Strrrrrrrrrrrrike TWO for Mexican horror cinema! After seeing the already astonishing "Curse of the Crying Woman", I got really intrigued by this nation's extremely underrated horror heritage and big surprise this "Black Pit of Dr. M" is even better! This is one of the darkest and scariest films ever made and it features some of the absolute greatest Gothic-horror themes imaginable. We've got mad scientists, eerie graveyards and mental institutions, loud thunderstorms, séances and of course a tragic love affair. The film starts with an atmospheric voice-over reassuring us that whatever lies beyond death should always be kept a secret. Two obsessive scientists once tried to discover if there's any way of getting back among the living and "The Black Pit of Dr. M" tells their horrid story. Dr. M(asali) and his colleague Dr. Aldama made a pact stating that the first of them to die has to come back and inform the other about the secrets of resurrection. When Dr. Aldama dies, he keeps his promise but also warns his colleague about the dangers of toying with the afterlife. Naturally, Dr. neglects this good advise and mysterious events start to take place, all indicating his own death on the fifteenth of November. This is a super-creepy film with a constantly ominous atmosphere and some of the most petrifying set pieces I've ever beheld. Every sequence simply oozes suspense, whether set in the asylum (where a crazed gypsy woman runs amok) or in Dr. M's own hacienda, where Dr. Aldama's spirit still dwells around. The outdoor filming locations are always enshrouded with fog and the nights seem to last three times as long as the days. The sinister music and sober B&W photography only increase the creepiness, while the performances of these fairly unknown Mexican actors and actresses are more than reasonable. There are some minor holes in the plot occasionally, but I'm really not in the mood to nag about those, as I personally was too overwhelmed by the intensity of this film. Horror films, especially Gothic ones, really don't get any creepier than this one. Make this a top priority on your must-see list.
Review of The Black Pit of Dr. M
