Rating summary

Movie		4.5
Video		4.5
Audio		4.0
Extras		5.0
Overall		4.5

Castle of Blood 4K Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Jeffrey Kauffman January 10, 2024

Note: These versions of these films are available in 4K UHD and 1080 Blu-rays as part of Severin's Danza Macabra: Volume Two — The Italian Gothic Collection.

Severin released Danza Macabra: Volume One — The Italian Gothic Collection in 2023, and as I mentioned in our Danza Macabra: Volume One — The Italian Gothic Collection Blu-ray review, it was maybe just a little strange that the collection did not include the film from which it culled its very title. That situation has been rectified with this "new, improved" Volume Two, which includes not just the two alternate versions of Danza Macabra / Castle of Blood, both offered in 4K UHD and 1080 presentations, but three other somewhat later Italian gothic offerings (in 1080) as well. As usual, Severin has aggregated some really appealing supplements to help sweeten the pot (cauldron?).

For anyone unconversant with either Danza Macabra or Castle of Blood, and who may be searching for a quick summation of plot mechanics, a current day sitcom may provide at least a bit of a tether. Though they're obviously (ostensibly) played for laughs, both the UK and US versions of Ghosts rely on somewhat the same premise as Danza Macabra and/or its English language version Castle of Blood, in that a still living human is able to communicate with long deceased spirits, who appear in quasi-corporeal form throughout a spooky edifice with any number of ancient nooks and crannies. The background of exactly how Danza Macabra was made is dealt with in some detail in supplements included with this release, but suffice it to say it boiled down to a kind of equivalent of the conceit of old MGM musicals that had premises like "hey, we've got a barn, let's put on a show", albeit in this instance with "we have a huge set of a Gothic castle" in the place of any farm-like locale.

Long before efforts like The Pale Blue Eye sought to "reinvent" Edgar Allan Poe, Danza Macabra utilized the author as a McGuffin of sorts, positing a journalist named Alan Foster (Georges Rivière), who actually meets with Poe (Silvano Tranquilli, billed at Montgomery Glenn). When Poe insists his tales of terror are not from the imagination, but really happened, Foster is having none of it, devoted rationalist that he seems to be. After some cajoling, he accepts a wager from a man seated at Poe's table named Thomas Blackwood (Umberto Raho), who challenges Foster to spend the night in the supposedly haunted Blackwood family castle. Foster is happy to oblige, eager to hopefully debunk the sort of spooky goings on Poe has written about and insists are real.

A somewhat convoluted backstory is ultimately disclosed which involves ghosts Elisabeth (Barbara Steele, never more "Morticia"-esque) and Julia (Margrete Robsahm). Suffice it to say some libertine behaviors have led to a series of deaths, but there's another subplot that is utlimately revealed that puts Foster in ostensible danger. Despite a plot that is at least a surface level labyrinth, it's probably less important in the long run than the weirdly hypnotic mood the film weaves. This is definitely a "slow burn" enterprise, and the Danza Macabra version in particular arguably goes on a bit too long, but things build to a rather interesting climax, and Steele and Robsahm in particular are both eyefuls and deliver rather arresting performances.

Castle of Blood 4K Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Note: Screenshots are sourced from Severin's 1080 presentations of both versions. Screenshots 1 through 4 are from Danza Macabra, and screenshots 5 through 8 are from Castle of Blood.

Danza Macabra and Castle of Blood are presented in 4K UHD courtesy of Severin Films with HEVC / H.265 encoded 2160p transfers in 1.85:1. "Standard" AVC encoded 1080p transfers in 1.85:1 are included on two separate discs. Danza Macabra has the following information on text cards before the presentation (and I have repeated this information verbatim, despite some slightly curious verbiage):

Castle of Blood was restored and preserved in 2022 by Cinematographique Lyre in collaboration with Cinematheque francaise, with the support of CNC, th e9th arrondissement Council (Paris), companies Artus Films, Lobster Films and Severin Films, and all contributors of the crowdfunding campaign held on the proarti platform, among whom Maria Barsanti, Vincent Garnier, Catherine Guilleret, Esperanza Lozano_Guillen, Anne and Romain Soubeyran.

