Misterios de ultratumba
| Misterios de Ultratumba | |
|---|---|
| Directed by | Fernando Méndez |
| Produced by | Abel Salazar |
| Written by | Ramón Obón (Story and adaptation) |
| Starring | Gastón Santos Rafael Bertrand Mapita Cortés Carlos Ancira Carolina Barret |
| Music by | Gustavo César Carrión |
| Distributed by | Alameda Films |
Release date |
|
Running time | 82 minutes |
| Country | Mexico |
| Language | Spanish |
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Misterios de Ultratumba is a 1959 Mexican horror film produced by Alameda Films and released in the US as Black Pit of Dr. M. It was directed by Fernando Méndez who had previously directed El Vampiro (The Vampire) in 1957 and its sequel, 1959's El ataúd del vampiro (The Vampire's Coffin), also for producer Abel Salazar. The Mexican title translates into English as Mysteries of the Afterlife.
Plot
A dying doctor, Jacinto Aldama, schemes with a colleague, Dr. Mazali, to fight death and return from the afterlife. A seance with the dead doctor confirms that he will return in exactly 3 months at 9:00pm, but there will be consequences.
Critical response
The film has gained favourable reviews in recent years with online critics.[1] Jason Coffman of Daily Grindhouse wrote "Clearly influenced by the Universal horror cycle that kicked off with DRACULA, THE BLACK PIT OF DR. M is an effectively creepy gothic that features some great cinematography that takes a page from Val Lewton's playbook. It's bleak, chilling, and highly entertaining; it's no wonder the film is considered one of the crown jewels of Mexican genre film history."[2] Shawn Garrett at Rue-Morgue.com said "The moody, shadowy sets are eye-catching and evoke a sense of dread. Sure, it may all seem a trifle stiff to modern eyes, but for fans of black & white horror films from the era, THE BLACK PIT OF DR. M is a solidly made film that deserves to be ranked with RKO's titles, or Universal's second tier efforts."[3] Reviewing the film's restoration in a boxset of blu-rays featuring other films made by Alameda Films, Dennis Dermody from Original Cinemaniac writes "The Black Pit of Dr. M (1959) is, in my opinion, the finest one of the set. A bizarre, nightmarish gem about a scientist who strong-arms his dying partner to share with him, after death, what the afterlife is like... A great ghoulish treat with gorgeous cinematography and excellent direction by Fernando Mendez (El Vampiro)."[4][5][6]
Availability
A region-free blu-ray was released by Powerhouse/Indicator in the United Kingdom and United States on 31 October 2023. It features the original Spanish language and the US English dub with extras.[7]
References
- ↑ Misterios de ultratumba (1959) (in español). Retrieved 2025-09-02 – via www.filmaffinity.com.
- ↑ Coffman, Jason Coffman. "[FANTASTIC FEST 2019] A CELEBRATION OF MEXICO". Daily Grindhouse. Retrieved 2025-09-02.
- ↑ Garrett, Shawn (2019-06-01). "RETROSPECTIVE: FALL INTO "THE BLACK PIT OF DR. M"". Rue Morgue. Retrieved 2025-09-02.
- ↑ "Mexico Macabre". Original Cinemaniac. 2023-07-03. Retrieved 2025-09-02.
- ↑ "Misterios de ultratumba (película 1959) - Tráiler. resumen, reparto y dónde ver. Dirigida por Fernando Méndez". La Vanguardia (in español). Retrieved 2025-09-02.
- ↑ "Au-delà de la mort | Fernando Mendez | 1959 | Encyclo-ciné". www.encyclocine.com. Retrieved 2025-09-02.
French-language version of Misterios de ultratumba
- ↑ "Black Pit of Dr. M - Bd [Us]". Powerhouse Films.
External links
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