Grave Robbers (1989) User Reviews

As usual, men should listen more to women

[Amthermandes · 7/10 · 6 May 2023]

As a man, I know my species can be curious, yet reckless and prideful. And this movie does a great job demonstrating it. The guys should have left that axe alone.

This is like "Return of the Living Dead" mixed with "Night of the Demons' and a Mexican version of any "Evil Dead" movie (except for "Army of Darkness." It's pretty good, certainly the best from Ruben Galindo Jr. This would be a great example of a horror "hidden gem."

A bunch of teens or young adults awaken something truly evil, and everybody pays for it. While the dubbing might be off at times, and the effects occasionally appear to be too campy for modern audiences, it's a lot of fun, especially for those who feel that those traits are a postive aspect of the horror ethos.

I gotta say, the movie is far from perfect, but it must be a milestone in Mexican horror cinema. It's fun, not scary to the typical modern horror audience, but it has a lot of charm and uses some fun cinematography effects. And since this came out during an era where horror movies were unpopular in Mexico, I'd say this one was a winner and an influencer of the uprising of Mexican horror, in many ways.

I will say that from what little I've seen from director Ruben Galindo, this would be his masterpiece. It's campy, but the acting isn't bad enough to be distracting. And it's just interesting enough to be entertaining. This movie started broadcasting live on Shudder after a fantastic Joe Bob's Last Drive-In movie feature, and i just kept on watching because it kept my interest long enough. It's not groundbreaking in any way for a typical audience, but for Mexico, it obviously is.

Witness a piece of international horror cinema, do yourself a favor and watch this film. You may not like it as much as I did, but you should appreciate it to some degree.

Very good Mexican slasher/demonic effort.

[insomniac_rod · 7/10 · 18 June 2006]

Now, this is a gory slasher flick! Mexicans really know how to create violent death scenes. Also, the satanic ritual was a great scene. Blood over here, blood over there... this is the kind of Horror/Action flick I dig. The f/x and make up are top notch and are the best feature about the movie. Check out for a guy with his intestines out. Excellent. Expect stabbings, choking, be headings, etc. Now this is a violent slasher flick.

This is a great slasher supernatural flick that deals with the anti-Christ and his upcoming introduction to the world; to stop him, action cinema icon Fernando Almada must stab Satan with a dagger. Sounds easy but not.

The movie has a lot of references to "Evil Dead", "A Nightmare On Elm Street part III", and "Friday the 13th part VII". I really liked the whole satanic book sub-plot because some of it's rituals are (were) real.

The main problem I had with the movie is the cheese factor. Some scenes were really cheap and you can't help but laugh. The sinister atmosphere of the movie is great but it's ruined by the cheesy scenes I mention. The acting is horrid but you couldn't expect a lot from soap opera actors. The best actor here is Fernando Aldama.The man confront ates and beats the demon! Classic scene.

The killer's POV is actually really good and looks like a mix between "Evil Dead" and "Halloween". Too bad that the "monster" or demon is kind of cheesy and looks like one of the executioners from "Prison Of The Dead". Still, it was a cool villain.

Rubèn Galindo took the right influences and contributed a lot to the Mexican slasher cinema. Along with "Don't Panic" this is his best Horror movie so far.

Do yourself a favor and watch "Ladrones de Tumbas" to witness one of the best slasher movies from Mèxico. The ending will leave you asking for more. Excellent diabolical material!

Moody Mexican Chiller

[dperky · 5/10 · 29 December 2020]

A few grave robbers discover a giant tomb filled with valuables and they take what they can, not realizing they've angered the long-dead Satanic killer who's also buried in the tomb. Before long, he's waving around his axe and killing anyone unfortunate enough to cross paths with him.

Grave Robbers starts strong, but it gets repetitive after awhile and the pacing leaves a little bit to be desired. A few good gore effects and some foggy, rain drenched atmosphere goes a long way in keeping this one watchable. It's not terrible, but it's not one that I see myself returning to very often.

Tomb It May Concern...

