Cemetery of Terror (1985) User Reviews

Better than not, but definitely flawed

[I_Ailurophile · 6/10 · 25 October 2022]

Some movies require more of our suspension of disbelief than others, and this is surely one of them. Lines of dialogue that don't quite comport with the scenario; small inclusions that either abruptly introduce an entirely new narrative element, or are maybe just so poorly considered that we have to either presume the same or go mad; characters written with so little intelligence or so much obliviousness as to be contrivances of pure Movie Magic; and so on. In fairness, despite any flourishes to present, at its core this is still a slasher - just one mixed with some supernatural aspects - and in no way is it a film that was intended to be approached with any but the most superficial and unbothered of eyes. It's a big ask to wholly dispense with any critical thought to watch a picture. I suppose if one is able to do so, however, this is passably enjoyable? Look, 'Cemetery of terror' just definitely is no height of horror storytelling or film-making, that's for sure. But it's entertaining enough.

The blood and gore look good. I like the production design and art direction. It's well made from a technical standpoint, and while the story in its broad strokes is nothing special, it's still suitable grisly fun. It's in the details that the feature falls apart. I've seen too many poorly made movies to count, and while I wouldn't say that this is one of them, no comparison readily comes to mind to have so enthusiastically encouraged willful myopia of the viewer such that we can't pick apart every minutiae therein. 'Cemetery of terror' demands that we turn off our brain to engage with it, or else we're confronted with an endless stream of flummoxed, skeptical reactions of "What?! ... okay, sure."

It's a pity that the writing weren't more cohesive, coherent, and complete, because if it were by even just a small measure, the feature would have greatly benefited. There are some swell ideas in here, and between the orchestration generally of some scenes, and the addition of Chucho Zarzosa's excellent score to cement the tension and atmosphere, some moments are especially well done. At its best - or at least in its best potential - this is pretty much just as solid as any like horror flick might be. At its worst, one can only respond with "you're kidding me, right?"

Against all odds I think the last third of the picture is sufficiently well done as to pick up the considerable slack that it had dropped earlier. I think the cast generally perform well with what they're given. More so than not this is pretty okay! I just really wish the narrative and scene writing had been tightened, for that would have made a huge difference. Don't go out of your way to watch this, and by no means is it a must-see, but if you have the chance to check out 'Cemetery of terror' and can abide the most severe inelegance it may boast, this is a moderately worthwhile way to spend ninety minutes.

Be objective please...

[insomniac_rod · 5/10 · 6 August 2006]

Where to begin? First of all, fellow Mexican reviewers. I know that we have to support our cinema but it won't help it if we give positive reviews to mediocre movies. This is the case. "Cementerio del Terror" isn't by any means a good Slasher flick. Let's take it for what it is: a cynical rip-off of the Friday the 13th sequels and a rip-off mix of "Evil Dead" and "Night Of The Living Dead".

Please, be objective. "Cementerio..." is just a cheesy entertaining Slasher flick. Don't turn it into an overrated Horror movie because it doesn't deserves even such status. This is cheese for the please, and nothing more.

***HUGE SPOILERS. READ ONLY IF YOU'VE SEEN THE MOVIE AND WANT TO REFRESH YOUR MEMORY*** I'm going to spoil the ending and everything, OK? Let me explain myself. The first half of the movie deals with our group of dumb teenagers who invoke a demon through a demonic book (Necronomicon anyone?). Suddenly after the events take place in a rainy cemetery, one by one, the teens are brutally murdered by an unseen killer (who in the ending looks like Lizzard from the original "The Hills Have Eyes"). After a series of stupid scenes involving two couples making out (the lamest making out scenes I've seen! I mean, the second couple just kiss like they were forced to and stay the same way for three scenes while listening to crappy Pop Metal), the killer enters the mansion and ends with all the teens. The acting of Erika Buenfil before being slaughtered is beyond pathetic as her laughing is that fake that it hurts. Oh I must add that most of the death scenes are on-screen but when something really gore is about to happen, the scene cuts to a full moon and you can only hear screaming. The death scenes aren't great by any means. The actors ruined the death scenes in my opinion.

