“Le Manoir du diable” (“The Haunted Castle“) was released December 24, 1896. This French film is a creation of Georges Méliès, a pioneer in the art of filmmaking. At 3:18 it was considered innovative in its length and, while the limitations are apparent, so is the beauty of producing horror.
I had no clue what was going on lol
It’s silent, of course. There’s a medieval looking castle, and some cool effects including a person changing into a bat and ghostly apparitions. It was “The Shining” of its time.
Getting the opportunity to talk with Georges Méliès would be an honor. Chatting about early film and out shared love of horror over a bottle of Pinot Noir. Showing him “The Conjuring” and watching him faint.
“The Haunted Castle” makes the most of its limited resources. The creativity is there for sure. And Georges Méliès’ obvious love of horror.
It’s impossible to fathom that this film is 126 years old. It predates the 1920s horror renaissance by thirty years. And it came sixty years before “The Twilight Zone” made horror a prime time event. It literally predates classic cinema.
Interesting note – the film was presumed lost until 1988, when a copy was found in the New Zealand Film Archive.
I love horror and history. “The Haunted Castle” is both. Watch it here for a glimpse into another time.
“The Haunted Castle” is available at the Internet Archive
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