Black Symphony

Alex is a new student to the University of Salamanca, but upon her arrival she and her friends get caught up in a web of mystery surrounding some deaths on campus and that of the legend of the Black Minstrel. They learn that the Black Minstrel is knocking off slack students who aren't taking their learning very seriously. When the Black Minstrel contacts Alex through an internet chat site, she and her friends realise that it's up to them to figure out who's behind the costume and discover the secret of the Black Minstrel.

Again another carbon copy of a teen slasher film that was started by the craze they call "Scream". "Black Serenade" is a Spanish slasher going for that winning mainstream formula of American slashers and you can easily see the influences. The opening death scene has some very recognizable touches of "Scream" about it and the story is similar to "Urban Legend". The killer and their motive might be different, but simply we've been down this path oh so many times before. Hold on, you might think from what I've mentioned so far that I'm going to tear it apart, well actually that's not the case. I thought it was average. Not below. Not above. Just average. I don't know why, but I was slightly amused by it. Maybe it caught me in the right frame of mind. It has its bad moments, but occasionally it offers a surprise or two and the odd inventive kill. The production was more than decent, but sadly it's predictable story telling. The urban legend of the Black Minstrel going around universities and knocking off the bad seeds isn't a bad device. There's even a nice edge of black humour about it. The back-story in the plot is far more engrossing than that of the horny and drug addicted guys and gals dialogues and sleazy interplay. Well, it did deliver on some tawdry action and there's some decent blood letting. One death scene is an almighty mind trip.

The paper thin characters are rather lacklustre ( I thought bad students would be at least interesting) and some look way too old for their parts, but since the material was rather underdeveloped. The performances from the cast were satisfactory I guess. While, the ignorant students are the usual stereotypes, you also got thrown into the mix a pair of hard boiled cops and a priest with a secret. The red herrings amongst these characters are lousily staged, because it's not hard to pick up on who's behind the mask and when it's revealed it's just too contrived. Now the killer's costume looked decent enough and their choose of weapon was one fancy looking knife, in which they loved to film their killings. The director at times slackens off with the pacing and gives us cheap false scares and bluffs, but within these moments he also manages to orchestrate some genuinely, tense set pieces. Such as the chase scene in the town square and the thrilling climax (before that trite ending), but I didn't get the point of the montage, accompanied by a rock song in the mid section. Huh??? It was just laughable!

What else was funny, was the very mediocre computer effects (that goes for the flames and explosions!). The superbly, laced Gothic cathedral and campus setting was well used and the cinematography did a swift enough job. Soundtrack goes for an fair rock/metal approach and the robust score drums in the usual chants to fit into the mood and surroundings. It might be far from inspiring for its field, but we learn that being a bad student doesn't pay off in the long run. But I don't think this (if you can call it a) social commentary and moral will hit it off and change someone's perception on the privilege of education and knowledge.

It might blatantly rip-off other slashers and have many implausible scenarios, but I still found it mildly diverting.

I watch the movie, because I just had to see where it was going. Lucky me I saw it in Spanish, so I did not loose any translation. I have seen each and every one of those actors in some other movie, but can remember where.

About half way though the movie, Alexis Valdez comes out from under the bed of Alex and try to assault her................. I am 7/8 thru the movie,and I can not figure out what was that all about. I keep thinking is Alexis Valdez el Tuno Negro and he will be discover at the end? I do not see the connection of this 5 minute seen. I can only think it is a cheap filler, they need kill some time as well as kill students.

Entertaining but middling ¨Spanish Slasher¨ in which a series killer executes a crime spree at Salamanca University . Students of the university of Salamanca are brutally murdered by a black masked minstrel nicknamed ¨Tuno Negro¨ . As a psychopathic killer infiltrates in the "University Tuna" of Salamanca and chooses his victims via the internet . Alex (Silke) , an architecture student who has recently moved to Salamanca discovers a pattern behind the killings ; it seems as if the murderer strikes regularly after the exams to free the campus from worse students . Relying on the night and the students spree (Jorge Sanz , Patxi Freytez , Sergio Pazos , Javier Veiga) , the "Tuno Negro" commits murders with a simple pattern , as he kills the worst students in each class . The lousy student does not end the course , nor will have the option to repeat it . As murderous tells the following : Nescientia Necat (it is Latin and means "Ignorance kills") . Meanwhile , two police inspectors (Fele Martínez , Enrique Villen) are investigating the weird killings and a strange professor (Eusebio Poncela) discovers an ancient legend from XVI Century dealing with the ¨Tunos Negros¨ who were executed by burning pole .