Then, the second half of the movie deals with Dr. Carven (Craven anyone?) trying to resolve the mystery of the devil character while a bunch of stupid children enter the mansion only to find the dead bodies of the teens. Then they are chased by the demonic killer until Dr. Carven rescues them. Don't expect ANYTHING, no gore, no violence, nothing! in the second part of the movie. The children survive and deliver atrocious performances. Before they "smartly" return to the mansion, they run to (guess where?!) to the graveyard where the ritual was performed. Oh yeah, but you were singing "que padre, es Halloween!" before", eh kids?. They only return there to be chased by zombies who come out from their graves. It's never explained why the zombies return and chase our kids.

In the ending Dr. Carven gives his life in order to stop the demonic killer and the zombies. He tells one of the dumb children to "burn the book!".

By this point, "Cementerio del Terror" is a Slasher demon possessed zombie flick. Not even El Santo could handle the situations! The ending has the demons and zombies and crap finding their fates as the deadites in Evil Dead. But the ending will shock you! Dr. Carven is possessed and gives us an evil grin. Hugo Stiglitz , God bless you.

Worthwhile Mexican zombie flick

[The_Void · 6/10 · 18 March 2008]

This fairly unknown Mexican zombie movie may not be the most original horror film ever to be released, and clearly takes a lot of influence from many successful American movies in the same vein; but in it's own right, this is an extremely fun little romp that I'm sure wont be a disappointment to most people with an inclination to track it down. The plot is halfway between a zombie movie and a psycho slasher flick and focuses on a killer who a professor believes may have come back from the grave. Enter a bunch of kids who decide that it would be a good idea to read from a strange old book and resurrect the dead (to impress some girls, naturally). It's not long before the killer has come back as a zombie - bringing the rest of the cemetery with him and the dead have eating the kids' flesh on their minds. If you've seen more than a handful of zombie flicks, you'll have seen everything included in this film many times before. But that's not to say that Cemetery of Terror is not worth a look. Director Rubén Galindo Jr does an excellent job of creating a thoroughly fetid atmosphere to surround the cemetery at the centre of the film and there's a fair bit of gore included too, most of which is well done. Naturally the acting is nothing to write home about, but everyone approaches their roles with gusto and the film remains entertaining for the duration. Overall, this is not brilliant; but it's a more than worthy Mexican horror entry and I would say that it's worth seeing.

Cool but illogical film

[galdana30 · 5 June 2006]

I just saw it yesterday in cable TV. Anyway... I love these little horror Mexican gems directed from Ruben Galindo. Sadly it was a cut version, but i didn't ruin the mood anyway. Two major plot holes.. or goofs..

1. The doctor (Hugo Stiglitz) said that the killer only can die burn to ashes.. but later said he needs the black book for destroy him.

2. It is suppose to be Halloween night, but when the boys are reading the book, they said something about.. "This is the sixth day of the sixth month?... ¿Uh?...

Anyway.. everybody watch these movies for the jumps, not for the logical sense of it...

Sorry for my bad English...

A cheesy Mexican horror mish-mash.

[BA_Harrison · 5/10 · 17 January 2016]

Hugo Stiglitz, probably best known to horror fans as the hero of Italian zombie flick Nightmare City, battles the undead once again in Cemetery of Terror, a low-budget Mexican mish-mash that borrows heavily from several successful US horror hits.

The film opens in Halloween mode, with lumbering serial killer Devlon gunned down by the police after a bloodthirsty rampage. The Evil Dead is the obvious inspiration for the introduction of a Satanic book that is discovered by a group of partying youths, whose idea of fun is to steal a body from the local morgue (no prizes for guessing whose corpse they make off with), and then perform a life-giving ritual during a rainstorm in a creepy cemetery.

With Devlon resurrected (I said there were no prizes!), the film enters Friday the 13th territory, with the dumb kids bumped off one by one by the undead killer. Last but not least, the film becomes a Night of the Living Dead-style fight for survival in a creepy run-down mansion, as a group of young trick or treaters are terrorised by zombies, brought back to life by Devlon's supernatural Satanic powers. Stiglitz plays the occult expert who holds the key to permanently putting Devlon to rest.

Cemetery of Terror is extremely dumb and utterly chaotic nonsense from start to finish, with not a lick of logic and unremarkable performances all round, but energetic direction from Rubén Galindo Jr. (who was also responsible for US-style slasher Don't Panic), lots of bargain basement zombies, and quite a fair bit of crude gore (a torn out throat, guts pulled out, an axe in the head) mean that there's still some fun to be derived from this random slice of South American schlock.

