Mansion of the Living Dead (1982) User Reviews

Monastery Of The Horny Dead

[Flixer1957 · 3/10 · 30 October 2008]

Apparently Jess Franco didn't think that Joe D'Amato's EROTIC NIGHTS OF THE LIVING DEAD was weird and tasteless enough, so he put his own two cents' worth in...

Four oversexed waitresses on holiday spend their vacation in the ugliest-looking hotel in screen history. They must not enjoy the surroundings any more than the audience does because they're soon amusing themselves with exhibitionism, nudity and sexual encounters with the manager and each other. The manager, meanwhile, keeps his skanky wife neck-chained to a wall with food just out of reach, in a situation copied from Franco's own BARBED WIRE DOLLS. Hold on, folks, it gets better! The hotel is next door to a monastery that served as a torture chamber during the Inquisition. Before you know it the sadistic zombie monks are back–-homicidal and horny. One monk's face looks normal; most are skull-faced knock-offs of The Blind Dead; and the leader's face looks like an under-baked pizza. Several murders and two sex attacks by the undead ensue–and leave it to Franco to make the rape of a busty blonde by zombie monks boring. There is a cute twist at the end if you can keep your eyes open that long.

Like most films by this director, MANSION OF THE LIVING DEAD is best watched first thing in the morning after the caffeine has just kicked in.

Mansion of the Living Dead

[Scarecrow-88 · 4/10 · 18 September 2008]

Four strippers are sent by their travel agent to a supposed paradise which turns out to be an empty, but gorgeous location with a hotel without guests and a creepy manager, Carlos(Antonio Mayans;a frequent Franco collaborator)who keeps a naked woman, Olivia(Eva León) chained in a room, tormenting her by keeping food just out of reach. He also has a loony gardener, Marleno(Albino Graziani)who likes to pester the girls, when he's not whistling or singing to his beautiful flowers outside the hotel. But, outside the hotel, the girls notice that there are no tourists. Just the oddball Carlos and his nutty gardener. But, the girls, one by one, will soon discover who awaits them not too far from the hotel, restless spirits of accursed Inquisition dressed in monk robes, chanting from within their abbey sacrificing each female soul to Lucifer, condemned to worship him thanks to the power of a witch, Irina burnt at the stake who cast a spell on them. One of the strippers, Candy(Lina Romay, who barely ever wears clothes, I don't think I've ever seen a more uninhibited woman in all my life)could very well be the reincarnated spirit of Irina and Carlos is actually a *limbotic* spirit, real and yet unreal. When he's within the abbey walls, he's seen in a rotted form(..his face is covered in a type of waxy substance)underneath his robe, watching as his brethren takes turns sexually molesting each female victim, serving their Prince of Darkness before plunging a dagger in them. Carlos believes that if Candy is in fact Irina, her kiss to him can set their souls free, no longer to serve their dark lord.

Well, that's what I got out this Franco flick. When he sets up the first scene as we see these "undead" monks chanting a rather harmonic tune, the wind ever present, you kind of get an idea that something within the atmosphere of this place in unstable. He is able to display this by showing the wind as it generates a type of rage, also arranging the furious sound of wind on the soundtrack. It only happens when the girls make the unfortunate mistake of nearing and entering the abbey. This is a place of unrest and, I felt, not of our realm. I was a bit miffed with the sub-plot regarding Olivia, but I think she's kept by Carlos as a reminder of what causes such discomfort, the desires of the flesh, and a longing for lustful embrace. Maybe, that's why he mistreats her. She's an outward expression of what torments him from the inside.I love the location and the desolation. Something about the absence of people creates a sense of foreboding. Where is everybody? Such a beautiful place remains so unoccupied. What gives? That worked well for me, as did the way Jess creates the atmosphere around the abbey. Many might find some of the Inquisition monks very similar to the Blind Dead Templars.There's lots of naked flesh, drooping breasts which hardly ever remain covered, and lesbian activity(Lina is a wild cat in this one, even proclaiming how she likes "tree-hugging", at one time spitting out a hair caught in her teeth).If you do not like Jess' camera work, or the way his female characters walk around naked desiring sex, stay far away.

Uncredited sequel to undead Templars sacrificing human beings , badly made by the Stajanovist Spanish filmmaker Jesús Franco

[ma-cortes · 4/10 · 19 October 2022]

Reportedly fifth and so-so sequel of the Templars dead series , though there's absolutely no connection to it . The blind dead Templars return again from the 13th century with this eerie story in which a group of German vacationing waitresses (Lina Romay , Mabel Escaño, Mari Carmen Nieto , Elisa Vela) following the travel agency's recommendation and filled with high expectations of having a good time decide to take a few days off work to visit a sunny and dream hotel. Then they go to a completely vacant resort hotel on the Canary Islands . A mysterious director of the hotel called Savonarola, shows them to their rooms, but soon, weird events start happening and they sense strange vibes. Then the priests warriors wake up from the tomb beginning their criminal rampage . Ancient Zombies return of graves causing wreak havoc on the hotel , horrifying and torturing some beautiful women . They make a brutal massacre at the touristic hotel and the protagonists are surrounded and slashed. We find the famous blind dead zombies which rise from the tombs 500 years after to wreak havoc upon some beautiful Euro-babes . The zombie-like pack of ancient warriors priest awake and rising from the graves to kill and torture the unfortunate victims . They were condemned and eternally dammed by a doomed curse and developing a sinister cult practicing human sacrifices . A fantastic secret lies hidden behind the thick stone walls of the nearby abandoned convent which dates back to Middle Age ! . A Crazy Jess Franco Experiment!

