Nella stretta morsa del ragno
Tags: gothic, murder

Plot synopsis:
In an attempt to convince journalist Alan Foster [Anthony Franciosa] that his horror
stories are not pure fantasy, Edgar Allan Poe [Klaus Kinski] challenges the journalist to
spend All Soul's Eve in Lord Thomas Blackwood's [Enrico Osterman] mansion, a challenge from
which no one has ever returned. Alan's evening in the uninhabited,
spiderweb-invested castle starts out uneventfully, until Alan discovers
that he is not alone. Sharing the house with him is Elisabeth Blackwood [Michèle Mercier],
sister of Lord Blackwell and the most beautiful woman he has ever seen,
along with Elisabeth's lover Julia [Karin Field], a murderer named Herbert [Raf Baldassarre], one Dr
Carmus [Peter Carsten] who writes books about metaphysical medicine, and an entire
ballroom full of dancers.Within 15 minutes, Alan and Elisabeth have fallen in love, but it is
Dr Carmas who explains the scene that begins to unfold before them. While
Elisabeth's husband William [Silvano Tranquilli] was away on business, Elisabeth took up with
Herbert. Upon William's return, Herbert stabbed him in a jealous rage.
When Herbert turned on Elisabeth, Julia killed Herbert. Elisabeth then
killed Julia in revenge. Yet, there they all are, alive and Well.It's like a snake, Carmus explains, that will continue to bite even
after having its head separated from its body, because its sense of
defense does not die when the body dies. The soul and the senses can
continue to live on, even when the body has passed and begins to
disintegrate. Now, each year on All Soul's Eve, the dead ones come to life
in search of human blood to tide them over another year.Suddenly all the players begin advancing on Alan. "We need your
blood," says Carmus. "Your blood is our life," says Julia. "It's the only
way to assure us a night of life one year from now." Alan tries to escape
but all the doors are locked. Out of love for him, Elisabeth offers to
help Alan escape. She leads him out to the front gate but, being dead, she
can go no further. Alan tries to pull her with him, but she disappears. As
Alan goes through the front gate, he is impaled on a wrought iron spike.Epilogue: Poe and Lord Blackwood ride by the gate in their carriage.
Seeing Alan impaled on the gate, Lord Blackwood pronounces him the loser
of the wager. Elisabeth's voice is heard asking Alan whether he stayed for
her, and Alan replies, "Yes, Elisabeth." [Original Synopsis by bj_kuehl.]

Review: Still, he sets the tone admirably for the next 90 minutes of flickering candelabra, ethereal vampire beauties and white muslin curtains billowing softly by moonlight.It would be easy to dismiss this movie as a compendium of Gothic horror cliches.
In truest Gothic horror tradition, Nella Stretta Morsa del Ragno does very little that's new - but does it in grand style!In a nutshell, the fiendishly deranged Poe inveigles a young journalist (Anthony Franciosa) into spending a night in a creepy old mansion.
The problem is that he tried to make it much too more -- to explore the period detail in particular -- and in doing so the focus of the film became muddled.One of the aspects that made CASTLE OF BLOOD so remarkable was Marghetti's use of light and dark in such a calculated manner -- whenever Alan Foster strikes a match or lights a candle, it is an EVENT within the framework of the shot.
The result is a series of events that look like they were filmed on a movie set, not a nightmare playing out in front of our eyes in living black and white.
It is the segment when Dr. Carmus takes his little trip down into the Blackwood family crypt and finds something that should probably have best gone undisturbed.'Tis a pity, though, that an adventurous company like Blue Underground or Anchor Bay Entertainment doesn't resurrect and "restore" this bizarre, flawed but interesting bit of Eurohorror; With his widescreen shot compositions and color schemes intact, the Italian cut I found not only runs circles around the prints turning up on the Brentwood and Diamond DVD sets, but it does away with the "another film where every shot is a closeup" charge -- those closeups are the result of a widescreen image being chopped, reformatted and blown up to play back on television sets.
And, as is evident in the latest DVD release by Diamond, some of the distributors looped, slowed down or even froze individual frames to cover up what little graphic luridness that Marghetti used and was deemed unacceptable.Yet right there we come to the meat of the thesis on why NELLA STRETTA MORSA DEL RAGNO will always be looked upon as less than a success -- it is too tame for the time period it was made in.
The Italian print does include some very brief nudity and, like the Synapse DVD release of CASTLE OF BLOOD, spends more time establishing the illicit lesbian relationship between Elizabeth and Julia ...
