10. The Whip And The Body (1963)
Directed by the late, great Mario Bava (hmmmm, I smell a tribute article coming on), The Whip and the Body is an Italian Gothic thriller Featuring a strong tinge of sado-masochism. Christopher Lee is a highly unpleasant, bully of a man who returns to his big freaky castle. He is having an SM relationship with his sister-in-law whom he loves to flog with the titular whip. He is brutally murdered but comes back from the dead to resume their relationship... There are loop holes in the plot and things don't quite make sense at times but this is a good example of Bava at the height of his directorial and cinematography powers. The film (as per usual with Bava) is beautifully lit and the interplay of colours is fantastic. The film is genuinely menacing and the atmosphere makes it scary. It is years ahead of its time in its presentation of SM as a story theme. Growing in critical stature all the time, check this little curio out.