Danza Macabra Volume Three: The Spanish Gothic Collection - Severin Films (Blu-ray)
Theatrical Release Date: Spain, 1971 (Necrophagus, Cake of Blood), Spain, 1975 (Cross of the Devil, The Night of the Walking Dead)
Directors: Miguel Madrid (Necrophagus), Francesc Bellmunt (Cake of Blood), Jaime Chávarri (Cake of Blood), Emilio Martínez Lázaro (Cake of Blood), José María Vallés (Cake of Blood), John Gilling (Cross of the Devil), León Klimovsky (The Night of the Walking Dead)
Cast: Bill Curran, Catherine Ellison, John Clark, María Paz Madrid, Marisa Shiero, Titania Clement, Frank Braña, Víctor Israel, Beatriz Elorrieta, Antonio Jiménez Escribano (Necrophagus), Ángel Carmona Ristol, Jaime Chávarri, Luis Ciges, Martí Galindo, José Lifante, Charo López, Marta May, Carlos Otero, Marisa Paredes, Eusebio Poncela (Cake of Blood), Ramiro Oliveros, Carmen Sevilla, Adolfo Marsillach, Emma Cohen, Eduardo Fajardo, Mónica Randall, Tony Isbert, Fernando Sancho (Cross of the Devil), Emma Cohen, Carlos Ballesteros, Viky Lussón, Rafael Hernández, Mary Paz Pondal, Barta Barri, Lorenzo Robledo, Manuel Pereiro, Roberto Camardiel, Tota Alba (The Night of the Walking Dead)
Release Date: August 12th, 2025
Approximate Running Times: 87 Minutes 23 Seconds (Necrophagus), 90 Minutes 24 Seconds (Cake of Blood), 96 Minutes 58 Seconds (Cross of the Devil), 88 Minutes 13 Seconds (The Night of the Walking Dead)
Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1 Widescreen / 1080 Progressive / MPEG-4 AVC (Necrophagus, Cross of the Devil, The Night of the Walking Dead), 2.35:1 Widescreen / 1080 Progressive / MPEG-4 AVC (Cake of Blood),
Rating: NR
Sound: DTS-HD Mono Spanish (Necrophagus, Cake of Blood, Cross of the Devil, The Night of the Walking Dead), DTS-HD Mono English (Necrophagus, The Night of the Walking Dead)
Subtitles: English (Cake of Blood, Cross of the Devil, The Night of the Walking Dead), English SDH (Necrophagus, The Night of the Walking Dead)
Region Coding: Region Free
Retail Price: $99.95
Necrophagus: "A young nobleman (Bill Curran) returns to his crumbling family castle, only to learn that his wife has died giving birth to their stillborn child. But why is her coffin empty?" - synopsis provided by the distributor
Cake of Blood: "With Spanish cinema still under the oppressive Franco regime, four filmmakers banded together to create a horror anthology that examined classic themes through transgressive perceptions: Directed by José María Vallés, Tarot stars Julián Ugarte (All the Colors of the Dark) in a grim tale of fanaticism set in the Middle Ages. Eusebio Poncela (The Cannibal Man) and Marisa Paredes (All About My Mother) star in Victor Frankenstein, a unique take on Mary Shelley’s classic directed by Emilio Martínez-Lázaro (The Other Side of the Bed). Terror Among Christians, directed by Francesc Bellmunt, is a jolting vampire allegory set during Roman times. Jaime Chávarri – co-writer of Vampyros Lesbos and future icon of New Spanish Cinema – directs the twisted ghost story The Dance of emotional Survivals starring Luis Ciges (The Creature)." - synopsis provided by the distributor
Cross of the Devil: "The rarely seen result is a sumptuous tale of supernatural horror in which a writer (Ramiro Oliveros of The Pyjama Girl Case) plagued by violent nightmares investigates the murder of his sister by an ancient occult order." - synopsis provided by the distributor
The Night of the Walking Dead: "In a 19th century village ruled by superstition, a vulnerable young woman (Emma Cohen of Horror Rises from the Tomb) is seduced into an aristocratic family of the sensuous undead." - synopsis provided by the distributor
Video: 4.5/5 (Cake of Blood), 4/5 (Necrophagies, Cross of the Devil), 3.75/5 (The Night of the Walking Dead)
Here’s the information provided about the transfer, "now scanned in 4K from the recently discovered negative for the first time ever."
