Long Hair Of Death

 Elizabeth and Helen’s mother is burnt at the stake forg a witch and having caused the death beinof a local lord’s son. Helen’s efforts to convince the lord to postpone the execution prove fruitless and she dies cursing him and Karl, his son. When Elizabeth grows up she becomes the object of Karl’s erotic obsession and finally gives in to marry him. Their marriage runs into trouble when a beautiful woman looking very like Helen arrives and Karl sets about seducing her and removing any barriers to this new relationship. Will Helen’s curse be visited on Karl and will Elizabeth survive his new adultery.

Antonio Margheriti made great films, ordinary films and bizarre films. He made spaghetti westerns, Gialli, Zombie films, Gothic horror, war films and even a Blaxploitation movie. This earlyish Gothic Horror unites him with scream queen Barbara Steele and writer Ernesto Gastaldi. Long Hair is a Poe-like tale of revenge. Evil Karl kills his own brother and sends an innocent woman to her death. Karl’s father uses the excuse of the woman’s execution to seduce one daughter and the curse is laid on the family. The curse leads to the lord’s people being affected by pestilence and only when Elizabeth asks her mother’s grave for respite does it stop. Karl then takes her as his bride only for Helen’s re-emergence to lead in train a set of assassinations and deceits which lead to Karl’s poetic end.

Long Hair is competently made, well produced and strongly acted. Like Margheriti’s Castle of Blood it is quite racy for its time and some Steele nudity will guarantee appreciation with fanboys. It isn’t as good as other great Italian horror like Mill of the Stone Women, Suspiria or Black Sabbath but it is equally as enjoyable as Virgin of Nuremberg or Castle of Blood. It is a good addition to your Italian Horror collection. (10,000 Bullets)