El espanto surge de la tumba (1973)

User Rating:

4.8/10   

Director:

Carlos Aured

Writer:

Paul Naschy (story)

Release Date:

February 1975 (USA)

Genre:

Horror

Plot:

In Medieval France a warlock is be-headed and his wife tortured and executed. Hundreds of years later...

Plot Keywords:

Warlock | Axe In Chest | Psychic | Revenge | Possession

Cast

Paul Naschy	...	Alaric de Marnac / Hugo de Marnac / Armand de Marnac
Emma Cohen	...	Elvira
Víctor Alcázar	...	Maurice Roland / Andre Roland (as Vic Winner)
Helga Liné	...	Mabille De Lancré
Betsabé Ruiz	...	Sylvia
Luis Ciges	...	Alain "Le Raté", a thief
Julio Peña	...	Jean
María José Cantudo	...	Chantal
Juan Cazalilla	...	Gastone
Francisco Llinás
Ramón Centenero	...	André Govar
Montserrat Julió	...	Dale
Francisco Nieto
Elsa Zabala	...	Madame Irina
Esther Santana	...	Victim in bed

Also Known As:

Horror Rises from the Tomb (USA)
Horror from the Tomb (USA)
Mark of the Devil 4 (USA) (video title)

Runtime:

Spain:95 min | USA:88 min

Country:

Spain

Language:

Spanish

Color:

Color (Eastmancolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

West Germany:18 (cut video version) | Germany:Not Rated | Spain:18 | USA:R | Germany:BPjM Restricted

Filming Locations:

Lozoya, Madrid, Spain

Company:

Profilmes

Movie Connections:

Followed by Latidos de pánico (1983)

Horror Rises From The Tomb (1972) **1/2

Paul Naschy exchanges his Waldemar Daninsky werewolf persona for that of medieval occultist Alaric De Marnac (which he would play again, years later, in PANIC BEATS [1983]) and that of his modern-day descendant Hugo, resulting in one of his most eclectic scripts taking in witchcraft, spiritualism, a powerful amulet, a scythe-wielding killer and a horde of zombies, among others - all of which are rather jumbled together without much consideration for logic, but it does make for a colorful and thrill-packed show. However, as is often the case with this type of film, the languid pace coupled with variable acting and the awkward dubbing also entails that HORROR RISES FROM THE TOMB comes off as an uneven - but, ultimately, not disagreeable - viewing experience.

The film positively drips with atmosphere right from the opening sequence - set in 15th century France and showing Alaric's execution along with his mistress/associate, played by Helga Line - down to the couple's modern-day come-uppance during the busy climax which takes place in de Marnac's remote estate. Other notable moments include: the seance during which Alaric is invoked by Hugo; the individual scenes in which the evil duo are revived, made possible by discreet use of (rather unsophisticated) special effects but which still manage to get the job done nicely; their stylized seduction of one of the girls who tags along with the latest member of the de Marnac family (who ostensibly travels to the castle in order to prove that his ancestor's evil influence is no more); and, of course, the various gory murders and zombie attacks which pepper the film's running time.

Featured in the cast, a staple of "Euro-Cult" cinema, is a bevy of beautiful ladies who are often seen lounging in various states of undress: Helga Line makes quite an impression as the villainous Mabille, but my favorite remains Emma Cohen (later star of one of Jess Franco's best films, the psychological thriller THE OTHER SIDE OF THE MIRROR [1973]) who exhibits sweetness and vulnerability in equal measures throughout - while also serving as Hugo's requisite love interest - and, by the film's end, is actually the sole survivor (albeit emotionally scarred, as can be witnessed from the final shot) of the mayhem.

This and THE CRAVING (1980; see below) have certainly made me game to check out some more Paul Naschy flicks. What would you experts recommend that I try next?