After watching the abysmal The Aztec Mummy and Curse of the Aztec Mummy, I almost swore off Mexican horror movies entirely, but I'm glad I didn't. El Vampiro isn't groundbreaking, being heavily influenced by Universal's classic vampire films, but its familiarity makes it a cosy watch, the film delivering a lot of the things I enjoy about old gothic vampire films: a neglected, cobweb-strewn house in the middle of nowhere, swirling mist, a dingy old crypt, rubber vampire bats on visible wires, and hidden passageways.
Ariadne Welter plays Marta Gonzalez, who travels back to her family's hacienda to find that her beloved aunt María (Alicia Montoya) has recently died and been interred in the family crypt; she also learns that her other aunt, Eloisa (Carmen Montejo) wishes to sell the property to neighbour Duval (Germán Robles). Little does she realise Eloisa is in league with Duval, a vampire who is hoping to resurrect his long dead brother whose body also lies in the crypt.
Director Fernando Méndez maintains a decent pace throughout, and delivers bags of gloomy atmosphere, while his unashamed use of numerous hokey vampire movie cliches ensures that El Vampiro is a fun film from start to finish. The cast are great, Robles suitably menacing as the evil count, Welter making for a decent damsel in distress, and Abel Salazar likeable as Dr. Enrique, whose house call turns into a fight against evil (the upside is that he gets the girl in the end).
Ariadne Welter plays Marta Gonzalez, who travels back to her family's hacienda to find that her beloved aunt María (Alicia Montoya) has recently died and been interred in the family crypt; she also learns that her other aunt, Eloisa (Carmen Montejo) wishes to sell the property to neighbour Duval (Germán Robles). Little does she realise Eloisa is in league with Duval, a vampire who is hoping to resurrect his long dead brother whose body also lies in the crypt.
Director Fernando Méndez maintains a decent pace throughout, and delivers bags of gloomy atmosphere, while his unashamed use of numerous hokey vampire movie cliches ensures that El Vampiro is a fun film from start to finish. The cast are great, Robles suitably menacing as the evil count, Welter making for a decent damsel in distress, and Abel Salazar likeable as Dr. Enrique, whose house call turns into a fight against evil (the upside is that he gets the girl in the end).