This is a cheap Spaniard production with lack luster , low budget , including lots of nudism and strong erotic scenes . Special effects are ridiculous and embarrassing, absurd and frankly lousy. The film gets a bit slow but there's sufficient tension and creepiness. .This atmospheric and eerie horror movie contains scary scenes in which some attractive tourists come to a deserted hotel and only to find the ancient Templar monks nearby have returned as living blind dead. Of course , the better scenes result to be when appear the living dead Templars . Although being badly shot this ¨Mansion of the Living Dead¨contains atmospheric and disturbing scenes as the wailing sound of the wind blowing, adding the echoes from the empty corridors that bring chills down the spine and some strange situations linked somehow to the grim hotel history . This is allegedly the firth following of the first great success and immensely popular ¨Tombs of the Blind dead¨ which to be continued by a trilogy : ¨Return of evil dead¨, ¨Ship of Zombies or Blind dead 2¨ and ¨Blind dead 3 or The night of the sea gulls¨ , all of them directed by the craftsman Amando de Ossorio ; these Zombie-like monks were blinded by crows but they made human sacrifices and were executed and the clergymen returning eventually to the life . It was released in several countries as fifth part of the "Blind Dead" series, even though ¨Mansion of the Living Dead¨(1982) nothing to do with it . In the film appears some Spanishtrash actresses playing waitresses at a topless cabaret such as Mabel Escaño , Mari Carmen Nieto , Eva León , and of course Lina Romay , Frank's wife . Furthermore , some Franco's regulars as Albino Graziani and Antonio Mayans or Robert Foster .

Creepy and frightening music especially when the dead attack is well composed by Jess Franco himself , imitating the classic Antón Garcia Abril soundtrack . Packing an appropriate cinematography by Franco , entire film was shot on location in Gran Canaria, Canary Islands, Spain. This lack budget film was lousily written/edited/musicalized/produced/directed by prolific Jesús Franco. This is a mediocre attempt to cash of following exhausted medieval warriors saga.

Not Franco's best

[diabolicaldrz · 1 July 2007]

I had high hopes for this one. After watching the excellent Macumba Sexual (Made around the same time, with the same locations and most of the same actors) I was expecting this one to be as good as that one. But it wasn't. Mansion of the Living Dead is one of the worst movies Jess Franco ever directed. The plot had potential, but it's not handle well. The pace is very slow and even the sex scenes drag a bit. Also, the make up of the monks is awful!

But the movie also have some good things, like the beautiful, paradise-like beach, which gives the film a certain atmosphere, very creepy in some scenes. Also good is lead actress Lina Romay, looking very hot especially in the scenes where she walks completely naked through the hotel.

From the boring sex scenes (I can't believe I just say that!) to the embarrassing attempt to create a story make this movie one of Franco's worst. Not recommended at all. Check out "Macumba Sexual" (1983) or "Gemidos de Placer" (1983) instead.

Where to start...

[dragonmaster0303 · 4/10 · 1 April 2007]

Well, first things first...

Jess Franco tries, bless him, he really does, but unfortunately the man hasn't had an original thought in his life nor would he know an erotic scenario if it bit him in the arse! (although you can be sure if that ever does happen he'll film it & stick it in a movie!). Before anyone thinks I'm just Franco bashing, I'm not, I've now seen over 60 of his movies so think I've seen enough to have a pretty good idea of what I'm talking about, I even like some!

For anyone not very knowledgeable about his work, the Franco process of film-making seems to go something like this:

1) He sees someone else's film.

2) He quickly rehashes it, adds in some god-awful ugly sex scenes, all of which takes a couple of days and hey presto, a week later the film's released!

And that's about it. I've yet to see an erotic moment in any of his films (though the moments in this one are probably the least annoying of his I've seen) and most of the naked women he's used aren't all that attractive either (although again, to be fair the women in this movie are about the best I've seen in a Franco film), so no real reprieve there.

Personally I prefer it when he leaves out the sex altogether, but even then (as is the case with 'Mansion of the Living Dead') he's so ham fisted in his approach that he generally ruins any element of horror there might've been.

Having said all that, this is still one of my top 10 Franco films, which to be fair says a whole lot more about his other films than it does this one as it's at best only decidedly average!

