Mexico Macabre - Four Sinister Tales from the Alameda Films Vault (1959-1963) May 29

[Orlac]

Originally Posted by ravenus

My box was a pre-order, but I had it shipped to a friend abroad and had to wait till he came down to India last week. I opened the box, and slipped in Black Pit...

It is the only film in this set I have previously seen. The original Spanish title of Black Pit is Misterios de Ultratumba, which I believe literally translates as Mysteries from Beyond the Grave. The story takes a cue from EA Poe's stories. When the film begins, a Dr. Aldama in his dying breaths is exhorted by his colleague Dr. Mazali to honor their bargain - Whoever dies first should arrange for the other to cross through the veil of death and return alive. The mechanics of how this is to be achieved is never discussed.

Anyhow, after Aldama passes on, a seance is held in which his spirit passes on the message that at a specified hour, Mazali will get his wish, but it also involves paying a horrible price. Like any passionate scientist in a horror film, Mazali doesn't given a f*** about consequences. In the meanwhile he runs a sanatorium for the insane, and a particularly violent woman is calmed through the use of a music box...until the lid accidentally shuts, after which it's every man for himself - an accident leads to one of his attendants being disfigured with acid. Mazali is also visited by a girl that turns out to be Aldama's daughter and she brings him a literal key to unlock the door to his prophesied fate. The circumstances of the horrible price Mazali must pay to learn the secrets of death aren't particularly shocking, since after a point you can see where the narrative is heading, but I won't spoil them here.

What we have in Black Pit is a nicely done Gothic melodrama, a touch overwrought, but that can also be charming. Rafael Bertrand as Dr. Mazali gives a nicely balanced portrayal of the medical man, who is brilliant and cares for his patients, but is also obsessed with penetrating the veil of mortality. Victor Herrera's cinematography is a highlight of the feature, delivering some wonderful chiaroscuro scenes.

The presentation on the Indicator disc is mostly quite good. Grain is not as fine as on an OCN scan, and there are occasional instances of instability/artifacts in the image. Still, it is mostly pleasing, and the contrast is spot-on allowing us to enjoy the carefully composed mosaic of light and shadow. Sound is limited by the original capture technology, and I had to raise my AVR volume a couple notches above normal. Extras, which I haven't yet checked, include a feature commentary and a couple of featurettes on the studio and the director.

Looks like Lon Chaney on the poster