Hell's Bell

BELL FROM HELL-1973-Weird psychological drama from Spain about a guy named Juan (Renaud Verley; also in Visconti's THE DAMNED) who returns home after being released from an insane asylum. He wants revenge on his aunt (Viveca Lindflors) and her daughters who he believes had him committed because they wanted his inheritance. Before that however he works for a short time at a slaughterhouse where it seems to hint that John is planning something horrible for his relatives (before he leaves he says "I've learned enough"). He does some strange things like after he saves a girl from being raped by some hunters he pretends to be in a body cast and makes one of the hunters (Alfredo Mayo) hold his penis while he pisses. Later he pretends to pull out his own eyes and makes the hunter's wife faint. Some of Juan's actions do seem to infer that he may not have been crazy when he was committed and only became that way after his incarceration.

The finale involves a large bell tower which director Claudio Guerin Hill fell to his death from on the last day of shooting! This was too slow going. dark and confused for me though lots of people seem to view it as a classic. Christina von Blanc who was in Franco's A VIRGIN AMONG THE LIVING DEAD is featured as one of the daughters.

Thanks for reading!