HALLOWEEN HORROR DAYS ~ DAY 18: TOMBS OF THE BLIND DEAD (1972)

In 1968 George Romero's classic film NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD changed the way audiences viewed horror movies and changed the landscape of horror cinema. With that film Romero also introduced a new kind of zombie, cannibalistic re-animated corpses. They weren't zombies per say but rather flesh-eating living dead. Later they appropriated the term "Zombie." After Romero more flesh-eating re-animated corpses began cropping up in movies around the world. The day of the voodoo zombie had ended.

In 1971 the film TOMBS OF THE BLIND DEAD was released to theaters. It is a Spanish horror film from director Amando de Ossorio. It's original Spanish title is LA NOCHE DEL TERROR CIEGO which translates to "The Night of the Blind Terror," a title not unlike Romero's film. Devil worshiping medieval Templars rise from their graves to drink the blood of the living in this atmospheric and frightening Euro horror film. Like Romero's 1968 film, Tombs showed audiences another horde of flesh devouring re-animated cadavers, but unlike Romero's zombies with simple make-ups and various states of undress, director Amando de Ossorio gives audiences some truly terrifying zombies and genuinely unique monsters worthy of the horror hall of fame.

THE PLOT

In 13th Century Europe a sect of Templar knights returned from the crusades. They brought with them many exotic treasures and new beliefs taken from the far East. These knights were obsessed with attaining immortality, whatever the cost. They appropriated the Egyptian ankh, the symbol of eternal life. They even devoted themselves to Satan in the hope that the lord of darkness would granted them life beyond the grave. Excommunicated by the pope, they took up residence in the medieval town of Berzano in Portugal. There they carried out countless satanic rituals, abducting village girls, and sacrificing them to their dark gods. Eventually the people of Berzano rose up against them. They hanged the Templars for their crimes, their bodies on display for everyone to see. The crows ate their eyes. As they died the leader of the Templars cursed the townsfolk, vowing to return from the grave and kill every last one of them.

Fast forward to 1971. Virginia and her boyfriend Roger board a train headed across country. While on the train they run into an old friend, Betty. Roger shamelessly flirts with Betty despite Virginia's disapproving glares. In an impulsive act of defiance, Virginia leaps from the train miles away from the nearest town. She spies what looks like a town off in the distance and makes her way toward it. When she arrives she discovers it is an old medieval town that has been long abandoned. In this town is a cemetery with Egyptian ankhs on the headstones of the graves. Virginia decides to spend the night in one of the old houses. In the dead of night she hears the lids of the tombs grind open. Hooded and cloaked skeletal figures rise up from the tombs, surround her, and sink their teeth into her flesh.

Roger and Betty travel the countryside looking for Virginia. They hear strange stories about a desolate town called Berzano out in the middle of nowhere. Stories about an evil that kills anyone who goes there. Roger and Betty disregard the stories as mere superstition and head out to Berzano in search of their friend. They find Virginia's chewed up body and they discover everything that the locals said about the town of Berzano and the evil that rests there is true.

THE GOOD

(spoilers)

These resurrected devil-worshiping Templars or simply the BLIND DEAD are wonderful monsters of horror cinema. Debuting only three years after Romero's living dead, the Blind Dead had way more going for them. The designs for the Blind Dead are detailed and wicked awesome. The actors playing them were in full knight costumes made to look rotted and decayed. They weren't merely actors with make-up on their faces, they had skeleton masks and prosthesis. They shambled about wielding swords and daggers, drinking blood and eating flesh, and riding undead horses to boot! As zombies go they are some the most unique and evocative designs I've ever seen.

Not only are the Blind Dead scarier looking than Romero's zombies but there is also considerably more violence and gore. And it's in color! Not many films went as far with the violence and graphic content as this film did back in 1971. That, and openly stating that these monsters were devil worshipers and satanists adds a whole new degree of terror, if you're a believer that is. And the ending takes the violence even further. The Blind Dead follow Betty onto a train where they slaughter everyone on board. One of the final shots is of a child cowering in her mother's lap as the Blind Dead rip apart her mother, blood splattering all over the child's face. And then the hands of the Blind Dead reach for the child and the camera cuts away. Grim, yes?

Then there's the music. The theme that plays whenever the Blind Dead appear is an eerie and disturbing horror score reminiscent of religious choruses and Gregorian chants. It sounds like something you would hear at a satanic ritual or in a demonic church. It's a brilliant score and a unique sound. After you hear it you'll always think of the Blind Dead. It is one of the best fitting horror themes I've ever heard. It creates an unholy atmosphere and builds the tension perfectly.

THE BAD

Occasionally the effects of the zombies looks a little static. It's a limitation of the special effects and the era in which these films were created. The shots are fleeting so they don't totally take you out of the movie. All in all this film is assembled very well. I don't have many complaints about it. The only other drawbacks I could speak of would be of how little we see of them. They're such great monsters and we only see them in two sequences. Also the story goes off in a weird direction in the middle which feels entirely unnecessary since all that comes of it is bringing the characters back to Berzano. Meh. The finale more than makes up for it though.

THE VERDICT

Album cover for the Tombs of the Blind Dead EP by London based band Zoltan

Tombs of the Blind Dead is another hidden gem of horror cinema. The concept is steeped in European history and religion. For the era it was released the movie was breaking ground on the horror front with its graphic violence (which was cut from the US release because it was deemed too extreme) and its monster effects. The story with its strong satanic ties also cast the film in a taboo light. Because of this and in spite of the censors the film was successful and spawned three sequels. The Blind Dead, in my opinion, are marvelous movie monsters worthy of the greats.

Overall Ranking: 7 out of 10

Nude-O-Meter: 3 out of 10

Peter Cushing vs the Blind Dead!

The two kinds of movie viewers: A diatribe.

(this is not a part of the review above but rather an observation about the people who watch movies)

There are two kinds of film audiences. Those with imagination and those without. Those without imagination need the films they watch to be flawless and believable in every aspect. These are the people who readily dismiss any sort of special effects that they find fake or dated. These people are difficult to please and almost always find fault with any genre film utilizing special effects. Basically these people will never appreciate classic sci-fi, fantasy, or horror films. And that's sad. There are so many great movies out there that show their age, flaws, warts and all.

If you have imagination you can fill in the gaps. You may be a little more forgiving of the special effects and be swept up in the story. If you can do this then the number of films that you can enjoy increases dramatically. Don't get me wrong. Not all movies can be helped with a little imagination. Some movies just suck. Bad plotting, editing, directing, and terrible acting can easily render a movie unwatchable. But with a little imagination you can enjoy stop-motion animation, suitmation, and gore effects. You don't even need imagination for this. All you really need is to think about the eras when these movies were made, put it in context, and recognize what the filmmakers were able accomplish with the resources available for the time. All right, enough with my little diatribe...