Fans of cheesy '80s horror will also enjoy the frequent appearances of the boom mic or its shadow, some nasty fashion (including a shiny, multi-coloured jacket with a skier printed on the back), an impressively staged zombie resurrection scene 'enhanced' by an excess of smoke and coloured lights, and one of those 'WTF?' final shots that were so prevalent among cheap horror films of the era.

Gory Zombie Slasher Hybrid

[dperky · 7/10 · 29 December 2020]

A bunch of teenagers steal the body of a murderer from the morgue to test out an ancient incantation they found in a book in a creepy old house and the corpse springs back to life, attacking them and anyone who crosses path with him.

The story is simple and nothing we haven't seen before, but Cemetery of Terror has enough atmosphere and shocks to be a worthwhile horror film. It's a big mash up of all the things you loved from The Evil Dead, Demons, and even some Friday the 13th style slasher flicks.

Director Ruben Galindo Jr pulls out as much mood and creepiness as he can from the foggy graveyards and spooky mansions where the film spends most of its time.

Mediocre 80s Mix of various Horror Subgenres

[Armin_Nikkhah_Shirazi · 5/10 · 29 May 2022]

CEMETERY OF TERROR is a Mexican slasher/zombie/supernatural horror film which seems to take its inspiration from sources as varied as NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD (1968), HALLOWEEN (1978), CITY OF THE LIVING DEAD (1980), EVIL DEAD (1981), ABSURD (1981) and even Michael Jackson's THRILLER (1983). Unfortunately, it is not nearly as good as any of them.

The story concerns a recently deceased psychiatric inmate named Devlon who kinda looks like George Eastman, and whose psychiatrist rushes to try to have cremated because he believes him to be a demon.

Unbeknownst to the good doctor, a group of mischievous teenagers steal the corpse from the morgue and transport him to a local cemetery, where they invoke spells from a black book of magic they just happened to find at a nearby abandoned house, all to scare their girlfriends into submission, apparently. Meanwhile, a group of children decide to visit the cemetery at night as a sort of test of courage.

Predictably, the teenagers manage to reanimate the corpse, and then all hell breaks loose.

If the setup sounds incredibly contrived and stupid then that is because it is. One improbable coincidence follows another, seasoned with unrealistic behavior by almost all of the main characters. Also, the setup takes way too long: we are nearly 40 minutes into the movie before Devlon George finally rises.

Although some of the special effects are decent for the 1980s, many of the actual death scenes range from unconvincing to ludicrous. In one scene, a victim is repeatedly clawed in the face by Devlon George, who stands right in front of him and yet seems to escape notice.

Even though the movie is not good, it still has some of that nostalgic 80s charm which prevents me from giving it a lower rating, but let's face it: unless you know what I am talking about, this film is probably not for you.

A nostalgic mix of genre plot devices

[drownsoda90 · 7/10 · 10 October 2021]

"Cemetery of Terror" follows a group of students in medical school who decide to spend Halloween in an abandoned mansion. As a quasi-prank, they steal the corpse of a Satanic serial killer from the university hospital morgue, and try to resurrect it from the dead (did I mention the abandoned house also happens to belong to the serial killer?). Bad things ensue.

This little-seen horror movie is a potent mix of old-fashioned, "Scooby Doo"-esque hijinx, zombies, plus elements of a gory splatter flick. Think Lucio Fulci's "The House by the Cemetery" mixed with "Halloween" and you will have an idea of what this film offers. It is chock full of genre tropes, massive lapses in logic, and a supernatural plot device that is never quite fleshed out (no plot intended), but weirdly, "Cemetery of Terror" never manages to frustrate or bore its audience. Director Rubin Galindo Jr. Mixes a number of these elements together surprisingly well, and the end result feels equal-parts slasher, '60s TV horror movie, and Lucio Fulci zombie flick.

The film is nicely shot despite its low production values, and the house and cemetery locations are very atmospheric. There are a number of gruesome murders in the film, and the special effects are handled nicely. The screenplay makes a major shift at the midway point that is unexpected, but it surprisingly works, and the villain--a demonic zombie/serial killer--is at times very menacing.

All in all, I found this film highly enjoyable despite its flaws. There is an inncocence and playfulness to it that belies the gore and darker elements. Even when it's not making perfect sense, the film has an undeniable entertainment factor. I would highly recommend it to anyone who is a fan of slasher films and zombie fans alike. 7/10.

