(Small spoilers included) This is a brilliant film…I'm getting rather monotonous when reviewing Mario Bava films, but I can't help it. The man just made nothing but masterpieces and cult-highlights! Perhaps not the most genius film to state Bava's importance, Baron Blood still remains a stylish gothic wholesome that destroys practically all American horror movies. Baron Blood contains a lot of suspense and a rather fair amount of gore and maniacal slaughters. Other than that, all the usual Bava characteristics are present such as beautiful music, breath-taking locations and top-scenery (Von Kleist's torture chamber!!!). I just love the basic plot of Baron Blood! The key figure is a bloodthirsty madman, who was cursed to suffer eternally in hell back in the 17th century. A direct ascendant of his found a parchment, containing a formula to bring him back. Driven by curiosity he and a female architecture student (Elke Sommer – who already worked with Bava in the sublime ‘Lisa and the Devil') speak the words and true terror is resurrected once more. Innocent inhabitants of the small Austrian town start to die in horrible ways again. Meanwhile, a mysterious and lonely millionaire comes to town and buys the Baron's castle… Could there be a relation between the dwelling maniac and this man?

There are some serious plot holes in Baron Blood – almost the size of a melon - and the acting performances in this film surely are below standards. The constant screaming of Elke Sommer might become annoying after a while and especially Joseph Cotton disappoints with his uninspired performance. Cotton is best known for his role as Vincent Price's opponent in `The Abominable Dr. Phibes'. In spite of these few negative aspects, Baron Blood still is a MUST for Italian horror lovers and fans of horror cinema in general. If it were only for the haunting sequence in which Elke Sommer is being chased through the dark and foggy small streets of the village. Like none other, this scene proves that Bava is a master in creating a claustrophobic atmosphere.

The director of the frightening "Black Sunday' goes goth again with this modern day visit from an evil Baron from centuries before conjured up by two idiotic adults who know full well the consequences of such actions. This castle of evil, once the sight of hideous torture of a Vlad the Impaler like nobleman, is now a tourist haven even though the guests are basically barely seen extras. Once free from his eternal hell (brought about by a witch's curse),the Baron goes about with more evil, and the two young idiots set out to reverse their grave mistake before he send them to the grave.

There are some genuinely gripping horrors, particularly the plight of the insane groundsman trapped in a spiked casket. When the baron pursues an innocent young girl, you may find yourself on the edge of your seat. Joseph Cotten takes over the type of role that Ray Milland had been playing at the time, a wheel-chair bound mystery man who buys the castle. This isn't the classic of "Black Sunday's" caliber, and is missing the presence of someone like Barbara Steele. Elke Sommer is a stereotypical Fay Wray/Evelyn Ankers horror heroine, and when Baron Blood pursues her through the twists and turns of the castle grounds, the results are equally frightening.

The one laughable element of this poorly photographed thriller is the total inappropriate musical score that seems more fit for romantic comedy rather than grand guignol.

After the completion of his master's degree, Peter Kleist (Antonio Cantafora) travels to Austria to spend a leisure period doing nothing. He is welcomed in the airport by his uncle Dr. Karl Hummel (Massimo Girotti) and he asks if he could visit the castle of his ancestor, the evil Baron Otto von Kleist a.k.a. Baron Blood. In the Sixteenth Century, the sadistic baron was cursed by a witch Elisabeth Holle that he had burned at the stake and then he was killed by the locals in his Castle of Death. Peter meets the gorgeous Eva Arnold (Elke Sommer) that works restoring the castle and invites her to go with him to the castle after dinner to read an incantation written in an ancient parchment that would evoke the family course and bring the Baron back to life. After reading the magic words, the wind blows the parchment to the fireplace and it burns. When villagers mysterious disappear and Eva is chased by a weird man, they realize that they have released the Baron and they do not have the parchment anymore to call the incantation off. Their hope is that the clairvoyant and medium Christina Hoffmann (Rada Rassimov),who is a descendant of Elisabeth, might help them.

"Baron Blood" is another eerie and spooky movie of Mario Bava. The uncanny story of curse, witchcraft and resurrection is very well supported by the predictable screenplay that works well, but the stylish cinematography, the lighting and shadows and the camera work with unusual angle are impressive and give a creepy and nightmarish atmosphere to the feature. This is the first time that I see this movie and the IMDb Rating is underrated; I believe fans of horror movies will really like "Baron Blood". My vote is seven.

Title (Brazil): Not Available

Note: On 07 Oct 2018 I saw this film again.