This is a German/Yugoslavian production distributed by Richard Gordon in the U.S. and released as a double-bill with the Italian TOMB OF TORTURE (1963), which I watched recently and was disappointed by. Though issued separately on R1 DVD (albeit both through Image as part of their "The Euro Shock Collection"), they were reviewed in tandem by the "DVD Drive-In" – where it was reported that TOMB was the better effort which, therefore, meant that I went into CAVE with virtually no expectations whatsoever (except for the Expressionist touches which were singled out for praise in the assessment)!
In any case, having last watched THE VAMPIRE HAPPENING (1971) – which saw the involvement of two crew members from SUCCUBUS (1967) – I opted to check out CAVE soon after, since it starred one of the actors (Adrian Hoven) from that same superior Jess Franco picture! Having mentioned bloodsuckers just now, the film under review is also known as NIGHT OF THE VAMPIRES – a title far more appropriate than the one it got stuck with, given that "The Living Dead" are generally associated with Zombies! At the very least, it should have been dubbed "Cave Of The Undead" (in view of the fact that a grotto plays a major part in the narrative)...
Now, after this lengthy intro, let us get to the matter at hand: those NOSFERATU (1922)-like nightly prowlings are indeed creepily effective and, undeniably, the best thing about the film but it must be pointed out that the whole is a lot worthier than the goofy TOMB OF TORTURE! Hoven is a crack Police Inspector (whose womanizing ways and quick action tactics, as was pointed out by the review I mentioned earlier, seem to be patterned after the "Euro-Spy" fad which emerged in the wake of the James Bond extravaganzas!) assigned to investigate a series of female deaths on a remote island that have occurred over a period of six months and always during an electricity black-out. To be honest, the latter is as much a throwaway oddity (ditto for the presence of a hulking deaf-mute) as the underground resting-place of the chief bloodsucker!
Guessing the latter's identity proves to be child's play, but nobody seems to connect the start of the attacks with the arrival on the island of this particular character; that said, the local cops are depicted as buffoons, which is exactly why Hoven was sent for! Even so, while it is clearly stated that the 'plague' already numbered seven victims, when the vampire (played by Wolfgang Preiss, the ex-Dr. Mabuse himself, and another definite asset here) is eventually cornered, only the latest member of the 'cult' is ever seen by his side! Incidentally, it takes ages for the examining doctor (whose practice should, by all accounts, be steeped in superstition) to be brought around to accept that the supernatural is behind this crime-wave, whereas our hero from the big-city (eventually befriended by the doctor's black manservant) goes to consult an aged witch virtually the moment he arrives – WTF?! The look of the film deliberately harks back to the golden age of horror – which is certainly commendable – but, unfortunately, the end product in this case is mainly listless and, thus, miles removed from the classics of yesteryear (if not unenjoyable per se...
In any case, having last watched THE VAMPIRE HAPPENING (1971) – which saw the involvement of two crew members from SUCCUBUS (1967) – I opted to check out CAVE soon after, since it starred one of the actors (Adrian Hoven) from that same superior Jess Franco picture! Having mentioned bloodsuckers just now, the film under review is also known as NIGHT OF THE VAMPIRES – a title far more appropriate than the one it got stuck with, given that "The Living Dead" are generally associated with Zombies! At the very least, it should have been dubbed "Cave Of The Undead" (in view of the fact that a grotto plays a major part in the narrative)...
Now, after this lengthy intro, let us get to the matter at hand: those NOSFERATU (1922)-like nightly prowlings are indeed creepily effective and, undeniably, the best thing about the film but it must be pointed out that the whole is a lot worthier than the goofy TOMB OF TORTURE! Hoven is a crack Police Inspector (whose womanizing ways and quick action tactics, as was pointed out by the review I mentioned earlier, seem to be patterned after the "Euro-Spy" fad which emerged in the wake of the James Bond extravaganzas!) assigned to investigate a series of female deaths on a remote island that have occurred over a period of six months and always during an electricity black-out. To be honest, the latter is as much a throwaway oddity (ditto for the presence of a hulking deaf-mute) as the underground resting-place of the chief bloodsucker!
Guessing the latter's identity proves to be child's play, but nobody seems to connect the start of the attacks with the arrival on the island of this particular character; that said, the local cops are depicted as buffoons, which is exactly why Hoven was sent for! Even so, while it is clearly stated that the 'plague' already numbered seven victims, when the vampire (played by Wolfgang Preiss, the ex-Dr. Mabuse himself, and another definite asset here) is eventually cornered, only the latest member of the 'cult' is ever seen by his side! Incidentally, it takes ages for the examining doctor (whose practice should, by all accounts, be steeped in superstition) to be brought around to accept that the supernatural is behind this crime-wave, whereas our hero from the big-city (eventually befriended by the doctor's black manservant) goes to consult an aged witch virtually the moment he arrives – WTF?! The look of the film deliberately harks back to the golden age of horror – which is certainly commendable – but, unfortunately, the end product in this case is mainly listless and, thus, miles removed from the classics of yesteryear (if not unenjoyable per se...