For the present, the version to go with for US buyers is to be found on Diamond's double bill DVD with CIRCUS OF FEAR, runs about 98 minutes, has a somewhat richer color range and much better quality audio, and for it's budget line price you really can't beat it.I give WEB OF THE SPIDER/NELLA STRETTA MORSA DEL RAGNO *** out of ****, but only because I have a soft spot for it, and still feel the hair rise up on my neck whenever Dr. Carmus lights his candle and goes looking for that breathing sound ....
Nowhere Near as Great as "Danza Macabra", but still Atmospheric Gothic Horror.
Right after Mario Bava, the late Antonio Margheriti was arguably the second-greatest Italian Gothic Horror director, his doubtlessly most ingenious work being the 1964 masterpiece "Danza Macabra" (aka.
"Danza Macabra" easily ranks among the most brilliant and fascinating Gothic Horror films ever made, and I was therefore sceptical about this "Nella stretta morsa del ragno" aka.
"In the Grip of the Spider" (1971), a remake which Margheriti made of his own film only seven years later.
While "In the Grip of the Spider" does in no way equal (or even come close to) the greatness of "Danza Macabra", however, it is nonetheless an atmospheric, creepy and highly entertaining film that every fellow fan of Italian Gothic Horror should enjoy.The storyline is more or less the same as in "Danza Macabra": When interviewing Edgar Allan Poe (Klaus Kinski), a journalist Alan Foster (Anthony Franciosa) makes a bet with a sinister count.
Anthony Franciosa is always great, most fellow Italian Horror fans will agree that he had his greatest moment in Dario Argento's "Tenebre" (1982); and who would not love a film that begins with the credits: "Klaus Kinski as Edgar Allan Poe"?
Barbara Steele is my all-time favorite actress and her mere appearance is such an enrichment to all the great Gothic gems she has starred in that a remake with someone else in her role is most likely to disappoint.
"Danza Macabra" is one of the most atmospheric and eerily beautiful Horror films ever made.
While the film mostly keeps the storyline of "Danza Macabra", Margheriti added a long opening sequence which consists mainly of Kinski wandering through eerie tombs in search of a grave.
Overall, "In the Grip of the Spider" is nowhere near as brilliant as "Danza Macabra", but it is definitely still atmospheric, creepy and vastly enjoyable Gothic Horror.
When Michèle Mercier appears in the sequence when she's still "alive" and puts on a necklace,it is obvious that the director was thinking of her "Angelique " character.The scene looks like an outtake of the Bernard Borderie's saga."Nella..." is certainly an underrated work:it does not rely on special effects or on gore and sex is kept to the minimum.Probably influenced by Bava,Margheriti creates fear with his camera ,using elements of the settings ,a mirror for instance.His lead is an earnest thespian,Anthony Franciosa, a former student of the Actor's Studio,not a mediocre amateur as we often meet in European horror movies.Supernatural is smartly introduced and the screenplay is much more elaborated than usually.Many people will disagree but Amenabar's style in "the others" is not that much different,even if that director is infinitely superior to Margheriti."Nella..." was also certainly influenced by Robert Wise's classic "the haunting " (1963!!!) as far as the conclusion is concerned.Poe's presence (Klaus Kinski) and the fact that the hero's first name is "Allan" do not bring much to the movie.In spite of the poor rating,I sincerely believe that fantasy and horror buffs won't waste their time if they watch "nella....".
"In the Grip of the Spider" revolves on a guy who accepts a bet to spend the night in a secluded and reputedly haunted castle and if he survives the ordeal, he receives the astonishing, stupendous and exhilarating reward of  10 pounds!
"In the Grip of the Spider" is an accomplishment of the hugely underrated Italian director Antonio Margheriti (better known under his international alias Anthony M.
Dawson) and apparently a remake of his very own Gothic horror classic "Castle of Blood" starring Barbara Steele.
By doing this Margheriti was far ahead of his time, as it's extremely popular among directors nowadays to remake their own earlier movies.
Unfortunately I haven't seen "Castle of Blood" (or at least not yet), so I can't compare, but reliable sources tell me this early 70's version can't hold a candle to the original.
This may be so, but I still wouldn't call "In the Grip of the Spider" a bad film  especially not if you're a sucker for Gothic atmospheres.
