El pantano de los cuervos (1974)

User Rating:

4.5/10   

Director:

Manuel Caño

Writer:

Santiago Moncada (writer)

Genre:

Horror

Plot Keywords:

Back From The Dead | Medical Footage | Human Experiment | Autopsy | Autopsy Footage

Cast

Gaspar Bacigallipi		(as Gaspar Galupi)
Marcia Bichette	...	Simone
César Carmigniani		(as Cesar Carmichael)
Melba Centeno		(as Melba Senta)
Bill Harrison
Mónica Jurado
Antonia Mas		(as Toni Mas)
Marcos Molina		(as Mark Mollin)
Marcos Navas 'Cartucho'		(as Marcos Nova)
Ramiro Oliveros	...	Dr. Frosta (as Raymond Oliver)
Fernando Sancho
Domingo Valdivieso		(as Domingo Valdi)
Fabiola Vallejo		(as Fay Valls)

Directed by
Manuel Caño		(as Michael Cannon)

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Santiago Moncada		writer

Produced by
Fernando M. Fernández Arbizu	....	executive producer (as Fernando M. Fernandez)
Javier Molina	....	executive producer

Original Music by
Joaquín Torres

Cinematography by
Manuel Merino

Film Editing by
Soledad López

Production Management
José Pedro Villanueva	....	production manager (as Peter Villanueva)

Production Companies

• All American Films
• Mundial Films

Distributors

• Cinefear (????) (USA) (VHS)
• McLeod Films Inc. (USA) (dubbed)
• Something Weird Video (SWV) (2002) (USA) (DVD-R)
• Something Weird Video (SWV) (2002) (USA) (VHS)
• Something Weird Video (SWV) (2003) (USA) (DVD) (special edition)

Also Known As:

The Swamp of the Ravens (USA)

Runtime:

83 min

Country:

Spain | Ecuador

Language:

Spanish

Color:

Color (Eastmancolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

USA:R

Filming Locations:

Ecuador

Company:

All American Films

Swamp of the....WHAT kind of birds?

Swamp of the Ravens is a rather strange film that appears to have been made in Ecuador, although in the opening credits it references Madrid, so maybe it's a Spanish film made in Ecuador.

The question as to what kind of birds we have here is that there don't seem to BE any ravens, the featured birds are buzzards or vultures.

The story is that of a research doctor who has some kind of amazingly innovative technique to do something that leaves the viewer without any understanding of what he's doing, but whatever it is, he sure makes a lot of mistakes. Good thing there's a swamp nearby in which to deposit those mistakes.

When his girlfriend leaves him, he kidnaps her at the airport and brings her back to his research shack, on the edge of the swamp, and while she's apparently not technically alive anymore, she's all his.

The doctor also tries to experiment on a man who has leprosy, a street beggar who plays some kind of native pipes, and the unfortunate man has brought along a friend who keeps popping up to tell the doctor he needs money to not notify the authorities. With the ease that all the good doctor's failed experiments end up in the swamp, one has to wonder why this guy wasn't there with them all post-haste.

For all its faults though, the film at least manages a creepy atmosphere, and there are failed experiments rearing their ugly heads in the swamp all the time, but unfortunately never getting out to kick some butt.

A weird little time-passer, worth seeing if you like odd 70's horror films. 6 out of 10.