NOTE: The below Blu-ray captures were taken directly from the Blu-ray disc.

ADDITION: Indicator Blu-ray (October 2024): Indicator have transferred two Mexican vampire films from the 50's in their El Vampiro: Two Bloodsucking Tales from Mexico package to two Blu-rays. It is cited as being "restored from the original negatives". The films are El vampiro from 1957 ("4K restoration from the original 35mm camera negative by Labo") and its sequel, 1958's The Vampire's Coffin ("High Definition remaster from 2K scans by Alameda Films".) Both films star German Robles as Count Lavud, the vampire, Abel Salazar as Dr. Enrique, and Ariadna Welter as Marta. The 1080P image quality is a very pleasant surprise. Not discounting a shade of contrast manipulation - these looks impressive in terms of detail if wishing there were more texture. Well, this is Antonioni so I am not making issue - I enjoyed the heck out of these and was shocked at how good they looked on my system. There may have been a short instance of saturation on the second film but it was momentary. Overall Indicator continue their adept HD presentations.   

NOTE: We have added 90 more large resolution Blu-ray captures (in lossless PNG format) for DVDBeaver Patrons HERE

On their Blu-ray, Indicator offer linear PCM mono tracks (16-bit) in the original Spanish as well as English language DUBs. Aggressive moments are rare but there is a constant mist-shrouded mood throughout. Actions are authentically flat. The score for both films was by Gustavo César Carrión (Santo and the Riders of Terror, Rage, The Black Pit of Dr. M, The Witch's Mirror, The Brainiac, The Curse of the Crying Woman), sounding reasonably effective via the uncompressed transfers. It all s9ihjnds flat with very modest bass. The DUBs are not poor. Indicator offer optional English subtitles for the translation, SDH for the DUBs and subtitles for the Spanish-language commentary - on their Region FREE Blu-rays.

The Indicator Blu-ray offers a commentary with lead actor Germán Robles from 2007. 78-year old Robles talks in Spanish and there are optional English subtitles. He recalls much of the production and a few fine details. He is best known for his strong characterization of vampires in many cult movies, and is said to have influenced Christopher Lee (Dracula.) He also was the DUB'ed voice of KITT in the Latin American broadcast of the Knight Rider TV series with David Hasselhoff. The Mark of Abel is new and spends 10-minutes with sisters Claudia Salazar Arenas and Rosa Salazar Arenas who share personal stories about their father, the legendary actor, producer and director Abel Salazar. He appeared in 70 films between 1941 and 1989. Who’s Afraid of Carmen Montejo? is also new and runs 1/2 hour with film programmer, curator and Mexican horror cinema expert Abraham Castillo Flores examining the life and career of Cuban-born radio, stage and screen actor Carmen Montejo. In her youth known as the Cuban Shirley Temple. Memories of a Storyteller is new and spends 20-minutes with novelist Juan Ramón Obón (On Performers, Authors and Justice) who shares stories about the life and career of his esteemed father, the prolific screenwriter Ramón Obón (Black Pit of Dr. M, 100 Cries of Terror, A Bullet for Billy the Kid, Swamp of the Lost Souls.) The Great Mexican Vampire has horror specialist Roberto Coria who is researcher of Horror and Fantasy Literature and Film. He holds a degree in Graphic Design from the Faculty of Arts and Design of the National Autonomous University of Mexico. He talks about Germán Robles and the representation of the vampire myth in Mexican cinema. It is new and runs 20-minutes. More new extras from Indicator; From the Drawing Board has a 1/4 hour with film historian and curator Elisa Lozano examining the work and impact of Mexican painter, designer and director and screenwriter for film and theatre, Gunther Gerszo (The Atomic Fireman, The Price of Living, The King of Mexico.) There are original Mexican theatrical trailers for both films and there are image galleries of promotional and publicity materials plus for The Vampire's Coffin we get the French photonovel, originally published at the time of the film’s release. The Blu-ray package includes a limited edition exclusive 80-page book with a new essay by Jesús Palacios (Light and Darkness: The Origin of Chaos), archival essays by Eduardo de la Vega Alfaro (Zapata in the Cinema) and Carmen A Serrano (Gothic Imagination in Latin American Fiction and Film), archival interviews with Carmen Montejo and Ariadne Welter, David Wilt (Hardboiled in Hollywood) on cinematographers Rosalío Solano (Cemetery of Terror, The Passion of Berenice, The Cay) and Víctor Herrera (Skeleton of Mrs. Morales), an overview of contemporary critical responses, and film credits.   

As well as having the same lead stars, El vampiro and The Vampire's Coffin, also had the same producer (Abel Salazar), director (Fernando Méndez), writer (Ramon Obon.) I enjoyed both films with the emphasis on cinematography and dominant use of Gothic lighting with prominent shadows, frequent mist and a strong mysterious atmosphere. Delightful. Obviously influenced by the iconic Universal horror cycle but ahead of the Hammer horror series these two flics initiated the Universal revival of the Mexican horror boom of the 1960s. Who doesn't get a thrill from GQ-dressed vampires who doesn't appearing in mirrors, frequent dual neck punctures, half the characters acknowledging "blood sucking vampires" - the rest dismiss as conspiracy, beautiful ageless mistresses, remote family re-connect, toothy bats, soil from the vampire's home country to remain... youthful. Ahhh... connect the dots. All the appealing tropes are here. And early. Who does a Spanish language version of a Tod Browning's Lugosi-starred Dracula (Bram Stoker's 1897 novel)? Was it Robles? This Mexican version is a preservation of the vampiric cinema mythology. Very easy to appreciate. I loved the Indicator Blu-ray package. Genre fans should not miss out.

Gary Tooze