Night of the Seagulls (1975) User Reviews

The Blind Dead's Creepy Finale

[Witchfinder-General-666 · 7/10 · 23 February 2007]

The fourth installment of Amando De Ossorio's 'Blind Dead' series, "La Noche De Las Gaviotas" aka. "Night Of The Seagulls" is a very creepy Spanish Horror Exploitation flick, and, after the great original, the second best part of the series.

When Dr. Henry Stein (Víctor Petit) and his wife Joan (María Kosti) come to a fishing village in the middle of nowhere, where Henry is to replace the old local doctor, the locals seem hostile and refuse to talk to the young couple. The young couple hear strange noises at night, and after they employ a local girl, Lucy (Sandra Mozarowsky), they begin to find out why the locals are not so keen on talking to strangers. The little village is haunted by the Living Dead. Devil-worshiping Templars, who had been blinded and executed for their evil habit of sacrificing young women and drinking their blood in order to gain eternal life in medieval times, rise from their graves for seven nights every seven years. And the villagers have to pay a horrible price to the blind dead for sparing their village...

"Night Of The Seagulls" is not quite as great as "Lan Noche Del Terror Ciego" aka "Tombs Of The Blind Dead", the first part of the series, but it is definitely a very entertaining horror flick and creepy as hell. The performances are better than in the second and third part, Víctor Petit and María Kosti are good in the leading roles and Sandra Mozarowsky (who was only 16 when this film was made, and who sadly committed suicide at the age of only 18 in 1977) fits into the role of Lucy very well. Amando De Ossorio definitely invented some of the horror cinema's creepiest creatures when he created the Blind Dead, and these evil Templars are once again scary as hell. This fourth installment of the series is, in my opinion, actually the second-creepiest part after the first. The incredibly eerie score was one of the greatest aspects of "Tombs Of The Blind Dead", and since it worked so well with the first one, Amando De Ossorio wisely used it for all of the sequels too. And I couldn't imagine any other score that would fit as well into "Night Of The Seagulls", as this eerie choir, which manages to even intensify the creepiness and suspense. The last part of the "Blind Dead" series, and the second-best to the first, "Night Of The Seagulls" is a creepy and amazing little film that no lover of Eurohorror can afford to miss!

An agreeable conclusion to the series.

[Hey_Sweden · 7/10 · 20 February 2016]

The Spanish zombie film series known as the "Blind Dead" films finishes with this typically well done horror show. The Knights Templar are once again doing what they do best. This time, they haunt the residents of a coastal village for seven nights, every seven years. Beautiful young virgins must be sacrificed for the village to receive some semblance of peace. Into this setting come the intrepid young doctor Henry Stein (Victor Petit) and his lovely wife Joan (Maria Kosty). The locals make it clear that he is not welcome, but he insists on meddling in their business, and naturally comes to regret it.

"The Night of the Seagulls" is good and solid in the best tradition of Euro horror. It's as beautifully atmospheric as the best in the genre. Director Amando de Ossorio, who'd done all the previous entries, is in his element, and he crafts an effectively macabre outing. It's not going to be nearly gory enough for some viewers, but dwelling on the graphic violence is clearly not de Ossorios' priority this time around. It's all about the mood and the style.

One can hardly fail to notice that there is an absence of strong primary colours, therefore the picture doesn't exactly "pop". It's done in a true "black & white film in colour" manner. The music score by Anton Garcia Abril is sometimes repetitive, but overall it's eerie. The admittedly simple story plays like a nightmare come to life.

The acting is generally engaging; Henry and Joan are obviously not the brightest bulbs in the drawer, but they're not unlikable. Both Petit and Kosty are fine. Standing out are Sandra Mozarowsky as the brave Lucy, who's willing to befriend the couple, defy her peers, and divulge as much exposition as she knows, and Jose Antonio Calvo as the much abused town simpleton Teddy, for whom it's not hard to feel sympathy. The Knights Templar are as spooky and hideous as they've ever been.

Well worth watching for genre buffs.

Seven out of 10.

