Tombs of the Blind Dead Review

Chapter 3: The Dead Awaken

Virginia makes her way toward the long abandoned Templar base, clueless as to its dark history.

The film location is actually an old monastery (Cercon Monastery) near Madrid, Spain. It is a wonderfully creepy place in real life, and an ideal locale for fictional zombies. When you view the film, notice that the paths in the monastery seem to be well travelled, suggesting that the place is anything but abandoned. It seems to be a well known tourist attraction, and it will be noted later in the movie that the outlying areas seem to be mowed. It seems odd that absolutely NO information is to be found on the internet about this monastery, other than the ruins lie "near Madrid."

Once inside the monastery grounds, Virginia realizes that it is abandoned. She calls out for anyone who may be there to answer, but is met by silence. No monks here. Soon she finds path which leads to a medieval cemetery, which makes her shudder. She turns back to check a couple of doorways, one of which collapses. The second doorway leads inside.

Once inside, Virginia pauses to light a cigarette and tries to explore her immediate surroundings but is hindered by a rotted wood staircase.

She decides to spend the night on the lower floor, so she lights a fire and rolls out her sleeping bag.

A couple of inconsistencies in this part of the movie are worth mentioning. First, when Virginia lights her fire, it is obvious that she is assisted by some kind of fuel. Second, there is an obligatory semi-nude scene when the actress disrobes for bed. The shot is purposefully obscured by fire, but when the actress disrobes she seems to notice that she's not on her mark and clearly steps to the side in order to hide her nudity behind the fire.

Eventually Virginia bars the door and settles in for the night. Once in her sleeping bag, she turns on a small radio and is soothed by the sound of what must surely have been hip Spanish music...in the 1970's. She reads for awhile, and then attempts to go to sleep.

Outside, there is activity in the old cemetery. Crosses - tombstones - begin to move. The tops of ancient crypts begin to creak, and then slide open. A skeletal hand is seen to emerge from one grave, while another crypt opens to reveal a zombie - a long dead eyeless Templar - rising from the grave. Soon a small but silent army of eyeless zombies emerge from various places. They mount undead horses (the origin of which is not explained) and ride slowly toward...you guessed it...Virginia.

Inside, Virginia hears noise - apparently the sound of horses hooves, since the zombies are silent. She rises and redresses, perhaps expecting the arrival of locals. Certainly she does expect zombies!

By this this time the zombies have dismounted and are just outside. Virginia opens a small window to peer out and finds herself staring into the eyeless face of a zombie (I think I can see the eyes of the actor behind the makeup).

Terrified, Virginia backs away and is grabbed by a zombie that sticks its hand through a hole in the door. She escapes, and we see a rubbery skeletal hand reach down and unbar the door.

Fleeing into an adjoining room, our victim finds that she is surrounded by zombies which seem to emerge from every corridor. She manages to escape by fleeing up the previously mentioned rotten staircase, barely managing to avoid a zombie, and losing a shoe in the process.

Outside, Virginia climbs a ladder and arrives on top of a wall, losing another shoe. Fortunately, an undead mount is nearby. Onto this horse she climbs, and is immediately chased by a groups of Templars also on horses.

After a short chase scene shot in slow frames, the zombies catch up with Virginia. Pay careful attention to some of the chase and you might notice, like I did, that "Virginia" seems to be a stunt man during the fast riding sequence. The zombies drag the unfortunate woman off the horse.

Virginia recovers just as the zombies draw back on their reins. Another group of blind undead arrive. She looks around. She screams.

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