Casa Negra, the DVD releasing company with the foresight to release a whole host of Mexican horror films including this one, really have been a god send for fans of cult horror movies. The more Mexican horror I see, the more impressed I become - and The Black pit of Dr M is yet another major Mexican highlight. The film takes obvious influence from the classic American Universal horror of the 1930's, but it takes this influence and crafts a sprawling and mostly original tale of terror from it. The Mexicans, judging by these recent releases, seem to love supernatural horror, and that makes up a big part of the backbone of this film. We focus on two doctors - Dr. Aldama and Dr. Mazali. They have made a 'death pact', in which the first to die will come back and tell the other the secret of life after death. Dr. Mazali is the one fortune enough to stay alive, and after a posthumous visit from Dr Aldama, he finds out that the secret will be revealed to him on the fifteenth of November...but is the price of cheating death too high for the curious Dr Mazali?
The best thing about this film is undoubtedly the thick and foreboding atmosphere which permeates every scene. The atmosphere is backed up by an over the top but effective score, which grabs your attention every time it features; although it has to be said that using it a little less wouldn't have harmed the film too much. Like the later film, The Witch's Mirror, this one attempts to build in a handful of sub-plots, but this time they don't intrude on the central plot, and director Fernando Méndez manages to pull all the elements of the story together for a chilling and effective climax. The film features a number of memorable sequences - the standout for me was the sequence with the gallows pole, and the one that follows immediately after. Director Fernando Méndez keeps the film intriguing throughout, and The Black Pit of Dr M never becomes boring. The opening and ending sequences add an extra little bit of interest to an already fascinating slice of world cinema, and overall; I have to say that The Black Pit of Dr M is one of the finest Mexican horror films I've seen, and comes highly recommended!
The best thing about this film is undoubtedly the thick and foreboding atmosphere which permeates every scene. The atmosphere is backed up by an over the top but effective score, which grabs your attention every time it features; although it has to be said that using it a little less wouldn't have harmed the film too much. Like the later film, The Witch's Mirror, this one attempts to build in a handful of sub-plots, but this time they don't intrude on the central plot, and director Fernando Méndez manages to pull all the elements of the story together for a chilling and effective climax. The film features a number of memorable sequences - the standout for me was the sequence with the gallows pole, and the one that follows immediately after. Director Fernando Méndez keeps the film intriguing throughout, and The Black Pit of Dr M never becomes boring. The opening and ending sequences add an extra little bit of interest to an already fascinating slice of world cinema, and overall; I have to say that The Black Pit of Dr M is one of the finest Mexican horror films I've seen, and comes highly recommended!