"He's not a man like you and me - he's a demon!" O yeah, a demon who walks slower than a snail n has claws instead of hands.

[Fella_shibby · 3/10 · 27 October 2020]

I saw this for the first time recently. Aft enjoying the director's Grave Robbers, i decided to see this film which got some very good reviews but found it to be a total time waster.

It shud have been titled Morgue Robbers, kinda duology.

On Halloween nite a bunch of teens steal a corpse from a morgue n take it to a cemetery n perform some rituals to scare their girlfriends to make them closer to them. Unknown to em, the corpse is of a sadistic serial killer who himself was into satanism. They leave the body in the cemetery n relax in a nearby abandoned house. The dead corpse revive back and along with it many dead rise from their graves.

The plot n acting is ludicrous. The guy who played the doc (Hugo Stiglitz) looks like a slimmer version of Peter Jackson. He is easily recognizable from NIGHTMARE CITY. He claims to know how to destroy the demon but endlessly keeps on driving in a car for nearly 36 mins n that too without any idea. Top cop's kids r missing n there is no other cop shown searching for the kids. The demon possesses supernatural powers but walks slower than a snail. The zombies r an insult as they r easily evaded by small kids. The film has some gory deaths but it gets monotonous. The demon slashes most people with his hands as if he is a tigerman or wolfman. The teens doesnt even get to smooch properly, so forget about any nudity. They r jus asked by the director to waste solid amount of time in jus trying to kiss or trying to get laid. I will spare the small kids' horrendous acting. It looked as if those kids were just enjoying themselves. The entry n exit n robbing of a corpse from a morgue is a joke. The end is a big wtf.

Some kind of four-sided triangle

[hae13400 · 1/10 · 18 April 2003]

After his seventeenth murder in moving lift, a psychiatric patient named Devlon was killed by the police. Nevertheless Dr.Cardan, who has been the psychiatrist in charge of the patient for years, insists his body must be burnt. But three male medical students and their female friends steals the body for their party in an empty house nearby the cemetery. Soon Dr.Cardan and Cap.Ancira begin to find the body, but this night is the Halloween so that five local kids go to the problematic cemetery for tests of their courage... This Mexican zombie film, which consists of chaotic elements of Halloween, the Evil Dead and Death Screams, is so multifariously bad that I can write about only three major points. First, the lightning is technically problematic. This film, of which total running time is 91 minutes, has only 8 minutes day-time scenes, and 90 per cent of the whole is night-time scenes with amateurishly poor lightning so that at least half of the film seems to be almost black-and-white. Second, the dialogue is much more problematic. For instance, the psychiatrist, Dr.Cardan explains two contradictory facts to the policeman, Cap.Ancira, namely, 1)the patient's body must be cremated, and 2)the patient's body can be destroyed only with an old document named Black Book. Just what kind of foolishness is this? Maybe Dr.Cardan,M.D. is the same kind of more famous Dr.Butcher,Medical Deviate. Indeed the entire dialogue is so childish that words of the psychiatrist and of the five elementary-school kids are almost exchangeable. And third, the ending scene is terribly bad. I can tell what exactly it is, but I can tell its unbelievable irrationality turns the whole film to be some kind of four-sided triangle.

A great zombie/psycho killer flick

[JimSthers · 10/10 · 23 February 2002]

The Sexy Erika Buenfil, Edna Bolkan and Jackie Castro along with their boyfriends go to a house in the middle of a cemetery, where one of them finds a book that says how to bring the dead back to life, so soon the boyfriends convince the girls to steal a body from the morgue (they are medicine students) but the dead guy turns out to be the one of a psycho killer, eventually the perform a ceremony and before you can slit someone's throat the psycho is alive, and of course he starts killing the students one by bloody one, also because it is Halloween a group of kids (i mean kids) also visit the same cemetery where they are terrorized by the same psycho. plus the living dead who have risen from their graves. This Mexican Zombies on the loose/Psycho killer flick is cool, there's lots of gore, graphic murders, atractive cast, large body count, is well acted and fast paced. I recommend it highly. Other Mexican Horror flicks that you shouldn't miss are "Ladrones de Tumbas" (grave robbers) and "Trampa Infernal" (infernal trap).

Gore Mongral Movie Review: Crypt of Terror Double Feature DVD Cemetery of Terror/Grave Robbers

[ChiefGoreMongral · 4/10 · 28 August 2006]

Tonight instead of a single movie review I tackle a recently released DVD flipper disc of 2 rarely scene Mexican Horror movies, both directed by Ruben Galindo Jr.. The first movie is Cemetery of Terror lets take a look.

