Count Subotai who had previously looked to rid the world of humankind many years previous, looks to do so again and eliminate his enemies so that there will be nobody left to stop him. Such as it is, there is one man who might and to do so he will require full use of his hands as he plays the piano.

For those looking for a decent vampire film, El Mundo de los Vampiros or The World of Vampires in its English translation might sound slightly ridiculous and perhaps in a small way it is and yet despite any perceived silliness, it turns out to be quite a good little horror movie from Mexico. Gone is the sunlight, the stakes and the garlic and in its place is music, certain turns of the key that can both control the undead and be their undoing. Subotai as played by Guillermo Murray wants to kill what remains of the Colman family so that he might continue on his sacred quest and rid the world of the warm-blooded. The only thing standing in his way is pianist Rodolfo Sabre, as portrayed by Mauricio Garces, who had discovered a way to drive vampires mad and thus, rid the world of them.

Directed by Alfonso Corono Blake, the man does an incredible job of making this film as moody and atmospheric as he possibly can. The entire opening sequence, as well as the final scenes, are almost ethereal despite the presence of cheaply-clad vampires dancing and stalking around. Murray is effective as the Count, though he is a little too handsome to be taken seriously. Whether it be Lugosi or Lee or anyone that followed, they always had a bit of an edge to them and Murray is missing that, though he still makes for a great villain when all is said and done, delivering his lines with intensity to be taken far more seriously than he looks. The rest of the vampires and creatures and such were okay and they did the job that was needed but it was very obvious that the film had a budget given the costumes they sported and it was a good thing that they were never focused upon, that reserved for Murray as the lead.

Also making this picture better than it had any right to be would be Silvia Fournier and Erna Marth Bauman, two beautiful ladies who would star as sisters Leonor and Mirta. It would be just their luck that their last name would be Colman, thus making them a target for Count Subotai who catches up to them sooner rather than later. Opposite Subotai is the previously mentioned Garces who plays Rodolfo and they face off after a bit of kidnapping and a lot of vampires, the evil is vanquished and the Colman line lives on, at least partially. While there is a bit of action present, almost everything in this movie is mood. Calm, downbeat, horrific, haunting and perfectly wonderful. Low budget and silly at times it may be but this is how one makes a great vampire film that stands out among the pack.

In some ways, people may find The World of Vampires limited, the script could have been a bit stronger, spent a little more on the costumes and so forth but as a whole, there was a lot to love about this film and for those that enjoy horror or vampires in general, this picture is well-worth seeking out.

3 out of 5