[azathothpwiggins · 14 July 2022]

GRAVE ROBBERS is about a group of young tomb raiders who dig up a crypt full of gold and precious jewels. Unfortunately for all involved, said grave also happens to contain a Satanic zombie! Unable to resist bringing a curse upon themselves, the fortune hunters endure much madness and grisly death.

This is another great Mexican horror film from Director Ruben Galindo Jr. It was presented on DVD - many years ago- as a double feature with his CEMETERY OF TERROR, which has a similar theme. Galindo deserves more attention for his contributions to the genre. His films are quite enjoyable and just as creepy / gory as his Italian or US contemporaries...

An obscure n hidden supernatural slasher with brutal kills.

[Fella_shibby · 7/10 · 1 October 2020]

I saw this for the first time recently n enjoyed it.

A satanist is tortured by clergymen n later killed by the archbishop. Before dying the satanist warns them that he will return back more stronger n will impregnate a descendant from the archbishop with the antichrist. Centuries later, a group of grave robbers accidentally awakens the satanist thereby causing mayhem n an impending armageddon. The acting, plot n editing is awful but the kills n special effects r noteworthy. Another great aspect is the cinematography. The atmosphere will remind viewers of Amando de Ossorio n his Blind Dead films. The lead actress aint that good looking. In fact the other chicks were much better looking. In the film she is shown as a virgin, no wonder bah it. The fiance of the lead actress is shown as a bulky muscular man n i expected some showdown between him n the hulky demon but alas it is the old cop who does the fighting. Why the demon wasted time in fighting the old cop when it cud have easily killed him n save the ritual time.

Mexican Cinema's take on the Slasher

[gjung01 · 6/10 · 29 March 2006]

I watched this on a Spanish language channel in Orlando, FL back in the early '90s. They did something right with "Ladrones du Tomba" since I watched the entire film and did not speak very much Spanish at the time. It has all the ingredients of an entertaining slasher: cool, low budget Indiana Jones angle with the grave robbers, foolish, reckless teenage characters, a zombie killer with a battle axe and a beautiful "last girl" that has lungs to give even Jamie Lee Curtis a run for her money. It doesn't have a big Hollywood budget and a lot of the night time scenes were dark and murky but it did not skimp on the blood and gore. The latter looks fake at times but this was not unusual for this time period for special effects. LDT is a must for B-horror movie aficionados if you are able to find it.

Gore Mongral Movie Review: Crypt of Terror Double Feature DVD Cemetery of Terror/Grave Robbers

[ChiefGoreMongral · 6/10 · 28 August 2006]

Now the second movie of this set is Grave Robbers (aka Ladones De Tumbas). This film is about a Satanic Monk (catch our theme here Satan) who is trying to "mate" with a virgin to bring about the Anti-Christ. The other Monks find out his plans, put him on a torture rack and slam a big ax into his chest. Before the Monk dies though he vows revenge and states that whoever removes the ax from his chest will awaken his curse. From here a group of Grave Robbers (hince the title) strip the mortuary of its gold and happen to remove the ax from said Satanic Monk.... craziness ensues.

First the bad with this movie, it is alittle slow in the beginning, like Cemetery of Terror, however unlike Cemetery of Terror this movie gets somewhere and delivers some nice gore for the gorehounds as well as a rather cool (though unoriginal) story. This movie is an undiscovered cult film waiting to happen. I was pleased with most of the film despite some of the kills that there were some missed opportunities for more carnage, what can I say I'm a bit of a nitpicker here.

Now I gripped about some of the kills but not all as this film has some nice set pieces and a rather cool killer concept that would have been cool to see in some sequels. Just to name a few we get a decapitation, severed arm with shooting blood from its stump, several ax bludgeonings and an arm ripping out of a man's stomach displaying his inures (which was a nice gore set piece by the way). All in all some nice stuff here as well as some nice sets for this movie as well.

In closing this film will please most B Movie and Slasher fans as there is a nice amount of gruel on display. Even though it has its tendencies to drag at parts for me it never did enough to make me lose interest. With a cool killer and some nice scenes of bloodshed I give Grave Robbers: 6/10: Above Average, another Cult Flick to definitely check out.

