It has been several years now since a small outfit called CasaNegra Films released a series of classic 1950s Mexican horror films on DVD. The 1950s films in Mexico were similar to those that Universal made back in the 1930s. In a few instances, some were even better as the atmosphere in these films surpassed that of Universal’s Golden Age and proved to be a major influence on the European Gothic Horrors (like Mario Bava’s BLACK SUNDAY) which were just around the corner. Once shown on American TV in heavily edited, poorly dubbed versions, the CasaNegra editions used original prints and are in the original Spanish w/subtitles (though there are English soundtracks included). The difference is like night and day.
Of the various titles released, my Top 3 are (using the English titles) 1 – THE BLACK PIT OF DR M, 2 – THE CURSE OF THE CRYING WOMAN, and 3) THE VAMPIRE, the first film of this DVD set. All 3 of these are positively dripping with atmosphere. Swirling fog, low key expressionistic lighting and some nifty but not overly flashy camerawork. The music scores are emphatic but effective and the performances are appropriately broad without descending to camp. Until recently I had never seen either of these films (THE VAMPIRE & THE VAMPIRE’S COFFIN) although I had heard about them and had seen stills taken from them. Now that I’ve seen them there is good news and there is bad news.
The good news first. As mentioned earlier, THE VAMPIRE (1957) is an absolute gem. Set on a lonely hacienda, the movies opens with a somber funeral full of striking imagery. It then shifts to a railway station where a young woman seeks to go to the hacienda to visit a sick relative (the one who has just died). She is aided by a young traveler who is actually a doctor in disguise. Once there they encounter a vampire aunt and a vampire count trying to resurrect his dead ancestor. In classic fashion, the Count seeks to make the young girl his bride but his plans are thwarted in the end. Ariadne Weltner as the intended victim and German Robles as the Count give very good performances that enhance the material.
Now the bad news. As good as the first film is the sequel, THE VAMPIRE’S COFFIN (1958), takes the same characters and places them in a contemporary setting. As a result we get an interesting time capsule of life and entertainment in 1950s Mexico but the ambiance and atmosphere of the first film are gone with a fair amount of intentional (and unintentional) humor added. This quickly took me out of any horror film mode and I wound up being very disappointed with the movie. It isn’t really bad (both films were directed by the same man Fernando Mendez) but I prefer my period horror films straight (and in period). In the end it’s all a matter of taste. As examples of Mexico’s Golden Age, both movies should be seen and compared so you can make your own decision.
The Capsule Critic 