Bell from Hell (1973)

Keywords: Asylum, Aunt, Bell, Bribery, Female Nudity, Greed, Gurney, Incest, Inheritance, Mental Institution, Monkey, Nudity, Revenge, Sexual Harassment, Slaughter, Slaughterhouse, Tower, Violence

A young man is released from an asylum and returns home for revenge on his aunt and her three daughters, who had him declared insane in order to steal his inheritance. John (Renaud Verley) was sent away to the asylum for his slightly off-center behavior by his Aunt Marta (Viveca Lindfors). His eccentricities come into the open after he is released from the asylum. John briefly took a slaughterhouse job (in a particular showing sequence) before he returns to his homestead to confront his Aunt about what he wishes to do with his inheritance that she now controls. But John’s quirky behavior masks his interior and the horrors beneath. What pranks and punishment will John visit upon his family and the people around him?

“A Bell from Hell” managed to slip out of Spain past General Franco’s repressive regime. The familial and social commentary on display might have gotten the filmmakers in trouble. Oddly enough the director died after a fall from the bell tower on the last day of filming. It was never clear whether the fall was an accident, suicide or something more sinister. It certainly gives the film a rather shady reputation. “Bell” on its own bears a few similarities to Hitchcock’s Psycho. The basic crux of the story surrounds a malleable family member being perverted and controlled by a senior family member. “Bell” is a very well acted and photographed piece that deserves to be noticed and fans well-made thrillers should seek out.