A worthy entry with ample atmosphere, desolated settings n once again the inclusion of the zombie horses.

[Fella_shibby · 6/10 · 7 October 2020]

I saw this for the first time recently. This one is the fourth and final in the Blind Dead series n much better than the previous one. It has good atmosphere, the setting is isolated n creepy, lil nudity n the zombie horses r back once again. The film gets a bit slow but ther is sufficient tension n creepiness.

A doc along with his wife moves into a very desolated n archaic coastal town, where they are met with distrust and hatred from the locals. The couple is unaware that the town's people offer live human beings to the undead Templars who sacrifice the human beings in front of an idol n drink their blood n eat their meat.

When the knights templars weren't dead, they used to check out the boobs before stabbing the victims n aft turning into zombies, old habits die hard.

Amando's mix bag of Templar bones

[amesmonde · 29 May 2011]

A doctor and his wife open his practice in a traditional coastal town, where they are met with distrust and hatred from the locals. The couple soon find out that town harbours an ancient evil - offering resident women for sacrifice to the zombie dead Knights Templar then to be eaten by crabs.

Although only connected by the Knights returning to life Night of the Seagulls (La Noche de las gaviotas) is the fourth and final zombie Templar film from Director /Writer Amando De Ossorio.

Although it takes about 20 minutes for the Knights to rise from their graves in the seaside town, Night of the Seagulls is the faster paced of the bunch. This borrows from H. P Lovecraft, possibly The Shadow Over Innsmouth.

There's more fog, more eerie music and the dreamlike visuals come thick and fast, odd townsfolk, zombie knights on horseback and screaming seagulls. There are fewer leads, the couple and the village girl are adequate enough and there are plenty of worn and old faces on display, Amando De Ossorio throws in the obligatory slow 'village idiot' that is hounded by the community.

Debatably I maybe being to critical here but as a standalone film it works better if you haven't seen the other Blind Dead films, but for those familiar with them it's old trodden ground, a remake of a remake, that's it hard to enjoy fully without fresh eyes.

The dubbing and seventies jumpers aside this last Blind Dead retains it's creepy atmospheric factor and trades the better sets for some character development. Technically it's put together well but the closing act with a siege on the a house has been done and despite some good makeup effects is somewhat anti-climatic. That said, it redeems itself with the church showdown and conclusion.

All in all a mix bag of enjoyable bones.

It doesn't suck like the one before it!

[Bezenby · 6/10 · 8 May 2018]

Here we go again. The Blind Dead return and this time they are holding a coastal village in a grip of terror - demanding a virgin to be chained up on the beach for seven days in a row, every seven years. Why? Don't ask me, and definitely don't ask that nice couple that have just moved in because they've obviously not seen the previous three Blind Dead films. Lucky escape for them when it comes to the third one.

You see the guy is the new doctor in town but the locals don't seem to like him or his wife, right down to plain acting as if they weren't there! The couple find this behaviour rather odd but what I found rather odd was that the new doctor had never checked out the place he and his wife were moving to and instead just turned up one day not knowing anything about the place they were staying in? What these two quickly find is that the villagers are too scared to stand up to the Blind Dead, and that they might be a bit short of virgins, or is that young ladies? When I think about it I'm not quite sure it was virgins they were after. Why am I overthinking this?

You can guess what happens next. With only the help of the odd villager (the village idiot, some young girl) the couple have to escape the clutches of the slow motion underfed Knights, but unlike the previous film, this one piles on the atmosphere. Right from the start these two unsuspecting victims find themselves right in the middle of strangeness, what with the weird villagers and such like. The pacing is much better too, so you won't get too bored.

One funny bit was when they used the Blind Dead's horses to escape, then acted surprised when the horses just went back to the Blind Dead's castle. What did you expect to happen? That's enough Blind Dead. This film holds the distinction of having the longest purchased to watched duration of any DVD in my collection. Must be about twelve years!

Seagulls Sing A Splendid Swan Song!

