depravity, the Templars were executed, and birds pecked out their eyes as their bodies hung from the gallows, leaving them blind in death but still guided by the sounds of their victims.

Tombs of the Blind Dead inaugurated a new subgenre of Spanish horror, spawning three sequels and influencing countless filmmakers with its blend of Gothic horror, folklore, and social commentary.

Though products of their time, both films remain relevant for their subversive takes on authority, history, and the undead. Where The Living Dead at Manchester Morgue channels 1970s anxieties about science and social order through a lens of grim realism, Tombs of the Blind Dead evokes the enduring power of myth and the horror of history repeating itself.

Together, they showcase just how creative and varied European horror cinema was in the early 1970s, each offering a distinct vision of the apocalypse. The undead’s relentless presence on screen remains just as unsettling with their ability to fascinate us as ever, showing no signs of ceasing their ravenous pursuit on the cinematic stage any time soon.

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THE PRICE OF DECADENCE AND LIBERATION: Seduction and Isolation: A Dual Journey Through Queens of Evil 1970 and L’Avventura 1960 Part 1

Le Regine 1970 (Queens of Evil) : A Psychedelic Descent into Darkness in 1970’s Euro-Horror

READ PART 2 L’AVVENTURA HERE

SPOILER ALERT:

Seduction and Surrealism: Unraveling Queens of Evil:

Queens of Evil (1970), directed by Tonino Cervi (Today We Live, Tomorrow We Die 1968, Nest of Vipers 1978), is an atmospheric Italian horror film that blends elements of psychedelia, eroticism, and supernatural horror. The film, also known by its Italian title Le Regine, or Il Delitto del diavolo presents a thought-provoking allegory on the clash between counterculture ideals and traditional societal norms that is an infusion of high fashion – psych-folk horror- pastoral fantasy and dreamlike isolation, much like Tam Lin 1970, The Wicker Man 1973 and Psychomania 1973.

The film is part of a niche cinematic sub-genre that blends pastoral fantasy with elements of folk horror, set in the late 1960s to early 1970s. These films juxtapose high fashion with mature fairytale narratives, featuring unconventional behavior and a darkness of spirit, creating a unique atmosphere that merges glamour with nature’s mystique.

The narrative follows a young motorcyclist named David (Ray Lovelock) who encounters three mysterious and seductive women living in a secluded house in the woods. As David becomes entangled in their world, the film explores themes of temptation, freedom, and the darker aspects of human nature.

As part of obscure cult cinema – Cervi’s Queens of Evil (1970) is a beguiling cinematic oddity that makes it hard to define. This dark adult allegory, often categorized as Italian horror, is closer to a gothic fable of dark enchantment. A hypnotic sojourn into a world of counterculture critique, psychedelic imagery, and gothic fairy tale elements; at its core, it presents as a cautionary tale wrapped in the guise of a surreal nightmare, much like Bava’s 1973 fantasy horror – Lisa and the Devil in its broad chimerical brush strokes and its use of vivid hallucinatory illusion rather than a conventional narrative.

Tonino Cervi, a versatile Italian filmmaker who straddled the worlds of directing and producing, left his mark on cinema from the 1960s through the early 2000s. While his directorial efforts like the middling spaghetti western TODAY WE KILL…TOMORROW WE DIE! and the provocative nunsploitation film THE NUN AND THE DEVIL were notable; his true legacy lies in his exceptional work as a producer. He collaborated with some of Italy’s most celebrated directors, including Bernardo Bertolucci on THE GRIM REAPER and Michelangelo Antonioni on RED DESERT, released in 1964, premiering at the Venice Film Festival. He also worked on the landmark anthology BOCCACCIO ’70.

An Italian counterculture gem that will resonate with fans of the surreal and absurd, Queens of Evil is a vibrant and flamboyant film. It offers an enjoyable experience in its own eccentric way as Cervi’s direction blurs the lines between reality and fantasy, guiding viewers through a labyrinth of seductive illusions and hidden dangers.

The film’s hypnotic atmosphere, punctuated by moments of startling beauty and unsettling horror, serves as the connective tissue that binds its disparate elements into a cohesive whole. The surreal, phantasmagorical quality, coupled with its exploration of masculine desires and fears, elevates Queens of Evil beyond mere Euro-exploitation/horror, transforming it into a mesmeric journey through the subconscious. The languid pacing and oblique storytelling may alienate viewers seeking more conventional thrills. However, for those willing to surrender to its peculiar rhythms, its calm before the storm, the film offers a rich synthesis of ideas and images that linger long after the credits roll.

Queens of Evil is a cult classic for a reason. It invites us to rewatch with fresh eyes and sparks conversation, which is what cult films often do best. It manages to deviate from the trend of gothic horror by focusing on a more contemporary setting and themes, finding its place within counterculture cinema. Though the film does blend some aspects of gothic horror, its ruthless psychological gamesmanship elevates Queens of Evil beyond mere psychedelic pastiche and counterculture themes, which sets it apart from the more traditional Italian horror film.

In the context of Italian horror cinema, Queens of Evil emerged during a transitional period in the 1970s as it saw a decline in the pure gothic Italian horror genre, with the industry shifting towards Giallo films and occult-themed movies inspired by international successes like Rosemary’s Baby and The Exorcist.