Necrophagies comes on a 50 GB dual layer Blu-ray.
Disc Size: 30.8 GB
Feature: 26.3 GB
Here’s the information provided about the transfer, "now scanned in 4K from the original negative for the first time ever."
Cake of Blood comes on a 50 GB dual layer Blu-ray.
Disc Size: 34.9 GB
Feature: 25.9 GB
Here’s the information provided about the transfer, "now scanned in 4K from the negative with English subtitles for the first time ever."
Cross of the Devil comes on a 50 GB dual layer Blu-ray.
Disc Size: 33.6 GB
Feature: 27.8 GB
Here’s the information provided about the transfer, "now scanned in 2K from the negative for the first time ever. "
The Night of the Walking Dead comes on a 50 GB dual layer Blu-ray.
Disc Size: 38.6 GB
Feature: 26.7 GB
Outside of some minor debris, all of the sources look excellent; Cake of Blood is the best-looking, while The Night of the Walking Dead is the weakest of these four films. Flesh tones look correct, colors are nicely saturated, image clarity and black levels are strong, compression is solid, and all four films retain an organic look.
Audio: 4/5 (DTS-HD Mono Spanish - All Films), 3.75/5 (DTS-HD Mono English - Necrophagus, DTS-HD Mono English - The Night of the Walking Dead)
Necrophagus and The Night of the Walking Dead come with two audio options, a DTS-HD mono mix in Spanish and a DTS-HD mono mix in English. Cake of Blood and Cross of the Devil come with one audio option, a DTS-HD mono mix in Spanish. Necrophagus and The Night of the Walking Dead’s English-language tracks do not sound as robust as their Spanish-language counterparts. That said, all of the audio tracks sound clear and balanced. Cake of Blood, Cross of the Devil, and The Night of the Walking Dead come with removable English subtitles for their Spanish-language tracks. Necrophagus and The Night of the Walking Dead come with removable English SDH for their English-language tracks.
Extras:
Extras for Necrophagus include a theatrical trailer under the title Graveyard of Horror (1 minute 35 seconds, Dolby Digital mono English, no subtitles), a theatrical trailer under the title The Butcher of Binbrook (2 minutes 10 seconds, Dolby Digital mono English, no subtitles), an appreciation by Ángel Sala, head of programming at the Sitges Film Festival, titled Something You've Never Seen (8 minutes 6 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo Spanish with removable English subtitles), a remembrance by Maria Pilar Rafáles, daughter of Sitges Film Festival founder Antonio Rafáles, titled The First Horror Film Festival in the World (11 minutes 2 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo Spanish with removable English subtitles), and an audio commentary with Andy Marshall-Roberts, host of The Nasty Pasty Podcast.
Extras for Cake of Blood include an appreciation by Ángel Sala titled An Arthouse UFO (11 minutes, Dolby Digital stereo Spanish with removable English subtitles), an interview with actor José Lifante titled To Whoever Wants To Watch (21 minutes 6 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo Spanish with removable English subtitles), an interview with actress Marisa Paredes titled My Generation (4 minutes 31 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo Spanish with removable English subtitles), an interview with co-director Jaime Chávarri titled I Just Wanted To Have Fun (11 minutes 39 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo Spanish with removable English subtitles), and an audio commentary with Rod Barnett of NaschyCast and The Bloody Pit, and Dr. Adrian Smith, co-author of Norman J. Warren: Gentleman of Terror.
