In the fourth chapter of our series Goth Renaissance: A Critical Introduction to Italian Gothic Horror, we analyze three of Barbara Steele’s best movies. We’ve already encountered Steele twice in previous installments, but these three are essential entries for any overview of Italian gothic horror.
More than that, this trilogy of films represents not only the best work featuring Barbara Steele, but also can be seen as a certain culmination of Italian gothic horror. They pull together so many of the genre’s essential features, represent some of the finest work the period had to offer, and also point the way toward the genre’s dissolution in the late 1960s, as Italian exploitation film continued to evolve.
In many ways, and for better or worse, the story of Italian gothic horror is the story of Barbara Steele.
Timestamps
0:00 - the Fellini detour
1:15 - Castle of Blood (1964)
5:21 - Nightmare Castle (1965)
8:59 - An Angel for Satan (1966)
15:10 - conclusion
This is also the final “main” installment of Goth Renaissance. The fifth and final chapter will offer concluding thoughts on this period in Italian filmmaking, and explain how the gothic slowly gave way to Italian exploitation film.
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