Danza Macabra Vol Three — Danza Macabra Vol Three ( Blu Ray Boxset)
Here we have the third volume in Severin's euro gothic film boxset series Danza Macabra. It shifts the Italian focus of the first two sets to Spanish gothic horror- featuring four films spread over four Blu-rays, with new scans for each & good selection of extras for each including commentary tracks for each film. Many of these pictures are unknown/ rare- so this is a unique & fascinating boxset, presenting films that most European horror fans won’t have heard of, let alone seen before.
First up we have 1971 Necrophagus (aka Graveyard of Horror, Necromaniac) which is a 70s set gothic horror- with an odd/ lightly surreal flow/ feel to it’s unfold, which regards something animalistic & ghoulish preying on an aristocrat family.
It was the first film directed & written by New Castile, Spain-born Miguel Madrid. He had two other directorial credits to his name Giallo/ slasher crossbreed The Killer of Dolls (1975), and comedy-drama Bacanal En Directo- which regards a sex party going wrong. He also had eleven acting credits to his name.
The English dub version of the film kicks off in a wonderful disorientating/ weird manner- as we first get a close-up shot of a man manically shovelling out a grave, then we shift to a plot of freshly laid earth which seems to groaning & moaning- as a sparse/ low fi electro glitching beat plays.
As we get into the film we jump back & forth between two (possibly three) timescales- there’s one where our lead character Michael (Bill Curran) is returning to his family home castle to find out his pregnant wife has died somehow. And one/ two that look at the past/ near present/ present.
The film darts/shifts between uncovering the mystery of what happened to Michael's wife. The weird/ ghoulish going on of two gowned/ masked figures & the clawed/ growling figure under the earth. And off-kilter family soapiness bickering of Michael’s family. With extra oddness/ unexplained stuff thrown in for good measure- like a large middle-aged woman carrying a small bloody corpse in a suitcase on a train. With decidedly atmospheric snow/ sleet bond landscape shots from time to time
The film runs at near the one-and-a-half mark, and to be honest you’ll spend most of that time decidedly confused- as we jump back & forth in timelines, and characters disappear & reappear. It does all sort of make sense in the end, but we do get a rather rushed explanation.
The whole flow/ weird tone of the film makes it, and thankfully for most of the film's runtime we don’t see our monster full on- only its eyes, brows, and strange claws- as when it is finally revealed in the last few minutes it looks like a rather naff 1950’s creature. All in all, Necrophagus is a fine strange start to the set.
On the extra side for this film, we have a commentary track from Andy Marshall-Roberts, Host Of The Nasty Pasty Podcast- this is a most informative & interesting track. He starts off by talking about how the film's working title was Body Trafficking, and he talks about the meaning of the film's used title- basically, animals feeding on carcasses. He touches on how the US versions opening credits differ from the one we have here. We find out the film premiered in Spain at the Sitges festival in May of 1971, going onto general Spanish release in October of 1972. He talks about the feeling of ill-at-ease & discord. He touches on lead actor Bill Curran- who was born in Pennsylvania, only having a few credits taking in a euro western & Kung Fu films. He discusses the use of subplots to increase the feeling of unease, and how most of these are never resolved like the rattling from inside a cardboard element. He talks about how it’s unclear where or when it’s meant to be set. He points out the director's cameo in the snow-bound graveyard and touches on his other two films. Later on, he discusses how all of the women in the film seem on edge & argumentative. He talks about the moments of disorientating editing & weird soundtrack moaning, and more. A track well worth a play.
Next, we have two interviews. Something You've Never Seen (8.06) with Ángel Sala, Head Of Programming At The Sitges Film Festival. He discusses the film to hand- talking about its mixing ‘n’ matching of subgenres. It’s a deconstruction of the horror genre and a decent enough overview of the film. The First Horror Film Festival In The World (11.02) finds Maria Pilar Rafáles, Daughter Of Sitges Film Festival Founder Antonio Rafáles, discussing the first festival. Lastly, we get a US and European trailer of the film.