[Coventry · 7/10 · 16 April 2006]

You certainly can't reproach Amando De Ossorio of being lazy or repetitive, as this fourth & final installment in his terrific "Blind Dead" series is again very different in tone and content than any of the previous three. "Night of the Seagulls" is more mysterious and atmospheric than the other films and De Ossorio also throws in an compelling, albeit unoriginal, outsiders-in-a-closed-community sub plot. Young doctor Henry and his wife Joan arrive in a remote seaside village where they're given a VERY unfriendly reception by the oddly behaving locals. Only the town's nut Teddy and maiden beauty Lucy make acquaintance with the new arrivals and also inform them about the village's inescapable "pact" with the undead Templar Knights. For seven nights every seven years, the villagers have to sacrifice their virgin daughters to these eyeless zombies during a nocturnal ceremony on the beach. Okay granted, the sacrifice element in the story is definitely not new and the Templars are given less screen time than usual, but still this is a genuinely creepy exploitation highlight! You can either begin to sum up all the shortcomings and stupidities in the script (and yes, there are quite a lot of them), or enjoy the tense atmosphere and unique filming locations instead! The very weakest moments of the film – like that horribly lame ending – are somewhat more difficult to forgive, but there's graphic gore and sleaze to make up for that. By the way, did you know that skeletons that are dead for more than six centuries still bleed when you destroy them? Oh yeah, massively even! Throughout filming four similar movies, Amando De Ossorio's directing always remained solid, the choreography was always stylish, the music was always petrifying and the acting performances were always above average! That's definitely praiseworthy, too. Every single entry in the "Blind Dead" saga is highly recommended to every true horror fan.

Final sequel in which the medieval zombies awake again to commit ritual sacrifices

[ma-cortes · 5/10 · 3 July 2010]

Fourth and enjoyable sequel of the Templars dead series . The blind dead Templars return again from the 13th century with this eerie story . The film starts when a couple formed by a doctor ( Victor Petit ) and his wife ( Maria Kosti ) go to a coastal small community where are unfriendly received . Only the village's dumb ( Jose Calvo ) and a young orphan ( Sandra Mozarowsky ) make acquaintance with them . They aware that for seven nights every seven years, the villagers have to sacrifice their virgin daughters to these eyeless dead during a nocturnal ceremony on the beach . Then the priests warriors wake up from the tomb worshipping a strange idol and begin their criminal rampage . Ancient Zombies return of graves causing wreak havoc on the village , horrifying and torturing the rural population . They make a brutal massacre in the little village and the protagonists are surrounded in a house . Meanwhile the starring attempts to save the damsel in disgrace . This third following ,the first sequel was ¨Return of evil dead¨ , from the original ¨Tombs the blind dead¨ also we find the famous blind dead zombies which rise from the tombs 500 years after to wreak havoc upon some beautiful Euro-babes . The zombie-like pack of ancient warriors priest awake and rising from the graves to kill and torture the unfortunate victims . They were condemned and eternally dammed by cult practicing human sacrifices and blinded by crows. They encounter their victims by means of screams and sounds. This is a cheap Spaniard production with lack luster and low budge t. Special effects are ridiculous and embarrassing, absurd and frankly lousy . In the film appears known Spanishtrash actresses as Sandra Mozarowski, Susana Estrada , Julia Saly and Maria Kosti .

This atmospheric horror movie contains scary scenes when appear the living dead Templars . It's the third following of the first great success and immensely popular ¨Tombs of the Blind dead¨ which to be continued by a trilogy : Return of evil dead, Ship of Zombies or Blind dead 2 and this one also titled Blid dead 3 or The night of the sea gulls . The Zombi-like are blinded by crows but they made human sacrifices and were executed and the clergymen return eventually to the life . Good exteriors filmed on seaside outdoors as Tossa De Mar and Ampurias, Girona and interior set in Talamana del Jarama (Madrid) , location in which during the 60s and 70s were filmed several Spanish terror movies . Creepy and frightening music especially when the dead attack is well composed by Anton Garcia Abril, author of the four eerie soundtracks . This lack budget film is regularly directed by Amando De Ossorio but is amusing and entertaining . This is a mediocre attempt to cash of following exhausted medieval warriors saga.

