Rating summary

Movie		3.0
Video		5.0
Audio		4.0
Extras		2.5
Overall		4.0

Grave Robbers Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Brian Orndorf October 23, 2020

1989’s “Grave Robbers” is a Mexican production from director Ruben Galindo, Jr., and the helmer loves to stage scenes of panic. Most of the feature is made up of characters in various stages of distress, trying to avoid certain doom from an undead executioner, and while the story begins with some sense of exploratory peace, the whole thing becomes a screaming competition in its second half. Ear fatigue is a very real thing with “Grave Robbers,” but Galindo, Jr. is driven to compete with similar productions, trying to keep his picture alert with lots of gory imagery and evil events. With earplugs, there’s an appealing genre offering to be found here, with the production ready to deliver gushy wounds and deadly encounters.

In the small town of San Ramon, a group of teenagers are excited to visit a special graveyard and tear open coffins, with one of the gang an amateur psychic who believes gold and assorted treasures are buried with the dead, allowing the group to collect as much as they can carry. Initially unsuccessful, the kids accidentally find their way into the bowels of the graveyard, finding a major score inside an ancient crypt, but also managing to awaken an executioner, who rises from the dead with help from Satanic power. The executioner is hunting for a virgin to complete his deal with the Devil, slaughter anyone who stands in the way of the mission. Also in the area is a young virgin on a camping trip with her friends, soon targeted for capture by the executioner. The girl’s father is the local sheriff, who sets out to reclaim his child and figure out the specifics of the Hell on Earth situation the locals find themselves in.

With a nearly three-minute-long main title sequence and about 20 minutes of screen time before every character is assigned a name, it’s clear the production isn’t invested in the art of storytelling. Galindo, Jr. doesn’t clarify the participants, but he loves the blood, setting up the executioner’s Satanic plan and his initial punishment, while the teens arrive at the graveyard centuries later looking for a big score, popping open coffins with hopes to make a fortune in a matter of hours. Such a mission is entertaining to watch, especially with unruly fire effects that trigger very real expressions of alarm from the cast, and “Grave Robbers” gets to the central mistake in a hurry, with the crypt invaders unwisely collecting treasures and awakening the executioner, who has a personal ax for the job, using it throughout the movie.

“Grave Robbers” becomes a routine slasher film after its opening, watching young characters struggle to escape from the scene of the crime, running into rainy weather and interpersonal hostilities. The screenplay is, for some reason, loaded with characters, and Galindo, Jr. isn’t prepared to juggle the fears and doubts of so many people, but soon the slaughter season begins, with the executioner driving weapons into flesh or pushing his hand through bodies. While Galindo, Jr.’s interest in putting on a big, bloody show is laudable, special effects aren’t strong, exposing budgetary and time limitations, while a basic understanding of human anatomy is lacking at times. Still, gushy guts and bubbling blood is a common sight in “Grave Robbers,” and that’s probably enough to appeal to most viewers. And this is a feature that’s better seen than heard, with the aforementioned screaming fest from the cast growing unbearable in the second half, with silence not part of the helmer’s arsenal of moviemaking weapons.

Grave Robbers Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

The AVC encoded image (1.85:1 aspect ratio) presentation is sourced from a 4K scan of the 35mm original camera negative. "Grave Robbers" is almost entirely set during nighttime, but delineation is strong throughout, while shadowy encounters remain open for inspection. Detail delivers on facial surfaces and horror makeup additions, highlighting all manner of rotting and sliced skin. Locations are dimensional, offering well-lit adventures around nature and deep into the crypt set. Colors enjoy some heft with costuming, with powerful primaries, and police lighting has some pop. Creature decay and muddy areas are defined, and skintones are natural. Grain is fine and film-like. Source is in excellent shape.

Grave Robbers Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

"Grave Robbers" features an enormous amount of screaming, and the 1.0 DTS-HD MA offers an expectedly hectic listening experience. Dialogue exchanges have some difficulty with explosive highs, hitting fuzziness at times, and sibilance issues are periodic. Scoring is acceptable, supporting with a louder synth sound.

Grave Robbers Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Commentary features The Hysteria Continues.

• "Unearthing the Past" (19:25, HD) is an interview with the affable Ruben Galindo, Jr., who details the evolution of his career in the late 1980s, with "Don't Panic" created to appeal to North American audiences, while "Grave Robbers" was aimed at Latin American audiences. Story origins are recalled, with Galindo, Jr. reading about grave robbing in the local paper, and casting is celebrated, with the endeavor featuring several stars of the day. The interviewee discusses the quest to find his own style with "Grave Robbers," and his push to enjoy the shoot, finding his footing as a filmmaker. The challenge of working nights during a rainy season are recalled. Galindo, Jr. shares his crash-course in special effects, bringing L.A. craftsmanship home to Mexico. And he recalls the initial release of the picture, which enjoyed its greatest success on the VHS market.

• A Trailer has not been included on this release.

Grave Robbers Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

"Grave Robbers" takes on too much with the titular gang, a handful of campers, a sheriff, an undead executioner, a priest, and a fiancé who specializes in restoring Uzis. Perhaps a more streamlined screenplay was in order, but Galindo, Jr. goes all in, only to lose concentration on pace and hellacious happenings, soon giving the movie over to semi-sleepy slasher formula that's passably grisly but also incredibly noisy.