El Vampiro: Two Bloodsucking Tales from Mexico: Limited Edition – Indicator Series (Blu-ray)

Theatrical Release Dates: Mexico, 1957 (The Vampire), Mexico, 1958 (The Vampire's Coffin)
Directors: Fernando Méndez (Both Films)
Cast: Abel Salazar, Ariadne Welter, Carmen Montejo, José Luis Jiménez, Mercedes Soler, Alicia Montoya, José Chávez, Julio Daneri, Amado Zumaya, Germán Robles (The Vampire), Abel Salazar, Ariadne Welter, Germán Robles, Yerye Beirute, Alicia Montoya, Guillermo Orea, Carlos Ancira, Antonio Raxel (The Vampire's Coffin)

Release Date: October 28th, 2024 (UK), October 29th, 2024 (USA)
Approximate Running Times: 83 Minutes 56 Seconds (The Vampire), 82 Minutes 9 Seconds (The Vampire's Coffin)
Aspect Ratio: 1.37:1 Aspect Ratio / 1080 Progressive / MPEG-4 AVC (The Vampire), 1.75:1 Widescreen / 1080 Progressive / MPEG-4 AVC (The Vampire's Coffin)
Rating: PG (UK), NR (USA)
Sound: LPCM Mono Spanish (Both Films), LPCM Mono English (Both Films)
Subtitles: English (Both Films), English SDH (Both Films)
Region Coding: Region Free
Retail Price: £19.99 (UK), $39.99 (USA)

"El Vampiro: Two Bloodsucking Tales from Mexico brings together a pair of atmospheric and terrifying classics of Mexican Gothic, directed by Fernando Méndez (Black Pit of Dr. M), and starring Ariadne Welter (The Panther Women), Abel Salazar (The Curse of the Crying Woman), and, in a star-making turn, Germán Robles (The Brainiac).

In The Vampire (El vampiro), the beautiful, bereaved Marta (Welter) travels with Enrique (Salazar) to visit her sick aunt in her ancestral home. There, the mysterious neighbour Duval (Robles) offers to buy the family’s decrepit hacienda. However, Duval is really Count Karol de Lavud, a vampire whose aim is to drain Marta of her blood and revive his entombed brother.

In the sequel, The Vampire’s Coffin (El ataúd del vampiro), grave robbers bring Lavud’s corpse to Enrique’s city hospital, where Marta now works as a nurse. Duly re-animated, Lavud sets about his bloody plan to make Marta his bride.

Pre-dating Hammer Films’ Dracula by a year, The Vampire’s uniquely Mexican take on vampire mythology was the first film to give its antagonist elongated fangs, and its success kick-started Mexico’s horror boom." - synopsis provided by the distributor

Video: 4.5/5 (The Vampire), 4/5 (The Vampire's Coffin)

Here’s the information provided about The Vampire's transfer, "The Vampire was restored in 4K from the original 35mm camera negative by Labo, Mexico City. Additional restoration work was carried out by Fidelity in Motion."

The Vampire comes on a 25 GB single layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 22.9 GB

Feature: 20 GB

The source looks excellent; flesh tones look correct, image clarity is strong, contrast, black levels, and compression are solid, and the image retains an organic look.

Here’s the information provided about The Vampire's Coffin's transfer, "The Vampire's Coffin was remastered in HD from 2K scans of original 35mm materials by Alameda Films. Additional restoration work was carried out by Renasci Films."

The Vampire's Coffin comes on a 25 GB single layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 22.7 GB

Feature: 18.9 GB

Though the source looks great, there are some minor source imperfections that remain. That said, flesh tones look correct, image clarity is strong, contrast, black levels, and compression are solid, and the image retains an organic look.

Audio: 4.25/5 (LPCM Mono Spanish - The Vampire), 4/5 (Both audio tracks - The Vampire's Coffin), 3.5/5 (LPCM Mono English - The Vampire) 

The Vampire comes with two audio options, a LPCM mono mix in Spanish and a LPCM mono mix in English. The Spanish language track sounds excellent; dialog always comes through clearly, everything sounds balanced, and ambient sounds are well-represented. The English language track has some minor background noise, and it sounds boxy. That said, the dialogue comes through clearly enough to follow. Included are removable English subtitles for the Spanish language track and removable English SDH for the English language track.

