The Awful Dr. Orloff (1962): B

Crude, but effective, The Awful Dr. Orloff (reviewed here in its not-entirely-incompetent English dub) both encapsulates and overcomes many of the traits that typically define low-rent horror whodunits of the day. The plot, about a scientist trying to cure his ailing sister and the poor deformed soul he forces to do his murderous bidding, is strict pre-grindhouse fodder and about twice as intelligent as one might forgiven for expecting it to be. The images are frequently flat and even lazy (inconsistencies, like the extinguished candle that continues to light a scene, abound), but there's real meat to the performances and an accruing atmosphere that refuses to yield. A great midnight experience.