While the Italians were going through their giallo cycle and America was getting ready to ramp up the slasher film, the Spanish had the blind dead. Tombs of the Blind Dead began a four-film cycle of films dealing with the terror of the Knights Templar. The films suffer from a low budget, which seems like the calling card for any horror film from this era. However, this film sports a lot of elements that help it rise above the typical, although it does not quite reach the status of classic.
As the film opens, we meet Betty and Virginia while they lounge at a public pool. The two are old friends, reunited after a long time apart. They have the standard conversation, commenting on the other's looks, asking if the other is married, how the job is going, you know, typical stuff. Of course, we do learn that Betty's business is right around the corner from the morgue. It certainly is an odd place for a detail like that, do you think it could be a little bit of foreshadowing?
Anyway, Virginia introduces Betty to her sort-of boyfriend Roger, and immediately sparks begin to fly as Roger and Betty waste no time getting down to the flirting, despite Virginia being right there. Must be something about Latin blood. Roger invites Betty along on a camping trip, and Virginia is not pleased, not pleased at all.
The trio get on a train to head off to a hotel (wait, I thought it was camping? ah, never mind the details). The flirting continues with Virginia getting even more perturbed. Betty tries to make nice, which leads to a flashback showing the two women as bi-curious lesbian lovers (gratuitous, but without nudity). I am not quite sure how that fits, unless Virginia is jealous of Roger?
Virginia, fed up with where this trip is heading, jumps off the train with camping gear in tow (that's why they need it! It all makes sense now) and heads off across the open field towards some ruins in the distance. Back on the train, Roger tries to get the train to stop, but the conductor knows better; this is not a good place to stop, and he keeps the party rolling.
Article comments
1 - Luigi Bastardo
One of the best pre-"Dawn Of The Dead" zombie films ever and right up there with "Let Sleeping Corpses Lie."
The Blue Underground DVD release is soooo much better than the old Anchor Bary one, just for the glimpse at the very rare (and outrageous) "Revenge Of The Planet Ape" title credits alone!
2 - Chris Beaumont
Let Sleeping Corpses Lie is another title I need to catch up with. That's a Jorge Grau film, right?
Was this the Planet of the Apes tie in? I thought that was tied to the second of this series, but memory could just be bad....