German Robles

 

 (imdb)

EL ATAUD DEL VAMPIRO-(THE VAMPIRE'S COFFIN)-1958-A mad doctor steals the coffin of an infamous vampire Count Lavud (German Robles; returning from the first film) in the sequel to EL VAMPIRO. The doctor's greedy grave robbing companion wants the medallion the vampire wears which is unfortunately partially wrapped around the stake embedded in the vampire's heart. Naturally he pulls out the stake and the count returns, making his savior his slave in the process. A doctor (Abel Salazar; also back from the first film) tries to convince anyone a vampire is loose, to little avail. Meanwhile, the Count hides out in a wax museum and sets his fangs on a nurse (Alicia Montoya; also returning from the first film) who is also a dancer. 

Not bad, although the count is kind of wimpy in his fight with the doctor in the finale. 

Directed by Fernando Mendez (THE BODY SNATCHER (1957); THE BLACK PIT OF DR. M (1959)). Star bloodsucker Robles (in only his second movie) went on to play another vampire Nostradamus in a series of Mexican produced movies.

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Deranged

 

DERANGED-1974-Ezra Cobb (Roberts Blossom) listens to his mother's hateful speech on her deathbed. They've lived alone on a farm for the last 15 years. When she dies he builds a shrine to her and waits for her return. One night he hears her voice (it's him talking) tell him to bring her home. He digs her up ("mama, you're in terrible shape") and mummifies her, using other dug up bodies to "patch her up". He meets a woman who talks to her dead husband and during a seance' tells Ezra to have sex with her. But of course he kills her instead. He gets a waitress Mary (Micki Moore) to come to his house where she discovers Ed's collection of corpses and Ed dressed in dead skin. He gets caught after killing a local girl and hanging her up in his barn. Not sure about the reporter/narrator (Leslie Carlson) being comedy relief or not. 

However Roberts Blossom gives a great performance as Cobb (of course based on the real life ghoul Ed Gein). Alan Ormsby (CHILDREN SHOULDN'T PLAY WITH DEAD THINGS) wrote the screenplay and co-directed with Jeff Gillen.

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More Dead

I SELL THE DEAD-2008-In this comedy horror story a grave robber named Arthur (LORD OF THE RINGS's Dominic Managhan) awaiting execution for (of course) grave robbing and murder tells his life story to a priest (Ron Perlman who starred in HELLBOY 2 the same year). He learns his trade from Willie (indie director Larry Fessenden also one of the producers) (who has already been executed). They dig up many corpses mostly for Dr. Quint (PHANTASM's Angus Scrimm) but run into trouble when they unearth a woman who's wearing a garlic necklace. When they remove the garlic she comes to life and tries to kill them. Willie manages to drive a stake through her heart and they deliver the body to Quint who removes the stake and is killed. Later the two have a fight with another guy over the body of an alien. It turns out the guy is from a notorious group of grave robbers known as The House Murphy. Arthur's new girlfriend Brenda Cooney gets them into trouble on an island where some dead come back to life. The body snatching duo then have a falling out.  The ending is fairly ridiculous but before the final credits roll the old Universal Pictures tag line "A fine cast is worth repeating" is used. Directed by Glen McQuaid.

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Hammer Zombies

THE PLAGUE OF THE ZOMBIES-1966-Hammer teamed up with 7 Arts to release this eerie horror film. While on vacation a curmudgeonly doctor Sir James Forbes (Andre Morrell) is summon to Cornwall by his ex-pupil Peter (Brook Williams) to check out the "strange malady" afflicting his wife Alice (Jacqueline Pearce from BLAKE'S SEVEN). After a not so nice welcome, Alice dies and Sir James' daughter Sylvia (Diane Clare who was in THE HAUNTING) is harassed by a group of fox hunters under the charge of Squire Hamilton (John Carson), a weird guy who talks like James Mason. He tries to act gentlemanly by she isn't buying it. While Sylvia is walking home sees a zombie like guy dump Alice's body down a hill. Meanwhile Sir James and Peter are arrested for grave robbing but they get off when the coffin they dug up is empty! Apparently Hamilton is the leader of a Voodoo blood cult that turns folks into zombies and makes them work in the local tin mine. Hamilton wants to zombify Sylvia. Guys in robes wearing masks that have "Daredevil" horns attack a vicar. Later pasty faced zombies rise from the grave but it seems to to a dream sequence. Somehow after nearly being buried alive Sir James saves his daughter and makes the zombies turn against their master and destroy his plans. The best scene is when Alice suddenly becomes a zombie and Sir James decapitates her with a shovel. Michael Ripper is very good as one of the constables who helps out.

Like a lot of Hammer films it takes time to get going but delivers some great scenes. The under rated (at least in America) Morrell is great in the lead role. Director John Gilling also made THE REPTILE the same year. Hammer teamed with 7 Arts to make THE WITCHES the same year too.

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