Next, we have Cake Of Blood (aka Pastel De Sangre) this is a decidedly subtle and often surreal horror anthology from 1971. It features four stories in all- with a total runtime of one hour & thirty-three minutes. The films tagline is ‘tales of terror throughout history’.
The film's first story is Tarota which was directed by José María Vallés- this opens with a man manically running through a forest- stripped to the waist with balding bedraggled hair & a wooden crutch. He makes his way to a river to be surrounded by a group of grown figures- who bury him in the sand and set the man on fire. Next, we meet the story's lead- a knight riding his way through the countryside- we find out later the land has been a plague ravaged. Along his journey, he finds a seemingly dead woman lying in a ruined castle, a boy/ small person who has been living off honey, and a goose. It’s a very weird/ not completely sensical start to the collection.
Next is Victor Frankenstein which was directed by Emilio Martínez-Lázaro. This is once again period set, and we open by finding out that Victor has been away from his country house/ castle sometime in the city experimenting on making his monster. He returns home to find his mother is dying- though he clearly wants nothing to do with her. I can’t really give too much more away about this- but again it’s rather low-key, and odd.
Story three is Terror among Christians directed by Francesc Bellmunt. This is set during the time of the Roman Empire- when a gladiator and Christian have escaped into the woods from their captors. This one has a more formal layout, and it regards both parties being overwhelmed by something in the woods- it’s not bad at all.
Finally, we have The Dance - which was directed by Jaime Chávarri. It’s set in the 70’s and regards a bedraggled man watching a woman with a telescope out in the countryside. He’s approached by a rather pale & large eyebrowed man in a blue suit suggesting he breaks into the woman's house. This is a slightly arty-touched home invasion story- with a neat ghoulish twist in its tail.
The sequence of the stories is rather bizarrely laid out- as the lower subtle & odd ones are up first, and I’ll have to admit I had a few attempts getting through the first story- as it just felt more like a period drama, and the opening man running through the wood/ death by fire seems unconnected to the rest of the film. So, Cake Of Blood very much gets more engaging/ sensical as the film goes on.
On the extras side of the disc, we get a commentary track with Rod Barnett Of NaschyCast And The Bloody Pit, And Dr. Adrian Smith, Co-Author Of Norman J. Warren: Gentleman of Terror. This is a nice in-depth/well-researched track- as they discuss each story as they appear- giving bios of the directors, pointing out notable actors/ giving bios, as well as what the themes/ ideas are behind each story. Throughout we get a general discussion about the film as a whole- touching on censorship of the time & how this limited what each director could show/ do with their story. The old third generation with fan subtitles version of the film that went around the horror underground back in the day, and how much better this is. An excellent track which is easy to dip in & out of, as it splits down/ discusses each story.
Otherwise, we get a few interviews: My Generation (4.13) with actress Marisa Paredes from Victor Frankenstein. I Just Wanted To Have Fun (21.06) with Jaime Chávarri who helmed The Dance. To Whoever Wants To Watch (11.39) with actor José Lifante who acted in The Dance. An Arthouse UFO (11.00) Appreciation of the whole film by Ángel Sala
Onto disc three in the set and we have 1975’s The Devil’s Cross (aka La Cruz Del Diablo). This is a blend of gothic horror and murder mystery- with the whole thing being fairly entertaining/ engaging, but boy is the acting pretty terrible throughout- being largely decidedly flat & dead-eyed, though we do get a few moments of rewarding hamming it up.
The film was directed by London-born John Gilling- this was his final film. In total, he had thirty-six features to his name- with a fair few Hammers titles. These went from the Smuggling-based crime drama The Quiet Woman (1951), to horror Sci-fi The Gamma People (1956) which regards an evil dictator turning children into mutated henchmen. Moving into the 60’s he helmed The Flesh and the Fiends (1960) a historic horror film featuring Peter Cushing & Donald Pleasence, Cornish set horror The Plague Of Zombies (1966), and land-bound pirate flick The Pirates of Blood River (1962).