Admittedly the storyline is a little flimsy and unspectacular, but the film nevertheless has several things going for it, like the presence of Klaus Kinski (depicting no less than Edgar Allen Poe), lovely luscious ladies and a downright sardonic finale.
The American journalist Alan Foster is desperate to get an interview from the notorious novelist Edgar Allen Poe, but he gets more than he bargained for when Poe and his friend challenge him to spend the night at Blackwood castle.
The rare moments when Kinski appears on screen are sublime  even though he doesn't even remotely resemble the real Edgar Allan Poe  since there is no other actor more suitable to play a neurotic and lightly inflammable genius than him.
Michèle Mercier (as Elizabeth) and Karin Field (as Julia) are both extremely beautiful and sexy starlets, but I'm sort of convinced that Barbara Steele was even better than the two of them combined in the original.
Although I haven't seen CASTLE OF BLOOD, the earlier film version of this movie.
I picked this film up in a 20 movie- 10 DVD boxed set titled NIGHTMARES FROM THE CRYPT.
Seriously, as if I have got enough of these to watch already, we get Castle of Blood remade in colour, with no real differences at all, except that this time Klaus Kinski gets to play Edgar Allan Poe (and therefore 'do a Kinski' by only showing up for a fraction of the film's running time).To jog your memory, a friend of Poe's called Alan Foster takes up a bet that he can't stay the whole night in the haunted old castle of Lord Blackwood.
Foster heads for the seemingly deserted castle, wanders around a bit, then realises that he's not quite alone as Lord Blackwood's sister turns up and starts putting the moves on him, but don't get excited though, it ain't that kind of film.Is there any point in describing the plot?
I didn't think Castle of Blood was that great a film the first time around, but at least it had Barbara Steele in it.
In comparing this 1971 remake with its 1964 original, one immediately misses the presence of Barbara Steele, although in both titles the 'heroine' only makes her first appearance at the half hour mark.
Director Antonio Margheriti must have felt the absence of color in "Castle of Blood," and really adds little else to this new version, with Michele Mercier's Elisabeth fleshed out to some degree, as we see more of her absent husband, barely seen in the original.
For some reason, Italian maestro Antonio Margheriti felt the need to remake his masterpiece 'Danse Macabre' almost a decade on; and personally, I can't see a single good reason for doing so.
In the move from black and white to colour, the film has lost the main thing that made it great; and the fact that Margheriti doesn't handle the plot as well this time around ensures that this film isn't much more than an interesting cult film.
In typical Italian fashion, the plot doesn't make a great deal of sense; and this is made all the more infuriating by the fact that it doesn't have the stunning Gothic atmosphere to fall back on.
The plot follows a journalist by the name of Alan Foster, who ends up making a bet with the great Edgar Allen Poe that he can spend a single night in an old Gothic castle, which is rumoured to be inhabited by ghosts.
While in the castle, the journalist encounters several strange characters; and soon finds out that they're more than they seem.The only real name on the cast list belongs to cult German actor Klaus Kinski, who gives the only memorable performance of the film in the role of Edgar Allen Poe. The original film benefited from the presence of the beautiful Barbara Steele; but this film has to make do with Michèle Mercier, who isn't particularly bad; but is no Barbara Steele.
Anthony Franciosa ('Tenebrae') takes the lead role, and like much of the rest of the film; is instantly forgettable.
Margheriti does help the film along by way of a number of shots that help to build the atmosphere; the scene that sees smoke edging down a flight of stairs being the standout.
Seven years after giving us the very enjoyable Castle of Blood (1964), one of the most gothic of '60s gothic Euro horrors, director Antonio Margheriti decided to tell the exact same tale again, only this time in colour and without cult favourite Barbara Steele.
The result is entertaining enough but also rather redundant if you've already seen his earlier, better movie.The promise of Klaus Kinski as Edgar Allen Poe is undoubtedly a draw, and sure enough the actor chews up the scenery with a typically wild-eyed performance, but his appearance is little more than an extended cameo to kick off proceedings.
The majority of the film follows American reporter Alan Foster (Anthony Franciosa) as he endeavours to spend an entire night in a haunted castle for a wager.
As in Castle of Blood, he meets several mysterious characters, all of whom turn out to be ghosts who feed on the blood of the living to ensure their existence.The film is atmospheric enough and the performances adequate, but I had hoped that Margheriti would have moved with the times, opting for a more exploitative approach this time around, just to make the film a little different from its predecessor (I'd have happily seen more of Michèle Mercier and Karin Field, who play ghostly babes Elizabeth and Julia).