As a side note, on the region 1 DVD release of this Mr Franco has some very derogatory comments to be made about a certain George A. Romero which I have to say are completely out of order, not to mention contradictory (his comments about them being slow!), especially when you consider the movie Franco was rehashing here was 'Tombs of the Blind Dead' - itself a (great) movie which would never have existed had Romero not redefined the zombie, moved it into modern times and made it into what it still is today! And that's without even getting into comparing the talent of the two men, which is never going to be in Franco's favour! It basically just sounds like sour grapes, as Romero had something which still eludes Franco today - an idea!

Shame on you Jesus!

Title scores 0 out of 3....

[gridoon2024 · 5/10 · 28 March 2012]

...since the film takes place in and around a hotel and a monastery, NOT a mansion, and we're dealing more with ghosts than zombies here. Anyway, this one looks for a while like it might be one of Jess Franco's better movies: the Grand Canaria Island provides Franco with a striking location, and he is able to create an atmosphere of isolation. Also, the four girls that the film introduces are uncommonly lively and bubbly for a Franco film, and (of course!) they get naked a lot. Unfortunately, after about 30 minutes the story takes over, and there is no kind way of putting it: it's pure nonsense. Franco the director seems to know what he's doing with this film, but Franco the screenwriter does not. ** out of 4.

Cursed To Walk The Hotel Hallways Naked For Eternity. B.A.F. 1-2-Miss

[P3n-E-W1s3 · 2/10 · 11 May 2022]

Greetings And Salutations, and welcome to my review of Mansion Of The Living Dead; here's the breakdown of my ratings:

Story: 0.25 Direction: 1.00 Pace: 0.25 Acting: 0.25 Enjoyment: 0.25

TOTAL: 2 out of 10

The one thing I need in a good Horror flick is a story. It doesn't have to be outstanding, just plausible and/or have a first-rate concept at its heart. Sadly, Mansion Of The Living Dead, though it does possess a decent idea, is so terribly structured and written it harms the movie beyond repair. Jesus Franco may be an average director, who occasionally hits the right spots, but he's no scribe. The story is too slow, all over the place, and most of the mysteries are ignored or extremely under-cooked. In the right hands, it could have been excellent. I particularly liked the cursed notion and the empty hotel and village concepts.

Surprisingly, Franco does a lot better when he takes the director's chair. Some scenes show off his talents ideally. The scene where one of the holidayers finds her friend face down in the pool is one example of his imaginative style. The girl, her friend, and the hotel manager run to the poolside, but there's no floater. As the girls discuss it may have been a mistake, Franco pans down to the pool's reflection, and we hear the manager make his goodbyes; On the water's blue surface, we watch him walk away, and the ladies follow. It's a small thing, but it's creative and makes the segment more engaging. Sadly, there are too few to help the movie repair the story's damage. Most of the film consists of average composition, which sometimes is out of focus. It's dreadful when you can't get a cameraman to keep the image sharp. Maybe blind cameramen work cheaper? What with the toplessness and nudity in the film, perhaps he went blind while filming. I mean, they have these girls walk around the hotel starkers. Now, why can't I find these hotels? Then we have the special effects, which consist of crappy plastic skull masks and cheap make-up. And they ran short of masks, and money for make-up because the Father of the religious order is simply normal. Lamentably, the most inferior element to the directing is the lack of pacing. It goes the same way as the story, and like the story, it only adds to the viewers' boredom.

The acting is terrible, especially from the two leading cast members. There are a lot of pregnant pauses that don't work, I can only imagine they're there because Romay and Mayans were reading from cards. There's no emotion in most scenes, and there's definitely no chemistry between Romay and Mayans, though she is about to save his soul with their love for one another. And, as for the girl on girl kissing, well, for actresses, they don't execute passion too well. It's more amusing than sensually provocative.

Mansion Of The Living Dead is a stinker of a movie, and I wholly advise giving it as wide a berth as possible. And remember, I watched this movie, so you don't have to.

Please feel free to visit my Absolute Horror list to see where I ranked Mansion Of The Living Dead.

Take Care & Stay Well.

As bad as you can expect from a Franco movie.

[Boba_Fett1138 · 3/10 · 1 March 2010]

Jesus Franco is a director who has made dozens of horror, soft-porn crossovers that all have in common that they are being really bad ones. If you ever wondered what sort of movies Ed Wood would be making, would he still be alive today, all you have to do is pick up any random Jesus Franco movie.

By credit this movie is a remake of the 1971 Spanish horror-classic "La noche del terror ciego" but quite frankly, this movie has very little or nothing to do with that movie. Seriously, don't watch this movie expecting an horror, for this movie is more all about its nudity and lesbian fondling than about any horror. As a matter of fact there aren't even scares or graphic killings in this movie. Just a couple of hooded men standing around and occasionally, not so graphically, raping a girl.