The Vampire's Coffin comes with two audio options, a LPCM mono mix in Spanish and a LPCM mono mix in English. The differences between these two audio tracks are minimal; they are both in great shape. Both audio tracks sound clean, clear, and balanced, and ambient sounds are well-represented. Included are removable English subtitles for the Spanish language track and removable English SDH for the English language track.

Extras:

Extras for The Vampire include an image gallery (65 images - stills/posters), a theatrical trailer (3 minutes 7 seconds, Dolby Digital mono Spanish with removable English subtitles), an interview titled Who’s Afraid of Carmen Montejo? with film programmer, curator and Mexican horror cinema expert Abraham Castillo Flores who examines the life and career of Cuban-born radio, stage and screen actor Carmen Montejo (30 minutes 24 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English with removable English subtitles for Spanish film clips), an interview titled The Mark of Abel with sisters Claudia Salazar Arenas and Rosa Salazar Arenas who share personal stories about their father, the legendary actor, producer and director Abel Salazar (21 minutes 44 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo Spanish with removable English subtitles), and an archival audio commentary with actor Germán Robles in Spanish with removable English subtitles.

Extras for The Vampire's Coffin include an image gallery (62 images - stills/lobby cards/posters), French photonovel (29 images), a theatrical trailer (3 minutes 19 seconds, Dolby Digital mono Spanish with removable English subtitles), an interview titled From the Drawing Board with film historian and curator Elisa Lozano who examines the work and impact of revered artist and production designer Gunther Gerzso (14 minutes 42 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo Spanish with removable English subtitles), an interview titled The Great Mexican Vampire with horror specialist Roberto Coria who discusses Germán Robles and the representation of the vampire myth in Mexican cinema (19 minutes 32 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo Spanish with removable English subtitles), and an interview titled Memories of a Storyteller with novelist Juan Ramón Obón who shares stories about the life and career of his esteemed father, the prolific screenwriter Ramón Obón (21 minutes 40 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo Spanish with removable English subtitles).

Other extras include an 80-page book with cast & crew information, an essay titled The Vampire Diaries: Germán Robles and The Vampire written by Jesús Palacios, an archival essay titled On The Vampire written by Eduardo de la Vega Alfaro, an archival essay titled Revamping Dracula on the Mexican Silver Screen written by Carmen A Serrano, an archival interview with actress Carmen Montejo titled The Lady Vampire conducted by Charles P. Mitchell and Paul Parla, an archival interview with actress Ariadne Welter titled The Vampire’s Lady conducted by Charles P. Mitchell and Paul Parla, an essay titled Photographing the Undead written by David Wilt, contemporary reviews and information about the restorations.

Summary:

The Vampire and The Vampire's Coffin were directed by Fernando Méndez, whose other notable films are The Body Snatcher, The Black Pit of Dr. M, and The Living Coffin.

The Vampire: A young woman returns to her rural hometown after the death of her aunt, only to discover that all is not well with her relatives and something sinister is afoot.

Though most audiences are familiar with cinema from the country they are from, it's always interesting to see how other countries interpret a famous character. Case in point, The Vampire is a film clearly inspired by Bram Stoker’s Dracula, and yet it is not a straightforward adaptation. Instead, The Vampire takes familiar elements from Dracula and puts its own spin on it.

The biggest area where The Vampire differs from Dracula is its protagonist, who is driven by revenge for the killing of his brother, a vampire, 100 years prior. Where Dracula is a Gothic horror with romantic overtones, The Vampire never tries to be anything more than a standard horror film. That said, these differences always work in The Vampire’s favor.

Fernando Méndez’s direction is flawless as it does a phenomenal job drawing you into the world he’s creating. His stylish visuals are overflowing with atmosphere and symbolism. Another strength of the visuals is how effectively they play with light and shadow. That said, out of the horror films he directed, The Vampire is by far and away his most accomplished.

The most surprising aspect of The Vampire is its performances, especially Germán Robles’ (The Brainiac) portrayal of Count Karol de Lavud. Though he was making his film debut, he nevertheless delivered an extraordinary performance. Also, his performance is not so much about what he says as it is about his physical presence.

