Peter goes to Austria to relax after getting his MA and to..."find his roots." He stays with an uncle who shows him the castle that belonged to his dead ancestor (aka Baron Blood), who was notorious for his torture chamber. He meets an architecture student named Eva and they find out the Baron was cursed under a witch's spell. So they decide to invoke the Baron's spirit. Why? Because Peter can't pass the chance to get to know one of his ancestors. Really. This is the worst Bava movie I've seen so far. Not to say it was bad. Baron Blood is very stylish and entertaining, gruesome, suspenseful, and the sets are great. The main problem is that the plot is absurd and the characters and their apparent motivations are extremely stupid. The horrid 70s song that opens and closes the movie should have never been recorded. My Rating: 5.5/10

Antonio Cantafora plays Peter Kleist, a young American who travels to Austria to research his heritage. There he hooks up with his uncle Karl (Massimo Girotti), a professor, and a very sexy blonde woman, Eva Arnold (Elke Sommer). Although we know right away that he'll be playing with fire, he and Eva recite an incantation that will help to resurrect Peters' ancestor, the Baron of the title. "Baron Blood" was a 16th century sadist who tortured victims in a dungeon, and now he stalks the family castle that has been purchased by an eccentric old American man, Alfred Becker (Joseph Cotten).

When it comes to technical execution, director Mario Bava is firing on all cylinders here. Paying tribute to the Gothic horror films that were so popular in the 1930s and 40s, and infusing the plot with a gory 70s sensibility, Bava creates a visually sumptuous, striking entertainment. The castle setting is just as good as anything seen in horror films of decades past, and naturally the Technicolor process really helps to bring it to life. The lighting (by Bava himself, uncredited) and use of camera angles are exemplary. The music by Stelvio Cipriani is effectively moody. There are some wonderful moments, but overall "Baron Blood" is not as thickly atmospheric as Bavas' best horror films. What prevents it from really being great, though, is that the plot just isn't that interesting. The big "twist" is obvious right from the start.

The performances are sound. Cotten is amusing, and Cantafora and Sommer sure do make a good looking pair. Girotti is superb, as is Luciano Pigozzi as the weaselly Fritz and Umberto Raho as the standard issue police inspector character that we always expect to see in stories like this. That's a very young Nicoletta Elmi playing Uncle Karls' daughter.

Certainly this is worthy viewing for any fan of Bava or Italian horror in general.

Seven out of 10.

Taking a break from his college studies, Peter Kleist (Antonio Cantafora) flies to Austria to get in touch with his heritage. He learns that his notorious ancestor was nicknamed "Baron Blood," a sadist cursed by a witch he burned to death. After meeting Eva (Elke Sommer) they playfully read an incantation at his family's castle and inadvertently bring the infamous Baron back to life, which is when people start dying. Joseph Cotton is on hand as a mysterious wheelchair-bound man who purchases the chateau at auction.

The original Italian title of Mario Bava's "Baron Blood" (1972) is "The horrors of Castle Nuremberg" (translated), which describes the film in a nutshell. In style & content it places just between Hammer gothic horror and the soon-to-come slashers.

The best thing about the flick is its spooky castle ambiance, which brings to mind hallowed horror like "The Terror" (1963), "Bloody Pit of Horror" (1965) and "The Devil's Nightmare" (1971). It's superior to the hammy "Bloody Pit," but pretty much on par with the other two, although I prefer them for various reasons. This one's marred by nonsensical script elements concerning the witch's curious curse & the Baron's unexplained abilities. Nevertheless, it's a top contender for gothic horror atmosphere.

Antonio Cantafora looks like the Euro version of Peter Fonda, albeit less formidable (physically). Meanwhile feminine charms are limited to Elke Sommer, unless you favor witchy women like Christina/Elizabeth (both played by Rada Rassimov, who resembles Celine Dion). Little redhead Nicoletta Elmi (Gretchen) would grow up to be a striking minor actress.

The film runs about 1 hour, 37 minutes, and was shot at Burg Kreuzenstein (castle) and Klosterneuburg (street scenes) & Korneuburg in Lower Austria, as well as Vienna. Writer Vincent G. Fotre was a professional tennis player who dabbled in scriptwriting.

GRADE: B-/B