"I've never tasted anything quite like it!"

Bezenby

Cheeky little number involving a bus load of folks hired for some far off job travelling the Spanish countryside when their bus driver has a heart attack and dies. While stashing his body safely in the overhead compartment, they debate whether to head on to their planned destination or stop for the night at the sinister village that's just mysteriously appeared nearby. Being characters in a horror film, they of course choose the village.

Also, being characters in a horror film, they show no surprise whatsoever when they find the village deserted, but the local hotel's bar stuffed with booze, a roaring fire going, and loads of rooms ready to sleep in. They meet another traveller played by Jack Taylor, from every Spanish film ever made including Ghost Galleon, the hilarious Pieces, and ever Jess Franco film that's escaped to torment the public. He's also non-plussed about the deserted village, but he's tickled pink to find a hole in his hotel bedroom wall that allows him to spy on the pretty girl of the bus party.

After one of the bus party is secretly eaten out in public, screaming in agony while no one notices, everyone else gets up in the morning to find the villagers have returned. Turns out they were holding some sort of rave down at the local cemetery. They also serve the travellers a cooked human leg (donated by a reluctant villager) as they don't have any normal meat. As you have figured out the village is full of vampires and the travellers are all on the menu. Problem is, the travellers haven't figured it out yet.

While not overflowing with gore or nudity (although it has a bit of both), this one is quite well paced for a Spanish horror film and has a nice creepy atmosphere throughout. There's a ghostly kid who hangs out with a travelling kid, the countess who seduces one of the bus party, and the whole thing reminded me a bit of Messiah of Evil, what with the entire town turning up and silently descending on the victims. There's also a bit of humour, what with the vampire with axe having to villagers to 'donate' body parts.

As with most Spanish films, I have no idea if this is cut or not…but it's a good 'un

score 7/10

Bezenby 31 August 2016

Reprint: https://www.imdb.com/review/rw3535371/