Mondo Macabro strikes again with a double dose of classic Mexican horror. They follow up their exceptional release of Alucarda on DVD with the incredibly atmospheric El Vampiro (The Vampire). Fans of classic Mexican horror rejoice (if you have PAL playing capabilities that is) otherwise you'll just be left in the dust. I'm fairly certain you'll want to sink your teeth right into this one.

Story wise I really don't want to give too much away. If you've never experienced El Vampiro (shame on you), it's best to go in fresh. You know the story involves vampires and you know it's a B&W film right? Well, that's all that you really need to know. For those who want a bit more, here ya go. Marta is a young woman who is heading home to the villa that she grew up in. She's accompanied by Dr. Enrique, a young man she met while stranded at the train station. The two hitch a ride (horse drawn carriage) part of the way, and then walk the rest. Once they arrive at the house Marta is saddened to see that the home she grew up in is decrepit and in shambles. Turns out that Marta's Aunt had just passed away, and a mysterious count (Germán Robles) has been making periodic appearances at the old hacienda (when he's not trying to revive his brother, he's trying to purchase the hacienda). It seems as if the count has already gotten to Marta'soddly youthful, surviving aunt, and Marta's uncle wants to get to the bottom of all of the eeriness that seems to be constantly surrounding them... before it's too late.

Upon viewing El Vampiro, one thing is certainly evident from the get go. El Vampiro is one of the greatest vampire films ever made, and that's the truth. Everything about this production screams class and when I watch this film, I'm reminded of what's so fucking great about watching horror films to begin with. A film like El Vampiro is the reason that I rabidly watch horror films to this day and why I fell in love with the genre at such an early age. Every aspect of this film comes together to form a final product which is undeniably chilling and at times, quite horrific. Full of some of the greatest gothic sets, an incredible score, and knockout performances, what's not to like? This is even a DVD you can pop in and enjoy with the kids, and I can almost guarantee you that it will give them nightmares. The same nightmares that fans of the genre cherish having as a child, while wishing they still could experience the innocence, as they grow older. Mixing elements of atmosphere, light comedy and genuine chills, El Vampiro is an entertaining picture of class all the way through.

Speaking of performances, it's worth mentioning Germán Robles once again who plays the suave and skulking Count Karol de Lavud. He can certainly hold is own against the actor greats of the vampire sub genre quite well. All of the performances in El Vampiro are dead on (I did it again, sorry) but Robles shines as the deceptive count. Abel Salazar (a true vet of Mexican horror) is also fabulous as Dr. Enrique injecting periodic moments of comedic wit while he manages to remain subtly apprehensive to his surroundings. The more I think about it, I want to discuss all of the performances, so I'll just stop here. They're all incredibly fabulous, It's hard to find one thing wrong with this film no matter how hard I try. I'm not going to give anything away, but it's also worth mentioning how wonderfully the ending is handled. There is a great moment towards the final frame of inspired brilliance that brought a huge smile to my face.

Mondo Macabro has done the fans right once again. They continue their trend of excellence with another quality release. El Vampiro looks quite stunning all things considered. There are minimal amounts of print damage including some specs, film dirt and a few light scratches. Most of the anomalies are present during reel changes and at the start and finish of the film. The B&W photography looks simply stunning with nice deep, rich blacks, which amounts to a truly sharp presentation. The full frame presentation is a revelation, and I can honestly say that El Vampiro has never looked this good (and will probably never look any better).

The DVD packaging states a Stereo mix is present, but it sounded like straight mono to me. No worries though as the audio track still sounds just fine. There is some slight background noise, which is really not a problem at all, it's very subtle and not a constant. Dialogue and music sound exceptional all things considered. I was quite pleased. Luckily, The fine folks at Mondo Macabro have been nice enough to include audio tracks in both English dubbed and the films original Spanish. There are also nice readable removable English subs included. Naturally I watched the film in Spanish with the English subs. I sampled the English dub track which sounds fine (however the dub job is atrocious). Nonetheless both tracks are quite serviceable so you have your pick.

Extras include the same documentary found on the excellent Mondo Macabro release of Alucarda on DVD, which is just as entertaining the second time around. Also included with this release is an onscreen photonovel version of the films sequel. It's quite interesting and a pretty neat extra to have included.

I cannot recommend this DVD enough. Mondo Macabro has done an incredible job of bringing this fine cinematic experience to DVD. Fans of Mexican horror will no doubt want to snatch this disc up poste haste. If you're a fan of Hammer Films and the version of Dracula that Lugosi made so famous, you'll be surprised to discover that there is a whole 'nother world out there for you to explore. If you have PAL playing capabilities, do yourself a favor and head on over to Mondo Macabro's official site by clicking here and pick up this incredible disc.