Horror Hotel (1960)

Director: John Llewellyn Moxey

Starring: Dennis Lotis, Christopher Lee, Paticia Jessel, Tom Naylor, Betta St. John, Venetia Stevenson, Valentine Dyall, Ann Beach, Norman Macowan, Fred Johnson, James Dyrenforth, Maxine Holden, William Abney

More info: IMDb

Tagline: 300 years old! Human blood keeps them alive forever!

Plot: A young coed (Nan Barlow) uses her winter vacation to research a paper on witchcraft in New England. Her professor recommends that she spend her time in a small village called Whitewood. He originally cam from that village so he also recommends she stay at the "Raven's Inn," run by a Mrs. Newlis. She gets to the village and notices some weird happenings, but things begin to happen in earnest when she finds herself "marked" for sacrifice by the undead coven of witches. It seems that the innkeeper is actually the undead spirit of Elizabeth Selwyn, and the "guests" at the inn are the other witches who have come to celebrate the sacrifice on Candalmas Eve.

My rating: 7.5/10

Will I watch it again? Probably not.

I've seen this one a couple of times before but it was easily 15 or more years ago since the last viewing.  It's a good, atmospheric flick that makes great use of the limited sets (I dig the fog and the darkness of the town, forcing limited visibility).  Christopher Lee is fun and foreboding as usual.  Unfortunately the only prints I've ever watched were pretty poor and soft.  I'd love to see a crisp remastered copy someday, and if I watch it again that's how it will have to be...and on a big screen.