The disk by Deimos Entertainment (BCI Eclipse) seems to have done a nice job on the transfers. Though grainy and obvious film damage is present (especially on Cemetery of Terror) they seem to have done a nice job of bring this hard to find movie combo to us. I'm not sure of Mexico's film preservation but I know it probably is not as extensive as ours. Anyway my real major grip would be that the movies are standard format and not widescreen which kind of sucks. Heck I wont complain though as I would never have got the chance to check these out probably otherwise. Also the fact that the flipper disc can be purchased for less than 10 dollars you really cannot go wrong here!!! Thats it for now and just remember if you ever find a dead body on your travels while robbing from the dead that has an ax in it's chest listen to your psychic girlfriend and do not pull it out!!! Head on over to Cemetery of Terror to see my other review for this flipper disk from BCI Eclipse

Good premise, costumes, atmosphere, and gore - but TERRIBLE writing.

[WisdomsHammer · 4/10 · 8 October 2022]

For the most part, this story follows a group of teenage grave robbers who rob the wrong grave this time. From there on, it's just watching them and everyone around them get picked off, as you would expect, but in ways you might not. The variety of ways that people meet their demise was kind of refreshing. But watching the main characters consistently do things that make absolutely no sense is maddening.

Examples: They tie off a rope to lower themselves into the crypt, then don't use the rope. They never run away when they're able to. They waste time doing nothing when they should be starting the car, running away, etc. Oh, and the cars never start when you need them to, of course. It's the epitome of lazy writing.

I get it. It's just a dumb horror movie. But c'mon, man, make an effort.

If you're okay with terrible writing and no real story to speak of, and makeup effects that get worse as the movie goes on, I guess you'll be alright. For the rest of you, this is gonna be a little rough in parts. Good luck.

More Screams and Blood than any Friday the 13th flick

[alvinllo · 9/10 · 16 July 2005]

First let me say the video cover does NOT do justice to this horror flick, plus it is advertised as action! So if you come across this one and are a fan of slashers, pick it up and rent it.

Some years ago an evil monk tried to sacrifice a village woman, but the other monks stop him before he can finish. Fast-forward to current times, a bunch of young grave robbers make their way to the evil monk's crypt, they steal some jewels and take an ax off his body resurrecting him. Meanwhile in town, the sheriff's daughter is leaving for the woods for a weekend with her girlfriends.

Forty minutes into the movie, all hell breaks loose as the evil monk chops his way through most of the cast. No one is safe as body parts are chopped off. The last 30 minutes are pure non-stop mayhem.

There is no nudity, just Edna Bolkan in her underwear. But plenty of screams and blood.

Erika Buenfil makes this worth seeing

[charliebuenfil · 6/10 · 3 April 2009]

The only reason i bought this was because Erika Buenfil starred in it. Besides the DVD double feature with cementerio del terror was so cheap $5. It was better than expected!!!! The cast was mostly good including Buenfil, Almada and Edna Bolkan. Its also fun to recognze so many actors from that era. Its a shame that most them didn't make it big into the 90s, much less the 00s. The only ones that continue with a visible career are Erika buenfil, who was already a big star and probably this was beneath her status at the time. Ernesto Laguardia was coming up big at the time and he is still around. The only one i hated was the ugly Andrea Legarreta!! who never made it big in soaps or movies, but somehow has managed longetivity as TV presenter. Back to the movie, It was actually very entertaining and it kept you wanting to see more, as oppossed to other cheap horror flicks that are just awful. This one is better than Cementerio del Terror. The DVD transfer was good also. It played very well on my flat screen.

Nope.

[bombersflyup · 2/10 · 5 October 2020]

Grave Robbers is a Mexican heist turn slasher film, which could have been cool, but isn't.

The plot and setting ain't bad, needed better writing and casting though, because the characters aren't likable and 50% of the dialogue's screaming. No, no, no, no! The ratings and reviews are of absurdly high praise, but it's mostly just annoying.

