Dr Vogler is brought in to provide pranotherapy (think Reiki) to the slightly sadistic, wheelchair-bound Mrs Rezzori at her castle. A vagrant outside the gates warns Vogler of evil spirits residing in the unused parts of the castle, but the doctor foolishly ignores him.
From the get-go Vogler is afflicted with visions of murder. True to the vagrant's words, there's a rotting corpse stalking the uninhabited halls, murdering anyone who...well, anyone! Dr Vogler undertakes an investigation into the matter, only to find the menace more bizarre than he'd ever imagined.
This is one of the best of the Fulci Presents series, crummy as most of those films are. It's loaded with atmosphere and memorable visuals, but there's not a lot of suspense. There IS, however, a decent amount of blood and slime. After all, Fulci DID have his finger in this, and his trademarks are all present: close-ups of eyes, gooshy slimy bits, and scenes repeated over and over (for what effect, I'm not sure).
The camerawork is pretty lazy, but the minimal lighting and interesting shot compositions somewhat make up for it. The electronic soundtrack is quite fitting, with the exception of one hokey country tune used in an equestrian scene. I might also mention that there's more than a couple scenes that are completely unrelated to the goings-on at hand. Like the Tai Chi bit... or the sensuous cream drinking scene. Watch it if only for that, it's right up there with the sensuous cob of corn bit in Troll 2. Recommended for completists and fans of haunted house horror, though one may be hard-pressed to find a copy outside of Italy.
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