Cemetery of Terror Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		3.5
Video		4.5
Audio		4.0
Extras		4.0
Overall		4.5

Cemetery of Terror Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Brian Orndorf November 24, 2020

1985’s “Cemetery of Terror” represents the directorial debut for Ruben Galindo, Jr., and he keeps it simple for his first at-bat. It’s a tale of resurrection and mayhem involving a large cast of young actors, and most of the feature involves looking for trouble and finding it in increasingly graphic ways. It’s not a roller coaster ride, but “Cemetery of Terror” overcomes initial stasis to provide some excitement and gruesome events for genre fans, with the helmer finding his groove late in the movie, suddenly aware he has to offer a little more than banal conversations to delight the audience.

Debating if they should attend a rock concert or spend some quality couple time inside a seemingly abandoned house, a collection of teenagers settle on the latter plan, preparing for a night of diet sodas and making out. Discovering an ancient book of dark magic, the gang elects try their luck resurrecting a dead body, sneaking into a morgue to collect the remains of Devlon, a crazed killer. Working a spell inside a cemetery, the book proves to be powerful, bringing Devlon back to life, allowing him to continue his killing spree by targeting the teens. On the case is Dr. Cardan (Hugo Stiglitz), who’s trying to keep Devlon dead, rushing to stop the madman while searching for a collection of children who’ve decided to spend time inside the cemetery to prove their Halloween courage.

“Cemetery of Terror” doesn’t get off to a raging start, offering an extended opening at the beach, where the teenage characters detail evening plans and slowly walk to a boat for some summer fun. As detailed in the Blu-ray supplements, the scene was a last-minute addition to help beef up a short run time, and it feels like it, launching the horror extravaganza with all the ferocity of mild conversation and extended boat boarding! “Cemetery of Terror” gets down to business after the introductory act, following the teenagers as they grow bored with their decision to enter the house, using the discovery of an evil book to spice up the night with a little corpse theft and cemetery resurrection. The screenplay doesn’t try to do much more than that, soon tracking Dr. Cardan’s increasing anxiety over the killer’s finality, and there’s the Halloween bunch searching for a cheap thrill in the dark.

“Cemetery of Terror” isn’t a polished endeavor from Galindo, Jr., who doesn’t have much money to work with, trying to generate some scares through a formulaic presentation of disturbing events. There’s some goofiness to get through before bloody battles begin, including the teens and their surprisingly easy acquisition of a corpse for their dark experimentation. Once Devlon is brought back to life, the helmer is free to arrange some low-wattage hellraising, arranging slasher-style sequences where the teenagers are faced with a powerful enemy and magic powers, picked off one- by-one. The routine of it all is hard to deny, but some bodily damage is included, and Stiglitz brings a little thespian integrity to the endeavor, providing a reasonable level of panic as the good doctor always finds himself one step behind disaster.

Cemetery of Terror Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

"Cemetery of Terror" arrives on Blu-ray with an AVC encoded image (1.85:1 aspect ratio) presentation, sourced from a 4K scan of the 35mm negative elements. A low-budget endeavor with limited technical hustle, the viewing experience exposes all of what "Cemetery of Terror" has to offer, providing a hearty appreciation for production achievements with strong detail and heavy but film-like grain. Makeup effects are open for study, along with the facial particulars on the rest of the cast. House and cemetery decorations are also clearly defined, and the opening lakeside meet offers ideal distances and community activity. Colors are healthy, finding a nice balance between darker horror elements and bright primaries found on the victims, who wear period outfits. Delineation is satisfactory. Source is in strong shape.

Cemetery of Terror Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The 2.0 DTS-HD MA mix battles with aged elements, offering a harsher level of panic at times, with slight fuzziness when hysterics kick in. Dialogue exchanges aren't sharply defined, but intelligibility isn't a problem, with freak-outs and dramatic offerings understood. Synth scoring registers as intended, supporting suspense needs. Sound effects are bluntly delivered, but create necessary chaos.

Cemetery of Terror Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Commentary #1 features co-writer/director Ruben Galindo, Jr.

• Commentary #2 features The Hysteria Continues.

• "Digging Your Own Grave" (34:38, HD) is an interview with Ruben Galindo, Jr., who shares information about his upbringing, with his father also a filmmaker. Going to school at UCLA, Galindo, Jr. was ordered to travel to Texas upon graduation, tasked with completing "Cemetery of Terror" without much experience behind the camera. Influenced by the music video "Thriller," Galindo, Jr. aimed to recreate the tone of the Michael Jackson smash hit, though he was throttled by his own vision, which often slowed the shoot. Directorial mistakes are noted, along with new experiences, such as working with actors and managing the production's first cinematographer, who was fired for not being able to keep up with the helmer's ideas. Galindo, Jr. discusses his use of camera movement and the creation of the cemetery set, also learning the true responsibilities of the job, which involved long hours and constant planning. The interviewee details work with composer Chucho Zarzosa and editor Carlos Savage. He closes with memories of the feature's release and Galindo, Sr.'s horror over the final cut's 84-minute run time, forcing his kid to shoot six more minutes to meet exhibitor demands.

• "South of the Border Horror" (36:10, HD) is a spirited video conference interview with cigar-chomping actor Rene Cardona III. Growing up as a child star, Cardona III shares his feelings about the experience, which lead him to flirt with the idea of a future in medicine before attending UCLA, meeting Ruben Galindo, Jr. Looking to help his new friend with his directorial debut, Cardona III joined "Cemetery of Terror," offering memories from the shoot, including the roommate situation for the actors. The interviewee lists his influences, helping him to understand technique, and he recalls time with co-stars, including Hugo Stiglitz, a veteran on the set. Cardona III explores the short shoot and the release of "Cemetery of Terror," and offers a loving tribute to Galindo, Jr., noting all he pulled off for the picture.

• A Theatrical Trailer has not been included on this release.

Cemetery of Terror Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

"Cemetery of Terror" eventually graduates to a zombie uprising in its final act, presenting an army of the dead to pursue the living. The picture gets crowded too, as the kids and the teens finally connect, with Galindo, Jr. generating some crazy energy as he unleashes hell with a crowded frame, also managing to double dip some frights as new discoveries are made of old reveals. "Cemetery of Terror" isn't experimental in the least and it takes a long time to get going, but it does manage to snowball into a diverting movie once the production starts to feel free enough to indulge all sorts of horror happenings with screaming characters (a Galindo, Jr. staple).