Cemetery of Terror (aka Cementerio Del Terror) is about a Satan worshiping killer who is supposedly shot dead by some local cops only to be resurrected by a bunch of teenagers who steal his body from the morgue and use a book of black magic to revive him. The cops are warned by the killers doctor that he is more than a normal man but a satanic killing machine. These elements were very Halloween like in their approach with this in the beginning but then this idea seems to dissolve as we get to meet the teens that will resurrect him and finally to another group of young trick or treaters that end up facing off with this Satanic fiend.

This is where the problems with this movie come into play. I really liked how this movie started as it looked like it was going to have shades of Halloween with the directors own little twist added however the movie, which starts off slow builds up for about a good 10 minute killing spree (nearly 50 minutes in, ZZZZZZZZZZ)then the movie veers off into weirdness as it turns from a satanic killer from the grave movie to an all out zombie film..thats right an all out zombie film. You see remember I said there are some trick or treaters well these kids end up taking on the killer and some of his undead friends culminating into a ho hum ending.

I really wanted to like this movie but for every decent thing they did they did 2 more things wrong. The movie seemed to try out one too many ideas into one movie when they should have just stayed with the main point at hand. Despite 1 or 2 OK kills the movie really drug along in parts and the whacked out last 20 minutes had me scratching my head. All in all not a bad film but really not all that good either. My score for Cemetery of Terror: 4/10: Below Average, with alittle more thought about what kind of movie they wanted, Satanic Killer, Zombie, or Scooby Doo(mainly do to the kiddie sequences) flick this could have at least been mildly entertaining however, since the movie bounced all over the place I cannot recommend this as a have to see film, maybe a rental at best.

Head over to Grave Robbers for the second film review of this flipper disk from BCI Eclipse

Mexican horror contribution

[lor_ · 23 February 2023]

My review was written in July 1985 after a Times Square screening.

"Cemetery of Terror" is an okay Mexican horror picture, made last year and currently playing the U. S. Spanish-language theater circuit.

Quite easy to follow without any English translation, Texas-set story concerns a mad Dr. Cardan (Hugo Stiglitz), plagued by nightmares of zombie attacks, who forges (in English) a court order to release a corpse from the morgue to his custody. Unlike the local pragmatic police captain, Cardan is a believer in Satan who is convinced the corpse is one of the undead about to wreak havoc.

It is Halloween and by a strained coincidence, three teenage couples out on a date at a spooky mansion next to a cemetery find a Black Book of satanic rituals. They need a corpse to carry out a Black Mass (with the book's aid) in the cemetery and, as a prank, head to the morgue and steal the same corpse Dr. Cardan is seeking.

The ritual proves effective, bringing the corpse back to life, whereupon the zombie kills all six teens, accompanied by gore effects. Better makeup work is used on dozens of other varied zombies who subsequently rise from their nearby graves. Several children, including the police captain's kids, visit the cemetery and are barely saved from a horrible fate by the lameduck arrival of Dr. Cardan. Fortunately for them, Cardan is played by Mexican star Hugo Stiglitz (who previously battled atomic zombies in 1980's "City of the Walking Dead") and he comes up with a new and temporarily effective method of fighting the undead by simply punching them on the nose. Ultimately, the zombies are destroyed by burning when the kids toss the Black Book in a fireplace.

Picture provides a good atmosphere and some solid scare, with its oddest element (common to some other Mexican films) being the Texas setting where all signs are and visuals are written in English but everybody speaks Spanish. Cast is adequate, featuring some new generation talent such as Andres Garcia Junior (the spitting image of his star father) and Rene Cardona III, whose dad and grandfather have directed dozens of action pictures over the years.

being objective this movie is trash

[forosreg · 1/10 · 14 July 2008]

seriously nobody is doing to the Mexican film industry any good by calling this film a classic, because by telling that, it means that this is the better that Mexican directors can do.

I tell this because this movie is truly horrible, the acting, the ambiance, even the music it's like a nightmare to the ears. I beg to people from Mexico to be objective, this movie is trash, and it isn't deserve to call it classic, and to say the contrary is an insult for the cinematographic industry of Mexico.

One of the dullest film I've seen in all my life.

