As members of the aristocratic Karnstein family die in mysterious circumstances Count Ludwig Karnstein (Christopher Lee) fears for his daughter Laura (Adriana Ambesi). The sickly girl is tormented by vivid nightmares. It is enough to distract Ludwig from his secret affair with blonde housemaid Annette (Véra Valmont) as he summons a friend, Dr. Friedrich Klaus (José Campos) in the hope of finding a medical solution. Meanwhile creepy but faithful housekeeper Rowena (Nela Conjiu) suspects Laura has been possessed by the spirit of her evil ancestor, Carmilla. She turns to witchcraft for help. Eventually the arrival of another visitor to the castle, frail beauty Ljuba (Ursula Davis) rouses Laura from her stupor. Yet she still hears Carmilla’s voice urging her to kill.
J. Sheridan LeFanu’s seminal vampire novel ‘Carmilla’ became a hot property in the Sixties after French auteur Roger Vadim filmed it as Blood and Roses (1960). Later LeFanu’s text served as the inspiration behind a loose trilogy of lesbian vampire films - The Vampire Lovers (1970), Lust for a Vampire (1970) and Twins of Evil (1971) - produced by Britain’s preeminent horror studio, Hammer Films. Here Hammer superstar Christopher Lee, in one of his sporadic Euro-horror roles, headlines an unofficial adaptation that does not credit LeFanu. Lensed in lush, moody black and white La crypta e l’incubo a.k.a. Terror in the Crypt a.k.a. Crypt of the Vampire a.k.a. Crypt of Horror has that air of morbid romanticism unique to the Italian gothic. Even the occasional intrusive crash-zoom can’t shake the eerie mood.
A Spanish co-production (as is obvious from the abundance of Josés in the cast) it is a slow-moving yet lyrical chiller laced with the occasional effective shock. Camillo Mastrocinque, who directed only one other horror film - An Angel for Satan (1966) with Euro-horror icon Barbara Steele - and remains best known for his comedies, adheres to the template established by the great Mario Bava with Black Sunday (1960). As in that breakthrough Italian classic a handsome, rational man of science intrudes on an ‘old world’ community where a heroine is haunted by a vengeful ancestor condemned to death for practicing witchcraft. However co-writers Tonino Valerii (later himself a director of note, mostly westerns and thrillers) and Ernesto Gastaldi (was there a classic Italian horror he didn’t write?) import lesbian undertones from LeFanu’s novel as Ljuba’s fragile beauty and propensity for sleeping nude stir passion in Laura.
Given the restrictions of the period the film can only hint at the exact nature of Ljuba and Laura’s companionship. Yet judging from the vexed reactions of Dr. Klauss and Annette we are meant to regard their mutual infatuation as "unhealthy." Tonally the tormented Laura is closer to LeFanu’s literary creation than the wilful seductresses found in the Hammer films, though the plot eventually springs an effective, albeit easy to guess twist ending. It leads to a coda that also firmly reinforces hetero-normality in a manner more palatable in 1964 than today. Another interesting twist sees Rowena use the power of Satan for good in order to solve a murder, although true to form he proves no help when she lands in danger. While lead actress Adriana Ambesi acquits herself well enough as the haunted heroine she lacks the eerie magnetism of Barbara Steele. Similarly José Campos’ stiff performance as the effete hero is complemented by an indifferent English dub. Top-billed Christopher Lee excels in an atypically subdued role but does not have much to do.
Nevertheless Mastrocinque, aided by cinematographers Julio Ortas and Giuseppe Aquari (notorious spaghetti western hack Demifilo Fidani is also credited as production designer), pulls off some clever lighting tricks that lend key scenes a certain magical frisson: e.g. the grisly discovery of hanging corpse; a victim yanked into darkness till all we hear are their screams; a hand reaching from a coffin to strangle our hero; plus a great moment where a character suddenly springs out their coffin to point an accusing finger Laura’s way.
