Best movie of this year hands down!

Good , But It Is Overrated By Some

The plot isn't so bad, but the pace of storytelling is too slow which makes people bored. Certain moments are so obvious and unnecessary for the main plot. I would've fast-forwarded those moments if it was an online streaming. The ending looks like implying a sequel, not sure if this movie will get one

Excellent and certainly provocative... If nothing else, the film is a real conversation starter.

Vampire's Grave is the second of two films concerning the character that German Robles played in the first film. The film is from Mexico and apparently it has a certain cult status that has thoroughly escaped me.This is the kind of film that Universal Pictures used to do so well and I suspect had it been done there where they mastered the art of Gothic horror, it would rate a lot better from me. German Robles is no Bela Lugosi, he's not Christopher Lee either.This vampire is dead and buried in his grave with stake plunged through his heart when some scientist decides to steal the body for experimentation. Pull out the stake and you've got troubles as Robles remembers all the people who did him in in the previous life and film. He's out for a little payback. Universal did these so much better.

In the ordinary course of things, a movie sequel begins production only after the original film has proved itself a success at the box office. This, however, was not the case with the sequel to the 1957 Mexican film "El Vampiro." Producer Abel Salazar, apparently, felt so confident that his film would be a hit--and it was; tremendously so--that he began work on that picture's follow-up even before the first one saw the light of day. That sequel, released in '58, was called "The Vampire's Coffin," and does what all good sequels should: expand on the story line and themes of the original, bring back characters from the first (four, in this case), and do its darnedest to top its predecessor. Like its more famous forebear, "The Vampire's Coffin," directed again by Fernando Mendez, must be deemed a complete success.When we last saw the Count Duval (played here again by Spanish émigré German Robles)--revealed to actually be the vampire Lavud--in the first film, he was lying in his coffin with a stake through his heart, courtesy of the elderly Aunt Maria (Alicia Montoya). The sequel picks up days, possibly weeks, later, when Aunt Maria unsuccessfully tries to stop a pair of crypt robbers from stealing the titular coffin. The casket is coincidentally brought to the very hospital where Dr. Enrique (whose actual name, we learn in this film, is Enrique Saldivar, played again by Abel himself), the hero of the first film, works, and where his current flame, showgirl Marta (Ariadna Welter, who played the damsel in distress in film #1), is for some strange reason helping him out. Trouble looms, however, when one of the tomb raiders, Barraza, removes the stake from Lavud's chest, reanimating the undead bloodsucker and commencing all the nastiness once again...."The Vampire's Coffin" has a very different feel than its original. Whereas that first film took place in the countryside, with an emphasis on its hacienda in the middle of nowhere, the sequel feels more urban, and transpires in what seems to be a small city. The main selling points of the first film--the remarkably dreary sets of Gunther Gerszo, the stunning B&W cinematography of Rosalio Solano, and those amazing, stationary mists--are largely absent in the second; though Gerszo also worked on the sequel, his sets here are more mundane, but fortunately, Victor Herrera's lensing is often quite remarkable. What this film can justifiably boast is some very impressive use of light and shadow, most especially in the scene where Lavud chases a young woman down a nighttime street. Still, the first film LOOKS better than the second; it is more artfully composed, with numerous scenes that you just want to freeze and admire. But the second film, if more prosaic, certainly moves quicker, and is more action oriented. Among the many exciting sequences is the one in which Aunt Maria tries to escape from Lavud and his hypnotized, thuggish henchman in a dreary wax museum, replete with fully functioning guillotine and iron maiden; the one where Enrique fights that same henchman, Barraza, on a high ladder perched atop a playhouse; and the wonderful finale, in the wax museum again, where Enrique fights it out with Lavud (as he had in the first film) whilst Maria lies nearby, in dire peril. Some truly exciting sequences in this follow-up, to be sure!Truth to tell, when I first watched the film in question, I was somewhat appalled at how stupid Enrique was acting. In several scenes, he voices the opinion that--despite everything he had witnessed in the first film--Lavud is not a genuine vampire, but merely a normal man who likes blood! Wha? How can any reasonable man be so naive? A repeat viewing, however, made me realize that Enrique was merely trying to cover up before his coworker, Dr. Mendoza (the other tomb raider), as well as dispel Marta's fears and concerns; Enrique redeemed, and all that. Abel, as usual (I have also seen him in such wonderful Mexican films as "The Brainiac," "The Man and the Monster" and "The Curse of the Crying Woman"), is a nicely ingratiating performer, and I was relieved to realize that his character had an ulterior motive for his seeming callowness. Still, Enrique does come off a bit goofier in this film, by dint of the picture's emphasis on amusing situations, such as Enrique being unable to explain to his hospital boss just HOW that coffin has disappeared, and his failed attempts to convince the police that there IS a vampire flapping about. Fortunately, the film never devolves into silliness, and the amusing bits are kept in check. One strange inconsistency that I did notice, in what is otherwise a seamless continuation of the original, is the matter of Lavud's reflectiveness in mirrors. In the first film, he is completely invisible in a mirror--as is Marta's vampiress Aunt Eloisa, too, for that matter--but here, he appears as a skeleton in a reflecting surface; only his skin is invisible. Don't ask me to explain; maybe it has something to do with being staked and coming back? But despite this possible glitch, and despite the film's aforementioned difference in tone and feel, "The Vampire's Coffin" remains a very fine sequel; a perfect double feature, natch, when viewed following the original. And thanks to the good folks at Casa Negra, both films are currently available on great-looking, extras-packed DVDs. Not for the first time, thus, am I being compelled to say, with gratitude, "Gracias, Casa Negra!"

