Don't listen to the Hype. It's awful

Although it has its amusing moments, in eneral the plot does not convince.

The plot isn't so bad, but the pace of storytelling is too slow which makes people bored. Certain moments are so obvious and unnecessary for the main plot. I would've fast-forwarded those moments if it was an online streaming. The ending looks like implying a sequel, not sure if this movie will get one

Actress is magnificent and exudes a hypnotic screen presence in this affecting drama.

I couldn't think of a place more far-removed from the dreary streets, Gothic cathedrals, stone gargoyles and misty back-alleys that have come to be associated the Gothic horror sub-genre, than Mexico. Yet here we have a pure Gothic story told in the most traditional of ways. Fernando Mendez throws everything and the kitchen sink in the mix, from disfigured monsters and a madhouse to spectral ghosts and atheistic scientists and I'm happy to report that it works far better than one would expect from a Mexican b-movie without it becoming picturesque or unintentionally comedic. The only fault that I find with Misterios de Ultratumba (other than failing to deliver promised black pits) is that it doesn't try to push the envelope. It's content to be a very traditional Gothic horror picture with a simplistic story. If it weren't for some impressive stylistic flourishes (like the gallows scene for instance) and the creepy atmosphere, one could be forgiven for totally dismissing it as a "seen-better" case. As it is, fans of 30's Universal horror and Hammer from around the same time will probably like it.

The US release of this film was called "The Black Pit of Dr M." and was brought to the US (along with several other great Mexican horror classics) from Mexico by B movie maven, K Gordon Murray. As far as I am concerned this film is one of the absolute treasures of Mexican Cinema. How often would you hear that about a Horror film? Fernando Mendez's great horror masterpiece is so rich in atmosphere and boasts such beautiful, Gothic "mise en scene" that it looks like a true Gothic fairy tale painting has been struck right on the screen. I've seen scores of classic horror films and I have yet to see one that matches the almost over-the-top lush style and atmosphere that Mendez has created here. The setting is an old Hacienda, shrouded in mist, filled with exotic plants and photographed with such care it is almost mesmerizing to see. This Hacienda is an insane asylum headed up by Dr. M. When a spirit conjurer is called in to resurrect the life of a man who was wrongly executed, vengeance, murder and mayhem from beyond the grave ensues. A wonderful, supernatural tale, told in a lyrical yet almost surreal fashion combined with unrelenting, spooky visuals makes this greatly under-appreciated film an absolute must see.

I remember years ago, I saw this movie at a drive-in in Portland, Oregon. However, I thought the title then was "The Black Pit of Dr. X," and it was in English. I remember the part where the disfigured doctor returns from the grave and starts to play his violin. At that point I left the theater. Ever since, I've wanted to see it again to know how it ends. So there was at one time a print of this movie in English. Whether it is available now is another question. If anyone knows of an available copy (in English or Spanish), I would be interested in checking it out. I would also be interested to know if anyone has seen it recently (within the last few years) and where he/she saw it. Thank you.

Movies and TV from the Buffy show all the way back to 1960 have been ripping off the dig-myself-out-of-the-grave scene, evidently begun with this film (correct me if I'm wrong). The idea could be as old as Poe but it's this film which, in my history, succeeds with the definitive version. As mentioned earlier, two doctors in charge of an asylum agree to contact the one living, should the other die first. The theme played on the violin by Dr. M is recapitulated at different plot points in a way that earlier audiences would recall from opera.