Still Rocking Good

[Tweetienator · 6/10 · 25 October 2021]

Deny all logic you living ones but enjoy the many shades of horror! Night of the Seagulls is the last one of the "quadrohorrorphonia" of the Blind Dead series. If you liked the first entries of this horror franchise you will like this one too. Of course, as the 4th movie in the franchise, it lacks a little of originality but it is still pleasure to watch. Nostalgic horror trip.

Creepy.

[coldwaterpdh · 7/10 · 20 July 2008]

Not sure what exactly it was about "Night of the Seagulls" that makes it stand apart from the other Blind Dead films to me, but it just has an ambiance to it that the other films were missing.

I got the Blind Dead Box Set, which includes a little book that says that "Night of the Seagulls" is regarded as the weakest of the four. So, I went into it a little jaded. Maybe that's why I felt rewarded at the end of this one.

The plot is similar to the other films, but the overall creepiness was just better and more effective. There are a few scenes where the templar dudes are trying to get into houses or chasing people and the tension is thick and very real.

Anyway, I really liked this one. Definitely as good or better than "Tombs of the Blind Dead." 7 out of 10, kids.

La noche de las gaviotas: Ending the franchise with a dud

[Platypuschow · 3/10 · 11 March 2018]

This fourth and finale movie in the Spanish zombie franchise The Blind Dead is sadly the worst one in a series that progressively got worse and worse from the outset.

My ratings were 8, 6, 4 and now a 3 so maybe it's best that the franchise ended when it did.

I really was blown away by the first film, I simply didn't expect to enjoy it as much as I did and gradually became mortified upon realising that this franchise wasn't going to continue with that level of quality.

The first film was original, atmospheric, well paced and genuinely fascinating. Sadly they simply ran out of ideas and it all fell apart.

This fourth movie tells the story of a doctor and his wife who move to a beautiful coastal village only to discover that girls are being sacrificed to the Blind Dead. Though the concept is solid, the delivery falls flat.

You barely see the dead at all, the execution is flacid and it breaks my heart to say it simply isn't very good.

The Blind Dead collection had all the tools to be the stuff of legends but for me will be remembered as squandered potential.

The Good:

Couple of okay ideas

Cast are competent

The Bad:

Novelty is gone

Poorly made

Really quite dull

Things I Learnt From This Movie:

When sacrificing a woman its best to get her boobs out first, because reasons

Dead templars like to give their victims crabs

My favorite horror movie of all time

[quahogq · 10/10 · 25 February 2000]

I can not think of anything bad to say about this movie. It has everything- Goth, zombies, gore, virgin sacrifices, good acting, likeable characters, scares, and fun. If you have not seen this movie you are not leading a complete life! See it now!!!!!

Excellent final entry to the series

[The_Void · 7/10 · 18 April 2006]

The first two Blind Dead films were excellent horror movies, but after the stumble with the third film; I feared that the series may have ran its course. However, inventive director Amando De Ossorio wasn't happy to create a film like the rest of the series, and this fourth instalment; Night of the Seagulls, is wickedly different to any of the other films in the series. The Templar's really do get everywhere, and after their escapades in a small town and aboard a 16th century galleon in the middle of the sea, we find them in a small fishing community. Their mythology has changed again, and they have this little village at their mercy as they rise from the grave for seven days every seven years to claim virgins for sacrifice. We pick up the plot as a doctor and his wife move into town, only to be greeted with a frosty reaction to their presence. Shop keepers won't serve them, and townsfolk don't want to be treated by the doctor - only the village idiot and a beautiful young girl have anything to do with the couple...and what's the deal with the circling flock of seagulls?

