Crypt of the Living Dead

aka La Tumba de la Isla Maldita

aka Young Hannah, Queen of the Vampires

Director(s) - Julio Salvador (They Killed a Corpse) and Ray Danton (Psychic Killer)

Starring - Andrew Prine (The Lords of Salem), Mark Damon (Pistol Packin' Preacher), and Patty Shepard (Slugs)

Release Date - 1973

Genre - Horror

Tagline - "Trapped on an island...doomed to die one by one, victims of the killer queen!"

Format - BluRay (Personal Collection) (Screener)

Rating (out of 5):

     Vampires have always appealed to me.  When I first started getting into horror, around the debut of Goosebumps, vampires were one of my first loves with Fright Night, The Lost Boys, and Buffy the Vampire Slayer (the movie not the show) were some of my favorites to rent.  As I got older I slowly ventured into the Hammer Dracula flicks and various vampire films of the late 60s and 70s.  I loved the look and feel of these films when compared to their more modern counterparts.  Most were able to purely capture that gothic atmosphere that reminded me a lot of the literature that was being written around the time most of these films were taking place.  Recently, Vinegar Syndrome released the 1973 Spanish horror film Crypt of the Living Dead on blu.  This was one film I had never seen before so I reached out to them and they were kind enough to hook me up with a review copy.  Thanks guys!

     The film follows an American who travels to an isolated island after he hears news of his father's death.  When he arrives he meets up with an old friend and learns that his father discovered an old crypt and was accidentally crushed underneath it and his body was unable to be obtained.  He goes to the crypt and discovers that it is believed to be the final resting place for Hannah, queen of the vampires who was captured and placed inside the concrete several decades before.  They are able to rustle up some locals to help them lift the thing off his father but he decides to open it up in order to make it lighter.  When they open it up they find a young woman inside who does not look dead at all.  The locals panic as the young American attempts to find the logical explanation for this.  An old fisherman tells him that they need to seal her back up while she is weak.  She will hunt in the moonlight as a wolf until she is strong enough to hunt in her real form.  He goes back to the crypt and learns that someone has cut the rope that was holding the lid up.  He is now forced to fight the night demon or become one of her victims.

     I wouldn't say I'm a fan of 70s horror films but I really do enjoy 70s vampire films that take place during years forgotten.  When I comes across one that is a period piece I tend to want to check it out.  Most are crap, I have to admit, while others are actually pretty damn good.  Sad thing is, the ones that are worth a damn are rarely mentioned while the shitty ones fly from tongue to tongue.  Crypt of the Living Dead is a film I had never heard of before but once the release was announced I had to see it.  I was afraid it would be a film that was never talked about because it sucked ass.  However, once I tossed it in I was pleasantly surprised.  The acting in this one is hit or miss.  The film's lead, Andrew Prine, did a great job in his role and made the film worth watching.  Several other key characters pour their heart out on camera resulting in some great scenes.  Sadly, some of the cast members feel out of place which make several scenes feel awkward and out of place.  The story for this one is a little on the campy side and is very lackluster.  The story has a lot of atmosphere but lacks real horror.  There is very few horror elements until almost the end of the film which does pick up but leaves the first portion of the film feeling like a period drama.  The story misses it's point but is able to rebound during the second half.  Also, the film does not really have any on screen kills, not even the typical vampire bites.  This takes place off screen eliminating any little bit of blood we would be treated to.  Vampire films of this time were not known for being bloody gory flicks but they did have some bloody which this one is almost void of.  Finally, this release from Vin Syn is fucking great.  The film has been restored in 2K from the original 35mm negative.  The film does come with a bonus film, House of the Living Dead, but it does lack the special features we have come to expect from Vin Syn and their blu releases.  Overall, Crypt of the Living Dead is a worthy addition to any horror fan's collection that are fans of classic gothic horror films.  Vin Syn has done it again!