Being a big fan of foreign horror Spain has been responsible for a lot of great horror movies that are Euro-horror classics. From directors like Jess Franco, Amando de Ossorio, Paul Naschy, Carlos Aured, Leon Klimovosky and José Ramón Larraz to up and coming Nacho Cerda who recently made his first feature film “The Abandoned”. Here’s some of my favorites most of which comes from the 70’s.

The Awful Dr. Orloff - 1962
Original title “Gritos en la Noche – Screams in the Night” Jess Franco’s first horror film is one of his best. Ghosting the theme found in the excellent French flick “ Les Yeux sans Visage - Eyes without a Face” ’60, a distraught doctor with the help of his blind assistant, kills women for skin grafts to restore his sisters disfigured beauty. Shot in glorious black & white this classic is responsible for jump starting Spanish horror.

Horror Rises From The Tomb – 1972
Spanish horror Icon actor-writer-director Paul Naschy real name Jacinto Molina is a big part of Spanish horror. Here he stars in dual roles in this gothic edge tale of returning from the dead. A condemned warlock rises from the tomb with gothic atmosphere, gore and even a few zombies in one of Naschy’s best films

Tombs of the Blind Dead - 1971
Amando de Ossorio was a big part of Spanish horror mainly for his mandatory ‘Blind Dead’ films. The first of 4 films “La Noche del Terror Ciego – The Night of Blind Terror” is a slightly different take on zombies is this excellent favorite concerning 1600 century Templars who had there eyes removed and years later they are back as blood thirsty skeletal dead. Full from top to bottom with gothic atmosphere and oozing with creepiness including the excellent chanting score this first in the series is the best. If you’re not reading subs it’s a cut version. I highly recommend the coffin shaped box set with all four films from Blue Underground.

The Return of the Evil Dead – 1973
The boney dead make a triumphant return in this second entry “El Ataque de los Muertos Sin Ojos – Attack of the Blind Dead” and get plenty of screen time. 500 years after the Templar Knights where killed they are back to wreck havoc on a small village having a celebration. Another round of gothic creepiness and the eerie score also returns.

The Ghost Galleon – 1974
Better known as “Horror of the Zombies” this 3rd installment to the Blind Dead series “El Buque Maldito – The Damned Ship” is the weakest but still a worthy part for fans. This time the skeletal dead are on a 16th century Spanish Galleon full of atmosphere but there are some slow going parts off the ship.

The Night of the Seagulls - 1975
The 4th Blind Dead film “ La Noche de las Gaviotas – The Night of the Seagulls” is my favorite next to the first. A man and wife come to a creepy seaside village where sacrifices for our boney pals are taking place at night. Another atmospheric number with same style score and eerie tolling bell.

The Loreley’s Grasp - 1974
Amando de Ossorio’s slightly cheesy but fun tale of the Loreli, a deceptive, alluring creature played by Euro-Horror regular Helga Liné that kills lovely ladies and rips out their hearts. It was on US video as “When the Screaming Stops” with a added red flashing light to warn of the gore scenes but BCI Deimos DVD is defiantly your best bet.

The Living Dead at the Manchester Morgue – 1974
Jorge Grau’s outstanding zombie feature in which a hippie like duo locks horns with a hard ball detective as hungry corpses rise at the Manchester Morgue. Fantastic! Aka “Let Sleeping Corpses Lie”.

Vampyres – 1974
Sleaze stalwart José Ramón Larraz who made rancid little numbers like “Los Ritos Sexuales del Diablo – The Sexual Rites of the Devil” ’82 and “Scream…And Die!” ’73 delivers his best film with this cult classic. Two lovely ladies bring men home to their castle for wild nudity filled nights of sexual blood lust and murder in this different take on Vampires. Check it out on Blue Underground DVD.

The Night of the Werewolf - 1980
Another kickass fav written and directed and starring Paul Naschy, this is one of the very best in the Waldemar Daninsky werewolf series consisting of films. Originally titled “El Returno del Hombre Lobo – The Return of the Werewolf” and “The Craving” for the US, here it is under yet another title on recommended BCI Deimos DVD. Three women go to a castle and find Naschy [El Hombre Lobo], Elizabeth Bathory, nudity, gore and a whole lot of gothic atmosphere [that I love so much] is among crumbling ruins.

Bloody Moon – 1981
Here we find sleaze peddler Jess Franco doing a slasher movie that’s obviously inspired by the likes of “Halloween”. And it’s a good one too as girls in and about a language school are being stabbed in the breast, a head is sawn off [sweet], etc. with some slightly extended kills on recently released UNCUT Severin’ DVD. Throw in some nudity and unintentionally hilarious dubbing on top of a thin story and you’re in for some bloody fun Euro-slash.

Aftermath – 1994
The Second of 3 short films. [All on Unearthed Aftermath DVD] Nacho Creda’s grizzly 30 minute short concerns a morgue worker that takes an autopsy of a female way, way to far as he burns the midnight oil. Artsy, very stylish and gruesome the squeamish may want to think twice here. Like “Guinea Pig Flower of Flesh and Blood” & “Nekromantik” this is one of the fore runners of extreme cinema.