Horror Hotel 1999 Horror Movie Review

Also known by its alternate title City of the Dead, this 1960 horror thriller makes the most of its low-budget, studio-bound limitations to offer an abundance of eerie atmosphere frequently compared to the chilling horror stories of H.P. Lovecraft. Christopher Lee stars as the seemingly benevolent Professor Driscoll, who sends his eager student Nan (Venetia Stevenson) to the town of Whitewood, Massachussetts to research local legends of witchcraft. In a coincidental parallel to Alfred Hitchcock’s Psycho (which was released the same year), the young heroine is killed off early in the film when she is used as a human sacrifice by a present-day coven of witches led by Lee himself. (Talk about teacher’s pet!) As it turns out, the entire town is overrun by monklike zombies who perform gruesome nocturnal rituals in the local graveyards. Nan’s bereaved boyfriend struggles to eliminate this monstrous brood—at the cost of his life! Heavy on mood and light on plot, this is vintage horror for die-hard fans—perfect as a Halloween perennial. —Jeff Shannon