The Black Pit of Dr. M (1959) is coming to individual Blu-ray by Indicator in May 2024 HERE

The Witch's Mirror (1962)is coming to individual Blu-ray by Indicator in May 2024 HERE
The Brainiac (1962) is coming to individual Blu-ray by Indicator in May 2024 HERE

The Curse of the Crying Woman (1963) is coming to individual Blu-ray by Indicator in May 2024 HERE

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

ADDITION: Indicator Blu-ray (May 2023): Indicator have transferred four Mexican horror films in their Mexico Macabre: Four Sinister Tales from the Alameda Films Vault, 1959–1963 Blu-ray package that includes; from 1959 The Black Pit of Dr. M (Misterios de ultratumba,) 1962's The Witch's Mirror (El espejo de la bruja) and The Brainiac (El barón del terror) as well as 1963's The Curse of the Crying Woman (La maldición de la Llorona.) In 2009 Eric reviewed the Synapse DVDs of The Black Pit of Dr. M HERE and The Curse of the Crying Woman HERE, and we have compared some of those screen captures to Indicator's 1080P ones. These four films are on separate  single-layered Blu-rays.

To provide some background we are précising Eric's edifying 2009 comments, on The Black Pit of Dr. M DVD: "Unlike other Mexican horror titles in the now defunct Casanegra series, THE BLACK PIT OF DR. M does not feature an English language track (the English dub has not been seen since 1961 so it was one of the titles that had not been in constant grey market circulation before Casanegra gave it the proper treatment). The progressive fullscreen image is good looking for a fifties Mexican production and the audio is clear despite some damage to the magnetic track that results in distortion at the high ends (noticeable in the brassy parts of the score). Frank Coleman gives a wonderfully informative commentary (with optional Spanish subtitles) but that is not the extent of his participation here as he is one of the performers in the 21st Century Art rock video composed around the film and supplied the rare English language continuity script for the 1961 US release. A photo essay called "Mexican Monsters Invade the U.S." features information about K. Gordan Murray who dubbed most of the 50's and 60's Mexican horror entries (many of these films were making the rounds on public domain tape in the eighties and nineties until the GATT treaty was signed and they were reclaimed by their owners and were unavailable until Casanegra's authorized releases)...

The Casanegra label is now defunct but the titles have been re-released by Synapse Films (along with titles by the defunct Panik House) but they are limited to the excess inventory on hand. Synapse Films have no plans to reprint any of the releases as of this time."

and The Curse of the Crying Woman: "After years of availability on poor quality tapes sourced from 16mm TV prints (pre-GATT Treaty) and a previous unauthorized DVD release also from the TV print, Casa Negra presents CURSE OF THE CRYING WOMAN in its original Spanish version in a beautiful 35mm-sourced progressive transfer. The clarity not only adds gloss to the wonderful studio interiors and exteriors but it also makes apparent the edges of some nevertheless-unsettling prosthetic make-up applications, the wires carrying a flying decayed corpse (whose hurtling towards the camera remains effective), and close-ups of ravenous dogs chunks of hamburger off a sheet of glass in front of the camera. The disc features both English and Spanish menus (as well as a dual language, double sided cover) and also includes Spanish subtitles for the English language audio commentary. The commentary is not as good as Frank Coleman's ones for other Casa Negra releases but it conveys some interesting information (including a 1961 date for the film's production despite the 1963 IMDB listing and that the film had its American TV release before a US theatrical issue). Although the cover makes no mention of it, the disc does also feature the K. Gordon Murray-directed English dub track (which in its attempt to match the mouth movements of the actors makes for some halting line readings and dialogue that differs from the subtitled translation) which is recommended only for the nostalgic who saw the film on US TV in the late sixties (unlike, say, the Murray-dubbed ROBOT VERSUS THE AZTEC MUMMY, the dubbing here really spoils the atmosphere)." (Thanks Eric!)

We can see the improvement of the Blu-ray images over the SD counterparts. As well as the higher resolution, with up to 5 X the bitrate, black levels are more pronounced, contrast superior layering, grain texture consistency and frame movement that generally results in more information in the frame. All looks very pleasing with The Witch's Mirror being the weakest showing inherent softness and dampened contrast. There are almost non-existent speckles. The four films are absolutely drenched in chiaroscuro lighting which is reflected sublimely in the HD presentations. These are gorgeous.  

NOTE: We have added 188 more large resolution Blu-ray captures (in lossless PNG format) for DVDBeaver Patrons HERE

On their Blu-ray, Indicator use a linear PCM mono track (24-bit) in the original Spanish language with optional, less effectual, English DUBs for all films except The Black Pit of Dr. M., which only offers the original Spanish. There are s surprising few aggressive moments, but plenty of screams, that come through with modest depth. All four films had music composed by Gustavo César Carrión (Rage) sounding dramatic with consistent dialogue in the uncompressed transfer. Indicator offer optional English subtitles on their Region FREE Blu-ray.

