Friday, May 6, 2016

Holiday Flix: El Vampiro Sangriento (The Bloody Vampire)

For all of you recovering from hangovers from last night, here's some Mexican to revive you.  Today's Film is The Bloody Vampire, a 1962 Horror Film from Mexico.  The more I look, the more I find these.  This one comes courtesy of the Internet...courtesy of what appears to be some sort of Spanish TV Station.  Why not?  The Story is about a family trying to destroy some Vampires in their Village by way of Science.  Bringing Science into these things always works, so why not this time?!?  You won't believe what really kills Vampires in this one.  Naturally, this story of Vampires involves a German Count too.  Of course!  The curious thing about these kinds of Films is that they seem to be more influenced the Universal Films of the 1930s-40s than the Hammer Films that would have been coming out at the same time.  This must be an intentional thing- a statement, as it were.  Well, that or they just got those Films recently (since many did go into TV Distribution in the mid-50s) and just thought that was how Films were still made.  Go with whichever one you find funnier, I guess.  Can a strong Family defeat a Vampire?  To find out, read on...
On a dark night(ish time), a mysterious carriage rides ominously towards a Castle.  Kudos to the Film for playing this footage in slow motion to be extra weird.
 A family works hard to drive out the threat of Vampires in the area.  Weirdly, they don't notice the people living in that giant, evil Castle...
Seriously, how do you miss this guy?!?!?
Have you ever wondered what kills Mexican Vampires?  Too late- you started reading...
Again- they don't figure out that the Frankenhausen (no, really) Family is evil- even with this crest.
The whole thing- involving inter-Castle bickering and basic investigation- is pretty basic, so let me point out their weird Vampire Rules...
Here's something else- a look at what was considered getting undressed in 1962...
Eventually, the Count learns that his new Maid is from a rival Family and goes all psycho Vampire.
...however, he gets away, setting up a Film for me to cover next Cinco Dey Mayo.  The End.
Decent stuff, but nothing all that great.  The Story is...just kind of meandering.  I kept waiting for it to pick up, but it just kind of drifted along.  It is the Lazy River of Screenplays.  That said, it isn't a bad Story per se.  The Acting is good and the Sets look nice.  It has a nice Atmosphere, which is good when the Story doesn't have much to it.  The Vampire Rules in the Film are a bit odd, as is the choice to make the Vampire Family German.  You guys are all speaking Spanish- who are you trying to fool?  Frankenhausen- Horror's silliest last name until Dr. Freudenstein from House by the Cemetery.  All in all, The Bloody Vampire doesn't have much blood in it.  I wonder if it is just a British thing.  Regardless, it is a fun and simple Vampire Story...even if it doesn't really have a proper ending.  I'll leave you with my new catchphrase...
Cinco de alright.  On the plus side, I got the non-Dubbed K. Gordon Murray Version!  Hurray.

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