The restoration work was performed in 4K at laboratories Eclair Classics / L'Immagine Ritrovata (Bologne - Paris) and L.E. Diapason (Paris), from the original 35mm image and sound negatives and original dupe negatives. Various 35mm prints served as reference. The restored version includes some sequences initially cut out when the film was first released.

Since Severin is offering new 1080 and 2160 restorations of both versions of the film, I'll try to address everything in one fell swoop, but to cut to the chase, the difference between these new and definitely improved offerings and the one offered as a bonus item on Severin's release of Nightmare Castle is night and day, or, perhaps more accurately given the story's shadowy setting, night and night. This is another film where tolerance of rather heavy grain may affect reactions when comparing the 2160 to the 1080 version, and while the 4K offering definitely has a grittier overall look, there are no major resolution problems of note. Both resolutions offer noticeably improved detail levels and far less observable age related wear and tear when compared to Severin's "bonus item" from years ago, but that said, the opening credits for Castle of Blood are still very badly damaged and have obviously undergone little or actually no restoration / clean up. There's still occasional crush on display in both the 4K and 1080 versions (the opening scene in the carriage is a notable example), and while it's probably somewhat ameliorated courtesy of HDR on the 4K disc, I frankly wouldn't say it's completely eliminated. The deepness of the blacks may indicate how generally excellent contrast can be, and this has really appealingly modulated gray scale that emphasizes the moody cinematography. My 4K score is 4.25.

Castle of Blood 4K Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Danza Macabra features the Italian language version in DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 Mono, with an option for a hybrid Italian-English version also in DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 Mono. Castle of Blood offers the shorter English dub in DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 Mono. While there are some arguable variances between these choices, on the whole I'd say they're rather similar, with really good dialogue representation but some pretty brash high end that is immediately apparent in some of the hyperbolic string cues, as well as other "underscore" that almost sounds like some of Dominic Frontiere's early electronic music choices for some moments in The Outer Limits: Season One, some of which may be strident enough to encourage some listeners to turn their volumes down. Other sound effects reverberate well, and midrange in particular in both languages is quite full bodied. Optional English subtitles are available.

Castle of Blood 4K Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

Disc One (4K UHD)

• Danza Macabra (UHD: 1:31:19) and Castle of Blood (UHD; 1:22:56) are accessible from the Main Menu.

Danza Macabra

Commentary with Rod Barnett of NaschyCast and The Bloody Pit, and Dr. Adrian Smith, Co-Author of Norman J. Warren - Gentleman of Terror

Castle of Blood

Trailer (HD; 1:38)




TV Spot (HD; 1:04)

Disc Two (Danza Macabra 1080)

• Commentary with Rod Barnett of NaschyCast and The Bloody Pit, and Dr. Adrian Smith, Co-Author of Norman J. Warren - Gentleman of Terror


• Selected Scene Commentary with Actress Barbara Steele and Barbara Steele Archivist Russ Lanier


• Exploring the Castle of Blood (HD; 44:27) is another really interesting piece with Stephen Thrower, who gets into quite a bit of background and contextual information.

Disc Three ( Castle of Blood 1080)

• The Director Who Didn't Like Blood (HD; 13:44) is an engaging interview with Edoardo Margheriti, son of director Antonio Margheriti. Subtitled in English.


• Enigmatic Elegance: Unveiling the Haunting Legacy of Barbara Steele in the Italian Gothic (HD; 30:35) is a somewhat elaborately titled video essay by Rachael Nisbet, which offers a fun overview of Steele's memorable contributions to this genre.


• Return to the Castle (HD; 22:23) offers a fun scavenger hunt of sorts for locations utilized in the film. Subtitled in English.


• Antonio Margheriti Remembers Castle of Blood and Barbara Steele (HD; 5:10) is culled from the files of Peter Blumenstock and comes with a warning about video and audio quality. Subtitled in English.


• Trailer (HD; 1:38)


• TV Spot (HD; 1:04)

Castle of Blood 4K Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

For those who have never seen either version of this film, this may admittedly be a case of the expectation exceeding actual realization, since my hunch is many will probably find both versions (especially the Italian) somewhat on the slow side. That said, for those willing to go with the kind of trance like flow of this tale, both versions offer mood in abundance. Longtime fans of these two iterations will most likely be more than pleased with the Severin release's technical merits, and as usual for the label, the supplements are excellent. Recommended.