The title, Night of the Seagulls, sounds a bit silly; but at least Ossario gives the audience a reason for the choice. The reason is actually quite good, and while overall the film lacks originality; the way that the director pulls elements such as the sacrifices, the seagulls and his own troupe of Blind Dead Templar's together is really well done, and ensures that this is more than merely a third sequel to an obscure Spanish zombie movie. The Templar's themselves don't appear in the movie for very long, but at least they get to ride their horses this time; something severely lacking in the previous instalment. Even during the scenes where the stars of the show aren't present, Ossario keeps the action going with a fairly decent story surrounding the lead characters, and a decrepit and foreboding atmosphere, which is the real star of the show if you ask me. Considering that the Blind Dead series can be aptly described as Eurotrash, it's surprisingly well produced; and this film doesn't disappoint in that respect. Night of the Seagulls may not be one of the best zombie movies ever made; but it's a nice little film and comes highly recommended along with the rest of Ossario's series!

Very Boring

[YankeeDood · 4/10 · 4 May 2004]

I watched this movie after seeing "Zombie Flesh Eater" thinking it would be just as satisfying. Nope. The evil skeletons (Knights Templar) return again, but they always move in slow-motion on horses, a cheap effect. What really bites about this installment is the fact the dialogue is so boring. Plus, I still can't understand what the crabs were all about. Every time a virgin was brought back to the lair, we see slithering crabs around her hair. Did the Knights transform into these crustaceans? I really don't care. This movie is very forgettable. I recommend "Zombie Flesh Eater" instead. The opening coffin scenes are much more eerie...and the skeletons don't have crabs!

"Please, Get Out! We Don't Want You Here!"...

[azathothpwiggins · 9 July 2020]

NIGHT OF THE SEAGULLS is the fourth and final film in Amando de Ossorio's Blind Dead series.

Once again, opening with a flashback to when the Knights Templar were causing trouble while still alive, offering up a human sacrifice. This time it's a bit gorier, and the "crab" scene adds a gross-out factor.

Then, we're brought to modern days, where Dr. Henry Stein (Victor Petit) and his wife Joan (Maria Kosty) have just moved to a new town. Henry is replacing the town's old doctor, who is in a hurry to leave. The Steins have no idea what they've gotten themselves into! Yep, those skeletal Knights are back, and up to no good. Actually, they're pretty scary in this one!

This movie has a more fleshed out story, including a conspiratorial cult thing going on. There's a definite Lovecraft feel to it, especially when we get a look at the Templar's idol. It would be right at home on Cthulhu's knick-knack shelf! SEAGULLS also has a great finale, that just might have been an influence for Sam Raimi's EVIL DEAD. While some people hate it, this movie is the perfect end to the series...

Return to form for the Blind Dead - on dry ground again

[zingbot · 6/10 · 1 August 2006]

The fourth and unfortunately last instalment in the Blind Dead saga marks a return to form after the slack "Ghost Galleon". In this exploitation zombie/vampire movie a young doctor and his wife move to a god forsaken coastal village with very uncooperative townsfolk. The house that the doctor inherits is a real dive and definitely not Blind Dead proof. Soon it becomes apparent that every seven years seven local girls are led to a cliff top to be taken by the evil Templars. The fact that the girls are led up to the cliff by a pack of the ugliest crones imaginable does not help. The new doctor steps in to lend a hand and the usual Blind Dead schenanagans ensue. This is a much better film than "Ghost Galleon" and has some nice tense and gory moments. A good ending marks the end of the series of films, entertaining even when the quality dropped slightly. What is the chance of a remake or even better allow the Templars to ride again in a new instalment? Here's hoping.

eerie and creepy horror flick , what else can you ask for ?

[arbesudecon · 7/10 · 29 July 2010]

Night of the seagulls is my favorite Amando De Ossorio's movie . All the flicks he made about the legend of the templars zombies are pretty decent given the difficulties to surmount to fund and create an horror film in the late 60s early 70s Spanish industry . La noche de las Gaviotas appears as the more credible and well rounded outcome among his creations ( well don't know if we can use the term credible when we are referring to templars zombies) .

Ossorio manages to transmit an eerie and creepy atmosphere throughout the film . All action is located in a remote and isolate village in the Galicia's seaside , whose villagers are encircled by the Blind Dead cult . Sole solution to ease the templars' blood thirst is to offer them young virgin for sacrifice .

