THE MONSTER OF BLACKWOOD CASTLE (1968, original title Der Hund von Blackwood Castle) is a late-stage krimi offering once again starring genre mainstay Heinz Drache as protagonist. He plays one of a number of mysterious characters, most of them men, who arrive at the remote Blackwood Castle after the death of its owner. What links all of the men and why are they all so eager to gain entrance to the building? And what of the sinister monster that lurks in the local woods, tearing out throats and leaving a string of corpses in its wake?
This one's a pretty quirky effort that plays up the comedy of the situation to good effect; it has a real tongue-in-cheek approach compared to some of the earlier and drier black and white instalments in the Edgar Wallace series. The running time flies past at speed with lots of weirdo characters, humorous situations, and funny interactions. Both actors and actresses get plenty to work with and the unusual touches (a corpse that won't stay dead, a phone in a stuffed polar bear, a dog with snake fangs) make it stand out and lively, an offbeat spin on THE HOUND OF THE BASKERVILLES perhaps. Sure, it's convoluted and the ending stretches credibility, but the important thing is that it's fun throughout.
This one's a pretty quirky effort that plays up the comedy of the situation to good effect; it has a real tongue-in-cheek approach compared to some of the earlier and drier black and white instalments in the Edgar Wallace series. The running time flies past at speed with lots of weirdo characters, humorous situations, and funny interactions. Both actors and actresses get plenty to work with and the unusual touches (a corpse that won't stay dead, a phone in a stuffed polar bear, a dog with snake fangs) make it stand out and lively, an offbeat spin on THE HOUND OF THE BASKERVILLES perhaps. Sure, it's convoluted and the ending stretches credibility, but the important thing is that it's fun throughout.