''El fantasma del convento'' (lit. ''The Ghost of the Convent''; American release title: ''The Phantom of the Convent'') is a 1934 Mexican

horror film Horror is a film genre that seeks to elicit fear or disgust in its audience for entertainment purposes. Horror films often explore dark subject matter and may deal with transgressive topics or themes. Broad elements include monsters, apoca ...

directed by

Fernando de Fuentes Fernando de Fuentes Carrau (December 12, 1894 – July 4, 1958) was a Mexican film director, considered a pioneer in the film industry worldwide. He is perhaps best known for directing the films ''El prisionero trece'', ''El compadre Mendoza'', an ...

, who also co-wrote and edited the film.

Plot

Cristina (Marta Roel), the wife of Eduardo (Carlos Villatoro), tries to seduce their friend, Alfonso (Enrique del Campo). One night, they lose their way and are guided by a mysterious stranger to an eerie

monastery A monastery is a building or complex of buildings comprising the domestic quarters and workplaces of monastics, monks or nuns, whether living in communities or alone (hermits). A monastery generally includes a place reserved for prayer which ...

. Over a meal, the old Father Superior (Paco Martinez) tells them the story of a monk who seduced a friend's wife: when he died, the monk could not find peace in death and returned to his cursed cell. Alfonso, about to give in to Cristina's advances, finds the fateful cell and enters it. The sinful monk's mummified corpse gestures towards a book dripping with blood. When the cadaver of Eduardo appears to him as well, Alfonso sinks into a delirium. When he wakes, the trio find out that the monastery has been a ruin for many years and the crypt with the mummified monk has become a tourist attraction. During a final meal in the spectral setting, Cristina accuses Alfonso of cowardice.

Cast

* Enrique del Campo as Alfonso * Marta Roel as Cristina * Carlos Villatoro as Eduardo * Paco Martínez as Padre Prior * Victorio Blanco as Monje

Production

''El fantasma del convento'' was co written and produced by Jorge Pezet and directed by

. Development and production for the film began in 1933. Following the success of ''

La Llorona ''La Llorona'' (; "The Weeping Woman" or "The Wailer") is a Hispanic-American mythical vengeful ghost who is said to roam near bodies of water mourning her children whom she drowned. Origins Early colonial times provided evidence that the lore ...

'' which was based on the legendary spirit of the same name, and was co-written by director Fuentes, the filmmakers quickly decided to follow-up with the film's success with another horror film. The idea for the film came from producer Jorge Pezet. Pezet had recently developed a fascination with the desiccated

mummies A mummy is a dead human or an animal whose soft tissues and organs have been preserved by either intentional or accidental exposure to chemicals, extreme cold, very low humidity, or lack of air, so that the recovered body does not decay furth ...

displayed in Mexico's Museo de El Carmen. Determined to use them for a film, Pezet, along with director Fuentes, and

Juan Bustillo Oro Juan Bustillo Oro (2 June 1904 – 10 June 1989) was a Mexican film director, screenwriter and producer, whose career spanned over 38 years. Among his works there are ''In the Times of Don Porfirio'', ''Here's the Point'', '' Arm in Arm Down the ...

developed a screenplay that featured three young adults who are forced to spend the night at a

only to discover that their hosts were members of the undead. Filming took place on location in a Teotzotlan monastery.

Reception

Unlike 1933's ''La Llorona, El Fantasma del Convento'' was not released to American audiences, though it has amassed a

cult following A cult following refers to a group of fans who are highly dedicated to some person, idea, object, movement, or work, often an artist, in particular a performing artist, or an artwork in some medium. The lattermost is often called a cult classic. ...

in more recent years with its recent availability on

Blu-ray The Blu-ray Disc (BD), often known simply as Blu-ray, is a digital optical disc data storage format. It was invented and developed in 2005 and released on June 20, 2006 worldwide. It is designed to supersede the DVD format, and capable of sto ...

and online purchases, allowing for more reviews to come through to larger audiences. On his website ''Fantastic Movie Musings and Ramblings'', Dave Sindelar called it "one of the best of the Mexican horror movies", praising its striking imagery and use of sound.On IMDb, the film holds a score of 6.9 stars out of 10, resulting in "above average" reviews. On

Rotten Tomatoes Rotten Tomatoes is an American review-aggregation website for film and television. The company was launched in August 1998 by three undergraduate students at the University of California, Berkeley: Senh Duong, Patrick Y. Lee, and Stephen Wang ...

, the film holds a 57% percent score with audiences, while holding a "Fresh" Rating from critics.

Home Video

The film was released on Blu-ray by the Powerhouse Indicator label on March 21, 2022.

References

External links

* * * 1934 horror films 1930s ghost films 1930s supernatural horror films Mexican black-and-white films 1930s Spanish-language films Mexican supernatural horror films Films directed by Fernando de Fuentes Films set in religious buildings and structures Films shot in Mexico Adultery in films Mummy films 1930s Mexican films {{1930s-horror-film-stub