Back from the Dead (1957)

You won't be disappointed!

The Worst Film Ever

It’s fine. It's literally the definition of a fine movie. You’ve seen it before, you know every beat and outcome before the characters even do. Only question is how much escapism you’re looking for.

Actress is magnificent and exudes a hypnotic screen presence in this affecting drama.

Ok little thriller horror film from 1957. A woman is possessed by the spirit of her husband's devil-worshiping first wife. With her Satanist mother assistance the spirit wife plans to make the possession permanent. The husband and the second wife's sister try to prevent this. Some moody atmosphere and a lots of creepy music add to the ambience. Not available on DVD but I obtained a reasonable quality DVD-R, Recommended for fans of the genre.

Divinely silly, I use that adverb with great relish, since this film has the sensations of a silent film without the creative know-how. It seems to be striving for every emotion mankind has ever known, jotting each line in the screenplay with such self-enthused joy like a dog with a brand new bone. It's one of the rare horror/supernatural films to deal with devil worship, showing what a presumed ritual murder would look like and how one disposes of the body. But when the evil dead returns to life, it's in the body of the widower's second wife, and oh what a gloriously over the top performance leading lady Peggie Castle gives, glaring malevolently as the dead woman enters the soul of the ailing living.You have to give the writer credit. They strived for melodramatics and what they ended up with might give you laughs like those cheap old British horror movies with Tod Slaughter. Marsha Hunt is sincere and strong as the possessed woman's sister, with Arthur Franz the confused widower and Helen Wallace totally over the top as the dead woman's Satan worshiping mother. Melodramatic music, creepy photography and a lack of actual horror makes this all the more spooky. But it appears to be so smug with itself that I ended up finding it more of a parody than a forwarding of actual evil that might be surrounding me. Some hints of cruelty are really difficult to watch, particularly Castle heading to a leashed up dog with a machete.

Having lost his first wife, "Felicia" (Peggy Castle) in a tragic drowning accident 6 years earlier "Dick Anthony" (Don Haggerty) has recently remarried. However, his new wife, "Mandy Hazelton" (also played by Peggy Castle) suddenly takes ill and after a strange seizure she becomes possessed by the soul of Felicia. We soon find out that prior to her death Felicia began practicing "the dark arts" and the deeper she got the more evil she became. And because she is so evil both Dick and Mandy's sister "Kate Hazelton" (Marsha Hunt) begin looking for a way to bring Mandy back. But other people feel differently and they will stop at nothing to keep Felicia here. At any rate, rather than disclose any more of the movie and risk spoiling it for those who haven't seen it I will just say that this was a decent horror movie which managed to maintain the suspense right up until the end. Likewise, having an actress as stunning as Peggy Castle certainly didn't hurt the film either. In short, don't let the fact that this little-known picture is 57 years old or that it was filmed in black-and-white discourage you from watching it. It's a "diamond in the rough" and I recommend this movie to all of those who might appreciate a film of this nature. Slightly above average.

I am clad, that i found out about this movie, surprised it not got many comment on itA newly married young woman, is possessed by the evil spirit of her husband's deceased first wife.I really enjoy this movie, it not scary or creepy but some how this movie dose have eerie moments in places. I really enjoyed the plot of the movie, the dose not take to long to get going , the movie flows really well. There was not one dull second in this movie, it kept intrude from start to the very end! The acting was really good from the whole cast but there were some very wooden acting from some of the cast members 7 out of 10