Casa Negra sure blessed Gothic horror fans with some very atmospheric offerings including Fernando Méndez's ambitious, Universal Studio's flavored Mexican horror classic, El Vampiro, a film which certainly wears it's Dracula inspirations for all to see.
The story isn't that difficult or original regarding a vampire's desire to gain control of an age-ravaged(..and sadly neglected due to a lack of hired help who moved off in fear of being vampire victims) hacienda needing the proper ownership in the possession of Marta(Ariadna Welter), a visiting relative from afar called at the behest of her sick aunt, María(Alicia Montoya, wonderfully made up to look completely bonkers, hair frazzled and grey-streaked, face wrinkled and worn, cross with an emblem of a crucified Christ held tight to her chest). María supposedly died before Marta was able to arrive, but the situation is not as it seems. Marta would get off her train and discover that a method of transportation to her destination was remote at best, befriending a kindly traveler, Dr. Enrique(Abel Salazar)who would join her in a trip to the desolate hacienda, finding it practically abandoned and cob-webbed. We later find that Enrique was called by Marta's uncle, Emilio(José Luis Jiménez)to see if María was in fact loony, or if her ravings about a vampire was true. Aunt Eloisa(Carmen Montejo)is in league with vampire, Count Karol de Lavud(..who has taken the alias, Duval, Lavud spelled backwards, perhaps echoing SON OF Dracula, when Lon Chaney Jr's vampire took the name of Alucard)who wishes to own the hacienda and assists in keeping an eye on Enrique, attempting to persuade Marta to sell off her portion of the place, given to her by María after her moment of death. Count de Lavud plans to resurrect his fallen brother, desiring to join forces to drain the blood of all the living across the country-side. Will Enrique and Emilio discover de Lavud and Eloisa's dastardly plans? Or, will this fanged duo of evil conquer the hacienda, having a place of refuge after blood-sucking innocents who live nearby?
Germán Robles is effectively cast as a handsome Count, very much in the Lugosi tradition, except he has sharpened fangs and is often shown burying them into necks, including a ferocious attack on a peasant boy walking home in the wilderness. The hacienda is an ideal setting, perfectly morbid and decaying, with a marvelous mausoleum, and the usual secret room hiding María away from those who wish to gain control of her home. Some of the low-budget effects, stringed bats, objects lifted invisibly in a mirror(..Marta is looking into which is where Eloisa is supposed to be standing),scenes where the vampires appear and disappear, are a bit hit-or-miss, but director Fernando Méndez understands how to create decadent locations for his vampires, bathing them in shadows. And, even though the strings are apparent, I love his ideas for having the bats flying towards the balcony of a bedroom, entering the place of rest for a potential victim. And, Robles has the right amount of menace and quiet evil needed to properly present a cunning and cruel vampire. All the film really needed was a charismatic and worthy adversary and unfortunately Salazar is too much the charming, romantic type..more of a Harker character than a Van Helsing.
The story isn't that difficult or original regarding a vampire's desire to gain control of an age-ravaged(..and sadly neglected due to a lack of hired help who moved off in fear of being vampire victims) hacienda needing the proper ownership in the possession of Marta(Ariadna Welter), a visiting relative from afar called at the behest of her sick aunt, María(Alicia Montoya, wonderfully made up to look completely bonkers, hair frazzled and grey-streaked, face wrinkled and worn, cross with an emblem of a crucified Christ held tight to her chest). María supposedly died before Marta was able to arrive, but the situation is not as it seems. Marta would get off her train and discover that a method of transportation to her destination was remote at best, befriending a kindly traveler, Dr. Enrique(Abel Salazar)who would join her in a trip to the desolate hacienda, finding it practically abandoned and cob-webbed. We later find that Enrique was called by Marta's uncle, Emilio(José Luis Jiménez)to see if María was in fact loony, or if her ravings about a vampire was true. Aunt Eloisa(Carmen Montejo)is in league with vampire, Count Karol de Lavud(..who has taken the alias, Duval, Lavud spelled backwards, perhaps echoing SON OF Dracula, when Lon Chaney Jr's vampire took the name of Alucard)who wishes to own the hacienda and assists in keeping an eye on Enrique, attempting to persuade Marta to sell off her portion of the place, given to her by María after her moment of death. Count de Lavud plans to resurrect his fallen brother, desiring to join forces to drain the blood of all the living across the country-side. Will Enrique and Emilio discover de Lavud and Eloisa's dastardly plans? Or, will this fanged duo of evil conquer the hacienda, having a place of refuge after blood-sucking innocents who live nearby?
Germán Robles is effectively cast as a handsome Count, very much in the Lugosi tradition, except he has sharpened fangs and is often shown burying them into necks, including a ferocious attack on a peasant boy walking home in the wilderness. The hacienda is an ideal setting, perfectly morbid and decaying, with a marvelous mausoleum, and the usual secret room hiding María away from those who wish to gain control of her home. Some of the low-budget effects, stringed bats, objects lifted invisibly in a mirror(..Marta is looking into which is where Eloisa is supposed to be standing),scenes where the vampires appear and disappear, are a bit hit-or-miss, but director Fernando Méndez understands how to create decadent locations for his vampires, bathing them in shadows. And, even though the strings are apparent, I love his ideas for having the bats flying towards the balcony of a bedroom, entering the place of rest for a potential victim. And, Robles has the right amount of menace and quiet evil needed to properly present a cunning and cruel vampire. All the film really needed was a charismatic and worthy adversary and unfortunately Salazar is too much the charming, romantic type..more of a Harker character than a Van Helsing.