Misterios de ultratumba (1959)

User Rating:

6.9/10   

Director:

Fernando Méndez

Writer:

Ramón Obón (writer)

Release Date:

1959 (USA)

Genre:

Fantasy | Horror | Mystery

Tagline:

Plunges you into a new concept of terror ... and sudden shocks!!

Plot Keywords:

Asylum | Disfigured Face | Acid | Medium | Death

Cast

Gastón Santos	...	Dr. Eduardo Jimenez
Rafael Bertrand	...	Dr. Mazali
Mapita Cortés	...	Patricia Aldama
Carlos Ancira	...	Elmer, the orderly
Carolina Barret	...	La Gitana
Luis Aragón	...	Dr. Gonzalez
Beatriz Aguirre	...	Rosario
Antonio Raxel	...	Dr. Jacinto Aldama

Also Known As:

Mysteries from Beyond the Grave (USA) (informal literal English title)
Mysteries from Beyond the Tomb (informal alternative title)
Mysteries of the Afterlife (informal alternative title)
The Black Pit of Dr. M (USA) (dubbed version)

Runtime:

Mexico:82 min | USA:71 min

Country:

Mexico

Language:

Spanish

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Filming Locations:

Mexico

Company:

Alameda Films

Trivia:

The English dubbed version of this film is believed lost. Please check your attic.

Movie Connections:

Featured in "Creature Features: The Lodger/The Black Pit of Dr. M (#1.31)" (1971)

Traditional Gothic horror from Mexico.

I couldn't think of a place more far-removed from the dreary streets, Gothic cathedrals, stone gargoyles and misty back-alleys that have come to be associated the Gothic horror sub-genre, than Mexico. Yet here we have a pure Gothic story told in the most traditional of ways. Fernando Mendez throws everything and the kitchen sink in the mix, from disfigured monsters and a madhouse to spectral ghosts and atheistic scientists and I'm happy to report that it works far better than one would expect from a Mexican b-movie without it becoming picturesque or unintentionally comedic. The only fault that I find with Misterios de Ultratumba (other than failing to deliver promised black pits) is that it doesn't try to push the envelope. It's content to be a very traditional Gothic horror picture with a simplistic story. If it weren't for some impressive stylistic flourishes (like the gallows scene for instance) and the creepy atmosphere, one could be forgiven for totally dismissing it as a "seen-better" case. As it is, fans of 30's Universal horror and Hammer from around the same time will probably like it.