A young doctor and his wife arrived there and, obviously they don't seem to agree with local traditions . Villagers don't seem to love foreigners either , so you can expect a tied match

Well , plot might seem a bit dull and won't dare to deny that actually is , but what counts here is the atmosphere Ossorio manages to create a chilly and eerie ambiance , maybe due to the remote localization in which the film was shot but for whatever reason film is actually very effective . Scenes where templar's appears on the beach to regain their victims are pretty well filmed

Effective, but sadly unoriginal

[bensonmum2 · 5/10 · 8 October 2005]

In the fourth movie in the Blind Dead series, the Templars are terrorizing a small village whose inhabitants offer sacrifices of young women on a regular interval to appease the blind dead. It's obvious that de Ossorio had run out of original ideas by the time he made Night of the Seagulls. While many of the scenes are effective, we've seen it all before. The main original idea found in Night of the Seagulls is the virgin sacrifice. But if you've seen enough horror movies, it really wasn't new or creative either.

Among the moments in Night of the Seagulls that stand out to me are the scenes where the people are trapped in the house and the overall feeling I got from the people in the small village. A "people trapped in the house" scene is nothing new. It's been used any number of times. de Ossorio used it effectively in the first two Blind Dead movies. The scene in Night of the Seagulls is comparable to those. As for the feeling I got from the village, it's a depressing place, well filmed by de Ossorio and obviously authentic. You just don't build sets like that.

Night of the Seagulls, unfortunately, also contains the worst moment of any of the Blind Dead movies. The ending is so disappointing. After the masterful finale to Tombs of the Blind Dead and the visually stunning end to The Ghost Galleon, the last scenes in Night of the Seagulls are pathetic. There's a great build-up as our two heroes are chased by the Templars. They seek shelter inside the Templars lair. As the blind dead ghouls move in, the couple turns over a statue destroying the Templars. Roll credits, end of movie. What a letdown.

Lacks the true nastiness and visceral violence of the first two

[christopher-underwood · 6/10 · 16 March 2013]

This, the fourth of the 'Blind Dead' films begins at the beginning with the knights overstepping the mark, being held to account and then they in turn seeking their own revenge. So, good for anyone who has seen none of the others but a bit repetitive otherwise. The shots of the 'Dead' (back on their horses) on the sea shore are impressive as are them clambering though the near derelict village. The setting for the sacrifice up on the cliff top is impressive, but three times? Dialogue is fine and a reasonable story unfolds with a young doctor and his wife come to a desolate village and find themselves unwanted. Along the way we find ourselves exasperated that he or she cannot see they must do this or that, or even why we did he or she do this or that. Bit silly at times, I suppose, I'm saying and this could so easily have been tightened up. The 'Dead' themselves look very good. I thought they would always look better at night but here we have daytime sequences and the effects are still great, particularly against the background of the waves on the beach. Lacks the true nastiness and visceral violence of the first two.

they'll bore you to death

[DanielKing · 3/10 · 5 November 2003]

The fourth and least of the Blind Dead series this is for the most part shoddily directed, scripted and acted. The the performances are flat, some of the dialogue makes no sense, the 'action' non-existent, and the continuity is appalling. In one sequence our heroes flee their house in darkness and are chased along the beach by the Blind Dead in what appears to be broad daylight. And yet De Ossorio still manages to create some atmosphere, particularly in the scenes with the hostile villagers - something of the tension of being an unwanted visitor in a small community has definitely been captured. The Blind Dead look pretty good too, not unlike the Ring Wraiths in Lord of the Rings. Theire familiar slow-motion moving style is quite effective, at least while they're on horseback. However, when they attack the doctor's house in a Straw Dogs/Night of the Living Dead-type sequence they cease to be quite so scary. Overall, I'd suggest you see this only if you've seen the first three, or are a big De Ossorio fan, and then only for sake of completeness.

