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Final specs for Mexico Macabre:



Black Pit of Dr. M (Misterios de ultratumba):



The Witch’s Mirror (El espejo de la bruja):



The Brainiac (El barón del terror):



The Curse of the Crying Woman (La maldición de la Llorona):

New Mondo Digital Review: Four creepy classics make their global Blu-ray debuts in MEXICO MACABRE: FOUR SINISTER TALES FROM THE ALAMEDA FILMS VAULTS, 1959-1963 featuring BLACK PIT OF DR. M, THE WITCH'S MIRROR, THE BRAINIAC, and THE CURSE OF THE CRYING WOMAN

http://mondo-digital.com/mexicanmacabre

Weird they've left three of the four films open matte.

Mexico Macbeavro.

My most anticipated release of the year this far especially after really enjoying all three films in the Vinegar Syndrome set from March. I hope this set is selling as well as you guys at Indicator are hoping it would. I've switched my purchase from Amazon to Orbit because I want my copy early.

These films are ludicrously entertaining, and professionally enforced multiple viewings did nothing to change my mind.

I particularly like Mondo Digital’s recommendation of The Witch’s Mirror if you’re not sure upfront which genre you fancy, as it stirs in so many along the way that you’re bound to latch onto something.

Both this and From Hollywood to Heaven have been delayed again, until 6/13. I hope DD doesn't cancel my sale orders...

Did you get the June date from the retailers? I don't remember seeing this mentioned in Indicator's newsletter. The wait is going to be agonising.

They're very much hoping to send them out as close to the original release date as is feasible, but there's been a manufacturing delay over which they sadly have no control.

Cracked this box open last night, and really enjoyed Black Pit of Dr M (non-appearance of said pit notwithstanding). Though it post-dates Hammer’s breaking into the genre, the flavour is much more Universal horror, but the refusal to fall into the customary plot structures made it an engrossing watch.

If you enjoy things refusing to fall into the customary plot structures, you’re in for an absolute treat with the genre-bender that is The Witch’s Mirror.

And yet, I can absolutely see Lon Chaney Jr (in mustachioed Inner Sanctum mode) as the “brilliant” doctor who is in fact a priapic lunkhead.

Received my copy today, and was surprised to see such a high print number on the back - about the same as Hammer vol six when I just bought it on the low stock list during the last sale. I don't know how this works, if third-party sellers receive random/later-print copies that don't reflect where the actual sale numbers are at for a release, but if this observation is indicative of those numbers, it seems this one is selling extremely fast

The numbers are essentially meaningless, but I don't believe it's a flop.

And rave reviews like this just-published CineOutsider epic certainly aren't going to do any damage.

I figured as much, but also figured it wouldn't hurt to name it and get confirmation. Thanks, excited to dive in!

therewillbeblus wrote: ↑

Wed Jun 14, 2023 2:13 pm

Received my copy today, and was surprised to see such a high print number on the back - about the same as Hammer vol six when I just bought it on the low stock list during the last sale. I don't know how this works, if third-party sellers receive random/later-print copies that don't reflect where the actual sale numbers are at for a release, but if this observation is indicative of those numbers, it seems this one is selling extremely fast

That's funny, I had the opposite reaction since my number was under 1000. Grateful for Michael's explanation.

I should probably stress that my involvement with these releases ceases from when the masters are approved for uploading to the replicator, so I have no more idea of what happens with the physical distribution side of things than anyone else here!

But I can certainly attest from personal and anecdotal experience that these things seem to be pretty random. My own copies range all over the place, and they're contributor copies that are shipped directly from Powerhouse.

One more pleasure of this set being released just now, not only in summer, but during something of a heatwave here in the UK, is that watching these films stirs up memories of those glorious 1970s/1980s summer Saturdays when BBC2 would run seasons of horror double bills, introducing a generation to a raft of horror classics. All that’s missing is breaks between films for pro-celebrity golf.

So, The Witch’s Mirror (Deep breath) - House of Usher, Rebecca, The Black Cat, Black Sunday, Curse of Frankenstein, Orphée, Mad Love, Beast with Five Fingers, Eyes Without a Face… I’m sure I’ve missed some. All stirred into a delirious gothic stew.

There are lots of things you can say about this film, but “predictable” and “dull” would be a tad unfair.

I just received an e-mail from Diabolik that my copy has shipped. After how much pleasure I derived from The Phantom of The Monastery and La Llorona (and I must admit, after watching all of the bonus features on the Enter Santos box) I cannot wait to dig into this set. I've yet to break open my Michael J Murphy set, but he's going to have to wait on more Mexican cinema!

The set is off to a most promising start with The Black Pit of Dr M which I found very entertaining and, in the end, poignant. I agree it felt more akin to Universal's classics than Hammer's and I preferred this film to most Hammers I've seen (except my top three, Captain Clegg, Taste of Fear and The Devil Rides Out). I did spot a grammatical error in the subtitles early on, when the line should read, "you did know your father" but has a letter missing: "you did know you father". My US set from Orbit had the number 4229 of 6000.

Ironically, my MM set ordered from Diabolik and my Pasolini set direct from Criterion are both arriving on Monday. One unexpectedly very late, one unexpectedly early. Good week for it to be so hot outside I just want to sit in the dark basement watching movies.

Luis Bunuel created a surrealist masterpiece in UN CHIEN ANDALOU by juxtaposing a stack of images that defy logical narrative connection. I guess that makes Chano Urueta’s THE BRAINIAC a companion piece, as it features the Spanish Inquisition, a comet, time travel, a Dapper Dan who transmogrifies into a hairy creature with a drill-bit for a tongue, a walnut chest containing a punchbowl filled with brains to be eaten with a spoon, and policemen armed with flamethrowers.

I can't challenge any of those details.