U.S. DVD Release
People, there has never been a better time to be a horror fan than right now. The DVD format has opened up so many doors to overseas (and domestic) DVD imprints, filmmakers and fans. No longer confined to constant slasher clones and cheapjack camcorder stoner horror, we’re now able to watch just about anything we like…within reason. I’m sure those of you that used to purchase rare and obscure VHS tapes from the back of Fango (like me) will agree that we’ve still got a long way to go but we’re getting there.
One company in particular that’s helping to open those doors just a bit wider is CasaNegra Entertainment, a subsidiary of Panik House Entertainment. The truly dedicated geeks over at CasaNegra have set about the extremely daunting task of locating and releasing the best damn horror films from Mexico they can get their hands on and they’re doing a tremendous job of it. You may not like Mexican horror, hell you may never have seen Mexican horror, but trust me…it’s quite fun and always atmospheric.
One of CasaNegra’s newest releases, The Living Coffin (El Grito de la Muerte), is quite the bizarro Mexican horror/comedy/western hybrid taking cue from the lighthearted American westerns of the 40’s and 50’s and mixing it up with the popular (yet tragic) Mexican folklore figure, La Llorona. One may even spot elements of Edgar Allan Poe’s “The Premature Burial” and Abbott & Costello here as well! I’m sure some of you are shaking your heads right now, and you’d be right to be hesitant, but The Living Coffin (El Grito de la Muerte) is a wonderfully entertaining little film for fans of vintage B-horror as well as B-westerns!
After a long journey, cowboy lawman Gastón and his comedic sidekick Crazy Coyote arrive at the Hacienda de la Ciénega in order to question María Elena García about the origins of a curious hand-carved stone statuette give to him by María Elena’s friends in the city. She tells him that the statuette was carved by her late Aunt Clotilde and is one of a pair created to represent her dead children. Gastón and Crazy Coyote saddle up and head to town in order to speak with the doctor about his statuette.
On their way into town, the two cowboys hear a gunshot and discover Hacienda worker Lencho shot in the back and in serious need of medical attention. Luckily for him they’re already on their way to see the doctor so they toss the man over his saddle and ride as quickly as possible. Lencho relays a message to the doctor asking him to hurry to the Hacienda as the Hacienda mistress, Doña María, is deathly ill. The doctor and Gastón agree to keep the incident with Lencho and the fact that Gastón is a lawman a secret in order to give Gaston a chance to do some investigating.
When they all arrive at the Hacienda, the place goes to hell in a hand basket and Doña María is murdered while waiting for the doctor! Not long after the mistress is murdered, the doctor is murdered! To make matters worse Doña María’s body disappears just as her sister Clotilde’s did a year prior! Gaston begins suspecting that there’s a bit more to these murders than the supernatural and La Llorona isn’t about to keep Gaston from weeding out the assassins and discovering their intentions. Why would they want to murder the Hacienda’s owners and the doctor? What would they benefit by stealing the bodies?
Is Gaston and Crazy Coyote on the trail of cold-blooded killers or The Crying Woman herself?
The Living Coffin (El Grito de la Muerte) is a delightful little “whodunit” with a two-fisted action twist and in my opinion; we just don’t see enough horror westerns out there…especially vintage ones. You’ve got all the right ingredients here for a kickass western including a great good guy, a genius horse, a hot chick, a zany sidekick, some nasty outlaws and a drunken cantina brawl! Throw in some supernatural goings-on and resurrected corpses and you’re staring an entertaining night of popcorn and cherry Coke right in the gotdang kisser!
Now, I should probably warn some of you DVD perfectionists out there that this is presented in fullscreen format and, despite the re-mastering the picture & sound received from newly restored vault elements, still shows quite a bit of wear and tear. I can’t even begin to imagine what kind of shape this film was in before restoration but I’d venture to say it was far from watchable. I’m sure CasaNegra Entertainment have offered up the best damn product they could but I think they may have a fudged a teeny tiny bit when they mentioned this was being presented in “pristine quality,” especially when you consider how incredible their other Fernando Méndez films looked.
Hopefully, CasaNegra Entertainment does a bit more digging and locates and releases the other Gastón Santos film by Rafael (Curse of the Crying Woman) Baledón, Swamp of the Lost Monster, because I’d love to see more of the Gastón & Crazy Coyote duo in action!
For Mexican horror cinema collectors as well as vintage horror junkies, this is a must-have release. There’s a few interesting extras on here including an informative photo essay entitled, “Cowboys & Monsters: The Mexican Horror-Western.” If you like zany Mexican horror films though this’ll be right up your alley!