The best Slasher Film from Mexico from the 1990's!!!!!

[JimSthers · 10/10 · 9 September 2001]

This movie is populated by gorgeous women, young men, extremely gory effects, good acting. I just love it. In this movie 3 grave robbers and their girlfriends steal the jewels from a serial killer/zombie and after that its nothing but mayhem as this zombie kills, kills and kills. This has a large body count and you actually see the victims getting the classic ax inthe head, head choppings, limbs chopping, guts scquashed out with a bare hand, etc... I highly reccommend this gem.

Odd type of Mexican horror movie that I have seen.

[HorrorDisasterGuy-90617 · 5/10 · 12 October 2023]

The story have a interesting idea of a undead Satanist who sets out to bring Armageddon by impregnated a virgin with the Antichrist, but the execution of the movie is a complete mess. I feel like most of the movie spends a lot of time on the group of grave robbers who is robbing the basement and it feels like it drags on a little bit too long. Also a couple of scenes could be easily cut out because some of it feels like it happens to quickly. And the movie gets pretty strange with the killer supernatural powers that he rarely use.

I do think the movie does a pretty good job on building up the suspense in the atmosphere with the killer arrival. And I found the climax to be pretty enjoyable and suspenseful.

Mexican grue.

[HumanoidOfFlesh · 8/10 · 20 January 2010]

Ruben Galindo's "Grave Robbers" tells the tale of an undead axe-wielding Satanist brought back by young grave robbers.An undead satanic priest is released from his chains of death.And he is thirsty for blood!The gore flows freely as hatchet wielding zombie butchers his victims.Atmospheric and pulpy Mexican shocker with plenty of blood and several very gory death scenes.The hooded monk is a pretty creepy killer who truly enjoys spilling blood for example a face is shoved into a metal railing and a hand is bursting through a terrified grave robber's stomach."Grave Robbers" is a highly entertaining and fast-paced slasher flick with cob-webs,old abandoned houses and spooky graves.8 out of 10.

VIVA MEXICO!

[BandSAboutMovies · 10/10 · 25 June 2020]

I am a complete fanboy for Ruben Galindo Jr. who made Don't Panic and Cemetery of Terror. I've never been let down by any of his films so far and I am getting the idea that I may never be disappointed by them after reading the description of this film on IMDB - "Teenagers accidentally resurrect a Satanic killer who targets the local police captain's daughter to birth the Antichrist."

It's like people are making the exact movies I want right now, except they made them in Mexico 31 years ago.

Like all great Satanic movies - I'm looking at you Black Sunday and Evilspeak - this movie starts in the past, as the executioner of the Mexican town of San Ramon throws in with the devil instead of God, assaults a virgin and battles the other monks of his order before he's stopped with an axe right to the chest. He then says, "Some day someone will come and wrench the ax out. Then I'll return with more power to father Satan's son in one of your descendants."

If you're not all in, get out.

That descendent is Olivia, the lovely young daughter of Captain Lopez and she is the lone virgin amongst her slasher victim friends. Woe be to them, as they're camping next to a cemetery that's beset by - get this - grave robbers. That foursome includes Manolo, his psychic girlfriend Rebeca (trust me, Mexican films are not content to stay within one genre, they're going to toss in every ingredient) Armando and Diana.

You may wonder if they're about to find an abandoned church and tear the axe out of the body of the villain, setting this all in motion. Wonder no more. And when the first villagers die, of course the grave robbers are blamed by Olivia's dad. So he does what any real cop would: he tells them to go find the axe killer themselves. Yes, two people are dead, they've been blamed and he asks them to be junior detectives.

I love this movie.

Nearly everyone dies - by axe, by magic, by getting mashed into a pulp, bye bye and adios - until a priest explains that a Satanic idol and the axe itself, not to mention a whole bunch of TNT, are what it takes to kill off the executioner. This being Mexico, the action is intercut with Padre Jeronimo conducting a midnight mass while the cop uses a machine gun to continually blast the undead killer.

