Like others i was drawn to this initially because of the presence of Klaus Kinski but unfortunately he only features at the beginning and end. Gives it his all, mind you, perhaps because he has the role of Edgar Allan Poe. Bit too energetically at one point for the flimsy set, where he is bashing away at the grave and we see the headstone bouncing up and down. Otherwise it is Anthony Franciosa who ha to carry much of this, speaking to himself much of the time. Things brighten up when Michele Mercier materialises and even more when another beauty, Karin Field emerges from the depths of this haunted house that is the setting for the entire film. Rather bloodless but occasionally effective and the director seems determined to manage without exposing the young ladies. Ms Mercier was an actress of some standing who became typecast as Angelique so perhaps her hands were tied but there was no excuse for Karin Field whose character tries several times here to seduce her. Field had appeared in a blatant German sex film the same year as well as several Franco films including The Demons and fairly explicit lesbian sex scenes were a speciality. Anyway, here, no blood and hardly any sex means the cast, variously appearing and disappearing have a quite a task in keeping us interested. Sets are OK but little special effects apart from a particularly effective sequences were dry ice is allowed to drop down a stone cellar staircase.
Review of Web of the Spider