Another performance of note is Carmen Montejo’s (Nights Without Tomorrow) spellbinding portrayal of a vampire named Eloisa. My only complaint when it comes to the performances is Abel Salazar’s (The Curse of the Crying Woman) portrayal of Dr. Enrique, a Van Helsing-like character. His character never really asserts himself beyond the love interest of Marta, the niece of Eloisa.

From a production standpoint, The Vampire is a film that excels the sum of its parts. The well-constructed narrative does a solid job building momentum, and Gustavo César Carrión’s (The Witch’s Mirror) exceptional score reinforces the forbidding mood. Though the special effects are not without their faults, they work well within the story that unfolds. Ultimately, The Vampire is an exemplary reimagining of Dracula.

The Vampire's Coffin: Grave robbers steal the tomb of Count Karol de Lavud, and one of them inadvertently removes the stalk from his heart, resurrecting him.

Though Fernando Méndez and most of the cast return for The Vampire's Coffin, the result is a very different film from its predecessor. After opening with a ghoulish grave robbing scene, the tone of The Vampire's Coffin abruptly shifts. Outside of a few menacing moments, The Vampire's Coffin amplifies humor where its predecessor had a forbidding tone.

Instead of being a revenge film like its predecessor, The Vampire's Coffin is a story about a vampire’s obsession for a woman. Another area where The Vampire's Coffin differs from its predecessor is that it is local; this time, things take place in the big city instead of the rural countryside. Also, where characters were pursued by Count Karol de Lavud in The Vampire, this time around he’s become the hunted.

Again the main attraction is Germán Robles in the role of Count Karol de Lavud. He looks even more confident and delivers a scene-stealing performance. When it comes to the other performances, they are good enough and never get in the way of the story that's unfolding.

From a production standpoint, there are no glaring shortcomings. The narrative does a great job building to a finale that takes place in a wax museum for murders. Fernando Méndez’s solid direction delivers an ample amount of atmosphere, and the visuals have a Film noir-like quality. Also, composer Gustavo César Carrión delivers another exemplary score that perfectly underscores the mood. Ultimately, The Vampire's Coffin is a solid sequel that holds up well to its predecessor.

El Vampiro: Two Bloodsucking Tales from Mexico is an exceptional release from Powerhouse Films that gives both films strong audio/video presentations and informative extras, highly recommended.

Note: Limited edition of 8,000 numbered units for the UK and US.

Written by Michael Den Boer

Satanico Pandemonium – Mondo Macabro (Blu-ray)

Theatrical Release Date: Mexico, 1975
Director: Gilberto Martínez Solares
Writers: Jorge Barragán, Adolfo Martínez Solares, Gilberto Martínez Solares
Cast: Enrique Rocha, Cecilia Pezet, Delia Magaña

Release Date: May 26th, 2020
Approximate Running Time: 88 Minutes 48 Seconds
Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1 Widescreen / 1080 Progressive / MPEG-4 AVC
Rating: NR
Sound: DTS-HD Mono Spanish
Subtitles: English
Region Coding: Region Free
Retail Price: $29.95

"Sister Maria (Pezet) is known in the convent for her good works and charity, but, in the secret depths of her sexual fantasies, she is tormented by visions of another world - a world where her forbidden passions are allowed to run free. In this world Satan is her master.

As her acts of violence and blasphemy mount, Maria realizes that she has been chosen by the Devil to destroy the convent and lead her sister nuns into hell!" - synopsis provided by the distributor

Video: 4/5 (Theatrical Print Scan), 4.25/5 (Pre-Print Scan)

Here’s the information provided about this release's transfer, "a brand new 4k transfer from film negative."

Here is additional information given about the transfer, “We were delivered two scans for the film on this disc. The first, taken from pre-print materials, turned out to have a slight optical blemish on some reels. We asked the licensor to correct this and they eventually supplied us with a scan taken from a positive print, according to them the only 35mm source that did not have this issue.

The flaw is minor and not present on every reel. However we felt it best to give the viewer a choice on which version they prefer. Each has its merits and demerits.”

Satanico Pandemonium comes on a 50 GB dual layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 43.1 GB

Feature: 20.4 GB (Theatrical Print Scan), 20.3 GB (Pre-Print Scan)

The main differences between these two transfers are that there are vertical line scratches on the pre-print transfer. Other areas where they differ are color timing and image clarity, and the pre-print scan transfer is the more organic of these two presentations. Despite their limitations, Mondo Macabro has done a great job with these two transfers.

