By WILLIAM J. WRIGHT
DON’T MOVE! DON’T BREATHE! DON’T MAKE A SOUND! THEY’RE COMING! The evil Knights Templar are back in an all-new two-disc Blu-ray release of Armando’ de Ossorio‘s terrifying 1972 shocker TOMBS OF THE BLIND DEAD from cult home video label Synapse Films.
Produced in the wake of George A. Romero’s Night of the Living Dead, TOMBS OF THE BLIND DEAD was a distinctly Spanish take on zombies, incorporating medieval lore, graphic violence, sex and black magic. In the film, a camping trip turns into a fight for survival when a group of friends awaken the accursed Knights Templars, a sect of medieval warriors excommunicated and executed for their Satanic, cannibalistic practices. Their eyes pecked away by crows, the Templars roam the countryside, hunting their victims by sound alone.
Featuring the original uncut Spanish version and the alternate U.S. cut (released as The Blind Dead), Synapse’s new “standard edition” Blu-ray set (a three-disc version limited to 4,000 pieces was released earlier this year) comes packed with special features, including an audio commentary with horror film historian and author Troy Howarth; audio commentary with star Lone Fleming; audio commentary with Rod Barnett and Troy Guinn of the NaschyCast podcast; Marauders from the Mediterranean, a feature-length documentary exploring the history of the Spanish zombie film, featuring interviews with Night of the Living Dead writer-producer John Russo, Stiges Film Festival deputy director Mike Hostench and more; Revenge of Planet Ape – the infamous alternate U.S. opening sequence; Awakening of Spanish Horror Cinema – a featurette by film historian Marcus Stiglegger; Salem’s Pop “Templar’s Tears” music video; the original theatrical trailer; and a still gallery.
Synapse Films’ TOMBS OF THE BLIND DEAD arrives on October 24. Click here to pre-order.
