Verdict
Summary
A Euro horror classic that spawned a successful franchise, the Spanish chiller Tombs of the Blind Dead is still very effective in its slow-moving terrors with stark, creepy visuals, shocking gore, and vicious undead villains who are like steamrollers in slow motion.
Plot:
The graves of evil Templars are disturbed in a remote area, and havoc ensues.
Review:
A young woman foolishly and impulsively jumps off a train in the middle of nowhere, and she wanders into a remote area full of ruins … and a graveyard where a sect of evil Templar knights is buried. While she’s sleeping, the zombified, blind Templars rise from the grave along with their horses, and they stalk and murder her. The next day, the woman’s friends – an architect and one of her female friends from school – go looking for her, but they’re told by the police that her mutilated body has been found. The police suggest that a drug cartel operating nearby might be responsible, but a halfway crazy scholar has another theory: The evil magic that the Templars practiced in the Medieval era is still active, and perhaps the “blind dead” zombies killed the young woman for disturbing their graves. The architect and friend try something a little unorthodox: They approach the drug cartel for help, and the leader of the cartel, a swarthy rapist and killer, spearheads the half-assed operation. They travel to the forbidden graveyard and spend the night there, hoping to run into the so-called urban myth everyone is so afraid of, but they’re totally unprepared for the impossible truth … that proves that the blind dead will indeed be waking up from their graves!
A Euro horror classic that spawned a successful franchise, the Spanish chiller Tombs of the Blind Dead is still very effective in its slow-moving terrors with stark, creepy visuals, shocking gore, and vicious undead villains who are like steamrollers in slow motion. The film still has a haunting vibe and a unique plot that is sure to attract new fans to the fold, and it’s not for the faint of heart, with cruel violence towards women, including a nasty sexual assault. The Blind Templars should be entered into some kind of horror hall of fame, as they creep the heck out of me, much more so than guys like Freddy and Jason do. From filmmaker Amando De Ossorio.
Synapse brings Tombs of the Blind Dead to vibrant high definition, and it’s a great upgrade from the Blue Underground DVD that came out some 15-20 years ago. The image quality and sound are much improved, and Synapse includes the original Spanish language and English / Spanish hybrid soundtrack versions. A second disc contains the shorter U.S. theatrical version. The first disc has a ton of bonus features, including several audio commentaries, interviews, features, a music video, still galleries, and more.