Web of the Spider (1971) ** 1/2 (out of 4)Journalist Alan Foster (Anthony Franciosa) is having a conversation with Edgar Allan Poe (Klaus Kinski) when a bet is made.
The bet is that Alan can't spend an entire night inside the Blackwood Castle where there are rumors of strange things inside.I've always enjoyed watching remakes because it gives someone a new stab at some familiar material.
Italian director Antonio Margheriti made CASTLE OF BLOOD in 1964 and seven years later he'd do a color remake with WEB OF THE SPIDER.
As I said, I really do enjoy watching remakes but there's no question that this film is really lacking when compared to the original.
The original film contained some great B&W cinematography that actually added to the atmosphere and it actually helped make a rather eerie picture.
Yet another problem is that there just isn't anything fresh or original done with the material outside of the opening scenes with Kinski playing Poe. These early scenes were actually quite good and it's too bad that Kinski doesn't stick around for long.I thought Franciosa was good in the lead role and Michele Mercier is good as the mysterious Elisabeth.
Nylund '03) - since you'll likely come across the more commonly available pan and scan version, you can add fun here, not only watching to guess all the likely shouted direction to Francis in his ponderous constant close ups (look this way Anthony; now the other; smirk, smile, grimace ) as he wanders almost wordlessly around the haunted mansion, but also, being it is largely dialogue free, you can surely add extra enjoyment by shouting in your own dialogue, instead!
Gives it his all, mind you, perhaps because he has the role of Edgar Allan Poe. Bit too energetically at one point for the flimsy set, where he is bashing away at the grave and we see the headstone bouncing up and down.
Things brighten up when Michele Mercier materialises and even more when another beauty, Karin Field emerges from the depths of this haunted house that is the setting for the entire film.
Antonio Margheriti's 1971 remake of his classic "Castle of Blood" has always been criticized for being inferior in every level to it's predecessor.
While I do think "Castle of Blood" is a better film, "In the Web of the Spider" does not stand so far behind.
Made on a bigger budget than the 1964 version, Margheriti does a good thing by taking a different aesthetic approach than the candle-lit B&W nightmare that is the latter, and instead lighting up the set with a nice range of deep blues and orange gels to show off the more elaborate locations.
It also enjoys a better cast than the original, with a highlight being the presence of Klaus Kinski as Edgar Allan Poe. At first glance, he might not seem very right for the role, but he truly nails it in a absolutely maddening performance.
They even made his role slightly larger than the original, by adding a superbly creepy introduction scene in a crypt that sets the tone for the rest of the picture.
Albeit not as memorable as Barbara Steele, Michele Mercier (the protagonist from the Telephone segment of Mario Bava's "Black Sabbath") is a good replacement and she has great chemistry with Anthony Franciosa (Argento's "Tenebre"), even more so than Steele and Riviere in "Castle...".
Also, where "Castle of Blood" felt provocative and ahead of it's time with it's depiction of sex and lesbianism, "In the Web of the Spider" feels way too restrained and tame, specially for a film that came one year after "The Vampire Lovers", which dealt with some similar themes.
If you're a fan of this type of film and haven't seen "Castle of Blood" yet, I think you might better watch this one first, but otherwise I unfortunately can't go as far as calling it the forgotten gem of continental horror it could have been..
Great Looking Gothic Ghost Tale.
They are taking the time and putting the effort into putting out some long lost films in the most gorgeous looking condition that can be found anywhere.
When these same films were released on video way back when the worst looking prints were found and a quick buck was made.
Now they've released another film that is worth picking up for fans of horror films, especially those made in Italy.WEB OF THE SPIDER is a remake of the film CASTLE OF BLODD, the much loved black and white Italian production that starred Barbara Steele.
Dawson.The story revolves around a drunken Edgar Allan Poe (Klaus Kinski) telling tales in a bar for drinks while in England.
In walks Alan Foster (Anthony Franciosa), a journalist who has been seeking out Poe for an interview.
The movie is a classic styled Gothic horror film from the setting and costumes to the customs of the time, both past and present in the tale.
Early '70s Italian Gothic horror about a journalist, Alan Foster (Anthony Franciosa), who makes a bet with Lord Thomas Blackwood (Enrico Osterman) that he can stay overnight in Blackwood's castle...
Blackwood is good friends with Edgar Allan Poe (Klaus Kinski).