Search Free Movies Online

The City of the Dead (1960)


The City of the Dead (1960) Poster

Witches, sacrifice and weird happenings in New England

A young coed uses her winter vacation to research a paper on witchcraft in New England. Her professor recommends that she spend her time in a small village called Whitewood. He originally cam from that village so he also recommends she stay at the "Raven's Inn," run by a Mrs. Newlis. She gets to the village and notices some weird happenings, but things begin to happen in earnest when she finds herself "marked" for sacrifice by the undead coven of witches. It seems that the innkeeper is actually the undead spirit of Elizabeth Selwyn, and the "guests" at the inn are the other witches who have come to celebrate the sacrifice on Candalmas Eve.

Also known as Horror Hotel because most horror genre films produced during that time period were usually marketed to teenagers and young adults, who preferred those silly titles that promised cheap thrills. Horror Hotel's legacy in modern times... UK heavy metal band Iron Maiden used scenes from this classic horror movie in the music video for their song "Bring Your Daughter... to the Slaughter." King Diamond also used various clips in their "Sleepless Nights" video, while Rob Zombie used Christopher Lee's opening words "Burn Witch, Burn Witch... Burn! Burn! Burn!" to similarly preface his track "Dragula" from Hellbilly Deluxe. In addition, the punk band Misfits wrote a popular song called "Horror Hotel."

Directed by first-time feature helmer John Llewellyn Moxey (who would direct the original Kolchak TV movie, 1973’s The Night Stalker), this UK film was also the first to be produced by future head of Amicus, Milton Subotsky. Still more of a cherished cult item even all these years later rather than a widely known classic, The City of the Dead is pretty near-perfect. It’s in crisp black and white, it’s entirely set-bound (which gives the “outdoor” scenes in Whitewood an off-kilter, artificial feel), it’s got horror royalty in the form of Christopher Lee, and Whitewood is shrouded in thick fog, just like a town in a horror movie ought to be (making it all the better for processions of dark-robed figures to wander their way through). - Shocktillyoudrop

Director: John Llewellyn Moxey
Starring: Patricia Jessel, Dennis Lotis, Christopher Lee

Movie Available via: YouTube

3,256 Views

Recommended Movies


Night of the Living Dead  - George Romero's First Film

Night of the Living Dead - George Romero's First Film

The first modern zombie movieBarbra and Johnny drive to rural Pennsylvania to visit their father's grave..."Night of the Living Dead" is the first modern zombie movie and first horror movie to have a black man as a main ...

Watch Now

Night of the Living Dead - George Romero's First Film

Grave of the Vampire

Grave of the Vampire

Rare and bizarre vampire movieConsidered by many as one of the greatest cult movies of all time, GRAVE OF THE VAMPIRE shocked audiences 40 years ago when the young mother of a vampire baby began nursing it with her own b...

Watch Now

Grave of the Vampire

The Nurse

The Nurse

Great suspense-filled gore-free entertainment! When her father kills himself and his family after being named in an embezzlement scandal, nurse Laura Harriman vows revenge on the man responsible. She soon gets her chance...

Watch Now

The Nurse

Zombie Apocalypse

Zombie Apocalypse

Not a bad Zombie movie for lovers of the genre! Three small groups of survivors of a zombie plague join forces to reach the ferry boat to a sanctuary that they are not sure exists on Catalina Island. Along their journey,...

Watch Now

Zombie Apocalypse

Mega Crocodile

Mega Crocodile

Shipwreck survivors wash ashore an island infested with oversized crocodiles!Mega Crocodile is another CGI driven monster movie. Unfortunately, the effects here are all bad. The crocodiles actually look like somebody ani...

Watch Now

Mega Crocodile

Vincent

Vincent

Tim Burton's First Film!Vincent is a 1982 stop motion short horror film written, designed and directed by Tim Burton, and produced by Rick Heinrichs. It is the second Disney horror film, the first being The Watcher in th...

Watch Now

Vincent