This movie is indeed scary, but not in the usual way. It is scary like a bad dream or nightmare.
The effects with the old man just disappearing from the passenger seat. The lobby goes from being empty, to being filled with dancers, in such an empty town.
Finding a normal girl in the bookstore is also a shocker. Kind of out of place normal.
Saw this movie as a kid on TV Saturday Night "Supernatural Theater" on Channel 9 in NY, and rediscovered it like a previous poster on a double DVD with Carnival of Souls.

I agree with Henry.T. This copy has been stretched to wide-screen. The technical specs on this movie's IMDB page sites the aspect ratio as "1.66 : 1" which would be preferable, but hey - it's free. Maybe another copy will pop up somewhere with the original dimensions.

Nicely done classic horror flick. Much better than the blood and guts genre that is so common today.

At first, I felt it was a bit slow and the acting seemed a tad off. But as I continued I began to appreciate the directing and overall style choices. Eerie and with some pretty dark moments.

I had this movie on VHS years ago and just love it. The only distraction for me was Nan Barlow's brother (who had a completely different accent from hers) who acted more like her father than her brother and the boyfriend who was all pouty and controlling. Nice to see manners have changed in the last 50 years.

It's a nice print and a Hammerish sort of story, but the aspect ratio is all wrong. Rather than 1.78 (16:9), it should be more like 1.43 (10:7).

This film is sadly overlooked by many. I only discovered it after finding it on a double-disc with "Carnival of Souls" (which is also overlooked, but not as much as this film).

Christopher Lee is, of course, excellent in it, as is the lead actress who plays the witch. The sets are sparse, but used well. A feeling of dread runs through the entire film, and you will be hard pressed to find another movie that uses fog so well (apart from one made by John Carpenter).

It also has one of the best jump cuts in 1960's horror films.

The term "sleeper" could have been invented for this little horror gem. All but unnoticed at its U.S. debut, it didn't pickup a small following until it was released to TV in the mid-sixties. It is an incredibly atmospheric and well plotted tale of modern-day witchcraft and satanic sacrifice. The budget may be small, but the sets and how they are used are remarkable. As for the cast, Venetia Stevenson is pretty, blonde and innocent, but I think she might have skipped at least one acting class. (For some reason she is billed as Venetia Stephenson.) Not to worry, the rest of the cast is fine, including Patricia Jessel who is outstanding as the undying witch Elizabeth Selwyn. Once neglected, now with many fans, a digitally restored version is supposed to be available, but I haven't run across it. CAST NOTE: Venetia Stevenson is the daughter of British actress Anna Lee. "Horror Hotel" was the next to last film of Venetia's brief acting career. Anna Lee can be found here at the Archive in "King Solomon's Mines," "Non-Stop New York," "The Man Who Changed His Mind" and others.

I remember watching this movie as a kid and was fascinated then. The feeling still holds true today. In this day of CGI and other effects, the good old creepy effects with nothing more than just mere atmosphere is still desirable. Watch this movie and you will not be disappointed.