The period set film opens with our introduction to our ‘hero’ English writer Alfred Dawson (Ramiro Oliveros). He’s just come round from a reoccurring nightmare- where he’s been called by a woman who is surrounded by ghoulish-faced Templer Knights on horseback, and he can’t figure out what it means.
We pretty quickly find out Alfred is somewhat of an upper-class stoner, smoking Kief (the most potent part of the cannabis plant) in his thin bamboo pipe. We also find out he’s often late for his deadlines, as his big-haired manager/ girlfriend Maria (Carmen Sevilla) turns up at his apartment to inform him if he’s late again- the present publication he works for will be giving him the boot.
In the day's post is a letter from his sister Justine- who lives near Madrid- it says she’s having real issues having lost her baby, and her older husband has been horrid to her. So, the pair pack up & leave Alfred’s London apartment, heading out to Spain.
On arriving at his sister's house, they are very surprised to find out his sister is dead- seemingly been killed by a strange man near the notorious Devil’s Cross- which is out in the middle of the woods and is said to have been built from the armour of the devil himself.
Brought into the mix is Justine’s gruff & blunt older husband Enrique Carrillo (Eduardo Fajardo). And his decidedly shifty/ neatly bearded friend Cesar del Rio (Adolfo Marsillach).
The film is a fairly talky affair- with an often vapid soapiness to these scenes. Though there are moments of creepiness/ eeriness, a few bits of light gore, and a fair bit of gothic horror campness.
It’s a film that throws a few things into the mix- we have the murder mystery element with a rather creepy/ hunched black balaclava figure watching on/ killing folk. There’s a Knights Templer element- with historic flashbacks. There’s a ghost element too. As I said earlier The Devil’s Cross it’s an entertaining enough ride, with the whole thing resolving in a fairly unexpected manner.
On the extras side for this disc, we have a commentary track from Kim Newman, Author Of Anno Dracula, And Barry Forshaw, Author Of Brit Noir- this as you’d hope is well well-researched/ observed track. They begin by discussing the career of director John Gilling- he started off writing quota quickies- impoverished crime films in the 1940s and 1950s, and of course, they talk about his move into film directing. We find out he was peppery/ difficult to get on with the director- who was known to walk off sets & hold grudges. They discuss how the film came about & how Spanish horror icon Paul Naschy had been originally connected with the project. We find out that when Gilling took over the film it took a year to get started due to the Spanish acting union, as they were known to dislike English directors. They talk about the drug element in the film, and how this is quite reserved. Later on, they discuss some of the film's more OTT acting, the start of Spanish horror with Jess Franco, and the film's downbeat ending.
Otherwise, we have Fascinated By Bécquer (11.26) Interview with Screenwriter Juan José Porto. The Real Templar Knights Movie (8.55) – Appreciation from Ángel Sala. Fantasy And Imagination: The Legacy Of Gustavo Adolfo Bécquer (12.53) a video essay By Xavier Aldana Reyes, Author Of Spanish Gothic: National Identity, Collaboration And Cultural Adaptation. He gives us a brief bio of Bécque the 18th-century writer/ poet who influenced the film's three legends- he finishes it by saying it’s a pity the finished film wasn’t better.
Finally, we have 1975’s The Night Of The Walking Dead (aka El Extraño Amor De Los Vampiros, Strange Love of the Vampires). This is set in the 19th century in a small Spanish village finding a mix of vampire and living dead tropes- set in gothic melodrama, with touches of the darker side 60’s counterculture & innuendo-touched softcore. It’s certainly an interesting mix, which at points has rewardingly dizzying tonal shifts.
It was directed by Buenos Aires, Argentina born León Klimovsky. Between the late 1940s and late 1970’s he has an impressive seventy feature-length credits to his name. These go from Crime drama The Marihuana Story (1950), to comedy western Torrejón City (1962). Through to the gothic touched werewolf film The Werewolf Versus the Vampire Woman (1971), and grim & moody sci-fi horror The People Who Own the Dark (1976).
