An attorney arrives at a castle to settle the estate of its recently deceased owner. The owner's wife and daughter reveal that he was someone who was able to summon the souls of ancient plague victims and, in fact, his spirit was roaming the castle at that very moment. Soon occupants of the castle begin to die off in gruesome, violent ways.
Acting
Barbara Steele's hypnotic, oversized performance.
Cinematography
Shadow-drenched castle corridors on a shoestring.
Practical Effects
That severed hand prop deserves its own credit.
Director
Massimo Pupillo
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
Released in Italy as '5 tombe per un medium' — the '5 graves' title makes slightly more sense than the American rebrand. Pupillo shot three horror films in 1965 alone.
This is peak '60s Italian Gothic: Barbara Steele's contractually obligated presence, plague as spiritual punishment, and a castle that looks expensive on no budget. The severed hand became a Pupillo signature.
IT
