EL VAMPIRO: TWO BLOODSUCKING TALES FROM MEXICO - LE [US]

Release date: 29 October 2024
Limited Edition Blu-ray (World Blu-ray premieres)

THE VAMPIRE (El vampiro, Fernando Méndez, 1957)
THE VAMPIRE’S COFFIN (El ataúd del vampiro, Fernando Méndez, 1958)

El Vampiro: Two Bloodsucking Tales from Mexico brings together a pair of atmospheric and terrifying classics of Mexican Gothic, directed by Fernando Méndez (Black Pit of Dr. M), and starring Ariadne Welter (The Panther Women), Abel Salazar (The Curse of the Crying Woman), and, in a star-making turn, Germán Robles (The Brainiac).

In The Vampire (El vampiro), the beautiful, bereaved Marta (Welter) travels with Enrique (Salazar) to visit her sick aunt in her ancestral home. There, the mysterious neighbour Duval (Robles) offers to buy the family’s decrepit hacienda. However, Duval is really Count Karol de Lavud, a vampire whose aim is to drain Marta of her blood and revive his entombed brother.

In the sequel, The Vampire’s Coffin (El ataúd del vampiro), grave robbers bring Lavud’s corpse to Enrique’s city hospital, where Marta now works as a nurse. Duly re-animated, Lavud sets about his bloody plan to make Marta his bride.

Pre-dating Hammer Films’ Dracula by a year, The Vampire’s uniquely Mexican take on vampire mythology was the first film to give its antagonist elongated fangs, and its success kick-started Mexico’s horror boom. Restored from the original negatives, these films finally receive their world Blu-ray premieres in this individually numbered Limited Edition two-disc set, complete with new and archival extra features, and a fully illustrated 80-page book.

INDICATOR LIMITED EDITION 2 x BLU-RAY BOX SET SPECIAL FEATURES

THE VAMPIRE (EL VAMPIRO)

• 4K restoration from the original 35mm camera negative by Labo
  
• Original Spanish mono audio
  
• Alternative English mono audio
  
• Audio commentary with lead actor Germán Robles (2007)
  
• The Mark of Abel (2024, 22 mins): sisters Claudia Salazar Arenas and Rosa Salazar Arenas share personal stories about their father, the legendary actor, producer and director Abel Salazar
  
• Who’s Afraid of Carmen Montejo? (2024, 31 mins): film programmer, curator and Mexican horror cinema expert Abraham Castillo Flores examines the life and career of Cuban-born radio, stage and screen actor Carmen Montejo
  
• Original Mexican theatrical trailer
  
• Image gallery: promotional and publicity materials
  
• New and improved English translation subtitles for the Spanish soundtrack
  
• New English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing
  
• World premiere on Blu-ray

THE VAMPIRE’S COFFIN (EL ATAÚD DEL VAMPIRO)

• High Definition remaster from 2K scans by Alameda Films
  
• Original Spanish mono audio
  
• Alternative English mono audio
  
• Memories of a Storyteller (2024, 22 mins): novelist Juan Ramón Obón shares stories about the life and career of his esteemed father, the prolific screenwriter Ramón Obón
  
• The Great Mexican Vampire (2024, 20 mins): horror specialist Roberto Coria discusses Germán Robles and the representation of the vampire myth in Mexican cinema
  
• From the Drawing Board (2024, 15 mins): film historian and curator Elisa Lozano examines the work and impact of revered artist and production designer Gunther Gerzso
  
• Original Mexican theatrical trailer
  
• Image galleries: French photonovel, originally published at the time of the film’s release, and promotional and publicity material
  
• New and improved English translation subtitles for the Spanish soundtrack
  
• New English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing
  
• World premiere on Blu-ray
• Limited edition exclusive 80-page book with a new essay by Jesús Palacios, archival essays by Eduardo de la Vega Alfaro and Carmen A Serrano, archival interviews with Carmen Montejo and Ariadne Welter, David Wilt on cinematographers Rosalío Solano and Víctor Herrera, an overview of contemporary critical responses, and film credits
  
• Limited edition set of 8,000 individually numbered units for the UK and US

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