Technical credits are quite good, but the story premise was handled ineptly. When Max Hunter leaves his American bride Mary alone in his German castle, a series of gruesome slayings occur in the abandoned torture chamber. ITRossana Podesta, George Riviere, Christopher Lee, Jim Dolen; D:Anthony M. Dawson. Addeddate 2010-02-10 02:27:48 Ia_orig__runtime 3 minutes 11 seconds Identifier TheVirginOfNuremberg-Trailer Run time The film was shot after Margheriti's film Castle of Blood was shot in order to exploit its production values. Christopher Lee appears in a smaller role and is good as always but his voice is dubbed. Released in the UK and US under the clichéd titles of THE CASTLE OF TERROR and HORROR CASTLE respectively, LE VERGINE DE NORIMBERGA (translation: The Virgin of Nuremberg) marked the first foray into the Italian Gothic cycle by journeyman director and one-time professional soccer player Antonio Margheriti, better known to gorehounds as the man behind CANNIBAL APOCALYPSE (1980). © 2015 Torture Museum. [1][4], The Virgin of Nuremberg received poor reviews on its release in the United States. The device is similar to ancient Egyptian sarcophaguses, as you’ve probably noticed, with the one difference here being that a live subject is often placed inside. San Gimignano, Italy. Experienced inquisitors have already considered this, and the spikes are done in a way that the victim’s vital organs won’t be hit. The Virgin of Nuremberg is a film directed by Antonio Margheriti with Rossana Podestà, Jorge Rivier, Christopher Lee, Jim Dolen, Anny Degli Uberti .... Year: 1963. [1][4], It was released in the United States with the title Horror Castle on January 10, 1965 through Zodiac films. The one convicted is forced inside. The Virgin of Nuremberg ★½ Horror Castle; Terror Castle; Castle of Terror; La Vergine de Norimberga 1965. The Virgin of Nuremberg (La vergine di Norimberga) Quotes. The inclosed space and darkness merely exacerbate the misery. It got its name from the fact that its exterior resembled a Bavarian girl, and also because its prototype was constructed and first used in the underground tunnels of the secret courthouse of Nuremberg. The little doors open, demonstrating the internal walls, “Virgins”, which have been dotted with long, iron spikes. The classic “Iron Maiden” design consists of a sarcophagus, feminine in appearance, 7 feet high, with a Virgin Mary placed on top by the inquisitors — a symbol of the triumph of Christianity over heresy and dissidence. [1] The film grossed 125 million Italian lira in Italy. Repeated opening and closing of the doors inflicts deep, bleeding wounds, and the darkness, as well as the fear of the unknown, make the torture psychologically unbearable. It is also said that this sort of sarcophagus had a maiden face carved on its front door probably aimed at making this horrible container look more refined. A person placed inside suffers from both claustrophobia and the horrible pain of punctures from spikes sometimes over 20cm long. He was born in Nuremberg where he established his own workshop, specialising in paintings, woodcuts, and engravings. Torture Museum [2] Margheriti changed elements of the plot of the story to include a war and surgery subplots. [2] The film's producer, Marco Vicario, was the co-founder of the company G.E.I. The Virgin of Nuremberg, commonly known as the Iron Maiden, is a torture device that stimulate our senses in a very particular way. The Virgin of Nuremberg (1963) Time for a trip down memory lane. The Virgin of Nuremberg is the English-language translation of the Italian title and the film is known under that name in many places. All rights reserved. [4] The New York Times referred to it as an "inept horror pic". It doesn't help that Max keeps a dungeon full of functioning torture equipment (including the titular 'Virgin of Nuremberg') and there are myriad tales of a long dead torturing ancestor of Max's. World War 2 stock footage is blended to good effect in describing the genesis of the killer and at the same time doing away with the more obvious ghost of … [1] The victim was tied inside the Maiden and one of the two doors was shut, penetrating the victim's flesh with the strategically-placed spikes that didn't penetrate any vital organs. In the end, the murderous offender sinks to the bottom of the chamber, his dead body subsequently thrown into a river. Lee ) the thick knock of the chamber after the virgin of nuremberg third or fourth time inside from. 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