Review of Baron Blood (1972) by Eric H — 26 Mar 2014

The best thing about this film is undoubtedly the style and atmosphere that Bava gives it. The film looks absolutely stunning and the locations used work brilliantly within the context of the plot. The castle at the centre of the film makes for a great place to set a Gothic horror movie and locations such as the torture chamber really help to give the film a truly horrific style.

The gore is not one of the main features of this movie, but there's still some on display and the killings are generally very good - seeing the Baron try out his torture devices on various unlucky victims is a lot of fun.

With the plot being so simple, the film isn't always totally engaging, but the atmosphere is always enough to keep the film focused. The Baron himself is a ghastly creation and his first appearance is a major highlight.

The acting isn't helped by some bad dubbing, but cult stars Elke Sommer and Joseph Cotten deliver good performances. The ending is predictable like the majority of the film but it's good enough and overall I can certainly recommend this film to people who value style over substance and appreciate a good Gothic horror movie.