Extras for Cross of the Devil include an appreciation by Ángel Sala titled The Real Templar Knights Movie (8 minutes 55 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo Spanish with removable English subtitles), an interview with screenwriter Juan José Porto titled Fascinated By Bécquer (11 minutes 26 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo Spanish with removable English subtitles), a video essay by Xavier Aldana Reyes, author of Spanish Gothic: National Identity, Collaboration, and Cultural Adaptation, titled Fantasy And Imagination: The Legacy Of Gustavo Adolfo Bécquer, and an audio commentary with Kim Newman, author of Anno Dracula, and Barry Forshaw, author of Brit Noir.
Extras for The Night of the Walking Dead include alternate Spanish credit sequence (1 minute 32 seconds, Dolby Digital mono), an appreciation by Ángel Sala titled A Deadly Invitation to Another Dimension (10 minutes 3 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo Spanish with removable English subtitles), an interview with actor José Lifante titled Dead Man Walking (18 minutes 32 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo Spanish with removable English subtitles), an interview with screenwriter Juan José Porto titled Leo's Signature (8 minutes 8 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo Spanish with removable English subtitles), a video essay by Xavier Aldana Reyes titled Spain's Cinematic Vampires (24 minutes 39 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo Spanish with removable English subtitles), and an audio commentary with Kat Ellinger, author of Daughters of Darkness.
Summary:
Necrophagus: After returning from a business trip, a nobleman learns that his wife died in childbirth and the child was stillborn. He searches for the truth about his wife's death and why her body was missing from her coffin.
Necrophagus was directed by Miguel Madrid, who only directed three films; the only other of note is The Killer of Dolls. When released in the U.S., Necrophagus was titled The Butcher of Binbrook.
Although the above synopsis provides most of the pertinent details, what unfolds is a convoluted mess that often makes no sense. There are also other people who have disappeared and some characters who wear cloaks that disguise their identities. Without giving away too much about its big twist, most of what’s going on is connected to a monster who lurks in a graveyard.
The bulk of the cast is made up of unrecognizable names; the most notable cast members are Antonio Jiménez Escribano (The Diabolical Dr. Z), who portrays a doctor, and Víctor Israel (The Witches Mountain), who portrays a creepy graveyard caretaker. In the case of the latter, he delivers the only performance that stands out.
Necrophagus is a melting pot of genres—gothic horror and the giallo—and influences: Hammer and classic Universal horror films. Its haphazard narrative often drags, never sustaining any momentum. That said, its narrative's only strength is its use of flashbacks. Ultimately, Necrophagus is an unremarkable horror film that’s often confounding, and its sluggish pacing will put most to sleep.
Cake of Blood: Cake of Blood is a four-part anthology film with stories about the Black Plague, ghosts, vampires, and a reimagining of Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein. Each segment is directed by a different director. Although three of the directors have filmographies with over 20 credits, they rarely ventured into the horror genre.
Tarota: A knight traveling through a plague-infested landscape comes across a dead woman lying on a slab in a mausoleum.
Although the premise is reminiscent of The Seventh Seal, this is where any similarities end. Dialogue is sparse; things move quickly enough that there are never any lulls. It is a film that relies heavily on atmosphere, and its imagery of death helps greatly in this regard.
Victor Frankenstein: A man creates a monster that is unable to control its violent tendencies.
Although this segment offers a fresh take on a story that has become all too familiar due to countless adaptations, the result is ultimately nothing memorable.
Terror Among Christians: Two young men running away from Roman soldiers fall prey to a vampire woman.
This is the most minimalist of the four stories, the bulk of which takes place in an isolated location that the vampire uses to trap her prey. Vampires have long been a staple of horror cinema, and their depiction in Terror Among Christians is very pedestrian, resulting in a by-the-numbers story.
The Dance or Emotional Survivor: A thief is convinced by an accomplice he can only see to steal a woman's jewelry.
What starts off as a simple tale about robbery evolves into a story about apparitions. All around, this is an extremely well-crafted segment that's overflowing with atmosphere, and it does a superb job holding your attention. That said, despite Jaime Chávarri’s lack of experience—this would be the other feature film he directed—he delivers what is easily the best of the four stories.
