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Film: Cemetery of Terror (Cementerio del terror)
Year: 1985
Director: Rubén Galindo Jr.
Writer: Rubén Galindo Jr. and Carlos Valdemar
Starring: Hugo Stiglitz, Usi Velasco and Erika Buenfil
Review:
This was a film that I originally heard about thanks to the 22 Shots of Moodz and Horror. It was covered over there so it went on a list of ones to see. I decided on this since it takes place on Halloween. It also doubled as a Voyage through the FiVes watch. I knew the basic premise from what I heard on the podcast. It has been a while since hearing it as well.
Synopsis: on Halloween night, a group of bored teens decide to steal a corpse from the local morgue and take it to a nearby cemetery where they perform a ritual, unwittingly reviving a bloodthirsty serial killer.
We start this with a man sleeping in a chair. This is Dr. Cardan (Hugo Stiglitz). His television is on, but it is static. We see his dream, which is a woman with a hurt foot, fleeing and being chased. She is then cornered in an elevator, the police show up to save her, but they’re late. Dr. Cardan then wakes up.
It then shifts over a group of people. I read somewhere that they’re medical students who are planning a party. The claim is that it is a jet-set. It is supposed to have a bunch of successful people. The ones planning it are Oscar (René Cardona III) and Jorge (Servando Manzetti). Jorge’s girlfriend is Olivia (Edna Bolkan). She is supposed to go to a rock concert, but he sways her. Also coming are Lena (Erika Buenfil) and Anita (María Rebeca). I believe there is also Pedro (Andrés García Jr.)
All the women are then upset when they arrive at the abandoned mansion. It takes Olivia a minute to realize that she was lied to. This place belonged to Devlon (José Gómez Parcero). He was a serial killer who was obsessed with Satan. He is the guy that Dr. Cardan had his nightmare about. He seeks the aid of a judge to get the body cremated.
There is a problem though. The guys decide as a prank on Halloween to steal a body. They find the one that is the ugliest, which turns out to be Devlon. They sneak him out of the back. Returning to the mansion, Jorge finds a strange black book upstairs. They read from it, which brings Devlon back to life. He has the ability to bring others as well, conjuring an army of zombies. Then to add to the stress, a group of children come to the cemetery and are locked in as well.
That is where I’ll leave my recap and introduction to the characters. Where I’m going to start is by saying that this movie is wild. It incorporates different genres. It feels a bit like a slasher to pull us in. There is then an homage to The Evil Dead or Children Shouldn’t Play with Dead Things with the ritual that summons the dead. From there it goes supernatural with zombies and magic that traps our characters in this cemetery. It is definitely a trip.
Now that I’ve set that up, I do like the concept. You can tell that this isn’t working with a big budget. I wouldn’t be shocked to learn that co-writer/director Rubén Galindo Jr. was inspired by something like The Evil Dead. I do know that the Galindos are Mexican horror royalty. This is the first film directed by Rubén that I’ve seen. I do think that it is a bit all over the place. I did just end up rolling with the insanity.
Let’s then talk about our villain, Devlon. I do love this idea that he was a serial killer who was a Satanist. It feels convenient that this group of teens would select this location and end up bringing his body back. You could say dark forces are guiding them, hinted at by the nightmare that Dr. Cardan had. I do like that we have almost a good vs. evil, with main characters there. Being that it is Halloween, the teens doing the prank that starts this is good.
Where I want to go next then would be filmmaking. Galindo's USC background likely influenced the good cinematography and framing in this isolated cemetery horror. His experience in the Mexican film industry was also probably a contributing factor. The practical, sometimes gross, effects were great, and I appreciate them despite occasional cheesiness. The zombie design is excellent, and the sound builds atmosphere. My only minor complaint is the less threatening zombie movement.
All that is left then would be the acting performances. When I saw that Stiglitz starred, I sat up in my chair. He’s good as the only one who truly knows how dangerous Devlon is. Being that this character is dead at the start, he’s ignored. I like Buenfil, Bolkan, Rebeca, Cardona, Manzetti and García. They work as our main group that we follow. They also start this mess. Parcero has a good look as Devlon. The children were all fine. The terror that all the characters show is good, so no problems there.
In conclusion, this is a wild and enjoyable ride that blends slasher elements with supernatural horror, paying homage to classics like The Evil Dead. While it might be a bit all over the place, its unique concept, strong cinematography, and effective practical effects make it a memorable watch. Stiglitz leads a capable cast in a film that, despite some minor quibbles, delivers a fun and genuinely terrifying experience set against the backdrop of Halloween night.
My Rating: 7 out of 10