They exist on the Flesh of the Young & Beautiful
Written and Directed by Amando de Ossorio.
AKA
Horror of the Zombies
Ghost Ships of #the blind dead
Horror of the Evil Dead
Ship of Zombies
The Blind Dead 3
Zombie Flesh Eater
Amando de Ossorio’s third Blind Dead film starts at a photoshoot where model Noemi (Bárbara Rey) asks her boss, Lillian (Maria Perschy), about model Kathy (Blanca Estrada) who’s been missing for some days. Noemi is convinced Lillian knows something and threatens to call the police. Lillian tells Noemi that Kathy’s on a special assignment. Noemi agrees to meet Lillian later at a pier and she finds out Kathy’s in a boat as part of a publicity stunt. Howard Tucker (Jack Taylor), a sporting goods magnet, explains they, Kathy and fellow model Lorena Kay (Margarita Merino), are on a major shipping route so they’re bound to be discovered.
At sea on the yacht the models have an encounter with a ghostly ship, a galleon, and Lorena boards it. Kathy remains on the yacht with the radio. Back at the pier Noemi is taken captive. She tries to escape but is recaptured by Sergio (Manuel de Blas), Tucker’s man.
Sergio goes looking for the girls in a helicopter while Tucker and Lillian get the help of Professor Grüber (Carlos Lemos). Professor Grüber tells them that no one who has seen the galleon has survived.
When Lorena doesn’t return Kathy boards the galleon herself.
Tucker organises a rescue party; Tucker, Lillian, Sergio, Professor Grüber and the abducted Noemi; who travel by boat to the mysterious galleon.
On the galleon the revenants begin to rise from their coffins…
Scenes aboard the sixteenth century galleon are wonderfully atmospheric, it’s a great set, and the revenants are as creepy as ever. No revenants on horseback in this one, for obvious reasons – they’re on a ship, but nonetheless we’re treated to the superb imagery we’re accustomed to as Blind Dead fans. There is only a little gore but it’s nicely effective; apparently it’s cut from some versions so make sure you watch the fully uncut version if you can. Music, as in all the Blind Dead films, is by Antón García Abril. The conclusion of The Ghost Galleon is excellent and beautifully shot.
The Ghost Galleon is superb; I’ve read negative reviews, there are always negative reviews, but in my opinion the Blind Dead series is a highlight of 70s horror and worthy of any horror collection. The Blind Dead series is quite unusual in that it doesn’t go rapidly downhill after the first couple of films like some franchises do, not at all, all four films are a triumph; this is clearly because Amando de Ossorio wrote and directed all four.
If you haven’t seen them, start at the beginning and work your way through, you might love them as much as I do.
Other films in the Blind Dead Series:
Tombs of the Blind Dead (1972)
Return of the Evil Dead (1973)
Night of the Seagulls (1975)