Audio: 4/5

This release comes with one audio option, a DTS-HD mono mix in Spanish with removable English subtitles. Though limited range-wise, dialog always comes through clearly, and everything sounds balanced.

Extras:

Extras for this release include a Mondo Macabro preview reel, a featurette on nunsploitation movies with Redemption Films Nigel Wingrove (11 minutes 13 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), an interview with screenwriter Adolfo Martínez Solares titled The Devil Went Down to Mexico (15 minutes 7 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), and an audio commentary with Samm Deighan and Kat Ellinger (Daughters of Darkness podcast).

Summary:

A chance encounter with the devil in the woods unlocks a nun's sexual desires, and her decadent behavior leads her on a downward spiral.

Faith and repressed sexual desires collide in Satanico Pandemonium. The narrative revolves around a nun named Sister Maria, who one day, while wandering outside of the confines of the convent in the serene country, encounters a naked man. Disturbed by the sight of a naked man, she flees back to the safety of the convent. Unfortunately for Sister Maria, she’s unable to distance herself from the desires that arose from that moment in the woods. And from there, she continues her descent into depravity.

Content-wise, though Satanico Pandemonium has all the elements that have become synonymous with nunsploitation, The result is a film that straddles that delicate line between exploitation and art-house cinema. That said, Satanico Pandemonium has an ample amount of nudity, lesbianism, guilt-related self-mutilation, and gruesome torture.

Performance-wise, the cast is all very good in their respective roles, especially Cecilia Pezet’s tormented portrayal of Sister Maria. Another performance of note is Enrique Rocha’s devilish portrayal of Luzbel (Lucifer).

From a production standpoint, there’s not an area where Satanico Pandemonium does not deliver. Sister Maria's descent into depravity is superbly realized and perfectly captured in the well-executed narrative, though the premise covers familiar ground. Other strengths include visuals filled with symbolism and an atmospheric score that reinforces Sister Maria’s state of mind. Ultimately, Satanico Pandemonium is a must-see film for fans of nunsploitation.

Satanico Pandemonium gets a solid release from Mondo Macabro that comes with a strong audio/video presentation and a trio of insightful extras, highly recommended.

                                                   Pre-Print Scan Screenshots.

                                               Theatrical Print Scan Screenshots.

Written by Michael Den Boer

The Panther Women – Indicator Series (Blu-ray)

Theatrical Release Date: Mexico, 1967
Director: René Cardona
Writer: Alfredo Salazar
Cast: Ariadne Welter, Elizabeth Campbell, Tongolele, Eric del Castillo, Manuel 'Loco' Valdés, Eda Lorna, Genaro Moreno, María Douglas, Jorge Mondragón, Elena Saldívar, Nathanael León

Release Date: March 25th, 2024 (UK), March 26th, 2024 (USA)
Approximate Running Time: 88 Minutes 6 Seconds
Aspect Ratio: 1.66:1 Widescreen / 1080 Progressive / MPEG-4 AVC
Rating: 12 (UK), NR (USA)
Sound: LPCM Mono Spanish
Subtitles: English
Region Coding: Region Free
Retail Price: £19.99 (UK), $39.99 (USA)

"The Panther Women are a witch cult who resurrect their leader by sacrificing the descendants of the family which murdered him. As the cult seeks to kill the youngest descendent, they are taken on by fearless luchadoras Loreta Venus (Welter) and the Golden Rubí (Campbell)." - synopsis provided by the distributor

Video: 4/5

Here’s the information provided about the transfer, "The Panther Women was restored in 2K by Permanencia Voluntaria and Cinema Preservation Alliance from the original camera negatives."

The Panther Women comes on a 25 GB single layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 23 GB

Feature: 19.8 GB

The source looks great; it is a substantial upgrade when compared to VCI’s mediocre release. That said, there are a few moments where the quality of the source dips; an example can be seen in the last screenshot. Most of the time, image clarity, black levels, and contrast are strong. Also, compression is solid, and the image retains an organic look.

Audio: 4.25/5

This release comes with one audio option, a LPCM mono mix in Spanish with removable English subtitles. The audio sounds clean, clear, balanced, and robust when it should.

