Tied for the best movie I have ever seen

I cannot think of one single thing that I would change about this film. The acting is incomparable, the directing deft, and the writing poignantly brilliant.

One of the worst ways to make a cult movie is to set out to make a cult movie.

This is a dark and sometimes deeply uncomfortable drama

Not much to recommend here: this motion picture has a few elements reminiscent of "El vampiro" (the ghostly woman walking through dark corridors, the evil surrounding the sets of the dark hacienda in contrast to the sunny exteriors, humor combined with terror) but director Fernando Méndez and screenwriter Ramón Obón were not up to that previous collaboration. Obón would still write a few fine horror scripts (as "El mundo de los vampiros" and "La loba"), but Méndez stopped directing movies two years later, after making a routine western diptych and a formulaic melodrama. The leading man (swinger Gastón Santos, rich son of the big señor of his hometown, in real life) is prettier than the whole cast, but everybody acts better than him. He plays some kind of lone ranger and detective who arrives at a gloomy hacienda where an old woman (Hortensia Santoveña) lives in fright of her dead sister's spell, objecting all intents by her young niece (María Duval) to make life happier in the country side. The few persons remaining in a once prosperous town now live in fright of the vengeful Llorona (Crying Woman), who is somehow connected to the town doctor, two statues sculptured on a strange stone, a deadly swamp and killer cowboys. Santos is a good rider though and his horse Rayo de Plata also plays a key role in the plot, while Pedro de Aguillón plays Santos' sidekick in the lines of a Sancho Panza, adding lines and slapstick here and there, intended to be funny. Unfortunately the action lacks the right spirit, be it comedy or horror, in spite of Gustavo César Carrión's funny effort to add galloping beats to his score. Nothing said if you care for stiff terror westerns with intelligent horses and haunted swamps. Then this is for you.

The remaining few citizens of a sleepy Mexican hacienda fear the restless spirit of a woman who lost her children in quicksand. A knife is buried in a grandfather clock's face at the direct moment this woman died. To keep her from returning to plague the town even more, the knife remains until the niece, María(María Duval) of the dead woman's sister, Aunt Doña María(Hortensia Santoveña) plucks it out releasing possible terror on them all. María's intentions were to free her very superstitious, guilt-stricken aunt(..she blames herself for allowing her sister's children to play outside where they fell into the quicksand while her back was turned)of the anguish grieving her. A marshal(Gastón Santos) and his sleepy deputy, Coyote Loco(Pedro de Aguillón)happen to seek info on a small statue made by the woman whose death still culminates, like a thundercloud, on the township. What they encounter is murders to the hacienda's emotionally wounded alcoholic doctor(Antonio Raxel)who was still saddened by the loss of the weeping woman for whom he was to marry and Doña María, by a mysterious woman, with a ghastly complexion and sharpened claws which rip the faces of those she strangles, who removed herself from a tomb once María pulled the knife from the clock. But, our marshal believes that, in fact, there are mortals behind the murders and will stop at nothing to diminish the gloomy atmosphere of a hacienda riddled with fear, bringing a murderer to justice. We see towards the opening of the film that someone, in the bushes, shot Doña María's hired help in the back near the swamp where the quicksand is located and perhaps the restless spirit of the weeping woman wanders still mourning the loss of her children.Being a Casa Negra release, I was anticipating a Gothic western with supernatural overtones. Instead, director Fernando Méndez's film plays more like a western serial with shoot-outs, a bar fight, and even horse tricks(..like one scene where the marshal's rescued from the quicksand thanks to his horse bringing rope to his aid;the horse also makes discoveries which assist it's master). Despite the appearances of a Gothic terror tale regarding a ghost haunting the inhabitants of a once thriving community, it's instead a western where the marshal, pretty much a cowboy sleuth with Alan Ladd matinée idol looks, cracks down on corruption regarding the ownership of the hacienda and a mine containing gold. There's a reason why he's interested in finding out more about the stone statue, depicting a weeping female, carved out of gold. Pedro de Aguillón, as the marshal's sidekick always looking for a bed to sleep on, is a bumbling clown, used for comedy relief as the film builds to the climax. "The Living Coffin", in my mind(..and to other Casa Negra fans it seems), is a second tier release next to the upper echelon of films such as "Black Pit of Dr. M", "Curse of the Crying Woman" & "The Witch's Mirror", but I still recommend it. The fisticuffs are a bit flawed, but the film has it's moments such as when the murderess attacks her victims, and there are some neat little secret passageways and red herrings to keep mystery fans interested. I can't help feeling a bit disappointed that "The Living Coffin" doesn't pursue the supernatural elements, because the Weeping Woman myth sure excited me a bit. And, the idea that a restless spirit, which carries the appearance of an insane witch, is killing folks in a hacienda sure seems like a "can't miss". The short length is a blessing in disguise, though, and the film doesn't outstay it's welcome.I would just suggest to Gothic horror fans hoping for another "Black Pit" from director Mendez, to keep their expectations low. He was aiming for the western/mystery crowd with this one.

This is a weird amalgam of Gothic horror elements with the Western genre, also interesting for being shot in color. The 71-minute film emerges to be a generally likable curiosity that, with an engaging (even complex) plot, evokes affectionate memories of American 'B' serials from the previous decade – though, ultimately, it's marred by a lethargic pace and, when finally exposed, a trio of uninteresting villains.Gaston Santos, a famous bullfighter, plays the hero; he's flanked by his resourceful steed and a chubby, perennially sleepy sidekick (initially amusing, he soon becomes overbearing – especially when his antics are accompanied by incongruous 'comic' sound effects!). Unfortunately, too, the star is engaged throughout in some extremely fake fistfights! The main 'ghost' of the narrative actually ties the film with a long-running horror series revolving around a legendary character known as "La Llorona" (The Crying Woman); I've only watched one such film, the fine Mexi-horror THE CURSE OF THE CRYING WOMAN (1961) – which, incidentally, has also been released on DVD by Casanegra.The typical atmosphere of the horror films originating from Mexico – steeped in family secrets, shadows and superstition (by way of Edgar Allan Poe and Agatha Christie) – is further boosted in this case by the muted but pleasant color scheme. Finally, I much prefer the original title of this film – EL GRITO DE LA MUERTE, which roughly translates to SCREAM OF DEATH – to its American moniker, the rather meaningless THE LIVING COFFIN (which is actually a reference to its being armored with an alarm system in case of body snatching, or in the event the coffin's occupant has been buried alive!).The most substantial extra on the disc is a very interesting essay by David Wilt about this characteristically Mexican hybrid genre (incidentally, the potential camp entertainment promised by the wealth of titles mentioned here – the absolute majority of which have yet to see the light of day on any digital format – is proof once again that this particular cinematic well is far from exhausted!). However, given its considerable length, the inordinately tiny font used (also for the accompanying cast biographies) is a real strain on the eyes!; besides, the audio for the main feature is a bit low.

The Living Coffin combines elements of the Mexican legend of "La Larrona" , Poe's Premature Burial , and oddly enough a Scooby Doo mystery. Cowboy and sidekick / comic relief Crazy Wolf are thrust into action against the ghost of a woman who wails over the loss of her children who drowned in Skeleton Swamp. Is the ghost a true Phantom, or are other more corporal desires at play ? The Living Coffin is a hard sell to recommend, as more often than not Gothic horror and cowboy westerns rarely mix well. Director Fernando Mendez is perhaps the premiere director of Mexican Gothic horror with The Black Pit of Dr.M and El Vampiro among others to his credit, so fans of his work might still want to check this out. I would also urge fans to support these smaller independent DVD companies so that we can continue to see these once very rare films.