I give 1 out of 10

stinker

[PeterBradford · 4/10 · 28 June 2021]

"CEMETERY OF TERROR is non-stop thrills and bloodshed from beginning to end" is the bold-face lie on Vinegar Syndrome's insert for this crap. There is one zombie killing at the opening. Then the film is non-stop talk for at least forty minutes. You're not watching a film as much as just reading subtitles. Then some stuff happens. The only thing this film has going for it is some effective, atmospheric cinematography. Although allegedly shot in Texas, much of it looks like a studio set intercut with location footage.

A total waste of time

[info-3641 · 2/10 · 19 August 2006]

Sorry to tell you guys but this was a total waste of time. This was the third Mexican film in a row. First night of the Bloody apes, second Curse of the Doll people & then Cemetery of Terror.

Doll people is excellent, great classy horror movie. Apes was equally good, very gory & bloody. I loved it, but Cemetery was a total flop for me. So bad that I had trouble keeping awake. The pace is good but the there is no chemistry on screen, no seat jumping moments & totally unbelievable effects. Maybe a better plot would have helped the film cause I have seen this to many times already. But as it is, this seem to be a classic so If you have enough time on your hands...try it for yourself.

Booze, Babes, and Black Magic

[Alien_I_Creator · 9/10 · 24 December 2006]

The premise is tried and true. A group of young people break into an old and spooky abandoned house looking for nothing less than a good time. Just a night of booze, babes, boom box, and, of course, black magic. They, naturally, end up waking a dormant evil force which proceeds to terrorize and kill anyone drinking, fornicating, or trespassing in its lair.

Sound familiar yet? It should. It's been the plot to countless other horror films including Night of the Demons, The Evil Dead, and Hell Night. Now add Cemetery of Terror to the list.

I think this movie ranks up their with its contemporaries, though. It utilizes all the best techniques of a certified 80s horror gem. It's got plenty of blood and carnage, good plot, great atmosphere, and takes place on that wonderful horror movie time of the year: Halloween. The evil antagonist in this film is a superbly terrifying super-human Satanic slasher named Devlon who could easily give Michael Myers a run for his money. I don't recall Mikey selling his should to Satan, after all. And, as if Devlon wasn't enough for you, throw in a Necronomicon-type book which summons an army of zombies into the mix. Because what good is a spooky old cemetery in a horror film if you're not going to use it?

Made for Mexican audiences and filmed in Texas,this movie is definitely worth looking into if you are a fan of all-out 80s slasher gore fun. It effortlessly compares with a lot of great American horror trash cinema classics. So bring on the booze, babes, boom box, and black magic and let's party!

A Mexican Horror Gem

[LosAngelesLegend · 8/10 · 7 November 2006]

Forget all the commentaries trashing this movie. This here is a Mexican horror classic. Ask yourself this, how many terrible American horror movies are out there? Gimme a break. Mexican films usually have low budgets, don't go big time on the silver screen or gain huge notoriety around the world. Especially not in the horror genre. Name a Mexican horror film. Just one. Exactly. Horror films aren't meant to win Oscars unless it's intelligent like Rosemary's Baby. This is just a fun film to watch. C'mon, it's 80s horror! That means tight blue jeans, white sneakers, horny teens getting killed, silly hairdos and wardrobe! Sleepaway Camp is one of the champs in this area.

The plot is 3 college females are asked by their boyfriends to attend a flashy high profile party and they are tricked into going to an abandoned house on a cemetery on Halloween night. They find a book and decide to steal a corpse which happens to be of a demonic murderer who happens to be the owner of the book. They reanimate the corpse through a spell and all hell breaks loose.

This film has elements from Halloween:The demonic killer was attended to by the doctor which is after him and is rebellious towards cops and never fails to talk about how the killer is the devil and must be stopped. Very Mexican Halloween. It doesn't hurt that the movie is on Halloween as well. The only problem here is that Hugo Stiglitz should've been the demonic killer. Ha ha. I love Hugo Stiglitz, he's one of my favorites and has a hell of a voice and presence, but he's known to play villains not heroes. It has an Evil Dead element in that they find a book of dead just like the Necronomicon and wakes the demons in the cemetery. These are the 2 movies that the movie combines into a great formula.