Extras:

Extras for this release include an image gallery (42 images - stills/lobby cards/posters), a theatrical trailer (3 minutes 45 seconds, Dolby Digital mono Spanish with removable English subtitles), an interview with academic and Latin American horror specialist Valeria Villegas Lindvall titled Cat Fight (23 minutes 38 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English with removable English for Spanish film clips), an interview with lucha libre specialist and filmmaker the Killer Film titled Let Them Fight! (14 minutes 26 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo Spanish with removable English subtitles), an audio commentary with Keith J Rainville, publisher of From Parts Unknown and screenwriter of Los campeones de la lucha libre, and an 80-page book with cast & crew information, an essay titled The Panther Women and the Resurgence of Mexican Popular Cinema written by Iain Robert Smith, an archival essay titled Wrestling for Their Lives written by Janina Möbius, an archival essay titled Female Roles and Representations in Mexican Wrestling Films written by Ricardo Cárdenas Pérez, an archival interview with Guillermo Calderón by Viviana García-Besné and Alistair Tremps, and information about the restoration.

Summary:

In a career that spanned six decades and 147 feature films, René Cardona directed nine Santo films. His notable films are The Living Idol, La Llorona (1960), Doctor of Doom, Night of the Bloody Apes and The Bat Woman.

The narrative revolves around a cult of Satan worshipers who track down and kill the descendants of the man who killed their master.

Part horror film, part wrestling film, The Panther Women is a melting pot of genres. Humor also plays a role in the story that unfolds; there is a cowardly cop who is the main target of most of the humor in the mix. That said, though wrestling matches are part of Lucha Libre films, in many films they are nothing more than padding for the narrative. Fortunately, the wrestling scenes in The Panther Women are essential to the story that unfolds.

A wild premise and a briskly paced narrative ensure there is rarely a dull moment. That said, the narrative’s weaknesses are the police procedural moments. Fortunately, the police have a secret weapon in their fight against the forces of evil wrestlers, and the narrative is filled with outrageous moments that are a lot of fun.

The cast is all very good in their roles; there is an enthusiasm in their performances that is infectious. All of the actresses who portray the Satanists and panther women deliver perfectly pitched, diabolical performances. Being a crime-fighting film with wrestlers, it should come as a surprise that there is a Santo-like character named The Angel.

From a production standpoint, The Panther Women is a film that exceeds expectations. There are an ample number of well-executed brawls and wrestling matches. Also, considering the budget limitations, the special effects are better than expected. Another strength is the visuals, which have a Gothic horror vibe. Ultimately, The Panther Women is a highly entertaining mix of action and horror that fans of Lucha Libre films should thoroughly enjoy.

After watching VCI’s horrendous release, I was not originally impressed with The Panther Women. That said, this new release is a perfect example of how a quality release that takes full advantage of the Blu-ray format can enhance one's appreciation for a film. The Panther Women gets a solid release from Powerhouse Films that comes with a strong audio/video presentation and insightful extras, highly recommended.

Note: Limited edition of 8,000 numbered units for the UK and US.

Written by Michael Den Boer

México Bárbaro II – Unearthed Films (Blu-ray)

Theatrical Release Date: Mexico, 2017
Directors: Diego Cohen (segment Paidós Phobos), Christian Cueva, Ricardo Farias (segment Bolas De Fuego), Michelle Garza Cervera (segment Vitriol), Carlos Meléndez (segment Ya Es Hora), Lex Ortega (segment Exodoncia), Abraham Sánchez (segment La Leyenda De Juan Soldado), Sergio Tello (segment No Te Duermas), Fernando Urdapilleta (segment Potzonalli)
Cast: Francisco Barreiro, Humberto Busto, Laura de Ita, Emilio Guerrero, Pedro Joaquín, Aline Marrero, Fermín Martínez, Ramón Medína, Hoze Meléndez, Martha Claudia Moreno, Lex Ortega, Giancarlo Ruiz, Florencia Ríos, Pilar Santacruz

