User reviews

A courageous french dvd editor released this early rare giallo from 1969, and it's a nice surprise, a blend of moody giallo (black-leathered masked criminal, sexy Erna Shurer, tough Roland Carey, jazzy psychedelic score, moody photography, light erotic scenes), of gothic (light torture scenes) and pure amateurism. Yes amateurism, the director is completely unkown, the fabulous documentary on bonus tells us it is the director of photography Francesco Atteni who really directed, but he was a very minor technician with few movies in his filmography, like there were so many in Italy. Even if this "Bambola di Satana" hasn't got the level of early giallos by Mario Bava, Romolo Guerrieri (with Caroll Baker), Umberto Lenzi (again with Caroll Baker, unforgettable) or Emilio Miraglia, it still suits for giallo fans.

As we all know by now, Italy has several million huge castles within its borders and all of them are either filled with soul dead hipsters bent on murdering each other, or incestuous siblings, or men in drag who murder women, or are just plain haunted by either Barbara Steele or someone related to her, or maybe Barbara Steele haunting herself. The Doll of Satan tries to mix up most of these elements to keep things going, but then forgets to add a bit of spice to the mix.

Elizabeth has just been bequeathed one of these huge castles by her late uncle and is heading there with her hipster boyfriend to check out what's going down. The lady in charge there, Claudine, seems to think that Elizabeth's uncle wanted to sell the house, which is all new to Elizabeth. Worse still, Claudine puts the willies up Elizabeth by telling her of the ghost of a past relative, also called Elizabeth, and that the ghost of her lover stills walks the walls of the castle. Oh, and by the way Elizabeth, have you noticed that new torture dungeon downstairs? Claudine got it from Ikea.

Throw in a mysterious lover for Claudine and a ton of dodgy characters up to something (a guy in a bar, a hippy lady who draws pictures in the countryside, a friendly neighbour who stops Elizabeth walking into quicksand (?)), a black gloved killer who doesn't really kill many people at all, some erotic dreams and an insane person kept in a locked room and you're really ticking a lot of boxes here. You're also taking a lot of time throwing all these details in and although the film looks great, it's kind of good but not great too.

The vengeful dog bit was great though! The film needed more eccentric bits like that. No giallo fan is going to hate this film, but then any casual viewers will probably end up wondering what the fuss is all about. If you're going to show you're granny this, as people often do with gialli ("Hey gran - let's watch Iguana with the Tongue of Fire!") DO NOT get this film mixed up with Satan's Baby Doll. That's one you'll want to watch on your own. With some Kleenex.

This Giallo came somewhat early in the cycle, and these days is near on impossible to find. The film takes place in and around an old castle and the story focuses on the classic idea of people being killed for an inheritance. La Bambola di Satana is directed by Ferruccio Casapinta, who it has to be said, does a really fine job in terms of the style and atmosphere. The production values are very good and the director makes effective use of his setting and the castle itself is stylishly presented. However, the story is not always so interesting and that's what ultimately brings the film down. The plot focuses on Elizabeth; a young girl that returns to her family home for the reading of her uncle's will. However, upon arriving at the castle; she is introduced to some strange people and told of the various legends surrounding the place. It's not long before Elizabeth starts to have some strange experiences and she soon realises that this all has to do with her claiming her inheritance, and begins to investigate.

The film stars Erna Schürer, who is great in the lead role. Her look suits the style of the film like a glove; and the fact that she's very easy on the eyes is a major bonus. The plot of the film is basically good; but the way it's presented isn't. It's all rather choppy and can be hard to follow at times; which makes the film rather tedious. Director Ferruccio Casapinta (this his only film credit) also takes on the 'less is more' view in terms of the murders, and despite the fact that a few characters are killed; the film is practically bloodless, which is a shame - especially considering the rather cruel Blood and Black Lace that was released five years before this film. The music is rather nice, however; Franco Potenza's score is weird and disorientating, creating a nice atmosphere. The film also features a few torture scenes; but again, they are not particularly brutal. It all boils down to a well worked, if rather confusing ending. Overall, this is worth a look but really isn't one of the best Giallo's I've seen and is for fanatics only.

Better movie than I would have expected. A plot that is all in all decent and decently managed. There has been a bit of action and fear in this mystery story that has what it takes to carve out its niche of fans.

Elisabeth visits the ancestral castle for the reading of her late uncle's will.But the legend of the castle's ghost is only one of her problems-she starts having disturbing erotic nightmares and is abducted by a hooded figure who imprisons her in the torture dungeon.These vivid dreams are in fact nightmares and not a carefully stage-managed reality designed to drive her mad or to her death.Her boyfriend Jack suspects that someone is after her inheritance and begins his own investigation...Very colorful and atmospheric Italian giallo set in a medieval Italian castle with catacombs and torture devices.The killings are very tame and bloodless,there is a black-gloved killer stalking his victims and a little bit of soft eroticism.The wolves howling outside in the dark add a lot to the atmosphere.8 out of 10.

With a cob-webbed plot creakier than Miss Marple's bowling shoes, and a deliciously Scooby Doo'd twist, director Ferruccio Casapinta's audacious hybrid of Gothic black-gloved giallo, and pulpy Edgar Wallace castle-set calamity proves to be a bit of a camp classic in spite of itself! While nowhere near as phantasmagorically perverse as, Polseli's 'Black Magic Rites!', or Bianchi's sleazy 'Satan's Baby Doll', it has a engagingly skewed Gothic vibe many Euro-schlock seekers may find irresistible! Distractingly perky blonde Elizabeth Ball Janon (Erna Schurer) inherits a forbidding castle estate worthy of Frederick Usher himself, and even before the delectable Schurer has sinuously slinked into her slinkiest of nighties, some sinister, castle-creeping creep has slipped poor Elizabeth a mickey, and she suffers the most terrible visions, her S&M tormented think sponge begins to soak up all these saucy shenanigans as some prototypically elusive Giallo misfit attempts to surreptitiously snuff out all the guests; but just who is the shadow stalking snuffer, and what exactly might their murderous agenda be?

'La Bambola Di Satana' aka 'The Doll of Satan' is a wickedly warped, captivatingly kitsch whodunnit, while ultimately a little tame, its satanic nature, no less diminutive than petite scream dream Schurer, but Ferruccio Casapinta's swinging sixties, ominously outlandish, pop-gothic mystery, with its en suite, fully loaded torture chamber, hot and cold running lunatics, 24hr meth lab, conveniently located burial plots, and tantalizingly torrid terror plots guarantees your shuddersome stay in the hysterically horror-haunted Ball Janon castle will be a far from uneventful experience! Beguilingly steeped in kinky atmosphere, this endearingly quirky 60s Italian creepshow is certainly not without its charming eccentricities, and the fabulously funky, ear-wormingly groovy score by Franco Potenza is one of the more maddeningly compelling aspects to Casapinta's vastly underappreciated, sweetly sadistic Gothic fantasy.