Very Atmosphereic. Pretty cool

[Jack-Wareing-Films · 7/10 · 30 June 2019]

Maybe it is not the best of the 'Blind Dead' films, but it is actually my favorite of the series for some reason. Maybe because it was the first of the BLIND DEAD series I saw. Amando de Ossorio is my favorite Spanish horror film director from this period for sure. 'Loreley's Grasp' is also a pretty cool film by Amando de Ossorio. Only for fans of the weird, strange, and atmospheric...

"Let's destroy it & put an end to this horror." Rubbishy final instalment of the Blind Dead series of films.

[poolandrews · 4/10 · 25 December 2005]

La Noche de las Gaviotas, or Night of the Seagulls as it's more commonly known amongst English speaking audiences along with other lesser alternate titles like Don't Go Out at Night, Night of the Blood Cult, Night of the Death Cult & The Blind Dead 4, starts during the Middle Ages in a small European coastal village where a weary traveller & his wife have become lost. It's not long before the (still human at this point) Knight Templars show up, kill the guy & kidnap his missus. They take her back to a sacrificial tomb where they cut her heart out & offer it to their god... Jump to 'The Present' & the very same village as the new rural GP Dr. Henry Stein (Victor Petit) & his wife Joan (Maria Kosti) have just arrived in. They encounter very unfriendly locals but decide they must stick it out, they bid the current Doctor (Javier de Rivera) farewell & try to settle in to their new home. Unfortunately the sinister locals don't make things easy, the Stein's witness a young woman named Tilda (Julia Saly) taken away against her will, they hear ringing every night & have to care for the local retard Teddy (Jose Antonio Calvo) whom they beat up. The Stein's hire a young girl named Lucy (Sandra Mozarowsky) whom is also taken & tied to a rock as a sacrificial offering to the Knight Templars who rise from their graves for seven nights every seven years in search of fresh female blood...

This Spanish production was written & directed by Amando de Ossorio & is the fourth, & thus far final, entry in the Blind Dead series of films. La Noche de las Graviotas is yet another film that has been saved from obscurity by a wonderful DVD presentation that it doesn't deserve. The script by Ossorio is totally useless, it's full of the dumbest character's you can imagine, it's repetitive, dull, silly, lacks any sort of exploitation & does nothing to enhance the series. I hate the character's for starters, what's with the retarded guy? When Joan ask's Lucy if she can hear the bells ringing & Lucy says no when they clearly were would that not seem strange to Joan? What about the villagers reaction to the Stein's? I simply don't see any plausible motives for anything or anyone in La Noche de las Graviotas. The seagull thing with the souls of the victims was quite a nice idea but nothing was made of it. People act stupidly & it really started to irritate me, I know it's only a film but a film like La Noche de las Graviotas needs to be at least based in some sort of reality to have any sort of impact & feature even vaguely believable character's. The climax also frustrates with a rushed feel to it, if it was so easy to destroy the Templars why didn't any of the villagers figure it out over the 100's of years they had been sacrificing girls, it only took the Stein's 5 minutes. If thought about the film makes little sense & has limited entertainment value, very disappointing.

Director Ossorio again annoys in the director's chair by constantly using the awful day-for-night process which makes the film look uneven & basically makes nighttime set sequences look like a daytime scene with the brightness turned down. The slow motion & the rotting Knight Templars are still there but they were present in the original Tombs of the Blind Dead (1971) so it's nothing new or radical & proves, to some extent, how samey & unoriginal La Noche de las Graviotas is. Having said that there is a nice atmosphere running throughout the film helped by the great moody locations. The blood & gore is none existent, forget about any great sounding DVD artwork that promise 'uncut' & 'uncensored' & assume this will be gory because this is a very tame film, there is one brief sacrifice at the start, one off screen sacrifice half way through & when the Templars die blood gushes out of their eye sockets, that really is all the gore in La Noche de las Graviotas so don't expect a blood bath. There are a a couple of brief scenes of nudity too but not much.

Technically the film is OK but nothing to shout about, the best thing about it are the locations used. The acting & dubbing are both as poor as each other & that guy who plays the retard, just check the dumb distorted expression out on his face!