The cast like any horror movie in any country isn't all that great.The teens cast in the movie are weak and may spoil some of the fun but Stiglitz is awesome as usual and whether it's a horror or comedy that he's in, he never fails to take his roles seriously. You should see Stiglitz doing comedy movie villains, his level of seriousness is rock solid and he takes this role just as serious. The killer isn't very scary, but the soundtrack is just sweet. It has one of the creepiest piano tunes in all of horror and I remember this movie by that eerie piano tune.

Check this movie out and watch it at night. It's only $7 at Best Buy and it comes with Ladrones de Tumbas (Graverobbers) as a two pack for a cheap price. You might or might not like it, but if you appreciate how the producer wants to entertain you with what he has to work with you won't be disappointed. The movie doesn't rip you off.

An enjoyably creepy and gory Mexican horror zombie/slasher blast

[Woodyanders · 8/10 · 23 May 2007]

Six teenagers decide to have a Halloween party at a spooky old rundown abandoned house located nearby a cemetery. When the party threatens to become dull, the carefree teens steal the corpse of recently deceased evil satanist Devlon from the morgue and hold a black mass. Devlon comes back to lethal life as a murderous zombie and embarks on a gruesome killing spree. It's up to no-nonsense Dr. Cardan (Mexican horror icon Hugo Stiglitz in properly stalwart form) to stop Devlon before it's too late. Writer/director Ruben Galindo, Jr. does an adept job of creating and sustaining a supremely creeped-out skin-crawling midnight-in-the-graveyard brooding gloom-doom atmosphere and keeps the pace bumping along at a steady clip before pulling out all the stops with a gloriously wild and exciting all hell's breaking loose climax depicting a hostile bunch of shambling zombies bursting forth from their graves with malign intent. Moreover, Rosalio Solano's rough, but agile cinematography, the grimly serious tone, enthusiastic acting from an attractive and engaging cast (gorgeous brunette Edna Bolkan in particular makes for a really fetching and appealing damsel in distress), the ever-popular have sex and die cliché, Carlos Savage's spirited shivery'n'shuddery synthesizer score, a handy helping of graphic gore, and a fiercely no-fooling open season on everyone take-no-prisoners harsh attitude all give this film a certain deliciously macabre charm. This movie earns bonus points for gleefully placing five obnoxious little kids in considerable jeopardy. Nice downbeat ending, too. Good, ghoulish fun.

Perfection!

[BandSAboutMovies · 10/10 · 27 June 2020]

I was hunting for the perfect movie for this issue of Drive-In Asylum. My goal with each thing I write for this twisted tome is to discover something new. A film that perhaps people have missed. And certainly one that no one is talking about.

Cementerio del Terror is the perfect movie to answer all of those needs and more.

Directed by Rubén Galindo Jr., who also helmed the utterly baffling Don't Panic! and Grave Robbers, this película de terror combines so many influences and films that it feels like the best DJ mix you've never heard of Evil Dead, Halloween and a children's film while still boasting all of the grisly rojo gore that you crave.

Set in Texas, filmed in Spanish and utterly unconcerned with things like good taste or common sense, this movie appeals to every level of what I demand in cinema. Let me set it all up for you, muchacho: Dr. Cardan (Hugo Stiglitz, whose half-century movie career has led to roles in beloved junk like Tintorera...Killer Shark, Guyana: Cult of the Damned and Nightmare City) has left behind the scientific method to become a religious maniac determined to stop Satan himself from resurrecting the dead.

Then there's Devlon, who has just killed seventeen people and his parents before being stopped by the police. Dr. Cardan knows that this is the exact body that El Diablo needs to begin his nefarious scheme, screaming "He's not a man like you and me - he's a demon!" as if he's the Loomis to Devlon's Miguel Myers.

If only six hard-partying teenagers armed with a book of spells didn't steal the body of said serial killer. If only they hadn't taken it to la casa junto al cementerio. If only they hadn't accidentally raised the living dead.

This is the leap in logic this movie demands that you make: These sexy ladies were promised a rock 'n roll concert by these moronic men and they make due with the body of a dead convict and rituals in a graveyard. These women were promised a rock concert and a jet set party and are instead rewarded with a bearded zombie who uses his fingernails to massacre every single one of them.

Everyone dies in the most bloody fashion possible, but only after they drink and dance to some of the worst disco you've ever heard, which makes this movie even better.

Just when you say to yourself, "The entire cast of this movie is dead!" a bunch of kids, led by one in a Michael Jackson tour jacket, enter the house and comically discover the disemboweled bodies of every one of the Satanic teens before they face off mano y mano with Devlon himself.