As always, the story is an absolute mess and very little in the movie is making sense. The way the entire movie is progressing is laughable and just very far from convincing. It has some really stupid characters in it, that you just don't ever care about. Jesus Franco doesn't seem to be able to see and fill up any gaping plot-holes, or he just simply doesn't care about it. Either way it's a bad thing.

And yes well, then there are some of the sex sequences that literally come out of nowhere often and show absolutely nothing. I don't even think that the lovers of soft-core porn flicks are going to get excited by anything that gets shown or done in this movie.

Again Jesus Franco uses his own wife Lina Romay in the movie as the main lead. Like all of the other girls she spends most of her time walking around naked in the movie. The girls in this movie are either being naked, having sex with each other, getting raped by a man, or talking each others head of, like a bunch of annoying, loud, naive, helpless, chicken.

I must say though that I still enjoy watching older Franco movies better than the newer ones, that he is still making this present day and age. At least these movies still had a bit of style over them and got shot at location instead of in a studio or in the garden of one of the cast-members.

Trademark bad Jesus Franco stuff.

3/10

http://bobafett1138.blogspot.com/

Lesbian porn? Oh, yeah. Zombies--not so much

[EllenRipley112 · 1/10 · 23 November 2007]

I had been forewarned by those who have gone before into this unhallowed ground of what to expect, but I had no idea it would go as far as it did. There wasn't an ounce of credible acting to be had throughout the entire film. Thank God it came with English subtitles or I never would have caught on to the meager plot. If you're looking for genuinely scary, suspenseful horror, look elsewhere, because it won't be found here. What you WILL find are four women walking around a hotel naked for most of their screen time, and when they're not WALKING around naked, they're...err...hmmm...ummm...doing other things that people do when they're naked--more often than not, with each other. And the term "living dead" is horribly misused here--Mr. G. A. Romero should be able to sue them for libel. What we do see are white-robed men, most of whom are in skull-face masks, who are part of some cursed demonic cult that hangs out in an old monastery that three of the four "hotties" (their word, not mine) wander into one at a time. Upon arrival, they are branded whores and gang-raped--the third one, however, is allowed to "join them" and goes back to kill the fourth. Oh, yeah, then there's the poor girl on a chain in "the best room in the hotel". But that's another subplot that doesn't need much exposition. All in all, if you're looking for some lesbian porn, you came to the right place. But horror--nope, not here.

Die, die, my darling

[unbrokenmetal · 6/10 · 14 July 2008]

A view on a pristine, impeccable beach. Suddenly the camera zooms onto an ugly, rusty iron drum. Behind a facade of beauty, a perfect holiday site, decay has set in. It's this surreal symbolism that often keeps a Jess Franco movie above the average exploitation flicks, and "Mansion of the Living Dead" continued his best works of the 70s better than most of his movies from the 80s. It was shot at Gran Canaria in a deserted hotel, where 4 waitresses arrive for their holidays. Although they are assured the hotel is almost fully booked, they meet nobody and they sense there is something wrong here. In a long, beautiful scene without any dialog, one of the girls walks to an old church, while a stormy wind rings the church bell and shakes the branches of the palm trees. As a counterpoint to this slowly created spooky atmosphere, Franco introduces a crazy gardener for comic relief and of course shows what the girls do in their hotel room for the carnal element of the show ;-). But horror prevails as an order of undead satanic monks - many viewers feel reminded of the Spanish classic "Tombs of the Blind Dead" here - tries to get hold of the chicas for sacrifice... Not perfect, but recommendable.

Nudity Abounds. Entertainment Doesn't.

[arfdawg-1 · 2/10 · 22 January 2022]

This only thing this movie has going for it is that the girls are in various shades of undress most of the time.

Unfortunately most of them are not so attractive. There's one who is that gets offed early on.

There's even an extra chick tied up in a room. When discovered she says she hasnt eaten in 4 days. Only she's a complete cow..

It's not a very good movie and the "dead" part is barely there.

Not sure why it's called Mansion of the Dead when the girls are in a hotel and the dead are in a monastry.

Meh.

I didn't understand it, but I loved it

[tomas208 · 10/10 · 28 January 2003]

I watched this movie a couple of years ago; I believe it was in Spanish with no subtitles, but that didn't really matter. What mattered was that it was fantastic! I know 95% of the world's population wouldn't agree with me, but I always had a thing for old sleaze/horror movies which seem to be made just because the director had nothing to do, had had a funny dream he wanted to realize, or that he just needed money.

As for this film, I couldn't understand why the title had anything to do with the action. I only remember some scenes with cloaked individuals walking slowly as though in some kind of procession. And there was a man (Antonio Mayans I believe) talking often to some girls, and there were scenes of various sexual intercourse; although I found the atmosphere in the film very serious and unpretentious.

There is one very interesting scene where a couple of girls are lying on the beach, and suddenly a meat cleaver flies through the air, thrown from a hotel window high above, and lands in the sand just beside them. I was intrigued by that scene, quite intimidating.