The Indicator Blu-rays offers a new commentary for each of the four films. On The Black Pit of Dr. M we get Abraham Castillo Flores, film programmer and curator specializing in the preservation of Mexican horror cinema. We've heard contributions from Abraham on Vinegar Syndrome's Mexican Gothic: The Films of Carlos Enrique Taboada booklet in their Blu-ray boxset, interview on Severin's 4K UHD release of Perdita Durango and video pieces on Indicator's The Phantom of the Monastery and La llorona Blu-rays. He's a bona-fide expert with passion towards Mexican horror cinema and we are pleased his shares his insights on Fernando Méndez's The Black Pit of Dr. M. Also on that first Blu-ray we have "Preserving a Legacy" which runs 20-minutes and has Daniel Birman Ripstein discussing the history of Mexico’s celebrated Alameda Films, and reflects on his relationship with his grandfather, the legendary producer and company founder Alfredo Ripstein, who also made a vital contribution to the preservation of Mexican cinema heritage. There is also a 26-minute piece with author Eduardo de la Vega Alfaro (El cine de Marga López) on director Fernando Méndez. As on all four of the Blu-rays are a theatrical trailer and image gallery of promotional and publicity material.

The Witch's Mirror Blu-ray has an audio commentary with David Wilt, film historian and Mexican-cinema specialist (author of The Mexican Filmography: 1916 Through 2001.) He did an essay about actor / director Rafaele Baledon on Synapse Films' 2009 DVD of The Curse of the Crying Woman. He discusses many of the participants involved in the production notably Chano Urueta - his influence of Sergei Eisenstein, attention-grabbing images etc. He is an expert and the commentary is very informative. Rosita Arenas at Mexico Maleficarum is a 13-minute conversation from 2002 with the celebrated actor talking with Abraham Castillo Flores - filmed at the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures following a screening of El espejo de la bruja. ‘Mexican Horror Movies’ runs 25 minutes from 2001 produced by another of our favorite independent BD production companies, Mondo Macabro. It is an episode of Pete Tombs and Andy Starke’s fondly remembered British television series, providing an overview of Mexican genre cinema from the 1950s to the 1970s.

The Brainiac Blu-ray includes an optional audio commentary and brain nibbling with Keith J. Rainville, publisher of From Parts Unknown and screenwriter of the 2008 animated-action-comedy Los campeones de la lucha libre. He discusses everything associated with The Brainiac including the artistic overlays in the opening by Spanish romantic painter and printmaker Francisco Goya - that was also used on The Witch's Mirror  - to the delightful Gustavo César Carrión score and much more including how highly recognizable and unique The Brainiac monster (the suit was never in a film again) is continued to be reproduced on T-shirts etc. in Mexico today. As well he provides many similar Mexican film examples of the era with many lucha libre efforts. I enjoyed his commentary very much. ¡Qué viva Chano! is new and runs 23-minutes where academic, author and film scholar Eduardo de la Vega Alfaro discussing the upbringing and unique path of avant-garde, multi-talented iconoclast Chano Urueta, director of The Brainiac. As well as the theatrical trailer and second image gallery of the Photonovel comic as well as the promotional and publicity material.

The Curse of the Crying Woman Blu-ray has a new audio commentary with academic and Latin American horror specialist, Valeria Villegas Lindvall, also known as Morena de Fuego, who contributed on both Indicator's Blu-ray of Ramón Peón's 1933 La llorona and Arrow's Blu-ray of Gia Elliot's Take Back the Night as an expert on the many cinematic interpretations of La Llorona. The Daughters of La Llorona runs 26-minutes and is also new with actor, producer and singer Julissa de Llano Macedo and author Cecilia Fuentes Macedo (Unfinished Memories of Rita Macedo) remembering the peculiar relationship they had with their mother, Mexican screen icon Rita Macedo. Daydreams and Nightmares has academic, author and film scholar Eduardo de la Vega Alfaro discusses the prolific career of actor-writer-producer-director Rafael Baledón for 18-minutes - produced in 2023. The disc finishes, as they all do, with a theatrical trailer and image gallery of promotional and publicity material.

The Indicator package has a limited edition exclusive 100-page book with new essays by José Luis Ortega Torres, David Wilt and Abraham Castillo Flores, archival articles, and full film credits plus exclusive LE art cards.

Indicator's Blu-ray package of Mexico Macabre: Four Sinister Tales from the Alameda Films Vault, 1959–1963 is right up DVDBeaver's alley of rewatchable vintage gems. These four films differ from the more sensational lucha libre (professional wrestling adventures) genre that had vampires, robots, werewolves, and many with mummies as direct villains. These are more mystery-supernatural based utilizing many desirable Gothic conventions using candle-lit castles + estates, witchery, sorceresses, necromancy, magic mirrors, an insane asylum sanitarium, illegal transplants, grave-robbing, facial acid burns, brain-sucking, life after death secrets and the, oft-used, Mexican mythical vengeful ghost - part of the La Llorona legend. It's easily to state that Fernando Méndez's The Black Pit of Dr. M is a neglected 'masterpiece'. The modest budgeted The Witch's Mirror has so many appealing visuals and is certainly a classic of this genre with the performance of Isabela Corona as a Satan-worshipping witch. I loved the the passage of a comet initiating modern era events in The Brainiac, after witnessing the 1661 inquisition. Plus it's over-the-top monster. The Curse of the Crying Woman has apt comparisons to Mario Bava with ever foreboding dark tones and creepy decor permeating every scene. The chiaroscuro lighting and mainstay of floating smoke + mist add so much atmosphere that these films are hard not to fall in love with. Guillermo del Toro has discussed how films exactly like these, that he was exposed to in his youth, helped contribute, shape and formulate many ideas in his own stylistic cinema. I thoroughly enjoyed Indicator's Blu-ray package of Mexico Macabre: Four Sinister Tales from the Alameda Films Vault, 1959–1963 and we give it our highest recommendation to those appreciative of this under-exposed black and white Mexican horror genre. Let's have more on Blu-ray soon! Buy now.

Gary Tooze