Although all of the segments are beautifully photographed, all of them are lacking scary moments, except the last segment. That said, Cake of Blood is best described as a collection of arthouse films that are masquerading as horror films.
Cross of the Devil: A woman in white is pursued and tormented by medieval knights known as the Templers in a British novelist's recurring nightmare.
Cross of the Devil was the final film directed by John Gilling, a filmmaker most known for his collaborations with Hammer Films. Notable films he directed include The Flesh and the Fiends, The Pirates of Blood River, The Reptile, and The Mummy’s Shroud. Cross of the Devil’s origins can be traced back to Miserere, El monte de las ánimas, and La cruz del diablo, a trio of short stories written by Gustavo Adolfo Bécquer. The screenplay was written by Paul Naschy, who originally intended to portray the protagonist.
While Cross of the Devil incorporates many elements typical of gothic horror cinema, it ultimately leans more toward melodrama than genuine fright. An area where Cross of the Devil excels is its ability to heighten the mood whenever the Templar Knights are onscreen. Another area that greatly contributes to the atmosphere is Ángel Arteaga’s (The Devil Incarnate) exemplary score.
All around, the cast are very effective in the roles, especially Emma Cohen's (The Cannibal Man) portrayal of Beatriz, a character best described as an apparition. Despite her limited screentime, she takes advantage, creating a character who looms large. The cast is filled with recognizable faces like Eduardo Fajardo (Django), Tony Isbert (No One Heard the Scream), and Fernando Sancho (In the Folds of the Flesh). The most disappointing performance is Carmen Sevilla (Glass Ceiling), who portrays the novelist's wife.
Cross of the Devil has a solid premise that does an excellent job drawing you in. The narrative is well-constructed; it does a superb job holding your attention and building momentum to a satisfying finale. Another strength of the narrative is its ability to create tense moments. Ultimately, Cross of the Devil is a well-made gothic horror film that often exceeds the sum of its parts.
The Night of the Walking Dead: An aristocrat's gravely ill daughter is drawn to an underworld inhabited by vampires.
León Klimovsky directed The Night of the Walking Dead. He’s known for Dr. Jekyll vs. The Werewolf, Werewolf Shadow, Vengeance of the Zombies, A Dragonfly for Each Corpse, and The Vampires’ Night Orgy. He spent most of the 1970s working in the horror genre; he was one of the most in-demand filmmakers working in Spanish horror cinema at that time. Although he is best known for directing several notable films featuring Paul Naschy, he also explored genres beyond traditional horror. He made a few memorable films in other categories, such as I Hate My Body and Trauma.
The Night of the Walking Dead is a gothic horror film set in the 19th century that lays into the melodrama. All of the unusual suspects for this type of film appear: vampires, superstitious locales, and forbidden love. That said, its alternate title, Strange of the Vampires, is most appropriate, since the central thing that drives the narrative is a vampire's love for a woman.
Outside of Emma Cohen (The Other Side of the Mirror), none of the other performances are memorable. She looks alluring throughout, and she does deliver a solid performance that elevates those around her. Although Carlos Ballesteros fares better than the rest of the cast in the role of the head vampire named Rudolph de Winberg, his lack of charisma ultimately undermines his performance.
From a production standpoint, The Night of the Walking Dead’s shortcomings far outweigh its positives. Its premise retreads all too familiar elements, and its narrative moves slowly, never gaining any momentum. The most surprising aspect of the narrative is a very effective bittersweet finale where the head vampire has lost the will to live after losing the woman he loved. Ultimately, The Night of the Walking Dead is an unremarkable gothic horror film whose only saving grace is Emma Cohen’s performance.
Though the films that make up Danza Macabra Volume Three: The Spanish Gothic Collection vary in quality when it comes to their audio/video presentations and wealth of extras, Severin Films has done a great job. Recommended.
Written by Michael Den Boer
