El buque maldito

**_Ship of ghouls off the coast of Spain_** A sporting goods magnate (Jack Taylor) masterminds a publicity stunt involving two beautiful women set adrift at sea near the shipping lines. When the girls encounter a mysterious centuries-old vessel, the mogul loses contact with them and orchestrates a rescue party. Horror ensues. “The Ghost Galleon” (1974) is titled El buque maldito in Spanish, which translates to “The Cursed Ship.” It comes in the tradition of Hammer flicks like "The Lost Continent" and “The Vengeance of She” (both from 1968), just with a less ambitious story. It would inspire future films such as “The Fog,” “Death Ship” and “Ghost Ship.” This is the least of ’em, however, because the story’s too one-dimensional and slow, which makes the viewing relatively dull. Yet it works up some quality spookiness. It’s basically a haunted house flick using a 15th century Spanish galleon as a substitute for the house. Voluptuous Margarita Merino as Lorena is a short-lived highlight in the feminine department followed by semi-petite Blanca Estrada as Kathy. Maria Persch plays Lillian and was 35 years-old during shooting; she was still quite attractive, but her character is a turn-off, yet not completely (thankfully). This was the third entry in writer/director Amando de Ossorio's Blind Dead collection, which also includes "Tombs of the Blind Dead," "Return of the Evil Dead" and "Night of the Seagulls." You don't need to see these others in order to watch this one; it's a standalone flick. It runs 1 hour, 29 minutes, and was shot in Alicante on the southeast coast of Spain, with studio stuff done in Madrid. GRADE: C+