"The Vampire's Coffin" is a good sequel to "The Vampire". German Robles again reprises his role as Count Lavud as do the actors playing the Doctor and Martha. This film had the same Gothic settings plus a bit more suspense than the first film. The acting again is well done as is direction, music and the dubbing. The only problem as with the first film is that the wires flapping the fake bat are very noticeable. The film's scene in which a robber removes the stake from the Vampire is taken directly from "House of Frankenstein" and is well done here. The scenes in the wax museum are very good and it is here that the Aunt from the first film is killed. Overall, another fine job from south of the border.

I'm guessing that Fernando Méndez's "El Vampiro" was at least a fairly big success in its native Mexico as the director wasted no time in regrouping the main players from the cast of the aforementioned film and cobbling together this cheap sequel. Not as much care and attention has gone into this one; the film lacks the excellent atmospheric night-time shots of the original and the plot is not as well defined, but in spite of these things; The Vampire's Coffin is certainly an enjoyable romp that fans of the original should at least appreciate. The film starts off rather well with a sequence that sees a bunch of grave robbers accidentally resurrect the evil Count Karol de Lavud (an influence on Dracula 2000?) by removing the stake from his heart. The Count soon decides to turn his liberators into zombies, and proceeds to resume his mission from the first film. Naturally, it all falls down to the heroic Dr. Enrique Saldívar (Abel Salazar, returning to his role from the first film) to rescue the girl, kill the count and save the day.This film reminded me of the Universal classics much more than the original did. As mentioned, the Gothic atmosphere does not make a comeback in this film and it's been replaced by a dose of misplaced and largely unfunny humour, which is unfortunate. The outdoor shots are really missed too; I guess it must have been cheaper to film indoors and the sets don't leave much to admire. All the main cast members from the original return and fit into their roles well. The standout is obviously Germán Robles who plays the count. My main problem with him in the first film is that he never really posed a threat; and he doesn't manage it here either, although it's not so much of a problem as the film appears to want to be taken with a pinch of salt. Abel Salazar stars opposite in the 'hero' role. He doesn't really fit the model of the hero, but he has good charisma and is at least entertaining. The plot doesn't go anywhere and doesn't really provide us with any surprises by the time the film ends. However, The Vampire's Coffin is a decent follow up in spite of its flaws and I'd recommend anyone who tracks down the original sees it; they might as well anyway since it's packed in the set with El Vampiro...