The Vampire's Coffin

EL Ataúd del Vampiro(1958), The Vampire's Coffin, is not a fitting sequel to El Vampiro,both featuring German Robles as aristocratic vampire Count Lavud. This sequel seems like a quickie followup. Most of the film is filmed inside modern buildings or building sets. It lacks the beautiful foreboding night fog scenes of the former. However, when I first wrote this review I had only seen the K. Gordon Murray dubbed version. I expressed thoughts that the Spanish version might be better. I have now seen the Casa Negra restored version in which the beautiful photography and music are quite apparent. The restored version DVD has both Spanish with and without English subtitles as well as the inferior K. Gordon Murray dubbed English version.

German Robles's acting is fine; he is quite the natty-charming-aristocratic-menacing-sensual vampire seeking Martha (Ariadna Welter) from the first movie. There is also an interesting scene in which he picks up a woman in a bar. He returns to this life?? thanks to a thief who becomes an assistant and acquires that status while attempting to steal the Count's large pendant and in the process pulling out the stake and thus bringing the Vampire back from the nether place to which he had been consigned in El Vampiro. The Count does not punish him but acknowledges his appreciation and makes him his assistant. (This is somewhat a precursor to Leo (Manver) the beguiling, willing hunchback assistant in the later Nostradamus films).

The Spanish restored Casa Negra version is part of a two DVD set with El Vampiro in both Spanish with and without English subtitles and dubbed English. The movie does now stand on its own and is worth seeing IN Spanish with or without English subtitles. I would now give it a 7.5 or 8 rating for its genre. IMDb will not allow any modification of my review of El Vampiro so I am unable to mention the quality of the Casa Negra restored version of El Vampiro; it is outstanding. I would add to my earlier review of that film that the photographic and sound quality are magnificent in the Casa Negra restored DVD.

Thomas J McKeon Indianapolis

Dr. Enrique Saldivar (Abel Salazar) once again has to protect Marta González (Ariadne Welter) after evil vampire Count Karol de Lavud (Germán Robles) is brought back to life.

Director Fernando Méndez's sequel to his previous year's El Vampiro features many of the same cast playing the same characters, and yet it isn't anywhere near as successful as the first film, lacking the original's wonderful gothic atmosphere, despite beginning promisingly with a howl of a wolf and a spot of grave-robbing.

The bulk of the action takes place in a hospital and a theatre, neither location possessing the ominous vibe of the original's run-down rural hacienda with its secret passageways and creepy family crypt. Worse still, the theatre location leads to some dreadfully choreographed dance numbers with Welter looking bored and confused throughout.

Thankfully, Méndez saves the best for last, with a fun battle between Enrique and the count in what must be Mexico's worst wax museum: not only are the exhibits totally unrecognisable (they have the characters' names pinned to them so that visitors aren't left guessing), but all of the props are real and potentially lethal. This means that there are sharp axes and spears for weapons, as well as a fully functional guillotine and a 'Virgin of Nuremberg', an iron maiden filled with very sharp spikes.

After escaping being bitten by Lavud (in rubber bat form, suspended on very visible wires), Enrique eventually manages to pin the vampire to the wall with a spear, while Marta narrowly avoids having her head chopped off by the guillotine.

4.5/10, generously rounded up to 5 for IMDb.

A coffin - an inscription reveals Count Lavud's first name, in case you were wondering: Lazlo - is extracted from its crypt by Dr. Mendoza (Guillermo Orea) and his hired muscle, Barraza (Yerye Beruite). Maria Teresa (Alicia Montoya), a skittery attempts to thwart the removal of the coffin, alas in vain.

The two medicos open it to find the dead Count Lavud (German Robles) perfectly preserved, albeit with a very large wooden stake jutting from his chest.

Later, Barraza removes the stake in order to steal a sparkly amulet from Lavud's body, and the vampire rises anew. (Even his shirt no longer has a hole.) Always in the market for a Renfield-like slave, Lavud puts Barraza under his hypnotic control.

The two doctors re-enter the room to find the coffin empty and the wooden stake on the ground. Maria Teresa shows up to urge caution, but she's too late. Lavud puts the bite on little Nina, and hypnotizes Marta.

Barraza hides Lavud in the basement of a wax museum. He's ready for a quick bite, Marta being his main aim. He wants her for his bride ... and he will fight tooth and nail to achieve it ...

The sequel to El Vampiro isn't as great as that film, which was quite spooky and effectively chilly with its broody atmosphere - there's some good atmosphere in the vampire's coffin, but not on the same level as the first film. However, it's imaginative and has some neat visuals; the scene where the long in the tooth count trails Marta in alleyway is quite a scene with its shadows. Tense stuff. The action scene in the finale is exciting.

It's fairly enjoyable, especially with it being set in the city area, mainly around the theatre, but it can be plodding, uneven. The best thing though is the count who is one spooky dude and has some menace, leaning towards Christopher Lee. The annoying thing is the hero (Salazar) who is comedic and lacks the seriousness needed. He was better in the first film.

I'm guessing that Fernando Méndez's "El Vampiro" was at least a fairly big success in its native Mexico as the director wasted no time in regrouping the main players from the cast of the aforementioned film and cobbling together this cheap sequel. Not as much care and attention has gone into this one; the film lacks the excellent atmospheric night-time shots of the original and the plot is not as well defined, but in spite of these things; The Vampire's Coffin is certainly an enjoyable romp that fans of the original should at least appreciate. The film starts off rather well with a sequence that sees a bunch of grave robbers accidentally resurrect the evil Count Karol de Lavud (an influence on Dracula 2000?) by removing the stake from his heart. The Count soon decides to turn his liberators into zombies, and proceeds to resume his mission from the first film. Naturally, it all falls down to the heroic Dr. Enrique Saldívar (Abel Salazar, returning to his role from the first film) to rescue the girl, kill the count and save the day.

This film reminded me of the Universal classics much more than the original did. As mentioned, the Gothic atmosphere does not make a comeback in this film and it's been replaced by a dose of misplaced and largely unfunny humour, which is unfortunate. The outdoor shots are really missed too; I guess it must have been cheaper to film indoors and the sets don't leave much to admire. All the main cast members from the original return and fit into their roles well. The standout is obviously Germán Robles who plays the count. My main problem with him in the first film is that he never really posed a threat; and he doesn't manage it here either, although it's not so much of a problem as the film appears to want to be taken with a pinch of salt. Abel Salazar stars opposite in the 'hero' role. He doesn't really fit the model of the hero, but he has good charisma and is at least entertaining. The plot doesn't go anywhere and doesn't really provide us with any surprises by the time the film ends. However, The Vampire's Coffin is a decent follow up in spite of its flaws and I'd recommend anyone who tracks down the original sees it; they might as well anyway since it's packed in the set with El Vampiro...

Graverobbers stumble upon the tomb of a vampire, who turns them into zombies to do his bidding, which is to stalk and capture beautiful women.

Dear Abel Salazar, you are an amazing actor with a great face. I wish you had been better-known to American horror audiences. Films like this, and especially "The Brainiac", have either been forgotten or became cult classics far too late.

When people speak of foreign horror, they often talk of Italian, or sometimes Japanese. These days Korean horror has become more fashionable, and the latest wave (as of 2015) is New Zealand. But who is out there blowing the trumpet for Mexico?