La Noche de las Graviotas is a poor film except for some nice atmosphere & one or two decent scenes, nowhere near enough to compensate for the lameness of the rest of it though. For die hard Blind Dead fans only, very disappointing after hearing such good things about it. However, I still can't decide if this is the worst entry in the series or whether that dubious honour goes to The Ghost Galleon (1974).

Simply the best undead story EVER!

[lordzedd-3 · 10/10 · 27 October 2006]

I got to admit I am a big fan of the first three Blind Dead movies, although three has many flaws, it's still pretty damn good. Now comes the last of the series, and in my opinion the best. There are still some character issues and makes you wonder who sent the doctor to that village? But this final answers allot of questions left open in the first three films. Plus it comes to a great climax scene which I will not give away. You'll have to see it to believe it. The dubbing was pretty good, the voice over actors do a good job, they stay loyal to original script without any major changes, that I can tell. I might be wrong on that. A cool movie series has a very cool climax and every one of them is a buried treasure and if you enjoy blind monsters killing naked virgins for they're blood, this is the movie for you. I give it a perfect 10 STARS.

Fantastic, eerie atmosphere

[Groverdox · 7/10 · 10 February 2016]

The last of the Blind Dead films features an absence of the scares the first two provided, but makes up for this with atmosphere by the bucketful. It is creepy as all hell, and dreamlike. A great many Euro- horror films are called such, but this is generally just a polite way of saying they are languid, boring or make no sense - see films from Fulci's mid-career, and some of Jean Rollin's early work for examples of this. Such is not the case with "Night of the Seagulls".

In this Blind Dead offering, a seaside township has struck a bargain of sorts with the sightless spectres that prey on them: they will leave an offering of a young virgin girl (who else?) whenever the Blind Dead leave their tombs. This nefarious arrangement is threatened by the arrival of a doctor and his young wife, who immediately find the township strange and threatening. Only an "idiot", the village fool, reminiscent of the monobrow-having man in Return of the Evil Dead, is willing to help them.

The last Blind Dead film opens with a shockingly violent scene as a girl's still beating heart is ripped from her chest. There is little violence afterwards however. There are some glimpses of bare breasts also, but nothing compared to the generally sleazy nature of Spanish horror ala Naschy and Franco.

Overall, fans of atmospheric horror owe it to themselves to check this movie out.

A weak way to end the series.

[BA_Harrison · 4/10 · 25 March 2009]

A young doctor, Henry Stein (Víctor Petit), and his pretty wife Joan (María Kosty) travel to a remote coastal area to take up residence in a rustic cottage, unaware that a nearby village is being terrorised by zombie Templar knights, who crawl from their tombs every seven years to claim seven female sacrifices over seven successive nights.

The fourth of Amando de Ossorio's blind dead movies, Night of the Seagulls, is perhaps the weakest of the series, suffering from a slow-as-molasses pace, a lack of exploitative content (only two pairs of breasts and very little gore), and a general over-familiarity with the material. Offering very little in the way of new ideas, the film dawdles from one uninspired scene to the next (and in the case of the drawn out 'crab' scenes, almost grinds to a halt) until the disappointing finalé which sees the Stein's escaping an unexciting 'Night of the Living Dead' style siege at their home, destroying the knights soon after by smashing a statue in their castle lair (it's so easy when you know how!).

This lacklustre effort was, unsurprisingly, the last of de Ossorio's films to feature his skeletal Templar zombies, although Euro hack Jess Franco would revive them for one final appearance in Mansion of the Living Dead.

Final instalment of best Spanish horror!

[kevinmeylemans · 7/10 · 25 May 2020]

De Ossorio's Blind Dead horror movie series going out in style with this stunner! The cursed dead templars looking amazing as always. I don't find anything wrong with this last one. It's the same efficient recipe as the previous 3. There's a constant dread with certain dark, creepy atmosphere throughout leading up the final act full of action.. not to be missed for any classic 70's horror fan!