User reviews

I've not seen many Mexican horror movies, although as a youngster stills printed in Famous Monsters only added to my excitement. I understand that this movie is an edited cut down of the final three episodes of a twelve part serial. All right it's very talky, but there's some very nice use of shadows and a fairly exciting climax, in fact I would like to see the remaining features edited from this serial!

1959's "The Blood of Nostradamus" marked the finale to the quartet of films starring Mexico's most famous vampire actor German Robles, preceded by "The Curse of Nostradamus," "The Monsters Demolisher" and "The Genie of Darkness." The narrative running through them all is that Nostradamus is the undead son of the original 15th century French seer, conducting a reign of terror against an elderly professor belonging to a society of non believers. Unlike his clean shaven Count Lavud from "The Vampire" ("El Vampiro") and "The Vampire's Coffin," the actor's Nostradamus cuts a dapper, striking figure in his goatee and homburg, and there's a measure of fun to be had whenever he's on screen, but the less said about his hunchback assistant the better, K. Gordon Murray's decision to use the dumbest, most grating voice possible destroying much of the atmosphere from every sequence in the crypt. Seeking vindication for his illustrious ancestor by proving his supernatural powers to the professor only results in everyone out to get the old bat, believing that by removing the ashes of his ancestors from his coffin they ensure his demise at sunrise, only to find that the ashes belonged to someone else that the vampire had killed. Like previous entries the choppy storyline is split into several parts, the chief of police targeted by Nostradamus, who needs only the darkness of an eclipse to ensure success, then a singer in an adult cabaret actually suffers the vampire's bite as witnessed by the professor's daughter, the next to die also resulting in the hunchback falling to his death. The final portion lurches into science fiction, a combination of power cells electromagnetically producing sonic waves that disable Nostradamus, but not before he drives the citizens on an all out assault on the laboratory to destroy both the professor and his work. The vampire is able to escape his adversaries in bat form but finally meets his doom at the end of the sword cane belonging to his deceased enemy Igor, which was used to destroy a zombie/vampire servant at the conclusion of "The Monsters Demolisher" (played by Jack Taylor, his back broken in "The Genie of Darkness" by the hunchback wearing a Bob Denver/Gilligan sailors cap). Certainly the end was a long time in coming if indeed it was intended as a 12 chapter serial, later refuted by Robles, and also the longest of the entire series at 83 minutes. Most viewers opine that this is the weakest of the four but that's a matter of conjecture, none are truly outstanding and for the most part Nostradamus doesn't get much to do besides make pronouncements like his real life namesake, but Robles cemented his reputation as one of the screen's most indelible vampires, never to play another due to the shady nature of these productions (he does turn up in "The Brainiac" and "The Living Head," however). One misses Jack Taylor, yet it's a genuine surprise that his character laid the groundwork to finally dispose of the pesky bloodsucker, while Domingo Soler as the dogged old professor died in June 1961, well before any of these features finally saw release.

Aye caramba this is the fourth and last movie in the Nostradamus series.While the other three move along a little better and have their moments this one is tedious.It should have been called Boredom Of Nostradamus.

Nostradamus vows to kill the police chief.For once we should help because this guy is a stone jerk.He gathers all of his men to spend the night at the station to keep him alive.Well they do and he survives the night.They get rip roaring drunk and a solar eclipse occurs.This allows Nostradamus to sneak in and convince the man one of his men is going to kill him.There is a shoot out and the top cop bites the big burrito.

Nostradamus then targets an actress to be killed.Professor Dolan's daughter witnesses the murder.The vampire is about to put the bite on her when Tony (Dolan's assistant) shoos him away.

The vampire gets angry and targets one of Dolan's friends to die.The man hides out in a church which keeps Nostradamus from locating him.Leo the hunchback finds him and kills him.Tony blows away the hunchback.This really angers Nostradamus.He discredits the professor to the point where the villagers drag him from his home and are fixing to burn him at the stake.

Will Nostradamus win?Will the professor be burned alive?If so, how done would you like the ribs?Will you even be awake to care?