ferbs54
There is a world of difference in what Spanish filmmakers could get away with before the death of Generalissimo Francisco Franco in 1975, and what they could get away with after the subsequent introduction of the infamous "S" rating (denoting sex and violence) two years later. A pair of Spanish films that this viewer recently watched has served to demonstrate these differences very clearly. The 1977 film "Satan's Blood" is replete with nudity (both topless and full frontal), orgies, rape sequences, beheadings and other gory carnage (as I have written elsewhere, it is a truly wild and memorable film, and I do commend it to your attention). On the other hand, the 1971 Spanish offering "Graveyard of Horror" (which originally appeared under the title "Necrophagus" and has also been released with the appellation "The Butcher of Binbrook") is a much more conservative affair, with no nudity whatsoever (even in its several lovemaking scenes) and also nary a cc of blood on screen, despite the ghastly nature of the film's proceedings. It is a picture that depends more on mood and the power of suggestion to get the job done, and I suppose that there's nothing really wrong with that!This viewer had no problem with the film's first 1/3; its initial, comprehensible section. In it, we meet a young husband named Michael Sherrington (sympathetically played by Bill Curran), who returns to his ancestral castle by train (and that train is one of the film's few hints as to its modern-day setting; with some very minimal changes, "Graveyard of Horror" could just as easily have transpired in the 19th century) only to encounter the most dismal homecoming imaginable. His brother, the earl, has mysteriously disappeared, and Michael's young pregnant wife, Elizabeth, has died during childbirth. The earl's wife, the Lady Anne (sternly beautiful Catherine Ellison), is acting very strangely, Elizabeth's sisters and mother have become hostile, and the town's two doctors seem to be withholding information. What's left for any sane man to do but dig his wife's body up and search for clues? But when Michael does so, he finds his wife's coffin to be empty, whereupon he is knocked out by two figures in demon masks and attacked by some kind of hideous monster! All well and good. But then comes the next hour, in which Michael disappears, and which contains more head-scratching, bewildering and "WTF?!" moments than you might reasonably expect in any single film....I must confess that I did not have the slightest clue what the hell was going on during this picture's final 2/3, and was thus pretty surprised to find that everything made perfect sense (well, maybe not "perfect" sense) by its conclusion. A repeat viewing revealed that the film does indeed cohere very nicely, with all the many character motivations interacting clearly (and lemme tell you, those three sisters-in-law are one complicated bunch of senoritas!). This really is a film that benefits from another look! The picture has been directed by Miguel Madrid (on the Image DVD print that I just watched, he is listed as "Michael Skaife," for some strange reason) for maximum freakiness, and employs shifts in time, a sepia-tinted dream sequence/recap of events, flashbacks, echo FX, unusual camera angles and quick cutting, all serving to disorient the viewer. Incidental music by someone listed as A. Santisteban abets the freaky mood marvelously, and is largely comprised of outre jazz, mainly utilizing a morbid-sounding organ and flute. Adding to the overall strangeness is the fact that, despite the film's snow-enshrouded, wintry feel, some scenes seem to transpire at the height of springtime; the winter/spring dichotomy is at least as bizarre as any day/night/day shenanigans to be found in an old Ed Wood film. And then there's that monster, which, when we finally DO get a good glimpse of it, near the film's tail end, is as strange looking a construction as anything this side of "The Outer Limits"! The bottom line is that I doubt any viewer will be able to foresee what comes next, in this truly unusual horror outing. Despite the lack of overt violence and gore, it is a picture that does succeed in making a grisly impression.As for this DVD itself, it features a somewhat battered-looking but serviceable print, with nice color and very adequate dubbing. And be sure not to miss the trailers for the six Filipino flicks included as extras, especially those for Eddie Romero's famed "Blood Island" trilogy. Now THERE'S a bunch of movies that never skimped on the breasts and the blood!
Steve Miller
What if someone made a horror movie that was completely devoid of plot?Well, I think it would probably end up a little bit like this one. I don't think I've ever seen a move was so steady it its slide from hackneyed (at the beginning) to complete crap (by the end). I only stuck with it, because I kept thinking it couldn't possibly get worse. Well, up until the very end, "Necrophagus"/"Graveyard of Horror" proved me wrong.Who would have suspected that a movie with an undead lizard-man, evil grave-robbing cultists, and mad scientists tossed in for no discernible reason could suck this bad? One would think there'd at least be some humor value... but not here.
gibsoncraig
This Spanish-made horror flick suffers from many of the common short-comings of this type of genre; a disconjuncted plot, many awkward cuts and innane dialogues, actresses chosen for their looks more then acting ability, as well as a poor English over-dub of the Spanish screen play. The opening scene grabs your attention, but soon on "Graveyard of Horror" keeps you wondering not only what will happen next, but why what you just saw actually took place. That aside, the film does have some qualities which still can provide an attraction to the most-avid horror fan. The graveyard/castle settings provide a few atmospheric, though not chilling scenes. Best of all is the periodic use in the score of an uniquely errie whistled tune very similar to the melody of "Morning has Broken" which offers a seeming tranquil juxtaposition to the gory nature of this topsy-turvy grave robbing tale.
gimpwilkinson
Firstly a warning: this film is a very aquired taste. If you like 'hip' new American Slasher films such as Wes Craven's "Scream", then this film is probably not for you (your head may explode!) But, if you are a devout fan early-70's Spanish horror films like me, this is very highly recommended. You may feel somewhat dis-orientated - but that is the film's intention, it does not want to you to have a clear idea of exavtly what is going on for the first 50 minutes! The director plays with the viewer by fragmenting the narrative in a jarring way backwards and forwards so the chronology can only be worked out at the end. The wintery locations and gothic imagery give the whole film a sense of unease and melancholy. There would be no point in me trying to explain the plot of this movie as it would ruin the dis-orientating experience. The title has become very mis-leading since Jorg Buttgereit unleashed "Nekromantik" upon the world: there is NO gore, NO nudity, NO graphic depictions of necrophilia. But it certainly IS as disturbing as Buttgereit's film because of all the dark undercurrents in the film's depictions of rural family life and the decay of heritage. However, it is advised that the movie be watched in the language it is shot in, Spanish, as the English dubbing in the American and Scandinavian video releases is truly appalling. Unfortuantely, the Spanish video release (Norma Video) is very very rare.
