By BETHANY LAKE
In the 1950s, a generation of soon-to-be horror filmmakers grew up on the tales of murder and the macabre featured in the EC Comics publications Tales From The Crypt, The Vault of Horror, and The Haunt of Fear. These comics later became the primary inspiration for the George A. Romero and Stephen King film Creepshow (1982) and the television series Tales From The Crypt (1989-1996). Thanks to the success of Trick ‘r Treat (2007) and Shudder‘s Creepshow series, anthology horror made a comeback in the past few years. VAMPUS HORROR TALES is among the latest entries in the resurgence and earns its place alongside those beloved series and films.
VAMPUS HORROR TALES takes place on Halloween night. Vampus (Saturnino García) is a gravedigger who lives in a cemetery with his pet, Toby. When he is not moving bodies in (and out) of the earth, Vampus hauls out his big book of horror comics, settles in and reads the audience four gory tales of love, betrayal, isolation and death.
The film consists of four segments (each directed by a first-time director) and a wraparound story. García gives a sublime performance as Vampus. His dark humor and playfulness channels Tales From The Crypt’s Cryptkeeper as he might have been back when he was a much younger man and still had his skin.
In terms of art direction and costume, the film pays homage to the grand tradition of Universal horror movies while acknowledging and contending with the present day. For instance, in an early scene, a young YouTuber and social media influencer goes to the cemetery for an interview with Vampus. While the young man prattles on about his websites and hashtags, Vampus leads him deeper and deeper into the graveyard. Worlds collide, which at first glance, seem to be the past and the present. They are not. One is foolish, fragile, and fleeting; The other is immortal.
VAMPUS HORROR TALES is one gorgeous-looking film. David Cortázar’s cinematography is top-notch, and the movie looks and feels like an art-house film with deliciously sinister sensibilities. Also, the film is in black and white, which only adds to the timeless, stark atmosphere. Had Ingmar Bergman directed a Creepshow remake, it might have looked like VAMPUS HORROR TALES.
VAMPUS HORROR TALES from Uncork’d Entertainment arrives February 17 on digital and on demand.
