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Vampire,
El (1957) |
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The opening scenes we watch the evil Count Lavud mesmerizing his beautiful victim outside a lavish hacienda. A moment later the fiendish Count turns into a vile leathery bat and flaps his way up to the beauties chamber. She squeals in horror as he closes in on her, fangs glistening menacingly in the pale moonlight.
The next shot is of a train rolling leisurely into Santa Negre, an odd town full of superstitious people who don’t like to go out after dark! A beautiful young thing emerges from the train and finds that there is no way she can get into the Sycamores (the family heritage) in order to see her aunts, one of them seriously ill. Lucky for Marta that the dashing Abel Salazar is at hand also waiting for transport that has little chance of showing up. Soon a horse cart arrives to pick up a curious consignment that has been shipped all the way from a remote village of Hungary. The coffin bearing the mysterious earth is addressed to a Count Lavud, a man who has recently arrived in Mexico to attend to his shady, secretive business. The devilish Count is actually none other than Count Duval a well known vampire who has arrived in Mexico in order to resurrect his partner in vampiring – his dear brother who he discovers is entombed in a chamber below the hacienda belonging to the family of Marta. The Count has already taken care of one of the aunts by seducing her and making her his slave in the opening scene. Now the dastardly count needs to have control over the hacienda in order to bring his brother back from the dead once again and it is imperative that he either convince Marta and her stubborn uncle into selling it to him or then he will have to take drastic and grim measures. Finding Marta at least as stubborn as her uncle, the count and his deadly accomplice start to plot her downfall so that the opposition to his buying the house is nullified and he can carry out the gruesome ritual that will restore his long lost brother back to the family’s blood sucking traditions. This classic Mexican vampire film arrives courtesy of the mad folk at Mondo Macabro who continue to bring the most amazing, obscure and eclectic films out on their excellent new DVD label. This wonderfully atmospheric and stylishly mounted film, presented very much in the style of the early Universal films is a worthy addition to the Mondo Macabro stable. The sets, lighting and camerawork are highly impressive, managing to evoke a creepy, sinister mood and the background music is suitably menacing and dramatic. There is hardly any gore on display at all, yet the 18 certificate awarded by the British censors, no doubt in part due to a particularly brutal attack on a young lad on the street by the blood crazed Lavud. Other than that, one is hard pressed to imagine why the film warranted an 18 certificate. The count is played with assured control and necessary charm by German Robles and Abel Salazar is amusing, charming and heroic as the man who saves the day and this film was one of many he acted in as well as produced. A classy, stylish vampire film drenched in old world charm, handsomely mounted and well acted. This film should be an essential part of the discriminating world horror buff’s collection – and thanks to Mondo Macabro, you can hope to continue adding such delightful cinematic treats to your DVD collection for years to come.
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