The third in the series of BLIND DEAD movies from Spanish director Amando de Ossorio is a step down from the superior first two films in the series, but still packs a punch for those with a fondness for Euro horror. This time around, the setting of the movie is a creaky old galleon, as a bunch of unlikeable characters are picked off one by one by those old bearded skeletons. As usual, the most limiting factor for this kind of film is the budget, which here means that the galleon itself is quite clearly a miniature model, floating around in a small tank of water and looking absolutely fake as a result. It's a real shame when the pyrotechnic finale shows the individual flames burning the ship to be about twice the size of it!
Otherwise, we're in for business as usual, as the poorly-dubbed actors find themselves at the mercy of the gory ghouls. Speaking of gore, there's only actually one sequence in the movie which offers blood for the sadistic viewer; in it, in which a blonde woman is beheaded and her limbs eaten in a feeding frenzy by the ravenous horde. In the rest of the 'attack' scenes, which resemble a cross between NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD (in the inevitability of the ceaseless, shambling zombies) and Universal horror flicks of the '30s (in the cobwebby, Gothic surroundings), the focus is on atmosphere and it works wonders. De Ossorio builds a real sense of Gothic foreboding and the undead Templars are as eerily effective as ever, their impact highlighted by creepy moaning on the soundtrack and their appearance – think rotting skeletons complete with wispy beards and tattered cloaks.
The casting for this film consists of the usual bunch of actors and actresses who appeared in many '70s horror flicks coming from Spain. Maria Perschy (EXORCISM) was a Naschy regular and provides more glamour than the other hopeless models put together. Manuel de Blas (HUNCHBACK OF THE MORGUE) starred in small roles in countless Spanish movies, whilst this film marked Carlos Lemos' only appearance in a genre flick; playing the meteorologist he comes across as a Spanish Ian McCaskill and is the best actor in the movie. Most notable of all is the instantly recognisable Jack Taylor, a horror veteran who started off by appearing in the Neutron films in Mexico in the early '60s.
THE GHOST GALLEON has a rather dull and derivative storyline, with inane scripting and lots of plot holes wherever you look. It also has some boring moments, especially in the first hour. However, these are countered by the fun elements in the latter half of the movie; although the model ship is rubbishy, the creepy interiors are sound, there are plenty of memorable scenes (including the excellent 'exorcism'), and the film contains one of the most iconic horror images out there – the superb ending in which the undead Templars rise from their watery graves to wreak vengeance.
Otherwise, we're in for business as usual, as the poorly-dubbed actors find themselves at the mercy of the gory ghouls. Speaking of gore, there's only actually one sequence in the movie which offers blood for the sadistic viewer; in it, in which a blonde woman is beheaded and her limbs eaten in a feeding frenzy by the ravenous horde. In the rest of the 'attack' scenes, which resemble a cross between NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD (in the inevitability of the ceaseless, shambling zombies) and Universal horror flicks of the '30s (in the cobwebby, Gothic surroundings), the focus is on atmosphere and it works wonders. De Ossorio builds a real sense of Gothic foreboding and the undead Templars are as eerily effective as ever, their impact highlighted by creepy moaning on the soundtrack and their appearance – think rotting skeletons complete with wispy beards and tattered cloaks.
The casting for this film consists of the usual bunch of actors and actresses who appeared in many '70s horror flicks coming from Spain. Maria Perschy (EXORCISM) was a Naschy regular and provides more glamour than the other hopeless models put together. Manuel de Blas (HUNCHBACK OF THE MORGUE) starred in small roles in countless Spanish movies, whilst this film marked Carlos Lemos' only appearance in a genre flick; playing the meteorologist he comes across as a Spanish Ian McCaskill and is the best actor in the movie. Most notable of all is the instantly recognisable Jack Taylor, a horror veteran who started off by appearing in the Neutron films in Mexico in the early '60s.
THE GHOST GALLEON has a rather dull and derivative storyline, with inane scripting and lots of plot holes wherever you look. It also has some boring moments, especially in the first hour. However, these are countered by the fun elements in the latter half of the movie; although the model ship is rubbishy, the creepy interiors are sound, there are plenty of memorable scenes (including the excellent 'exorcism'), and the film contains one of the most iconic horror images out there – the superb ending in which the undead Templars rise from their watery graves to wreak vengeance.