Complete credited cast: | |||
Lone Fleming | ... | Betty Turner | |
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César Burner | ... | Roger Whelan |
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María Elena Arpón | ... | Virginia White (as Helen Harp) |
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José Thelman | ... | Pedro Candal (as Joseph Thelman) |
Rufino Inglés | ... | Inspector Oliveira | |
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Verónica Llimerá | ... | Nina |
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Simón Arriaga | ... | Morgue Keeper |
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Francisco Sanz | ... | Professor Candal |
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Juan Cortés | ... | Coroner |
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Andrés Isbert | ... | Train Engineer's Son |
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Antonio Orengo | ... | Train Engineer |
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José Camoiras | ||
María Silva | ... | Maria |
In the 13th century there existed a legion of evil knights known as the Templars, who quested for eternal life by drinking human blood and committing sacrifices. Executed for their unholy deeds, the Templars bodies were left out for the crows to peck out their eyes. Now, in modern day Portugal, a group of people stumble on the Templars abandoned monastery, reviving their rotting corpses to terrorize the land. Written by Jeremy Lunt <durlinlunt@acadia.net>
Yet another example of the perception of a film being superior to the reality of actually sitting and watching it. There is no argument from me that the Blind Dead (The Templar Knights) are fantastic creations and director/writer Amando de Ossorio is to be revered for their birth. The scenes of the Templars stalking their victims and chasing them on horseback are striking and haunting and now occupy a special place in the pantheon of fantastique cinema. Unfortunately, "Tombs of the Blind Dead" is also a slow, boring, illogical mess. The performances are terrible, the "suspense" scenes are hit-and-miss, and the day-for-night photography, though effective in parts, is not believable. The film's bloody climax is a good one and the final freeze frame has some power, but it's sad to see such a wonderful concept handicapped by mediocre scripting and appalling acting. Still, there are defining moments of horror within the frames of this Spanish potboiler.