Tombs of the Blind Dead: Standard Edition – Synapse Films (Blu-ray)

Theatrical Release Date: Italy/Portugal, 1972
Director: Amando de Ossorio
Writers: Jesús Navarro Carrión, Amando de Ossorio
Cast: Lone Fleming, César Burner, María Elena Arpón, José Thelman, Rufino Inglés, Verónica Llimerá, Simón Arriaga, Francisco Sanz, Juan Cortés, Andrés Isbert, Antonio Orengo, José Camoiras, María Silva, Pedro Sempson, Carmen Yazalde

Release Date: October 24th, 2023
Approximate running times: 101 Minutes 18 Seconds (The Original Uncut Version), 83 Minutes 16 Seconds (The U.S. Version)
Aspect Ratio: 1.66:1 Widescreen / 1080 Progressive / MPEG-4 AVC (Both Versions)
Rating: NR
Sound: LPCM Mono Spanish (The Original Uncut Version), LPCM Mono Spanish/English Hybrid (The Original Uncut Version), LPCM Mono English (The U.S. Version)
Subtitles: English (Both Versions), English SDH (The Original Uncut Version)
Region Coding: Region Free
Retail Price: $39.95

"The first of four official films in the series, it begins with a trio of friends getting together for a camping trip that quickly turns into blood curdling horror as a legion of long-dead Knights Templar rise from their graves in search of human flesh! When the Templars were originally executed for their cannibalistic rituals, they were hanged outside to die as crows pecked out their eyes. Now, armed with ancient swords and riding their skeletal undead horses into the night looking for prey, these mummified creatures cannot see… they hunt purely by sound alone." - synopsis provided by the distributor

Video: 5/5 (Both Versions)

Here’s the information provided about the transfer, "Beautiful 2K restoration from the original camera negative provided by Atlas International, with  extensive color correction and additional restoration by Synapse Films."

Tombs of the Blind Dead, the original uncut version, comes on a 50 GB dual layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 43.3 GB

Feature: 29.7 GB

Tombs of the Blind Dead, the U.S. version, comes on a 25 GB single layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 21.8 GB

Feature: 21.4 GB

The sources used for both versions are in excellent shape. Flesh tones look healthy, color saturation, image clarity, contrast, black levels, and compression are solid, and the image always looks organic. Also, the encodes for both versions are solid.

Audio: 5/5 (All Audio Tracks)

The original uncut version comes with two audio options, an LPCM mono mix in Spanish and an LPCM mono mix in Spanish and English. Both of these tracks sound excellent; the dialog comes through clearly, and everything sounds balanced. Range-wise, both of these audio tracks do a great job when it comes to the ambient sounds and the score. Included are removable English subtitles for the Spanish language track, a second removable English subtitle track when watching the Spanish/English hybrid track for the Spanish language dialog, and removable English SDH for the Spanish/English hybrid track.

The U.S. version comes with one audio option, a LPCM mono mix in English with removable English subtitles. This audio track is on par with the other two audio tracks.

Extras:

Extras on the disc with the original uncut version include a stills gallery, a theatrical trailer (2 minutes 40 seconds, Dolby Digital mono English, no subtitles), Salem’s Pop “Templar’s Tears” music video (3 minutes 22 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo), Revenge of Planet Ape – alternate U.S. opening sequence (3 minutes 24 seconds, Dolby Digital mono English, no subtitles), a featurette with Marcus Stiglegger titled Awakening of Spanish Horror Cinema (14 minutes 25 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo german with removable English subtitles), a feature-length documentary titled Marauders from the Mediterranean exploring the history of the Spanish zombie film, featuring interviews with: Night of the Living Dead writer/producer John Russo, Sitges Film Festival deputy director Mike Hostench, film critic John Martin, academic Calum Waddell, The Living Dead at Manchester Morgue director Jorge Grau, Tombs of the Blind Dead star Lone Fleming, actors Helga Liné, Manuel de Blas, Antonio Mayans and Jack Taylor, Paul Naschy’s son Sergio Molina, author/film critic Kim Newman and academic/writer Steve Jones (88 minutes 55 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English and Spanish with non-removable English subtitles for Spanish), an audio commentary with horror film historian and author Troy Howarth, an audio commentary with actress Lone Fleming, and an audio commentary with Rod Barnett and Troy Guinn of the NaschyCast podcast.

There are no extras on the disc with the U.S. version.

Summary:

Directed by Amando de Ossorio, who would go on to direct three more Blind Dead films: Return of the Blind Dead, The Ghost Galleon, and Night of the Seagulls. Other notable films that he directed are Fangs of the Living Dead, and The Loreley's Grasp.

The narrative revolves around a trio of friends on vacation who accidentally awaken the templars' medieval knights, who were executed for practicing black magic.

By the late 1960s, Spanish horror cinema would have experienced a renaissance that would continue throughout the 1970s. Though there had been some horror films in Spain before the late 1960s, notably a trio of horror films directed by Jess Franco, during this time frame, Spanish cinema was not as free as it would become after the death of Francisco Franco.

Spanish horror cinema, like other Euro-cults from the 1970s, would draw influence from U.S. cinema. And zombie films in one such sub-genre that Spanish horror cinema would find inspiration. And though films like George A. Romero’s Night of the Living Dead would influence films like The Living Dead at Manchester Morgue and the Blind Dead, the result was films that transcended any films that were influences.

The Tombs of the Blind Dead opens deceptively with an introduction sequence in which two attractive young women wearing bikinis are at a vacation resort. And though this sequence does a great job of establishing the backstory for these two characters, there is a flashback that shows they were more than just close friends. The tone of this opening setup is the polar opposite of the forbidding atmosphere that pervades once the templars finally arrive on screen.

When it comes to the performances, they are best described as serviceable. The most memorable performance is Simón Arriaga (Django) in the role of a creepy morgue attendant who enjoys his work too much. The most recognizable cast member is Carmen Yazalde in the role of the sacrificed maiden; she is most known for the six films that she made with Jess Franco under the alias Britt Nichols.

Without a doubt, The Tombs of the Blind Dead’s greatest asset is its ability to create atmosphere. And though the best moments are the ones where the templars are stalking and killing, another memorable moment is a scene at a location filled with mannequins, and the way a flashing billboard dictates the lighting creates the most visually arresting moment in The Tombs of the Blind Dead.

The premise is superbly realized, and though things start off slowing, when the templars arrive, the narrative is full steam ahead. Though the templars are bloodsucking skeleton corpses who drain their victims of all of their blood, the result is a film that has a very limited amount of onscreen carnage. Fortunately, this is not a negative since there is an abundance of atmosphere, which makes up for the lack of carnage. Ultimately, The Tombs of the Blind Dead is a well-executed horror film that often exceeds the sum of its parts.

Tombs of the Blind Dead gets a definitive release from Synapse Films, highly recommended.

Written by Michael Den Boer