This exciting , bizarre film contains tension , thriller, drama , mystery , plot twists and shocks , including decent scares with tense terror sequences especially in its final part , in a creepy outcome and including strong sexual scenes between Silke and Fele Martínez . The picture is thrilling and some moment brilliant, but the players are quite mediocre , being plagued by average acting . In addition, the star players at 30 years old , impersonating university students , something that is not believable . The script could have been written a little more credible , especially in the final , in which the disproportion of the situations cause hilarity and little surprise at the ability to overcome the ultimate denouement . Known main actors formed by a Spanish-all-star-cast such as Jorge Sanz , Silke and Fele Martínez give regular performances . Being supported by fine secondary actors such as Enrique Villen as a hardened detective who takes on the case , Eusebio Poncela , Francisco Maestre , Aitor Mazo and Paca Gabaldon , among others . Maribel Verdú only appears in the opening scene, and then the murderer kills her in the first minute of reel . It is almost a fraud , as it would probably has served to include her in the advertisement of the movie . Creepy movie builds taut by showing virtually well staged killings , adequate settings , unsettling score and evocative cinematography . Although is sometimes slow moving , overlong and stagy , however is entertaining for continuous suspense . As trivia I add the followings : when they attempt to save an Universitary girl, Silke passes in front of a cinema which is showing ¨La Niña de Tus Ojos¨ or ¨The girl of your dreams¨(1998), a film starring 'Jorge Sanz , being also produced by Andres Vicente Gomez , and the film is watching Sergio Pazos when is attacked by the killer results to be "Killer Tongue" or ¨Lengua Asesina¨ by Albert Sciamma . Sinister , mysterious atmosphere is nicely photographed by magnificent cameraman Carlos Suarez , and standing out colors with luxurious images . As he photographs splendidly , being highlighting the beauty of Alcala Henares and Salamanca especially, and its marvelous university and cathedral . Suspenseful and frightening soundtrack by Roque Baños heightens the suspense .

This motion picture displaying genuine chills , suspense, dark atmosphere and a twisted finale , being middlingly proceeded by Pedro Barbero and Vicente Martin and turned out to one of the most popular Spanish thrilling movies of the 2.000s and certainly one of the most amusing . By that time , there have been realized several Spanish ¨Slashers¨ imitating to ¨Scream¨ saga , including a lot of young people being murdered , such as : ¨School killer¨ by Carlos Gil with Jacinto Molina , Carlos Fuentes , Zoe Berriatúa , Olivia Molina , ¨El Arte de Morir¨ by Alvaro Fernández Armero with Gustavo Salmeron , Lucia Jimenez and Fele Martínez , ¨Mas De 100 Camaras Velan Por Seguridad¨ by David Alonso with Antonio Hortelano , Laura Manzanedo , Monica Starreado , and ¨No Debes Estar Aquí¨ by Jacobo Rispa with Tristan Ulloa and Pablo Echarri .

Well, supposedly spanish filmmakers are trying to avoid the "american" way of making films, well I guess they missed the point here. Because this film follows exactly all the elements that make american horror films what they are, one minute thrills with some exceptions. The film is rather predictable, the dialogue is awfully ridiculous,but the sex scene was somewhat interesting. The acting on the other hand was not that bad, Fele Martinez once again shows that he is one of the best young actors working in Spain these days, and even though he looks too old for being in college Jorge Sanz does a good job also. The soundtrack of the film is one of the few good elements the film has, and well...the last 15 minutes of the film are flooded by certain touch of dark humor that brings up all that was lost by the first one hour and a half. At the end, what I have to say about Tuno Negro is that, is totally forgettable, but you might as well have a not so bad time if you go see it. It´s up to you.

What a disappointing film! What called my attention to this movie was its plot's main idea (a killer inside a University campus covered by the background context of "Tunas" – an academic celebration which exist in some Latin countries like Spain, Portugal and others from South America). It made me remind a Portuguese film I had watch some years ago called RASGANÇO which had the same plot topic (curiously both movies were produced in 2001!...). As I did like that film and I usually appreciate Spanish cinema too, I decided to give TUNO NEGRO a chance! I regret now! It has nothing to do with what I expected or even to the Portuguese movie I had watch before (except the plot main topic which is the same). While RASGANÇO is quite realistic, having a very "possible to happen" plot and demonstrating how really works the "Praxe" and the "Tunas" concept here in Portugal; TUNO NEGRO is a thriller around the "Tuno Negro" tale, made up with clear Hollywood standards (it follows the typical Hollywood teen slasher, like SCREAM or I KNOW WHAT YOU LAST SUMMER), but ends being just an Hollywood wannabe Spanish little film… It uses the same kind of suspense, chilling, characters, twists, plot's construction, etc; but all in a ripen-off style…quite pathetic isn't it?

I wouldn't even need to mention that comparing both movies I would definitely choose RASGANÇO because it's much more interesting, realistic and doesn't need any rip-off to produce a plot about a serial-killer that commits his crimes covered by the academic context…

TUNO NEGRO was really a disappointment, especially because of the Hollywood wannabe feature! I score it 2/10!