La bambola di Satana
La bambola di Satana ( "The Doll of Satan") is a 1969 Italian gothic horror film written and directed by Ferruccio Casapinta. Plot. When her uncle dies, Elizabeth goes back to her family's castle to hear the reading of his will. Her boyfriend, Jack, suspects a plot to steal Elizabeth's inheritance and keeps a close eye on her. She learns the castle is said to be haunted, and her relatives try to get her to sell it cheaply, but she hesitates. Later, she's kidnapped and brought to a dungeon where Elizabeth is tortured by  a hooded figure. Production. "La bambola di Satana" is Ferruccio Casapinta's only film credit as a director. Emma Costantino described the production as a "troubled shoot", stating that Ferruccio Casapinta's assistant director was the person who "did everything on set" and that Casapinta "was an idiot who couldn't do anything." "La bambola di Satana" was filmed at Castle Borghese in Pomezia, Pratica di Mare and in Abruzzo. Release. "La bambola di Satana" was released in Italy on 12 June 1969, where it was distributed by Cinediorama. It grossed a total of 118,009,000 Italian lire on its theatrical  release. The film was never dubbed into English and did not receive a theatrical release in the United States. Critical reception. Roberto Curti, author of "Italian Gothic Horror Films, 1957–1969" stated that Ferruccio Casapinta "shows no directorial flair at all." and that for a gothic film, it "looks awful." The review noted that editing was poor, with night and day shots alternating within the same scene and that the special effects were terrible noting the thunderstorms and pink clouds that surround the castle. Curti concluded that the film was an "obscure— and deservedly so— addition to the Gothic genre" Louis  Paul, author of "Italian Horror Film Directors" stated that the film is"certainly rooted within the classic gothic atmosphere of early Italian horrors, but the addition of considerable nudity and a black-gloved killer clearly places La bambola at the cusp of the new age. It is an indication of the changing aspects of the Italian horror film to come." AllMovie gave the film a three and a half star out of five rating, finding that the film "benefits from a slicker look and a better sense of humor." and that "It all seems a bit overwrought, but fans of Italian  horror don't come to it for subtlety. Indeed, the nearly operatic histrionics on display are immensely enjoyable, for their camp value if nothing else." Home media. In 2016, Twilight Time in a Limited Edition of 3,000 units released the film for the first time on Blu-ray. 88 Films released a Limited Edition Bluray in 2021.