Only Franco (Oasis of the zombies) and D'Amato (Porno Holocaust, Erotic nights of the living dead) could make movies with this kind of enchanting atmosphere. A solemn, sombre echo from an era since long lost, which after the forgetful ravages of time still can like the bird of Phoenix rise from the ashes of oblivion to once again let its plumage shine with unprecedented respectability.

And This Franco-Sleazefest has WHAT to do with the Blind Dead?

[Witchfinder-General-666 · 4/10 · 9 January 2010]

"La Mansión De Los Muertos Vivientes" aka. "Mansion of the Living Dead" of 1985 is supposed to be cult director Jess Franco's take on Amando De Ossorio's GREAT 'Blind Dead' franchise (IMDb even lists it as a Remake of the original "La Noche Del Terror Ciego" aka. "Tomb of the Blind Dead" of 1970). However, this has about nada to do with De Ossorio's wonderful cycle which ranges among the most popular and influential Eurohorror Cult productions from the 70s. I am great fan of Jess Franco (especially of his earlier works), and had "Mansion of the Living Dead" been directed by someone else, it might not have its certain undeniable charm - then again, it is not really imaginable for anyone else to come up with an outrageously nonsensical production such as this one.

Four young women from Germany (one of them played by Franco's real-life wife, Lina Romay) come to a Spanish beach club for vacation. In typical Franco-manner they are all nymphomaniacs with strong exhibitionist and lesbian tendencies. After one hour of walking around naked and making out with each other, one of them disappears when going out to take photos... People who are not in favor of Jess Franco's cinema will probably think of this as the worst film ever made; however, the film's incredible weirdness and lack of any logic whatsoever are also the elements that make it fun (in addition to its primary quality, the constant sleaze and female nudity).

Basically, this film is about 90 per cent sleaze and soft porn, and 10 per cent weird and really, REALLY nonsensical Horror. Amando De Ossorio's original Blind Templars were among the creepiest creatures ever in Horror cinema; the villains in this sleazefest are a bunch of ridiculously looking monks, some of which have (extremely ridiculous) skull-faces. The original blind dead also drank their victims' blood in order to gain eternal life, whereas these guys are fans of gang-rape instead. In typical Franco-fashion, all women are naked for about 95 per cent of the screen time (one is for all her screen time, actually), which is especially welcome from the dark-skinned Elisa Vela (who goes by the name Jasmina Bell here) and Lina Romay (who has gotten a little chubbier). In typical Franco-fashion they are all bisexual nymphomaniacs who thrive for every man, and have non-stop sex with each other when there's no man available. Also in typical Franco-fashion, the film includes some seriously demented perversions. A guy keeps his wife on a leash in a room, and always brings her food, which he positions out of her reach in order to torture her, for example - and she actually gets sexually aroused by this treatment! Which director except for the weird mind of Jess Franco would come up with demented stuff like that? As in all Franco films, the cinematography is pretty well done.

Overall, the film is very amusing in the beginning, mainly due to the lack of any logic, and the fact that Jess Franco obviously doesn't give a crap about it. However, it gets pretty tiresome towards the end, and the conclusion is about the most senseless thing I've ever seen. This film may be enjoyed by my fellow Franco fans, and it is recommendable to anyone who wants to see 96 minutes of boobs and weirdness disguised as Horror. If you want to watch a GOOD film by Jess Franco, stick to older productions such as "The Awful Dr. Orloff", "The Diabolical Dr. Z" or "Venus in Furs". This film may well be described as utter crap; however, I cannot deny I somehow enjoyed it. No doubt Amando De Ossorio's Blind Templars would be ashamed for their sleazy descendants.

Lesbians, sex...oh yeah, and a death cult

[cornjob-2 · 28 December 2000]

So, I get this movie on the basis that it's supposedly a remake of Tombs of the Blind Dead, a good movie. It's all in Spanish and the closest thing to Spanish I can speak is a little Latin. No problem, I'll fast forward to the Templars.

Yeah, right, what Templars? The movie starts out with some eeeeeevil cultists meandering around a ruined church, carrying torches. For all the world they look like Ku Klux Klansmen. Then, onto something completely different, as four female friends check into a rather large resort that seems to have no guests and only one guy staffing it.

I'd be alarmed, wouldn't you? They apparently aren't, as they start having all sorts of graphic (for a movie of this calibre) lesbian sex. Quite a bit of nudity. Easy on the eyes, as well. Anyhow, some other mysterious guy shows up, has sex with two of the four women, then has a couple discussions with them. Is the the one that threw a meat cleaver at them when they were doing some nude sunbathing? What's with that creepy little guy spying on them? All negated, as one of the women (who was hiking around some church ruins) is killed by a death cult of some sort that bears no resemblance whatsoever to the promised Templars. More chicanery occurs before the main character is raped and...something. She shows up, offs the other two females. The Klan is defeated (?) by a giant cross, then walks off as the movie ends. I think my copy is missing a minute or two, because the ending as such is terrible, there are no credits, yadda yadda.

