Seeking comfort is part of human nature. Whether that comfort is found in the form of a snuggly blanket, a home cooked meal of meat loaf and mashed potatoes or even from the most unlikeliest of places; a Mexican horror film from the 1960's.

Casa Negra are new kids on the block and they have on slate for us a wealth of classic Mexican horror films for DVD release. Many, the likes of which we've never seen in the US. Some of us may have fond memories of these films from our childhood, or perhaps we're discovering these gems for the first time. Open your minds and your DVD players to these wonderful examples of almost forgotten horror classics. First up is the 1961 film The Curse of the Crying Woman which joins Casa Negra's The Witch's Mirror (review here) as one of the company's first two DVD releases under the new label. We can only hope that there are many, many more like these to come.

Based on the legend of 'La Llorona,' a deceased woman known only by the sound of her eternal weeping, The Curse of the Crying Woman centers (very basically) around a devious plot to bring La Llorona back to her former glory. Summoned by her aunt Selma (Rita Macedo), Amelia (Rosita Arenas) travels with her husband Jaime (veteran actor Abel Salazar) to the hacienda in which she grew up. Distressed by her trip and the sounds of wailing that pierce the cold walls of the castle it isn't long before Amelia's suspicions lead her to the true reason for her visit. It's up to Amelia to bring La Llorona (who lies rotting in the bowels of the castle's basement) back from the dead.

So where does the comfort with a film like this come from? It comes from everything! The classy B&W photography, the bats on strings, the dilapidated castle, the classy heroes and heroines, the creepy villains and even the disfigured monster that curiously comes into existence during the tail end of the film. Visually, these Mexican horror films are everything that classic horror should be and The Curse of The Crying Woman is certainly no exception. Despite its obvious weaknesses, The Curse of The Crying Woman is a childhood nightmare come to life. A distorted and horrific fairy tale, and when I watch it it feels like I'm being given a great big horror hug. Strange. No?

Simple but effective, The Curse of The Crying Woman is by no means an example of storytelling at its finest. However, it's a visual feast and everything that makes classic horror so great. It's not only a horror film that could be enjoyed by both children and adults, it's really a horror film that should be enjoyed by both children and adults and in turn it reminds us of just how classy horror once was.

Those of us used to public domain prints and releases of The Curse of the Crying Woman are in for a real treat. Casa Negra's restoration of this title is of Criterion proportions. The full frame transfer is clean as a whistle bringing out the true depth and clarity of this black and white film. Print damage is minimal, barely visible at all, just a few isolated moments and barely noticeable. Audio, which is offered in the 'classic' English mono dub or original Spanish language with optional English subs fits the bill quite nicely. Slight more clarity with the Spanish language track, which really should be the option of choice. Although I suspect that the dub track will make for a nice trip down memory lane on occasion as well.

Extras include a feature length commentary with Michael Liuzza of Casa Negra, and he offers some great insight into the film and Mexican horror in general. The track is a bit spotty with some stretches of downtime, but still makes for a great listen. Other extras include a text essay on director Rafael Baledon by David Wilt, cast bios and a still gallery. The package also comes with a Loteria game card and a booklet featuring a piece on the La Llorna legend (along with many cool photos) by Peter Landau.

Equally impressive is the entire package's accessibility to Spanish speaking audiences. The DVD cover art is reversible for a completely Spanish language front and back and the discs menu is available in English and Spanish as well. In addition to the audio options for the feature itself, the feature length commentary is available with optional Spanish subs and the enclosed booklet/essay is also reversible for Spanish speaking audiences. An all around impressive and highly recommended release that no self respecting fan of horror should be without..