This may not be the best movie I've ever seen, but it's edging closer to that space every time I watch it, just by sheer force of will and my belief that if Fulci lived in Mexico, this is the kind of lunacy that he'd have made. As Mexican Nicholas Cage might say, " Eso es un gran elogio."

The reviews are right!

[clk264-649-716463 · 8/10 · 21 September 2022]

I've been wanting to watch "grave robbers" for a long time now. I haven't been able to find it anywhere streaming, and, the local rental place near me doesn't have it. Finally, Shudder has started streaming Ruben Galindo Jr.'s classic slasher film which, on IMDb's plot outline, is exactly what it is.

If you love 80's slasher films, gore and an extremely 80's plot, this is for YOU: A group of teenagers that are up to no good decide to go for a drinking party at the local graveyard only to resurrect a satanic demon that is hell-bent (pun intended) on taking the sheriff's virginal daughter so that she can give birth to the antichrist himself!

Hands, heads and bibles will roll!

Personally, I love films like this. I've always had a soft spot for them when I was a kid growing up because I remember seeing the boxes of these when we would go to rent movies. They've always intrigued me, especially the storylines, and, the fact that somebody sat down thought this was a pretty decent idea I would make them some money, wrote it out, and then another person thought it was such a great idea that they put money behind it.

My only complaint is that there's no nudity (as this would make it perfectly cliché). I'm not sure if there was something going on in Mexico at the time with nudity in films or if Ruben himself axed it.

You'll love this movie either way!

A good'n'gruesome Mexican horror splatter flick

[Woodyanders · 8/10 · 15 May 2007]

An evil Satanist gets put to death by a group of monks for worshiping the Devil. One hundred years later a bunch of brash teenagers break into his crypt to plunder it for valuable gold and jewelry. One of the kids foolishly removes the axe in the Satanist's chest which killed him. The Satanist comes back to life as a vicious unstoppable zombie and embarks on a ferocious murderous spree. Director/co-writer Ruben Galindo Jr. does an expert job of creating both a truly nerve-wracking sense of absolute unsparing dread and an equally tasty creepy flesh-crawling midnight-in-the-graveyard gloom-doom atmosphere. Better still, Galindo Jr. really pours on the unflinchingly harsh and graphic violence with lip-smacking aplomb; gory splatter highlights include a bloody throat slicing, an axe to the forehead, a drowning, a neck snapping, a juicy decapitation, a fist punched through a man's stomach, and a head smashed through an iron gate. The ceaseless brisk pace never lets up for a minute, reaching an exciting fever pitch at the picture's rousing conclusion. Antonio de Anda's vivid, polished cinematography, the spooky, rattling, rocking score by Jon Michael Bischof, Rene Castillo and Ricardo Galindo, the enthusiastic acting from an engagingly eager cast, and the flavorsome south-of-the-border setting further enhance the overall solid quality of this strong and satisfying Mexican supernatural slasher winner.

Great Mexican slasher film.

[jp_91 · 10/10 · 29 October 2021]

"Ladrones de tumbas" is one of the best Mexican horror films of the '80s, inspired by several American slasher films such as "Halloween", "Friday the 13th" and "A Nightmare on Elm Street", the result is favorable. The cinematography and filming locations provide a gloomy atmosphere, the prosthetic makeup is excellent and gory, the film features two final girls: Erika Buenfil and Edna Bolkan, who provide good performances. A great horror movie of the slasher subgenre made in Mexico.

Your average slasher

[Insomniac_moviefan · 2 November 2002]

Yeah, it's not a movie that changed the genre or something, but it shows that Mexicans can get into this genre! When the slasher genre was about to die in the early 90's, Mexicans tried to get into this field. And it had a decent success considering that horror movies weren't very popular at that time. "LADRONES DE TUMBAS" has the elements that are required to make a slasher : plenty of gore, creepy settings, a demonic killer, and of course hot girls.

The acting is quite good, featuring Mexican leyend Mario Aldama, and a gorgeous Erika Buenfil among others.

There's not much to say about this movie, but sure it worths 2 bucks for a rental. This is an enjoyable film, but don't expect too much. The creepy ending is very good!