The movie itself is dull. There're none of the promised Templar knights, just some Klansmen with really dry skin. There's no gore, no violence, and the film-making is inept. Several scenes last entirely too long, several close-ups are impossible to make out, the absence of any type of music in many parts is annoying, and the death cult appears from nowhere.

Since the nudity and lesbianism is the only reason a male would want to watch this film, it'd be more recommended to pick up some sort of porn. Recommendation to avoid this film, even from a completist point of view.

A Bad Franco

[Tweetienator · 2/10 · 6 November 2022]

As I am a true adept of all pulp, trash and schlock, I really like some of Jesús Franco's work (some directed under pseudonyms) - Vampyros Lesbos, She Killed in Ecstasy, Venus in Furs, Count Dracula, Eugenie de Sade, Mondo cannibale and others are well made and entertaining movies empowered by the powers of cheese and pulp, some starring actors like Christopher Lee, Klaus Kinski. Sadly, La mansión de los muertos vivientes or Mansion of the Dead is no such trashy and spicy piece - neither the art of horror nor the powers of Venus are strong in this one. The cinematography is also not good. A few days ago I put this one on my screen and cannot say if I ever watched this one before ore not. Anyway, this time I used the fast forward button rather freely and wondered the whole time why Franco made this boring and tasteless piece. To all who do not know his work, don't watch this one (first), put some of the movies I mentioned on your screen, or try other ones, on Imdb the maestro got directing credits for 206 movies...

The butts are always in focus. The faces... not so much

[dopefishie · 2/10 · 25 July 2022]

This movie is awful. Starting with the script and the "dialogue" which is quite painful to listen to. It's supposed to be a horror movie, but the version I saw had no blood. How do you make a horror movie where people die but there's no special effects? The acting was bad with the exception of the lead, Lina Romay, who looks brilliant compared to the rest of these jokers. I really liked the location. It was filmed in an old abandoned hotel and monastery. And the old buildings looked great!

Skip this movie. Even if you're a fan of bad movies. There's nothing here you need to see.

Franco Templars?

[BandSAboutMovies · 5/10 · 24 February 2022]

I know it's not exact, but I was struck by a moment in this film that recalls Messiah of Evil as a character stans in a hallway and we're struck by just how alone she is in spite of being in a very public place.

It's not a perfect match, but the feeling is right and I'm struck that at times, Jess Franco can render a great horror mood. Other times, he's moving the camera so wildly that you wonder if he's going to ever focus on something happening.

Several waitresses - including Candy Coster, who we all know is Lina Romay in a blonde short wig and love her even more for it - visit an out of season resort hotel, only to find that long-dead monks have come back from the dead, watched a few Amando de Ossorio movies and start luring the women one at a time to the basement where they're assaulted and then murdered to the sound of bells, the wind and an otherworldly song. So yes, pretty much the Blind Dead with dried shaving cream for makeup.

Also, for some reason, Eva León from Blue Eyes of the Broken Doll is chained to a wall by Antonio Mayans and taunted with promises of food.

Somehow, someway, Candy is the reincarnation of the witch who cursed the monks all those years ago and perhaps she's also the one that can free them, except she's kind of busy making out with Lea (Mari Carmen Nieto, The Sexual Story of O) and hiding that fact from their friends Mabel (Mabel Escaño, Wicked Memoirs of Eugenie) and Caty (Elisa Vela, Cries of Pleasure), thinking that they'd be judged, but then those two are also getting down.

Look, Lina gets possessed, goes wild and ends up making out with an evil monk, which releases everyone from their curse and...yeah. Look, this movie is pretty much exactly what I seek out and often I'm using movies as drugs to erase my consciousness, so go in with that knowledge.

Hopeless holiday horror at the Costa del Franco.

[BA_Harrison · 2/10 · 14 December 2021]

In 2008, fellow IMDb reviewer Michael_Elliott wrote that he had seen around 80 Jess Franco films; dragonmaster0303 claimed to have seen 60 by 2007. I've only seen 38 to date and I'm already fraying at the edges.

At just 77 minutes, and bereft of Jess Franco's usual gynaecological camerawork, the version of Mansion of the Living Dead that I watched was clearly cut - all that was left was a lot of nudity from some not particularly attractive women, including Franco muse Lina Romay, who looked as though she'd eaten one too many churros.

Always dedicated to watching sleaze in its entirety, I sourced a longer version, which now included a couple of graphic lesbian trysts and some undead monk gang bang action. It didn't improve the film any, this being one of the most uninspired efforts I have seen from the director - a shame because the basic idea is a good one...

Romay plays one of four strippers who book a holiday at a plush hotel; however, when they arrive at their destination, they discover that the place is practically deserted, the only staff being the hotel manager and the gardener. They later discover that they have been tricked: the hotel has been closed for years, and the manager is one of the undead, part of an order of monks who were placed under a curse during the time of the inquisition.

