Eurotrash Pinnacle Project - Kimberly Lindbergs

Another outstanding entry from Kimberly of the amazing CINEBEATS blog. Note the love for David Z's favorite gothic horror... CASTLE OF BLOOD! If you have missed any of these, give them a look. For lots more of Kimberly's writing (and far superior layout to this ugly old blog)...be sure to click through and check out CINEBEATS.


1. Venus In Furs (1969, Jess Franco) Everything I love about Franco’s filmmaking style comes together perfectly in Venus In Furs, plus it also features Klaus Kinski in one of his sexiest roles.

2. Danger: Diabolik (1968, Mario Bava) Danger: Diabolik is my favorite eurospy movie and easily one of the sexiest and most entertaining Bava films.

3. Spirits of the Dead (1968, Vadim, Malle & Fellini) I wasn’t sure if I should include this since it’s probably considered more arty than trashy by some, but with Vadim involved I figured it would fit right in. Spirits is easily my favorite horror anthology thanks to the amazing cast and great directing by all the filmmakers involved. Alain Delon and Terence Stamp are espically memorable in the film, but Jane Fonda and Brigitte Bardot are also great. Fellini's segment is
my favorite, but the other two are equally entertaining.

4. The Diabolical Dr. Z (1966, Jess Franco) This Franco film just has so much going for it and I love the way it's shot. Miss Muerte is easily one of Franco's greatest creations.

5.Dorian Gray (1970, Massimo Dallamano) This is my favorite adaptation of Oscar Wilde’s classic story. Helmut Berger is the perfect Dorian and the movie is really sexy and sleazy, plus it has a great score and I think Dallamano does some really creative things within the film

6. 5 Dolls For An August Moon (1970, Mario Bava) Bava has made a lot of great films and I had a hard time narrowing down my favorites to add to this list, but 5 Dolls won out due to the great cast, intriguing
story line, fantastic score and Bava's stylish way of shooting all the action and mystery.

7. Tombs of the Blind Dead (1971, Amando de Ossorio ) Tombs of the Blind Dead is one of my favorite zombie films. I like the entire Blind Dead series, but the first film is a real favorite. The great story and Amando de Ossario's directing make it really entertaining.

8. Castle of Blood (1964, Antonio Margheriti) I came very close to adding Bava's wonderful Black Sunday (1960) to my list, but I decided to include this great and lesser known gothic chiller instead that also happens to feature the lovely Barbara Steele. I really like the story and Margheriti films it all beautifully, plus the erotic tension between Margarete Robsahm and Steele in the movie is very sexy. I also really like Margheriti's color remake of this film called Web of the Spider (1971) too.

9. The Frightened Woman (1969, Piero Schivazappa) The Frightened Woman is one of the most creative and interesting sexploitation films that I've ever come across. Dagmar Lassander is wonderful as the "captive woman" and Schivazappa's directing is really impressive.

10. Deep Red & Suspiria (1975 & 1979, Dario Argento) TIE I just couldn’t pick between the two so they both tied for 10th place. Argento has made a lot of great films, but these two remain my long time favorites and I love them both equally. Deep Red is a fantastic homage to Michelangelo Antonioni’s Blow-Up (1966) and Suspiria is just one of the most stylish horror films ever made.



Ten more honorable mentions that came really close to making my list: Black Sunday (1960, Mario Bava), Possession (1981, Andrzej Zulawski), The Great Silence (1968, Sergio Corbucci), A Lizard in a Woman's Skin (1971, Lucio Fulci), Gates of Hell (1980, Lucio Fulci), The House With Laughing Windows (1976, Pupi Avati), Zeder (1980, Pupi Avati), Succubus (1968, Jess Franco), Daughters of Darkness (1971) and Satanik (1968).