Cementerio del Terror a.k.a. Cemetery of Terror

Have you noticed how slasher villains are going back to their 1980s roots recently? Many a slasher pic nowadays showcases some kind of giant, indestructible killer mutant. Reminiscent of Jason or Freddy, a lot of these new slashers seem ripe for marketing endless sequels. I'm talking about movies like Hatchet, The Hills Run Red, and Midnight Movie, to name a few. A few that I've enjoyed, anyway. I don't know if these films are meant as throw-backs, but I like the wave they're riding. Of the good ol' days before Scream came along and ushered in all the post-modern self reflexive garbage of the mid-late 1990s.

Well anyway, during the classic age of the invincible slasher villain there were many, many variations, rip-offs, and cash-ins on the theme that a forty-fingered man could easily lose count. They came from all over the world and in varying degrees of ripeness. One particularly great one came from Mexico. It exhibited every over-the-top aspect about the genre and is obscure enough for me to review. It's called Cemetery of Terror.

The premise is tried and true. A group of young people break into an old and spooky abandoned house looking for nothing less than a good time. Just a night of booze, babes, boom box, and, of course, black magic. They, naturally, end up waking a dormant evil force which proceeds to terrorize and kill anyone drinking, fornicating, or trespassing in its lair.

Sound familiar yet? It should. It's been the plot to countless other horror films including Night of the Demons, The Evil Dead, and Hell Night. Now add Cemetery of Terror to the list.

I think this movie ranks up their with its contemporaries, though. It utilizes all the best techniques of a certified 80s horror gem. It's got plenty of blood and carnage, good plot, great atmosphere, and takes place on that wonderful horror movie time of the year: Halloween. The evil antagonist in this film is a superbly terrifying super-human Satanic slasher named Devlon who could easily give Michael Myers a run for his money. I don't recall Mikey selling his soul to Satan, after all. And, as if Devlon wasn't enough for you, throw in a Necronomicon-type book which summons an army of zombies into the mix. Because what good is a spooky old cemetery in a horror film if you're not going to use it?

Made for Mexican audiences and filmed in Texas,this movie is definitely worth looking into if you are a fan of all-out 80s slasher gore fun. It effortlessly compares with a lot of great American horror trash cinema classics. So bring on the booze, babes, boom box, and black magic and let's party!

(1985) Directed by Ruben Galindo Jr.

P.S.
Watch for Hugo Stiglitz as the Dr. Loomis-type character on the trail of the killer.

Facts about myself:
My favorite Hugo Stiglitz movie is Nightmare City.

The Mad Ravings and Obscure Observations of the Sun Blind Outlaw Idiot- An Introduction

Terror in the Crypt (a.k.a. Crypt of the Vampire)

In the wake of all this Twilight Saga bullshit, a lot of older and sometimes obscure vampire flicks have been re-issued. A great majority of them with new and awfully emo-goth-depressed-angst-ridden-teenager-inspired cover art.

I'm not complaining or anything, any exposure these older films get is good, but sometimes they aren't even vampire movies. A sorta funny-ass example of this marketing is this one movie originally titled Summer's Blood. It's a pretty violent and exploitative flick, heavy on the nastiness and blood. But, it features Twilight co-star Ashley Greene in the lead. So, naturally, it got renamed Summer's Moon and given a Twilight-esque cover and...voila! Traumatized teeny-boppers!

Now, this is definitely not the first time that this has happened. It's been going on for years. Just ask Bela Lugosi. Well... we're a bit too late there. So, just ask Christopher Lee. Just about any movie he starred in the 1960s thru 70s tried to market his vampire image. Like this one:

Terror in the Crypt (recently released as Crypt of the Vampire) is definitely worth a look for any fan of EuroGoth films or even just for those wanting to get a glimpse at Christopher Lee's Italian ventures.

If there is one thing that even the most low-budget of Spaghetti horrors excel in, it has got to be atmosphere. That is one thing that Terror in the Crypt does extremely well. It exudes a flair of picturesque horror and mystique enhanced all the more by its superb cinematography and eerie score.

Like so many other Gothic efforts, the story revolves around a generations-old family curse. Christopher Lee's character is a Count who fears that a witch's curse is starting to come to fruition as members of his extended family are dying one by one. A great cast of characters makes this story even more interesting. There's Laura, the Count's daughter and prime suspect in carrying out the witch's hex during her nightmare-wrought sleep. There is Laura's sultry friend Lyuba (I must note that the two hot-as-fuck starlets have great chemistry together and always look like they are on the verge of releasing years of bottled up sexual frustration in what would be a great gothic lesbian romp). There is a wise old ugly crone who tries to help Laura decipher her nightmares (no lesbian fantasies there). And there is a young historian who is brought in to try and find out as much of the family's dark history as he can in an effort to thwart the curse.

Apart from it's great atmosphere, the film is very well crafted and entertaining. I would put it in the vein of other great EuroGoth gems like Terror Creatures From the Grave, Nightmare Castle, and Bava's Kill Baby, Kill. Plus, the immortal Christopher Lee adds plenty to the picture as he always tends to do. But, like many of the other fans of this picture, I would have loved to have seen Lee chew the scenery with genre queen Barbara Steele as this is the type of film that was right up her alley.

(1964) Directed by Camillo Mastrocinque