Rather than mine this creepy premise for chills, scares and gory mayhem, Franco takes the lazy route by focussing on sex and nudity, which wouldn't be so bad if the ladies were smoking hot, but they just aren't. Romay and her pals wander through the corridors of the hotel in various states of undress, investigate each other's private parts, and, one by one, encounter the monks, who punish the women for their sins by raping and killing them (in gore-free fashion).

Some have likened this film to Amando de Ossorio's Blind Dead films, but really, the comparison is laughable and more than a bit insulting to Ossorio.

2/10. Help the time pass more painlessly by taking a drink every time Franco shows a close-up of the stone plaque engraved with "AVE MARIA 1792'.

A very good 80's Franco film

[rwsrws · 10/10 · 6 April 2007]

Another underrated film, apparently a bit far off of the beaten path for most viewers. Like most Franco films this one has a good deal of atmosphere and some genuinely strange moments (and lots of nudity but not much gore). I also found the story to be well done and an interesting take on the older Blind Dead series. Franco also has some interesting things to say in the commentary on the Severin Films version, relating the dead monks in the film to his view of the Spanish Catholic church -- an insightful view, in fact, reflecting popular attitudes in Spanish Catholicism that define monks and priests as theoretically saintly figures that are also motivated by the needs and failings that drive ordinary men. I also agreed with Franco's commentaries on George Romero and his zombies (unlike a previous reviewer). I admire Night of the Living Dead for its innovative approaches, but I have always found the zombies to be very boring because in moral and intellectual terms they are complete ciphers. I've seen NotLD in at least four different decades -- and I will see it again I'm sure -- but I'm not a fan of the zombies. The living dead in Franco's film, although they could be more well-developed, are much more interesting. Kind of like the zombie "hero" in Jean Rollin's Zombie Lake who has some kind of moral sense despite his deadness.

Entertaining Euro sleaze

[slayrrr666 · 8/10 · 13 April 2009]

"The Mansion of the Living Dead" is a perfectly decent if slow-moving zombie tale.

**SPOILERS** Going on a vacation, friends Candy, (Lina Romay) Mabel, (Mabel Escano) Lea, (Mari Carmen Nieto) and Caty, (Elisa Vela) arrive at a lavish hotel resort in Spain to get in some much-needed rest and relaxation. Enjoying the opportunity for a slew of topless antics, they become unnerved when, despite them appearing to be the only ones there, a series of accidents almost ends up murdering them. Deciding to stay, they are unable to find anyone there except for cryptic owner Carlos Savonarola, (Antonio Mayans) who no one of them trusts. When they realize that they're being slowly disappearing one at a time around the hotel grounds, they get suspicious that something is happening to them, and when they realize that there's a coven of Satanic worshippers planning on sacrificing the group for it's ceremonies, they try to hold off the deadly rituals.

The Good News: This here was a pretty enjoyable entry that did have some good things going for it. One of the better elements is that location provides a lot of great atmosphere to be had. The desolation of the area is fully captured well and makes for some great moments. The early walks through the grounds trying to find the main entrance, which is cleverly hidden away from the facility's entrance beyond a walkway that's quite expertly placed to make the most of the atmospheric possibilities it has. The rest of the hotel grounds, with the layout of the walkways to the flower pads and the interior of the buildings are all very well-done, making for a unique look that works well and gets some good moments off in the beginning of the film. There's also some good stuff to be had from the cult's rituals and looks as well, which is quite nicely supplied here by the excellent make-up. Their decaying faces, giant robes and skeletal features make them quite imposing, and then there comes the rituals that they partake in. The sacrificial room, where they show the different sacrifices, is a perfect setting for the deadly actions to follow, and it makes the sequence stand-out a little more than it normally would, which is a great sign and is also responsible for one of the only true gore scenes to be involved in the film, giving it extra points. Even more so is the later scene where the ceremony involves the large group involving the others invoking the outsider to come into their ranks being a rather impressive scene. The last plus here is the film's sleaze and nudity, which is the overall best part of the film as a whole. There's a ton of this in the film, which is a welcome sight as this provides a ton of different memorable moments. From the different lesbian encounters that feature them going all the way and showing everything possible, to the topless actions and the encounters with the chained woman in the S&M gear, it gets a lot of great nudity into the film that definitely works well in here. By featuring everything possible in the scenes, it makes the film quite enjoyable and makes the film that much better. With a couple of nice scares thrown into the mix and a fun ending, these here are the film's good points.

The Bad News: There wasn't much really wrong with this one. Much of the film's problems are a part of it's funereal pacing. This one here is one of the slowest moving horror films around, practically moving along at a snail's pace for the duration of everything and tending to take it so long to get anything out that it becomes dull after a while. From the endless scenes of them frolicking in their rooms or on the beach or the antics of the others around the hotel interacting with them, leaving the film to feel quite overlong and action-less at times, with much in the way of action in the beginning portions of the film taken up with nudity and their involvements to get into those situations, and it can lead to monotonous moments at times. The fact that the cult doesn't even make any mention or appearance until after an hour, which is barely worthwhile and makes it quite hard to really get into. The other flaw to this one is the confusing plot, which makes little sense. There's not much given as to how the different elements come together, what the purpose of everything means and, all together, nothing here makes even the slightest bit of sense and comes off as quite confusing. A little bit for any of these elements would've made a big difference. These here are the film's big flaws.

