▁referred ▁to ▁the ▁film ▁as ▁" slow , ▁repet itive , ▁ver ging ▁on ▁par ody " ▁and ▁that ▁either ▁" c ensor ▁or ▁distrib utor ▁cut s ▁have ▁rendered ▁much ▁of ▁the ▁plot ▁in com pre hens ible , ▁thought ▁one ▁doub ts ▁if ▁it ▁ever ▁made ▁sense ▁entirely ." ▁The ▁review ▁compared ▁the ▁film ▁to ▁other ▁genre ▁films ▁of ▁the ▁era , ▁calling ▁it ▁" another ▁of ▁Italy ' s ▁pr ank ish ▁simulations ▁of ▁British ▁horror ▁movie " ▁as ▁well ▁as ▁stating ▁that ▁" M ario ▁B ava ▁copies ▁[ R ic c ardo ] ▁Fred a ▁almost ▁s lav ish ly " ▁but ▁" st ill ▁pull s ▁off ▁some ▁arrest ing ▁p ict orial ▁compos itions ". ▁" H og g ." ▁of ▁Vari ety ▁noted ▁that ▁" for ▁s oph is it c ated ▁aud ien ces , ▁the ▁g oth ic - nov el ▁atmosphere ▁and ▁tra ppings ▁of ▁secret ▁pass ages , ▁mud dy ▁foot print s ▁from ▁the ▁crypt ▁and ▁g host ▁lo ver , ▁probably ▁will ▁draw ▁more ▁laugh s ▁than ▁gas ps . ▁But ▁genu ine ▁susp ense ▁is ▁maintained ▁throughout ." ▁The ▁review ▁commented ▁on ▁the ▁technical ▁elements ▁of ▁the ▁film , ▁stating ▁" super b " ▁cinemat ography ▁but ▁that ▁the ▁script ▁had ▁" many ▁pre post er ous ▁lines , ▁and ▁is ▁far ▁to ▁cl utter ed ▁with ▁cl ich es ▁such ▁as ▁sc ream s ▁in ▁the ▁night , ▁hurried ▁ch ases ▁and ▁mystery ▁lights ▁in ▁the ▁crypt