Release Date: January 16th, 2024
Approximate Running Time: 87 Minutes 6 Seconds
Aspect Ratio: 1.78:1 Widescreen / 1080 Progressive / MPEG-4 AVC (All Segments Except La Leyenda De Juan Soldado), 2.35:1 Widescreen / 1080 Progressive / MPEG-4 AVC (La Leyenda De Juan Soldado)
Rating: NR
Sound: DTS-HD 5.1 Spanish, LPCM Stereo Spanish
Subtitles: English
Region Coding: Region A
Retail Price: $34.95

"In this new horror anthology, 9 Mexican directors come together to narrate more traditions and brutal, ruthless and bizarre legends of their country. Mexico Barbaro shows the world the parts of their popular culture, from sweet stories told by their grandmothers, to the dark and disturbing ancestral culinary bloody rites. Traditions and legends that today continue to cause terror among Mexican people." - synopsis provided by the distributor

Video: 4.25/5

México Bárbaro II comes on a 50 GB dual layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 27.5 GB

Feature: 23.1 GB

There is no information provided about this transfer source. That said, when you have eight segments shot under different conditions and using different equipment, there are bound to be some differences in quality between these segments. Colors are nicely saturated, image clarity and black levels are solid, and compression is very good.

Audio: 4.25/5 (DTS-HD 5.1 Spanish, LPCM Stereo Spanish)

This release comes with two audio options, a DTS-HD 5.1 mix in Spanish and a LPCM stereo mix in Spanish. You can’t go wrong with either of these audio tracks; they both sound great. Dialog comes through clearly, everything sounds balanced, ambient sounds are well-presented, and both of these tracks sound robust when they should. Included are removable English subtitles.

Extras:

Extras for this release include a stills gallery, a theatrical trailer (1 minute 53 seconds, LPCM stereo Spanish with non-removable English subtitles), Exodoncia featurette (2 minutes 31 seconds, LPCM stereo with music from the film playing in the background), No Te Duermas featurette (3 minutes 32 seconds, LPCM stereo with music from the film playing in the background), Vitriol featurette and stills gallery (36 seconds, LPCM stereo Spanish, no subtitles), Bolas de Fuego featurette (7 minutes 59 seconds, LPCM stereo Spanish with removable English subtitles), and La Leyenda De Juan Soldado featurette (9 minutes 12 seconds, LPCM stereo Spanish with non-removable English subtitles).

Summary:

An anthology format with multiple filmmakers can make for an interesting viewing experience. And though anthology films are usually confined within a genre or share similar themes, there are always exceptions to this rule, like México Bárbaro II, a film whose eight segments could not be further apart. Despite being set in the realm of horror, there is a tonal difference in that some instances veer into the realm of absurd humor.

The opening segment, titled La Leyenda de Juan Soldado, revolves around a wrongly accused man, a soldier, who makes an unholy deal to get his revenge against those who murdered him. The next segment, titled Paidós Phobos, revolves around a woman who is consumed by a phobia, and she has something inside a room that holds the key to her phobia. The next segment, titled Potzonalli, revolves around an abusive, sadistic patriarch and his family, who finally give him his just due. The next segment, titled Bolas de Fuego, revolves around two friends who watch a porno movie in which ecstasy and death become interchangeable. The next segment, titled Vitriol, revolves around a lonely woman obsessed with her looks who takes makeovers to the extreme. The next segment, titled No Te Duermas, revolves around a young boy whose bedtime ritual unleashes something unholy. The next segment, titled Ya Es Hora, revolves around two girls who perform an occult ritual against a group of mean girls. The final segment, titled Exodoncia, revolves around a demented woman who is consumed by drug addiction.

Being that there are eight segments, directed by nine filmmakers, it is safe to say that there is not going to be any unity when it comes to performances and the look of each segment. Fortunately, when it comes to these two elements, most of these segments come out ahead, and in general, these segments are well executed from a production standpoint. The only segments that I was disappointed by were Bolas de Fuego and Vitriol. In the case of the latter, it suffers from too many poorly executed CGI effects, while the latter does not have a strong narrative or resolution. The best segments are de Juan Soldado, Potzonalli, and Exodoncia.

That said, though these segments have dark humor, symbolism, and social commentary, they are unfortunately lacking in one area; most of them are scary. Also, when it comes to short films or segments, you only have a small window of time to tell what you want to tell, and fortunately, the brevity of these segments works in their favor.

México Bárbaro II gets a solid release from Unearthed Films.

Written by Michael Den Boer