THE NIGHT EVELYN CAME OUT OF THE GRAVE (1971)

This Italian-made attempt at gothic horror takes place in England—except most of the characters have jet black hair and Mediterranean complexions, and they drive on the right side of the road.

The plot: Alan Cunningham, a wealthy English lord, has just been released from an insane asylum. He had suffered a mental breakdown following the death of his red-haired wife, Evelyn, whom he feared was cheating on him. A free man, Alan scours the local bars and dives for lovely redheads willing to come back to his decaying castle in the country—where he seduces, tortures, and murders them. 

Alan eventually remarries. Not long after, he starts seeing visions of his dead wife, and his live-in relatives are turning up brutally (if creatively) murdered. One is bitten by what looks like an ordinary grass snake and is buried alive in a shallow grave. Another is bludgeoned to death and fed to a cage full of foxes. At least I think that's what happens, but who can tell with the piss-poor lighting?

About the only thing this film has going for it is the eye-catching (if misleading) title. It's rife with Gothic cliches: cobwebs, mist, creaking floorboards, and a nasty rainstorm, for example. The plot is byzantine and contains not one, but three, false endings. There are long stretches where nothing happens. The editing is choppy. Not one character is likable or sympathetic. Alan's wheelchair-bound aunt looks much younger than he is. And fans of gore won't appreciate the mildness of the murder scenes. There is, however, plenty of Italian cheesecake on hand.

Speaking of which, a strong current of misogyny permeates the film. The women are all passive and subservient, from the maids to Alan's murder victims to his new wife. 

Finally, the ending feels like an afterthought. It leaves a gaping plot hole (or six) and lets a murderer go free. 

There is no reason to see this turgid, malevolent, muddled excuse for a thriller.