woefully neglected internationally 
for some reason, Mexican horror (particularly from the 1960s through the 1990s) has had a rich and wild history extending far beyond the likes of Santo and company. Sure, a few lucky ones like Night of a Thousand Cats managed to sneak out to drive-ins everywhere, but the vast majority has still flown way under the radar even when English-friendly home video editions came out on DVD. One of the great unsung heroes from the later era is director Rubén Galindo Jr., who turned out a trio of astonishing and highly entertaining genre films between 1985 and 1989 including Cemetery of Terror and the insane Don't Panic. The last of the bunch is Ladrones de tumbas or Grave Robbers, a supernatural slasher film packed with gory special effects and rich atmosphere; a perfect intro to Galindo's style, it's been crying out for a fan following for years and may finally get it courtesy of its welcome Blu-ray release. 
many, many years. In the present day, local lawman Lopez (Almada) cheerfully sends his beloved teenager daughter, Olivia (Bolkan), 
off for an overnight camping trip with her friends in the woods. At the same time, young Manolo (Laguardia) and his buddies are convinced by the bleach-blonde Rebeca (Buenfil) that their recent graveyard-robbing antics are about to pay off because of a huge stash of gold treasure nearby. Six of infiltrate a certain crucial burial ground where Rebeca promptly plunges down a deep subterranean shaft, uncovering the resting place of the Satanist and naturally prompting them to pull out the axe after they stumble onto some of the treasure they've been seeking. Running for their lives, they soon get stuck and draw the ire of Lopez, with the now undead menace running rampant with his huge axe and decimating the local populace including Olivia's pals. Can the survivors find a way to ward off the homicidal terror before it's too late? 
blows and spraying gore effects as heads, hands, hearts, and pretty much everything else roll at some point. The first half hour or so could have easily played as that movie within a movie in Demons, but after that it delivers the slasher goods with great energy and also looks quite 
slick with some beautifully moody nocturnal photography. Great fun all around. 
films could be treat with this level of respect (VCI, take note), the world would be a much better place. 
The DTS-HD MA Spanish mono track also sounds pristine and really shows off that effective, percussive score; optional, newly-translated yellow English subtitles are provided. As with other recent VS releases, a lossy Dolby Digital track is also present. A new audio commentary with the gang at The Hysteria Continues is another upbeat and entertaining hangout with the slasher-savvy gents, with plenty of chat about late '80s horror, Mexican genre films including the work of René Cardona Jr., the debate over whether this really is a slasher movie, visual similarities to Lordi and Friday the 13th Part VII: The New Blood, and the backgrounds of the various performers including the "Mexican Queen of Tik Tok." Then "Unearthing the Past" (19m25s) is an English-language interview with Galindo Jr. (who looks like he must have been ten when he directed this) covering the market demands of the time (with Don't Panic geared for Americans versus the Latin one for this film), the genre directors who influenced him, the personal angle he brought to this story, the challenges of shooting so much at night, the paltry state of local prosthetics, and the efficient production that came in on time and budget.BCI/Eclipse (DVD)
