Walking a narrow tightrope between giallo and horror, 1972’s Murder Mansion, by then first time director Francisco Lara Polop, pulls from films like The Cat and the Canary (either the 1927 or 1939 edition) and House on Haunted Hill (1959), as well as sources like Agatha Christie’s “And Then There Were None” and maybe even Scooby-Doo, to create a bizarre concoction that mostly works.
Opening in a most unexpected way for either a giallo or horror feature, motorcycle meets sports car in a blistering country road race, the former driven by calm, cool, and collected Fred (Andrés Resino), while the latter is floored by cocksure Mr. Porter (Franco Fantasia – talk about a name). Only fueling the fire, sultry fashionista Laura (Lisa Leonardi) is spotted hitchhiking. . . the motorist winning the pick-up over the biker, the chase continuing as they weave in and out of sporadic traffic. . . only for the biker to convince her to join him at their next gas station stop (as Mr. Porter is a tad too handsy). She quickly learns that she had initially made the wrong choice, as chemistry blossoms almost instantly with Fred.
In an alternate narrative, an important purchase is about to be made. . . Mr. And Mrs. Tremont (Eduardo Fajardo and Yelena Samarina) will soon be signing the papers to buy a most glorious estate from Elsa (Analía Gadé) and her cheat of a hubby Ernest (Alberto Dalbés). . . who is ‘stranded’ on the way to the signing. A little side note – we must feel sorry for Elsa, as her husband sadly reminds her too much of her playboy father (George Rigaud – Death Walks on High Heels).
In a hurry to get the papers signed, the three depart to pick up Ernest. . . while our three earlier speedsters also decide to hit the road. With the darkness of night bringing with it a fog that is thick enough to cut, the motorists will find themselves lost and stranded, some of them even getting into accidents. As if some sort of cosmic fate is at play, they all find their way to a most dilapidated cemetery attached to a long deserted town.
Like a beacon of hope (maybe not), only one home has a light on. . . each one of these aforementioned individuals entering an estate that might have been something special about half a century ago. Hosted by owner Martha Clinton (Evelyn Stewart – The Case of the Scorpion’s Tail), she rarely returns to this former mansion. . . preferring to live in the nearby city. With the home centred on a glorious fireplace and a portrait of Martha’s eerily similar looking ancestor above it (a rumoured witch), the walls are adorned with pagan-like artwork that would make even the most nihilistic person twitchy. . . while there is a double sized metal door that she warns everyone not to open (uh oh). Matters aren’t helped when certain people start seeing what looks like the aged ancestor and her hideously deformed Chofer (José Luis Velasco) wandering the graveyard. . . could they be ghosts, vampires, or witch and mindless zombie servant?
Settling in until the morning. . . though who could be settled in such a place, each guest will retire to his or her own room, except for Fred and Laura, who share the living room. As we reach the witching hour, people start dying (or disappearing), leading Fred and Laura to become amateur sleuths while the others fret or follow. What could be the cause of this seemingly supernatural situation? And perhaps more importantly, will any of our wayward wanderers find safety by living until dawn?
A slow burner of a horror thriller (despite the early racing scenes), Polop relishes the build. . . all fog and candlelight, creaky floors and mysteriously unopen doors (gothic leaning, this one never turns into a gorefest, unlike other gialli). Not much happens for about half the film, instead, we learn intriguing details of these characters and their lives while he teases us with hints of silhouettes in the graveyard, or lore that would give anyone goosebumps when stranded on a foggy night in an inhospitable villa. Then, in the second half, things really start to pick up. . . fantastic lighting and make-up effects that will give you the creeps (and maybe even a few startles). For a small budget, you really have to give Polop and his team credit – as a good number of the scares look topnotch.
A lovingly handcrafted film from a first time director, Murder Mansion is the type of playful, atmospheric feature that gives horror a good name. Mesmeric in its set and visuals (lots of zooms and perfectly selected camera angles), it’s near impossible not to get caught up in this engaging murder mystery. A final note, the simple main theme composed by Marcello Giombini only adds to the overall effect. So, sign off on this little known Spanish/Italian giallo, even though it might put a spell on you.
This film can be watched in Spanish with English subtitles, or in dubbed English