Danza Macabra Volume 3: The Spanish Gothic Collection Blu-ray Review 

Danza Macabra Vol. Three: The Spanish Gothic Collection is a four Blu-ray Disc collection from Severin Films gathering together four Franco-era Spanish Gothic films rarely seen outside of the country, especially during their original releases.

Necrophagus (1971) also known as The Butcher of Binbrook follows many of the typical setups of the Gothic genre. A young nobleman (Bill Curran) returns to his dilapidated family castle where he learns his young wife has died during childbirth. There is one problem – her coffin is empty. Written and directed by Miguel Madrid, this film delves into the supernatural, B-movie horror, and tips into the world of the giallo with its gorgeous women, carefully placed shots of cleavage, and abrupt edits.

Cake of Blood (Pastel de sangre) (1971) is a horror anthology by four filmmakers trying their best to subvert the Franco regime. José María Vallés directs Tarot which stars Julián Ugarte, which is set in the Middle Ages and feels like it could be a Jodorowsky film with its surreal imagery. Emilio Martínez-Lázaro directs Victor Frankenstein, which stars Eusebio Poncela and Marisa Paredes, in what is a different and hyper-sexual vision of the Shelley novel. Next up is Terror Among Christians is directed by Francesc Bellmunt and set during the Roman Empire is an unusual tale of vampires. Lastly, Jaime Chávarri – co-writer of VAMPYROS LESBOS — directs the ghost story The Dance or Emotional Survivals starring Luis Ciges.

Cross of the Devil (La cruz del diablo) (1975) tells of a writer who investigates the murder of his sister by an ancient order of occultists. Directed by
John Gilling, Cross of the Devil stands out as one of the more traditional gothic entries in the collection.

The last in the collection is the strongest and most emblematic of the waning days of the Franco regime. The Night of the Walking Dead (1975) also known as Strange Love of the Vampires (El extraño amor de los vampiros) follows a young woman with a terminal illness who is drawn into the world of vampires. This one is full of exposed breasts, beautiful women, blood, and, of course, vampires. It most closely resembles a mash-up of Mario Bava and Jean Rollin with its themes and even in its camera work.

Purchase Danza Macabra – Volume Three: The Spanish Gothic Collection [Blu-ray]

The Video

All four films are taken from new 4K scans of the original camera negative except for The Night of the Walking Dead, which is a new 2K scan of the original camera negative. Necrophagous has a 1.85:1 AVC 1080p encodement, Cake of Blood is 2.35:1 AVC 1080p, Cross of the Devil is 1.85:1 AVC 1080p, and The Night of the Walking Dead is 1.85:1 AVC 1080p. All four films look natural with good amounts of detail and color reproduction given their era and provenance. Necrophagus comes through as the best looking overall with the thinnest grain structure and least amount of source damage remaining in the image. The least good looking of the group is Cross of the Devil, which is a bit gritty, with some more issues with scratches and sparkle, but there is still good color reproduction, especially primaries and the flesh tones. The Night of the Walking Dead, surprisingly, has a satisfying, natural appearance, a bit softer overall than Necrophagus, but still natural with good colors, given it is the only 2K scan in the collection.

The Audio

Each film has its original mono mix in an English and/or Spanish DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 mix. Cake of Blood and Cross of the Devil are Spanish only. None of the audio tracks are going to wow anyone, but they sound better than expected for mono audio mixes of these sorts of films coming out of Franco-era Spain.

The Supplements

Severin loads this collection up with audio commentaries for each film and a number of interviews. The highlights are the commentary with Kim Newman and Barry Forshaw for Cake of Blood and the Kat Ellinger audio commentary for The Night of the Walking Dead.

Necrophagus:

Bonus Features:

• Audio Commentary with Andy Marshall-Roberts, Host of the Nasty Pasty Podcast
• Something You’ve Never Seen: Appreciation by Angel Sala, Head of Programming at the Sitges film Festival (1080p; 00:08:06)
• The First Horror Film Festival in the World: Remembrance by Maria Pilar Rafales, Daughter of Sitges Film Festival Founder Antonio Rafales (1080p; 00:11:02)
• The Butcher of Binbrook Trailer (1080p; 00:02:10)
• Graveyard of Horror Trailer (1080i; 00:01:35)

Cake of Blood:

Bonus Features:

• Audio Commentary with Rod Barnett of Naschycast and the Bloody Pit, and Dr. Adrian Smith, Co-Author of Norman J. Warren: Gentleman of Terror
• My Generation: Interview with Actress Marisa Paredes (1080p; 00:04:31)
• I Just Wanted to Have Fun: Interview with Co-Director Jaime Chavarri (1080p; 00:21:06)
• To Whoever Wants to Watch: Interview with Actor Jose Lifante (1080p; 00:11:39)
• An Arthouse UFO: Appreciation by Angel Sala, Head of Programming at the Sitges Film Festival (1080p; 00:11:00)

Cross of the Devil:

Bonus Features:

• Audio Commentary with Kim Newman, author of Anno Dracula, and Barry Forshaw, author of Brit Noir
• Fascinated by Becquer: Interview with screenwriter Juan Jose Porto (1080p; 00:11:26)
• The Real Templar Knights Movie: Appreciation by Angel Sala, Head of Programming at the Sitges Film Festival (1080p; 00:08:55)
• Fantasy and Imagination: The Legacy of Gustavo Adolfo Becquer: Video Essay by Xavier Aldana Reyes, Author of Spanish Gothic: National Identity, Collaboration, and Cultural Adaptation (1080p; 00:12:53)

The Night of the Walking Dead:

Bonus Features:

• Audio Commentary with Kat Ellinger, Author of Daughters of Darkness
• A Deadly Invitation to Another Dimension: Appreciation by Angel Sala, Head of Programming at the Sitges Film Festival (1080p; 00:10:03)
• Leo’s Signature: Interview with Writer Juan Jose Porto (1080p; 00:08:08)
• Dead Man Walking: Interview with Actor Jose Lifante (1080p; 00:18:32)
• Spain’s Cinematic Vampires: Video Essay by Xavier Aldana Reyes, Author of Spanish Gothic: National Identity, Collaboration, and Cultural Adaptation (1080p; 00:24:39)
• Alternate Spanish Credit Sequence (1080p; 00:01:32)

The Final Assessment

Severin has shown great care in resurrecting these cult horror films from Franco-era Spain, most likely very little known are not known at all outside of their home country. This collection is a great way to explore some interesting, if not always perfectly made, genre films restored with great care and packaged with an abundance of bonus features that will help guide you on your journey. Highly recommended for the adventurous film enthusiast.

Danza Macabra Vol. Three: The Spanish Gothic Collection is out on Blu-ray on July 30, 2024 from Severin Films

Purchase Danza Macabra – Volume Three: The Spanish Gothic Collection [Blu-ray]

• Studios & Distributors: Severin Films
• Directors: Miguel Madrid | John Gilling | Francesc Bellmunt | Jaime Chávarri | Emilio Martínez Lázaro | León Klimovsky
• Run Time: 362 Mins.
• Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1 | 1.85:1
• Video Format: AVC 1080p
• Primary Audio: English DTS-HD MA 2.0 Mono | Spanish DTS-HD MA 2.0
• Subtitles: English | English SDH
• Street Date: 30 July 2024