The Living Coffin – Casanegra Entertainment (DVD)

Theatrical Release Date: Mexico, 1958
Director: Fernando Méndez
Writer: Ramon Obon
Cast: Maria Duval, Carolina Barret, Hortensia Santovena, Quintin Bulnes, Antonio Raxel, Carlos Ancira, Pedro de Aguillon, Gaston Santos

Release Date: April 24th, 2007
Approximate Running Time: 70 Minutes 49 seconds
Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1 Aspect Ratio
Rating: NR
Sound: Dolby Digital Mono Spanish, Dolby Digital Mono English
Subtitles: English
Region Coding: Region 1 NTSC
Retail Price: OOP

"In this eerie atmospheric reinvention of a timeless Mexican legend and Edgar Allan Poe’s classic The Premature Burial, a Cowboy (Gastón Santos) and his sidekick, Crazy Wolf (Pedro de Aguillón), stop at an eerie ranch to learn more of about a stone figure they’ve unearthed that depicts a crying woman.

The ranch’s odd, off-kilter residents tell them that the statue, and another just like it, was created by the now-dead Clotilde (Carolina Barrett), whose ghost has been sighted by local villagers … crying.

Cowboy and Crazy Wolf are then pulled into an action-packed, spine-tingling web of supernatural spookery and desperados out to unearth a secret vein of gold. Along the way, the cross Skeleton Swamp and bodies pile up while, somehow, coffins keep disappearing.” – Synopsis provided by the Distributor

Video: 3.25/5

Here’s the information given about the transfer, "Completely re-mastered picture & sound from newly restored vault elements."

The Living Coffin comes of a single layer DVD.

Disc Size: 3.12 GB

The source used for this transfer looks very good, and any source-related imperfections are minimal. I am not sure if the colors that appear on screen are an intended look for the film. That said, color saturation at times fluctuates, and the overall color palette looks muted. Details generally look crisp, black levels fare well, there are no issues with edge enhancement, and any compression-related issues are minor.

Audio: 4/5 (Dolby Digital Mono Spanish), 2.75/5 (Dolby Digital Mono English)

This release comes with two audio options, a Dolby Digital mono mix in Spanish and a Dolby Digital mono mix in English. The Spanish language track sounds great. It is clean , clear and balanced throughout. The English language track does not fare all that well. It is not as robust; additionally, there is background hiss and some mild distortion. Included with this release are removable English subtitles for the Spanish language track. It should be noted that the subtitles are in a blue font.

Extras:

The extras for this release include a poster and still gallery (13 images), text biographies for actresses Maria Duval, and Carolina Barret, and actors Gaston Santos, and Pedro de Aguillon, an essay titled Cowboys & Monsters: The Mexican Horror Western written by David Wilt, and reversible bilingual cover art (English on one side and Spanish on the other side).

Also, the menus are bilingual (English or Spanish).

Summary:

The Living Coffin was directed by Fernando Méndez, whose other notable films include The Vampire, The Vampire’s Coffin, and The Black Pit of Dr. M. Though The Living Coffin has many elements similar to those aforementioned films that he directed, the result is an unusual film that combines horror and western elements with mixed results. That said, of these two genres, The Living Coffin leans more towards horror.

Also, The Living Coffin’s narrative makes reference to The Curse of the Crying Woman legend. Where the western elements are reminiscent of The Lone Ranger and Tonto, the horror elements draw from Edgar Allen Poe, specifically his story The Premature Burial. That said, despite being a horror/western hybrid, at its core, The Living Coffin is actually a murder mystery.

Fernando Méndez's direction is very good, making The Living Coffin look more polished than it would have in less capable hands. Then there are several well-executed moments; the dead returning or disappearing from their grave or a knife that is held in place in a clock to keep the dead where they are, adding a supernatural mood to the story.

The cast members all do well in their roles, particularly Gaston Santos as "The Cowboy." And where most Mexican cinema from his era was shot in black and white, The Living Coffin was shot in color, which is one of this film's biggest weaknesses. Also, the horror elements in The Living Coffin are tame, and they are never frightening. Ultimately, The Living Coffin is a melting pot of genres that most viewers will find difficult to digest.

The Living Coffin gets a strong release from Casanegra.