an Amando de Ossorio Spanish Living Dead fest.
Friday, Saturday and Sunday Night Frights viewing was taken up by Amando de Ossorio’s “Blind Dead” series of films.
The Italians go for Etruscans for the zombies, while the Spanish have a preference for Knights Templar and so that’s Ossorio’s choice for his four film series. Though he claims his resurrected knights were vampires rather than zombies.
Friday night commenced with “Tombs of the Blind Dead” (1972). Now where did the horses come from? You see the knights rise from their graves but all of a sudden they’re on horseback.
Medieval knights executed for their black magic rituals come back as zombies to torment a group of vacationing college kids. IMDb
Friday night concluded with the follow up “Return of the Blind Dead” (1973). Bit or recycling here, recycled cast members, though different characters, recycled location, though changing from a deserted castle in the middle of nowhere, to the same castle in an occupied town, and some scenes that were recycled from the first film.
In this second startling film in the BLIND DEAD series, writer/director Amando de Ossorio returns to the horrific origin of the depraved Templar: IMDb
Saturday night’s viewing was part three “The Ghost Galleon” (1974), saw a complete change, cast, location and story, with things moving from the castle to the ship of the title.
The living corpses of the Satan-worshiping Knights Templar hunt for human victims in a 16th century galleon. IMDb
Sunday night commenced with “Night of the Seagulls” (1975). The fourth and final part of the “Blind Dead” series. Another shift on from the previous three but near the sea.
In this final installment of the Blind Dead series, a doctor and his wife move to a small inhospitable coastal village where he plans to start a practice only to discover that undead demon-worshiping Templar Knights haunt the place. IMDb
Sunday night concluded with more living dead but not Knights Templar “zombies” but vampires in “Fangs of the Living Dead” (1969). Though can we believe Anita Ekberg is a virgin…
A beautiful virgin inherits a castle, but when she arrives at it, she finds that the inhabitants include a strange nobleman and a bevy of beautiful women she suspects may be vampires. IMDb