The Final Verdict: While it's not the fastest moving film around, there's enough going on so it's not a complete failure overall. Really look into this one if you're into the previous entries in the Blind Dead saga or a fan of Franco's more modern stuff, while those who prefer films laced with energy should heed caution.

Rated UR/R: Full Nudity, several Sex Scenes, Adult Language and Violence

SPOILERS follow ...

[parry_na · 8/10 · 30 March 2017]

Here's a curio. Spanish Director Jess Franco has created a film inspired by The Blind Dead, a collection of skeletal cadavers from Amando de Ossorio's carefully crafted horror quartet. Reputation has suggested this might even be a fifth entry in that series, but I'm not sure Franco has ever made that claim. The scene that opens this film features a group of cowled monks making their way into their monastery, bathed in scorching sunlight, to the incongruous sound of dubbed hollow wind. This reedy sound effect accompanies any scene that promises danger.

Next, a giggling gaggle of chirping 30-something good time girls are tottering on high heels up the stone steps to the hotel they are to make their holiday home for the next few days. Amongst them is Candy Coaster, AKA Franco favourite Lina Romay in a silvery blond wig. They can't wait to 'pick up some guys and have a good time', and yet as soon as the doors are closed to their widely scattered chalets, graphic lesbian activity ensues.

As they sunbathe nude on the shingle, a meat cleaver is thrown from a balcony at the hotel, narrowly missing them. But this doesn't deter their frivolity ("Who wouldn't want to murder four hotties like us?"). The hotel proprietor, shady Carlos (Antonio Mayans), who is responsible, keeps his eyebrow-shorn wife chained on a bed, and appears to be in the thrall of a greater power. Perhaps this power (he is 'from another world') saps any sense Candy possesses; one minute, his chained wife is explaining that he probably wants Candy to take her place - the next, Candy is in his arms, falling for his promises.

One of the girls wanders into the ruined monastery next door to the hotel and things take on a creepier tone. Despite the mournful tolling of a bell, the bell she sees is stationary; as she enters, modulated chanting fills the soundtrack, and that is the last we see of her. The next to be plucked from the group actually comes face to pasty-face with the Monks. Her ensuing gang-rape is protracted and horrifying. Somehow even more horrifying is the next scene, where we catch up with the comedy hi-jinks of bungling odd-job man Marleno 'hilariously' serenading Candy in the hotel garden – in view of the ordeal we witnessed previously, such frivolity seems tasteless. Pretty soon, it's back to the not-so-softcore lesbianism between Candy and Caty (Elisa Vela), the only two girls left. Nothing like a bit of nookie to take your mind off disappeared friends in an empty hotel where the proprietor wants to kill you.

Some of the Monks are grinning and skeletal, another appears to have his (human) face coated in porridge (SPOILER – revealed to be Carlos), and another is entirely human-looking. Cursed by a former victim Irina, they have since been denied eternal rest until they find love. Carlos believes he has found this in Candy, and as they kiss, he crumples to the floor, an empty cloak. Candy doesn't like it and runs off.

I enjoyed this. The four women holiday-makers are a discreditable gang, their slow realisation that they are the only guests in the huge hotel hilariously slow-witted. And yet there is a consistent storyline here, not always the case with Franco. And more importantly, 'Mansion of the Living Dead' works as a horror film, for the sense of unease grows palpable. It probably won't please those expecting an addition to the delicately built-up Blind Dead story (to which this is best thought of as a homage, not a continuation), but to those familiar with Franco's style, this is pretty good.

Mansion of the Living Dead

[Michael_Elliott · 29 February 2008]

Mansion of the Living Dead (1982)

* (out of 4)

I've seen around eighty or so Jess Franco flicks and this one here was probably my most desired to see. An unofficial entry into the Blind Dead series, this film takes place at a deserted hotel where four waitresses have gone for a vacation. Soon, the living dead Templars show up to sacrifice them. As is to be expected, there's all sorts of nudity and lesbian sex because the cast members, which includes Lina Romay and Eva Leon, (from Naschy's House of the Psychotic Women) are just downright horny. We get various sex scenes, which are sometimes erotic but after a while they become quite tiresome. As for the horror elements, they are incredibly weak. In the interview on the disc Franco admits he hates living dead films and he doesn't even like Romero. Franco should probably watch this film again and see how bad it is. Every single item here is deadly dull and the story makes no sense whatsoever. I actually kept myself somewhat entertained by trying to figure out what must have been in Franco's mind while coming up with the story here.