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Spirits of the Dead

Play trailer Poster for Spirits of the Dead R 1968 1h 57m Horror Play Trailer Watchlist
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86% Tomatometer 22 Reviews 64% Popcornmeter 1,000+ Ratings
In one chapter of this three-in-one feature inspired by Edgar Allan Poe's tales, a countess (Jane Fonda), shunned by a horseman (Peter Fonda), kills the man and his animals yet pays dearly for her deadly act. Another focuses on a religious man (Alain Delon) who seeks absolution for a murder only to find that his violent impulses come rushing back. The third is about a boozing actor (Terence Stamp) who accepts a car as compensation for a role, but is ultimately defeated by addiction.
Spirits of the Dead

What to Know

Critics Consensus

Three auteurs descend on the works of Poe, each putting on a ghoulish show -- adapting The Tomahawk Man's tales of dreams and fright, with Fellini's segment particularly out of sight.

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Critics Reviews

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William Thomas Empire Magazine 09/25/2007
4/5
Intriguing and mostly successful. Go to Full Review Chris Petit Time Out 02/09/2006
Only Fellini (Toby Dammit) really manages to make much of his source. Go to Full Review Vincent Canby New York Times 05/09/2005
[Toby Dammit] is marvelous: a short movie but a major one. The Vadim is as overdecorated and shrill as a drag ball, but still quite fun, and the Malle, based on one of Poe's best stories, is simply tedious. Go to Full Review Eddie Harrison film-authority.com 08/17/2025
5/5
…Federico Fellini’s Toby Dammit segment is a rather wild bit of film, massively self-indulgent for sure, but Fellini conjures the media as villains with ease, and his portrait of a maddened, noxious, faithless world still has plenty of juice in it…. Go to Full Review Harvey G. Cox Tempo (National Council of Churches) 01/07/2021
All the directors are competent. Poe was a genius. The program looks promising. But it fails. Go to Full Review Ronald Bergan Radio Times 10/18/2016
4/5
Out of the three episodes based on the macabre tales by Edgar Allan Poe, the third -- the only modern-day one, directed by Federico Fellini -- is far and away the best. Go to Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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Shioka O @RT54204327 11/16/2022 Give stars for only Fellini. He used his cliche and successfully managed to use the English actor Terrence Stamp. I think this is an entertaining short though not as great as 8 1/2 and La Dolce Vita, of course. The other two was boring almost slept. See more s r @ScottR 11/12/2020 Nothing too compelling to see here, an interesting cast and Fellini to boot! Saw it on TCM. See more 05/27/2020 All of the stars are for the Fellini story, which was expertly made. The other two stories don't light a candle to his. See more 04/22/2020 Lo mejor la secuencia de Fellini, las escenas de aeropuerto. See more 09/25/2019 Let us get him out of the way - Roger Vadim was a pretentious horny goat who treated Jane Fonda as Bo Derek. You are better off with Jean Rollin - at least he has a heart. Louis Malle was a director of the humanist Truffautian variety. Not really comfortable showing Alain Delon lashing out atrocities. Around this time, as censorship all but collapsed, America reached for the bullets, while Europe went flog-happy. Good times, eh? A director such as Ken Russell would have made this a more poignant entry about class and privilege. This segment could be renamed "I`ll blink when I`m dead". Fellini`s effort has a great airport-as-the-entrance-to-hell start, and a terrific high-strung ending. In the middle you must endure the usual parade of uncanny characters, and a parodic movie awards ceremony. This is basically 8 1/2 cranked up to 11. Satyricon aside, Fellini never made a horror film. Pity. See more ashley h @ashleyhobgood87 12/21/2018 Spirits of the Dead is a fantastic film. It is about a cruel princess who is haunted by a ghostly horse, a sadistic young man who is haunted by his double, and an alcoholic actor who is haunted by the Devil. Jane Fonda and Brigitte Bardot give excellent performances. The screenplay is well written. Louis Malle did a great job directing this movie. I enjoyed watching this motion picture because of the mystery and fantasy. Spirits of the Dead is a must see. See more Read all reviews
Spirits of the Dead

My Rating

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Cast & Crew

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Roger Vadim

Director

Louis Malle

Director

Federico Fellini

Director

Jane Fonda

Contessa Frederique de Metzengerstein

Brigitte Bardot

Giuseppina

Terence Stamp

Toby Dammit

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Spirits of the Dead

Spirits of the Dead (1968) Spirits of the Dead (1968) View more photos

Movie Info

Synopsis In one chapter of this three-in-one feature inspired by Edgar Allan Poe's tales, a countess (Jane Fonda), shunned by a horseman (Peter Fonda), kills the man and his animals yet pays dearly for her deadly act. Another focuses on a religious man (Alain Delon) who seeks absolution for a murder only to find that his violent impulses come rushing back. The third is about a boozing actor (Terence Stamp) who accepts a car as compensation for a role, but is ultimately defeated by addiction.
Director
Roger Vadim, Louis Malle, Federico Fellini
Production Co
Les Films Marceau
Rating
R
Genre
Horror
Original Language
French (France)
Release Date (DVD)
Aug 10, 2005
Runtime
1h 57m
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