abduktionsphanomen Review of Cemetery of Terror

Cemetery of Terror (1985)

As low budget as it gets but a complete success. Plus there are zombies.

[8/10 · 30 October 2022]

Cemetery Of Terror (AKA: Cementerio del terror) - 1985 (This Film Rates a B+ ) This was the original Spanish version with English subtitles. The film takes place on Halloween. Devlon, a serial killer, escapes from a psychiatric hospital in dramatic fashion but is killed before he can leave the building. His psychiatrist, Dr. Cardan is notified of this. Meanwhile a group of kids break in and stay at the abandoned Devlon home for an unplanned Halloween party. One of them find an old Satanic book of incantations just laying around in the attic. And like all smart kids do, they decide it's a good idea to steal a corpse from the morgue and use it for the incantations. And guess what body they steal? One by one all wind up brutally murdered. There is a decent side story that becomes the focus. A bunch of undressed trick or treaters who wander into the cemetery with its climax being just before the 1-hour mark. Sadly, only to find refuge at the same abandoned house. There are some intense moments here and it really add's to the overall success of this film. Plus, there's zombies. The gore is present but not very moving and often times the kills are a bit too hasty. The setting and the boating scenes in the beginning are spectacular in that low budget sort of way. But much of the rest is average at best such as the cemetery and skull scene at the 57 min mark. The soundtrack is cheap but enjoyable. No T or A. There are some totally absurd moments, like who is standing in the pouring rain in a cemetery (27 min mark) and of course the car that doesn't start at the 1 hour 18 min mark, or the super fake falling tree at the 1 hour 19 min mark. It's far from a perfect film, but it has all the right qualities.