The acting is not all that great, neither is the script. They do a decent enough job of getting us through the story, but they never make me care all that much about them. In the end, that is all right, so long as other elements step up to the plate.
Directed by Amando de Ossorio, the film has a great visual style. Inventive camera work and very nicely staged set pieces help give the film a realism and tension that the actors and screenplay just cannot deliver. Whenever the Knights show up the terror is palpable. He really knows how to put fear into the viewer. It doesn't hurt that the look of the Knights, while simple, really works well.
Audio/Video. This movie is one half of a double-feature release from Anchor Bay that is long out of print. The video, while non-anamorphic is in the proper aspect ratio of 1.66:1. It is not a bright transfer, but it is very clean and has a good level of detail. The audio, on the other hand, is decidedly mediocre. It is the original Spanish track with English subtitles. It is clear, but the volume is awfully low.
Extras. Nothing, unless you count chapter breaks and the fact the film starts right up when you put the disk in.
Bottomline. The ruins, the costumes, the wonderful cinematography, and the great sense of dread leading up to the fantastic ending make this movie very worthwhile. No, it is not a classic, and there are definitely some problems. However, it is a movie worth checking out, especially for fans of or those curious about films of this era.
Recommended.
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....