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

ADDITION: Flicker Alley Blu-ray (January 2024): Flicker Alley transferred Román Viñoly Barreto's El vampiro negro (The Black Vampire) to Blu-ray in late 2022. It is cited as being from a "restoration of the film was created by UCLA Film & Television Archive". The 1080P has a consistent softness throughout and has pleasing contrast. It is wonderfully thick and looks film-like to me. I loved the cinematography of Aníbal González Paz (The Curious Dr. Humpp.) The darker image totally suits the film. I really enjoyed this cinematic experience. 

NOTE: We have added 96 more large resolution Blu-ray captures (in lossless PNG format) for DVDBeaver Patrons HERE

On their Blu-ray, Flicker Alley use a DTS-HD Master dual-mono track (24-bit) in the original Spanish language with some English. El vampiro negro (The Black Vampire) doesn't have extensive violence (one bar scuffle) - mostly implied or derived from suspense. The occasionally aggressive score was by Juan Ehlert (Native Son), a German violinist and composer who settled and worked in Argentina. In addition to having his own orchestra, he stood out for having scored more than sixty films (h/t Wikipedia.) Augmenti9ng the score brilliantly is Norwegian composer Edvard Grieg’s Peer Gynt Suite, “The Hall of the Mountain King” which helps expose Ulber via his whistling. The audio can be rough around the edges but is essentially clean with audible dialogue in the lossless transfer. Flicker Alley offer optional English or Spanish (SDH) subtitles on their Region FREE Blu-ray.

The Flicker Alley Blu-ray offers a new commentary by Fernando Martín Peña. He is a historian and host of the Argentinean cult TV show 'Filmoteca: Temas de Cine'. In 2008 he founded the Film Museum Pablo Ducrós Hicken of Buenos Aires an extended version of the classic science-fiction film 'Metropolis (1927)' by Fritz Lang. He discusses the 'Argentina Sono Film' company logo that precedes El vampiro negro. He tells us that it is the only surviving film studio from the classic period - it was founded in 1933. He cites many instances that support this as more of a re-telling than a re-make of M. He discusses the opening text screen "(translated) The events and action in which this film takes place have their origin in a famous police case recorded many years ago in a European country, and the characters in this story respond only to a plot convention, without connection of any kind, with real-life people, officials or institutions". There are two different versions of this text - in different prints - one more emphatic than the other. There are gaps but this is still a very good commentary informing us of plenty of unpublished details. There is also a 4-minute introduction to El vampiro negro (The Black Vampire) – by author, film historian, and “noirchaeologist” Eddie Muller and the 3/4 hour The 3 Faces of “M” – a critical comparison of the three versions of M, produced by Steven C. Smith and writer/film historian Alan K. Rode, and featuring interviews with writer / film historian Imogen Sara Smith, biographer Patrick McGilligan, biographer Stephen Youngkin, film critic Beth Accomando, Eddie Muller, and Alan K. Rode involving discussion of the film's deeper themes - regarding the lengths of public compassion and much more. Art in the Blood is a 24-minute interview with visual artist Daniel Viñoly, son of visionary director Román Viñoly Barreto discussing his father and his films - directed 28 feature films between 1947 and 1966. The package has a souvenir booklet featuring an essay by Imogen Sara Smith, with rare original photographs, posters, and ephemera - and reversible cover artwork.

Román Viñoly Barreto's El vampiro negro (The Black Vampire) is a fascinating re-telling of Fritz Lang's M, which was, in-turn, re-made in 1951 by Joseph Losey. El vampiro negro has been labeled an "Argentine Noir" although it certainly has horror overtones and more focus on the female characters than the disturbed perpetrator. The title reflects this as does a speech by Dr. Bernard about 'drinking blood'. There is little public compassion for murderous pedophiles with the foil being unselfish maternal instincts. So good. El vampiro negro forgoes the effective 'public trial' sequences at the conclusion of the Lang/Losey versions - signifying the uniqueness of the re-telling. I was totally enamored with the Flicker Alley Blu-ray showing me an important film that I was unaware existed, with restored a/v, an informative commentary and extras from some of my noir-journalist heroes; I. S. Smith, Muller, Rode etc.. Yes, you are correct to inquire "What took me so long to review?" Certainly an oversight on my part. This is an absolute keeper. Our highest recommendation.

Gary Tooze