EDITOR’S NOTE: The Vampire’s Coffin was on Chiller Theater on Saturday, September 3, 1966 at 11:20 p.m. and Saturday, July 12, 1969 at 1:00 a.m.

The Vampire’s Coffin is the sequel to El Vampiro, a movie that brought Universal monsters to Mexico and created a new species of vampires.

A graverobber named Manson (Yerye Beirute) has been hired by Dr. Marion to take the coffin of Conde Karol de Lavud (German Robles) back to the hospital, the very place where Marta (Carlos Ancira), the heroine of the first movie, is being nursed back to health by her boyfriend Dr. Enrique (Abel Salazar). As she recovers, he follows her to the theater where she’s working on her dance career, all with the aim of possessing her forever.

How many movies will you see where a vampire makes a wax museum his lair? This one. Beyond having a basement with functional torture implements, Conde Karol de Lavud also has time to act as this movie’s Phantom of the Opera.

Beyond acting in this, Salazar wrote the script with Ramon Obon and Raul Zenteno. Director Fernando Méndez made both of this and the original film.

When this played in the U.S., there was a smiling skull-and-crossbones logo on the posters and lobby cards stating that The Vampire’s Coffin was “Recommended by Young America Horror Club.” This club did not exist and was invented by K. Gordon Murray in a strange shot at selling tickets.

I love the moment that someone puts a mirror up to the vampire’s face, he looks into it and just sees a skull. That’s cinema.

You can watch this on Tubi.