Even the Wind Is Afraid – VCI Entertainment (BD-R)

Theatrical Release Date: Mexico, 1968
Director: Carlos Enrique Taboada
Writer: Carlos Enrique Taboada
Cast: Marga López, Maricruz Olivier, Alicia Bonet, Norma Lazareno, Renata Seydel, Elizabeth Dupeyrón, Rita Sabre Marroquín, Irma Castillón, Rafael Llamas, Sadi Dupeyrón, Pamela Susan Hall, Enrique García Álvarez, Lourdes Baledón

Release Date: February 25th, 2020
Approximate Running Time: 89 Minutes 59 seconds
Aspect Ratio: 1.78:1 Widescreen / 1080 Progressive / MPEG-4 AVC
Rating: NR
Sound: LPCM Mono Spanish
Subtitles: English
Region Coding: Region Free
Retail Price: $24.95

"Terrifying tale about a group of college students, led by Claudia, a young girl who decides to investigate a creepy tower at her all girl boarding school...that has figured prominently in disturbing reoccurring dreams Claudia has been having. The dream also consists of a hanged woman's body. They are suspended from the school for the antics, but Claudia learns from one of the female staff members that the person in the dream is a student who killed herself years before, and that the school principal knows the situation more than she's willing to admit. It seems the tormented and restless spirit is hell-bent on enacting her revenge." - synopsis provided by the distributor

Video: 2.5/5

Here’s the information provided about the transfer, "New HD restoration".

Even the Wind Is Afraid comes on a 25 GB single layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 21.4 GB

Feature: 19.5 GB

Though the source used for this transfer is in very good shape, any remaining source debris is minor. It is not a transfer without its share of glaring shortcomings; compression artifacts, and digital noise reduction have been extensively used. Also, image clarity is inconsistent, and black levels are weak. That said, colors generally look strong.

Audio: 3/5

This release comes with one audio option, a LPCM mono mix in Spanish with removable English subtitles. The audio, like the transfer, is not without its share of problems. The dialog often sounds muffled, and though it does improve after about 30 minutes, it never sounds as full as it should be. That said, despite a lack of depth in most areas of this audio track, the score does sound appropriately robust. Also, the subtitles have some grammatical errors, and there are a few moments, the first one starting at 24 minutes 36 seconds, where dialog is not subtitled, and it happens again at 24 minutes 52 seconds.

Extras:

Extras for this release are limited to four film clips from other Mexican films also released by VCI Entertainment. It should be noted that all of these film clips are in Spanish, and there are no English subtitles.

Summary:

Directed by Carlos Enrique Taboada, whose other notable films are Rapiña, Darker Than Night, and Poison for the Fairies.

During spring break, a girl’s boarding school is haunted by a former student who killed herself in a tower that has been locked since that incident.

Though the most remembered Mexican horror films are the ones that were inspired by classic monsters, like the ones that populated Universal Horror films of the 1930s and 1940s, one would be hard-pressed to name another filmmaker who did more for Mexican horror cinema than Carlos Enrique Taboada. His films are easily the most inventive when compared to other Mexican horror films, and most of his horror films are rooted in gothic horror cinema.

This brings us to Even the Wind Is Afraid, which is arguably his crowning achievement as a filmmaker. Right from the get-go, Even the Wind Is Afraid is a film that firmly grabs you and holds your attention until its twisted ending brings everything full circle. In its opening moments, a girl wakes up to the sight of a girl hanging above her as she lies in bed. This sequence does a phenomenal job setting the tone for the events that follow.

From a performance standpoint, the entire cast is great, especially Marga López (Soledad) in the role of the headmistress, who rules the girl boarding school with an iron fist. She uses fear and intimidation to keep the girls in line. Another notable performance is by Pamela Susan Hall in the role of Andrea, the ghost of the girl who haunts the boarding school. Though her character has limited screen time and does not directly speak, her presence looms large.

Even the Wind Is Afraid features many elements that are staples of horror cinema. Notable well-timed jump scares are enhanced by the very effective use of menacing-sounding wind. And deviant bad girls that do a striptease for the other girls. Also, though there is a vengeful ghost, it quickly becomes clear who her real target is.

From a production standpoint, there is not an area where Even the Wind Is Afraid does not excel. The premise is superbly executed, a deliberate, paced narrative does a great job building tension, and a spectacular ending provides a perfect coda. Other strengths are visuals that are overflowing with atmosphere and an exceptional score that reinforces the mood. Ultimately, Even the Wind Is Afraid is an extraordinary film that is one of Mexican cinema’s best horror films.

Even the Wind Is Afraid deserves a better release than this one. It is the type of film that not only should have gotten a full restoration free of any digital tinkering and a restored audio track, it should have gotten extras that provided insight about Even the Wind Is Afraid. Unfortunately, what it did get is a mediocre release that is lacking in every area—audio, video, and extras. And to add further insult by releasing Even the Wind Is Afraid as a BD-R instead of an actual Blu-ray disc.

Written by Michael Den Boer