The film kicks in fine jarring fashion with red & blue inversed credits of vampires as a loose and loud rock jam plays out. As we get into the film we get introduced to the village's main aristocratic family taking in bearded and balding father Padre (Manuel Pereiro), and his two daughters Catherine (Emma Cohen), and Maria( Vicky Lusson)….Maria has just recently passed, due to seemingly some life-sucking aliment.
In one of the film's early key scenes, we find the villages going to the aristocrat's house to stake Maria before she is buried. In their fold is a rational, balanced, and moustached local Dr- who says this lunacy to stake her, as she died of natural cases. But the villages take no heed, with Maria being buried…. unfortunately, after this, and as the night falls a selection of living dead/ vampire thralls crawl & rise from their graves- pulling the stake from Maria, and she arises.
As the first half or so of the film unfolds, we get a blend of gothic-tinged melodrama and innuendo-touched softcore- with a few twists of lurking fear/ dread with the living dead thralls trying to get into the aristocrat's house/ cause chaos in the village.
Then into the story steps Rudolph de Winberg (Carlos Ballesteros) who seemingly lives in the ruins of a castle just across the landscape from the village & aristocratic mansion. He is the leader/ head of the vampires, and he’s a suave grey-haired figure- dressed smartly with more than a sprinkling of 60’s/ early 70’s camp about him. He’s a fairly calm, collective, and philosophical vampire.
In the film's second half, the more horror side of things kicks in- as we see the villages start hammering nails in the heads of the living, the thralls attacking the villages, and a demented counter-culture-like party is held at the vampire castles where a victim is hung upside down, with their chest cut open and blood drunk from goblets.
The film soundtrack is a wonderfully varied affair- shifting from the loose ‘n’ loud rock jams, onto more formal if wonky soundtracking, though to brooding bass plods & ghoulish atmospheric, and later rudimentary/ pulsing 70’s electronica.
All in all, I’d say this and Necrophagus are the highlights of the boxset- with The Night Of The Walking Dead feeling tonal unpredictable, and at points dangerously unpredictable.
Extras wise on this final disc we have the following: A commentary track from writer/ genre expert Kat Ellinger- and as we’ve come expect from Ms Ellinger, we get a wonderful researched & thoughtful realized affair. She opens by discussing the different titles for the film. Moving on she talks about where Spanish gothic horror stands within the wider genre- chatting about how it’s rather obscure, often having a quarter of the budget of similar Italian films and possessing a more earthy/ occult feel. She talks about how the time of the release of this film 1975- most of the worldwide horror genre had moved on from the gothic. Discusses how the film's use of the camera builds up tension/ unease, and that there is a feeling of low-key madness with this film. She comments on the amazing costumes, the feeling of sensuality about the film, and the elements of folk horror with its makeup. Later on, she talks about how the 1970s is her favourite period in vampire cinema- as things were changing/developing- quote the likes of Stephen King's Salems Lot, and Ann Rice’s Interview With The Vampire. She discusses the almost out-of-time setting of the film- moving from its Hammer-like first half, to the latter more modern elements like ballons & forms of 70's dress. Another excellent track from Ellinger I’ll certainly revisit.
Otherwise, on the extras front, we have the following: A Deadly Invitation To Another Dimension (10.03) an appreciation of the film by Ángel Sala. Leo's Signature (8.08) Interview with writer Juan José Porto. Dead Man Walking (18.32) Interview With Actor José Lifante. Spain's Cinematic Vampires – (24.39) a video essay By Xavier Aldana Reyes. Here he discusses the growth/development of the vampire within Spanish cinema, talks about notable/ important films, and the specific tropes the genre had in Spain- a most interesting featurette.
In finishing, Danza Macabra Vol. Three: The Spanish Gothic Collection is another excellent box set from Severin- severing up four lesser-known examples from the gothic horror genre. Each film has been given a wonderful clean & crisp scan, as well as an excellent selection of extras. I do hope this series returns to Spain again, as there is no doubt the country's additions to the gothic horror certainly have their own flavour & feel. If you’re a fan of 70’s euro horror- this is most certainly a must-buy item!