ATOM AGE VAMPIRE (1960)
aka Seddok, l’erede di Satana
Article 2702 by Dave Sindelar
Viewing Date: 9-25-2008
Posting Date: 1-5-2009
Directed by Anton Giulio Majano
Featuring Alberto Lupo, Susanne Loret, Sergio Fantoni
Country: Italy

A scientist believes he has found a serum that will revive dead tissue and he tries it on a disfigured woman. He falls in love with the woman, but then discovers that the effects of the serum are temporary. He can restore her looks with the glands of young women, so he takes a drug that makes him look like a monster and begins stalking and killing women.

There is something to be said for the efficiency with which this movie gets started; it manages to get the plot moving with very few lines of dialogue, and you’re quite a ways into the story in just a few minutes. However, I’m less impressed with the story itself, which is a rehash of EYES WITHOUT A FACE without the style, and the dubbed American version is confusing, badly acted, and (I suspect) cut to ribbons; there are plot points that are never explained, and much of the action seems to take place in random order. Nor is the movie helped by the fact that the putative heroine of the story is whiny, self-pitying, and consistently annoying; I found myself wondering why the mad scientist even wanted to keep her around. The flat direction is also a minus; it’s one of those rare Italian horror movies that has no sense of style. Ultimately, the most sympathetic character is the scientist’s faithful mute assistant; his scene at the end of the movie is actually a bit touching. All in all, this is one of the lesser Italian horror movies.