Italian horror cinema significantly evolved during this period, moving from traditional gothic horror narratives to more contemporary, psychologically complex, and socially relevant themes. This shift reflected the rapid changes in the late 1960s and early 1970s cultural landscape.

The Vietnam War, social unrest, the rise of the counterculture, a lot was happening. People started to question those old systems of power and authority—complex ideas about society, power, and the human condition.

Queens of Evil reflected this transition, blending traditional gothic elements like the eerie villa and isolated setting but retaining a very contemporary look and feel. The film explores the era’s anxieties surrounding the prevalent counterculture and societal upheaval, mirroring the turbulent zeitgeist of its time.

The film draws parallels to fairy tales, with David comparing the house to “Snow White’s house,” setting up a dark fairy tale account. This comparison enhances the symbolic nature of the women as enchantresses or witches.

Along with the essence of an intensely bleak tale, it definitely possesses a duality. Queens of Evil manages to be both beautiful and repulsive. Echoing everything from ancient Greek myths to classic literature and the Bible. The dark hypnotic twist makes this film unique and trippy, as David is supposed to be the symbol of freedom, but then he falls under the Queens’ spell so easily. Maybe those hippie ideals were a little naive.

David represents the young idealists who rebel against the status quo yet remain vulnerable to corruption when his deepest longings are awakened.  Ray Lovelock stars in this enigmatic tale as the lone hippie, David. Lovelock is a charismatic bad boy with a sculpted physique. As David, he is lavished with adoration by the sisters within an idyllic setting until he is ultimately led as a lamb to the slaughter.

The French actress Haydée Politoff during the filming of the movie El gran amor del Conte Dracula’, directed by Javier Aguirre, 1972, Madrid, Spain. (Photo by Gianni Ferrari/Cover/Getty Images).

Among his co-stars are Haydée Politoff, of the Eric Rohmer films THE COLLECTOR (1967) CHLOE IN THE AFTERNOON (1972), and also Count Dracula’s Great Love (1973). His other co-stars are Silvia Monti of A LIZARD IN A WOMAN’S SKIN (1971) and THE FIFTH CORD (1971); and Ida Galli, whose credits include LA DOLCE VITA (1960), HERCULES IN THE HAUNTED WORLD (1961), THE LEOPARD (1963), THE WHIP AND THE BODY (1963), THE PSYCHIC (1977) and many others.

At the heart of the film, Lovelock’s David is a mix of naivety, angelic beauty, and charm. David embodies the ideals of the hippie movement – freedom, non-conformity, and a rejection of materialistic values. His motorcycle journey through the Italian countryside serves as a metaphor for the counterculture’s quest for enlightenment and escape from societal norms. However, David’s idealism is quickly put to the test when he encounters the titular “Queens.”

Imagine David, the story’s doomed protagonist; he’s a free-spirited cruising through the Italian countryside on his motorcycle. It sounds idyllic, but we know there’s a twist coming. Like David in Queens of Evil, riding his steel horse down open roads, it draws a clear parallel to Peter Fonda’s iconic role as Wyatt in Easy Rider (1969). The open road becomes a metaphor for the search for personal freedom and meaning. Both films feature protagonists who embody the late 1960s and early 1970s counterculture ethos, using motorcycles as symbols of their desire for freedom and rebellion against conventional society.

In Easy Rider, Wyatt (Peter Fonda) and Billy (Dennis Hopper) embark on a cross-country motorcycle journey, encountering various aspects of American culture and facing hostility from those who oppose their lifestyle. Similarly, David in Queens of Evil encounters mysterious and potentially dangerous characters during his travels who also oppose what he stands for.

A striking parallel exists between the archetypal narratives of wayward, virile ‘princes’ or studs ensnared within a pastoral paradise and the insatiable, evil Queens (i.e., Ava Gardner in Tam Lin) and seductive sirens who seek to possess them. This clash of archetypes, the untamed masculine spirit versus the ruthless feminine intellect, reflects the deep-seated cultural anxieties and preoccupations surrounding the nature of power, desire, and the fear of women’s primacy in particular, as with Tam Lin, older women’s primacy.

TAM LIN 1970 & BABA YAGA 1973 – Ava Gardner & Carroll Baker: THE FAERIE QUEEN"¦ & VALENTINA'S DREAM: Two Hollywood icons in search of mythology. Part 1

Tam Lin and Queens of Evil feel akin to the psychedelic folkloristic cinema, which captures that brief moment when fashionable trends were turning towards folklore motifs. Films thrive on a strong narrative, and legends are fed by things that are false and things that are true.

From the mythic sirens to folkloric temptresses, male protagonists throughout literary and cultural narratives have repeatedly found themselves ensnared by seductive forces that promise liberation but ultimately threaten destruction.

For example, the Sirens from Greek mythology in Homer’s Odyssey are creatures who lure male sailors to their doom with their enchanting songs. Odysseus had to be tied to his ship’s mast to resist their temptation. The story of Pinocchio features a place called Pleasure Island, where boys are lured with promises of fun and freedom, only to be transformed into donkeys. Some versions of Sleeping Beauty depict the prince being lured into danger by the sleeping princess’s beauty. In certain folklore, creatures like Succubi or some interpretations of vampires specifically target and lure men.

These stories often serve as cautionary tales, warning against the dangers of temptation, curiosity, or naivety. They reflect the consequences of unchecked desires.

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