Amando De Ossorio, a Spanish director who had previously directed a rather lame and tame horror film entitled Fangs of the Living Dead [1969] returned with a film heavily influenced by George A. Romero’s Night of the Living Dead [1968] and used some historical aspects to create a zombie group to terrorize all who cross their tombs. Hence, he made the Knights Templar (a change from the original script which gave an odd description of Warriors of the Orient) his trademark and went on to build a franchise of Blind Dead films and gained international fame from many loyal legions of horror fans.

Amando de Ossorio

One needs to note there are a few different cut/ edited versions of the film, primarily attributed to American versus European. For example, the English variation, which is known as The Blind Dead, but it moved the flashback sequence of the Knights torturing the female victim to the beginning of the movie. In addition, there is the removal of the sexual violence and gore, including a lesbian relationship and woman murdered in front of her child; a narration was included to explain the concept of film of some of the prints. Although the strangest aspect, was a version that played at a few drive-ins before it vanished altogether which was known as Revenge from Planet Ape, which was clearly done to cash in of the fame of Planet of the Apes, nevertheless, the film contains no ape references.

Carmen Yazalde

First, note that two distinct versions of the film exist, one with an inquisition starting at the begins and the other omits it but that one is 18-minutes longer. Therefore, I am, going to start with the sacrifice scene and then switch over to the full movie, thereby giving the best of both. The opening scene has a sacrificial maiden (Carmen Yazalde (The Demons [1973])) strapped to a St. Andrews Cross, being tortured via whipping from swords, the Templars. The story opens at a resort where Betty (Lone Fleming (Demon Witch Child [1975])) who runs a mannequin factory and Virginia (Maria Elena Arpon (The House That Screamed [1969])) meet at a swimming, both are old friends, Virginia is spending the time with her dear friend Roger (Cesar Burner), who invites Betty to spend time with them in the country. While they all agree with a bit of tension between the ladies, during the train ride and Betty engaging in some teasing flirts. All of it is dismay to Virgina, the viewers witness a flashback of a lesbian encounter the friends in college who strangely jumps off the train in the middle of nowhere and walks away from everyone. She stumbles upon a crumbling medieval ruin, of Berzano band unbeknownst an ancient nightmare; by that night, the cult of Satanic Knights arises as dead demonic mummified corpses. They were cursed to the very soil below Virginia’s feet for the crimes of countless victims of the raped, tortured, and robbed, no longer in their white capes, and red crosses, now as filthy hooded cloaks and while not zombies they collectively shuffle along as a horde. This group are still intelligent and warm but emitting sounds, including that of a pounding heartbeat as their eyes pecked out by birds while the bodies hanged in the gallows (curiously taking a page of history of Vlad the Impaler did to his victims). By the next day one discovers her remains, but Betty and Roger want to discover what happened to her. Meanwhile smartly done as not to have everything focused on the ruins, in the morgue, which is next to Betty’s factory, Virginia’s corpse resurrects itself eliminating the Morgue Keeper (actual credit name, instead of assistant) (Simón Arriaga (Devil’s Possessed [1974])) but a fire ends her killing spree. Late in the second act Betty and Roger are informed by Professor Pedro Candal (Francisco Sanz (Let Sleeping Corpses Lie [1974])) to contact is smuggling criminal son Pedro (Joseph Thelman (The Loreley’s Grasp [1973])) who police suspect is the murderer but have no proof. But convince him and his love interest Nina (Verónica Llimerá (Hatchet for the Honeymoon [1970])) to accompany him back to the ruins. Once again at night the Knights rise and slaughter many of the foursome, by early morning Betty manages to flee however the undead gallop in slow motion and eerily in the scene on their undead horses (don’t ask) pursue her past the city ruins. She manages to flag a passenger train and hides under the coal and the Knights begin a massacre.

César Burner and Lone Fleming

María Elena Arpón

The film generates a creepy atmospheric score, which enhances the derelict ruins of Santa María la Real de Valdeiglesias monastery in Pelayos de la Presa, the ancient feeling exudes volumes translated on screen and aids the Knights’ sinister presentations. The scenes that show the templars galloping on horseback in slow motion were an interesting hint to the creation of tension to prolong the terror which worked periodically. However, the biggest objection to the descriptions, about the “evil ones,” being labeled as zombies, was from Ossorio himself, who often stated that they were vampiric mummies that fed on blood more than flesh.

Santa María la Real de Valdeiglesias monastery in Pelayos de la Presa

First, let’s acknowledge that the movie is not perfect, by any means, but contains a thick layer of gothic beauty to it which echoes qualities from Hammer classic movies, namely with nods to gore and sexual essence but not to the level of Jess Franco’s sadistic intent, in his very loose remake Mansion of the Dead [1985]; that explicitness would follow later in the sequels. The influence continues with a poor received Italian made Curse of the Blind Dead [2020] and crossover to the music genre of brutal death metal from Human Prey’s heavily influenced Tombs of the Blind Dead released on October 13, 2023. Therefore, the movie is an acquired taste, especially something that bridges the gap for those who enjoy the 70s and 80s horror classics.

TAGLINES:

• Who are these unholy savages who hunt out their victims by sound alone?
• See apes rise from their graves to destroy man in a battle that survives death!
• Makes “Night of the Living Dead” Look Like a Kids Pajama Party!
• SCREAM So They Can Find You!!!

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0067500/

IMDb Rating: 6.1/10

Baron’s Rating: 6.0/10

Followed BY:

Return of the Evil Dead [1973]

The Ghost Galleon [1974]

Night of the Seagulls [1975]