Throats are slashed. Blood is sprayed. Axes find their way into faces. Entire rooms get possessed. Kids goof around and hide behind tombstones as the film wildly shifts tone and becomes the goriest episode of Scooby-Doo ever.

Cementerio del Terror is unbridled joy, made by someone who it feels like got to play with all the toys that he always dreamed of owning. It shamelessly steals from so many films that it makes you throw up your hands and enjoy the ride. I mean, how many movies start off with buckets of crimson viscera and end with little kids saving the day before tossing in a shock ending?

There is no cynicism here, no winks to the camera that horror needs to be elevated and escaped from. That's why I seek out stuff like this. These kind of flicks are a drug that I try and mainline into my veins at any opportunity. I suggest you do the same.

Cool!!!

[serialslashers · 8/10 · 13 January 2001]

Six medicine students go to a cemetery, soon they decide to steal a body from the morgue, meanwhile a bunch of kids also visit the same cemetery and soon the stolen body is up and killing everyone in gory ways, the female cast is superpretty!!!

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

[abduktionsphanomen · 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.

Bad

[Michael_Elliott · 29 February 2008]

Cemetery of Terror (1985)

* (out of 4)

Incredibly stupid Mexican horror film that tries to capture the spirit of American slashers. A maniac who has killed 17 people gets killed by the police. The next day, Halloween of course, three couples go to a mansion to party. The girls won't put out so the guys have a black mass. This mass brings the killer back to life and he goes on a rampage. Oh yeah, at the end zombies show up. This thing turned deadly boring by the ten minute mark and the action didn't start till around the fifty-minute mark. Everything in this film was truly bad and the plot holes are just incredible. I'm not saying F13 was smart or anything but c'mon! This film rips part of the storyline to Halloween as well. The only saving grace are some wonderful special effects and the zombies look pretty good. This is on DVD with another Mexican film, GRAVE ROBBERS, but at the moment I'm too scared to watch it considering how bad this was.

Cemetery of Terror (1985)

[jonahstewartvaughan · 8/10 · 14 May 2023]

Cult Cuts Volume 22 (80s Horror Retrospective #6)

#2/4: Cemetery of Terror (1985)

(8/10): A staple of the video store, Cemetery of Terror is a Mexican slasher/zombie hybrid flick with not much for logic but lots of cool stuff for Horror fans to enjoy.

It features Mexican cult actor Hugo Stiglitz in the lead role and follows a group of medical students who steal a corpse from a morgue and then raise him from the dead which then causes everything to spiral out of control and they put several lives, including their own, in danger.

It's got some solid effects work, especially in the gore department with many deaths being pretty nasty and savage.

The film is pretty atmospheric with an undercurrent of fog around the cemetery that really helps the film feel more ominous and helps the overall presentation of the film.

It's easy to see why it has a dedicated cult following, as while it might not make a lick of sense it is effective at what it sets out to do.

"Welcome to the party."

[Backlash007 · 13 July 2008]

~Spoiler~

Because I am a zombie aficionado of the 70's and 80's, I simply had to see Cemetery of Terror. It's not as much fun as I had heard, but I've seen worse films. This is actually a Mexican zombie/possessed killer flick that stars Hugo Stiglitz (he of Nightmare City fame). It's basically two, completely different films. The first part involves a psychotic, devil worshiping madman named Devlon. Devlon is shot and killed by the police during a maiming rampage. A trio of tweeny couples looking to party (and to get offed one-by-one) break into Devlon's abandoned house and find his necronomicon. The guys want to scare the girls into the sack so they come up with the brilliant idea of stealing a corpse and reading the book over the body in the middle of the cemetery. And who's corpse do you think they snatch? Devlon's of course. Is this a huge coincidence, or all part of the devil's plan? The group revives Devlon, do a little partying, and then get offed one-by-one. The second part of the film involves a bunch of kids trick or treating on Halloween night who walk into the cemetery and stumble upon Devlon. He chases them around for an eternity and, FINALLY, in the last fifteen minutes zombies arise out of the grave to attack the children. That's all the zombie action there is, and they don't even kill anyone. Poor zombies. And poor me for thinking this was a zombie movie. The only thing that bridges the gaps between the two stories is Hugo Stiglitz. He plays some sort of occult professor who has been tracking Devlon and knows how to stop him. But can he before it's too late???