The Mummies of Guanajuato

1970

Director: Federico Curiel

Starring: Blue Demon, Mil Mascaras, El Santo, Elsa Cardenas, Patricia Ferrer, Jorje Pinguino

One of the best of the Lucha Libre films as well as the single most popular and profitable. It's not hard to understand why as it teams no less than the three most popular masked Mexican wrestlers of all time and pits them against an army of monsters (a creepy, real life tourist attraction come to life) that really hit home with the local population.

As most Lucha Libre fans know, 'The Mummies of Guanajuato' was originally planned and scripted as a two player co-starring Blue Demon and Mil Mascaras. Then just as filming was about to begin, El Santo was brought in and the script was changed to allow him to come in in the final reel and be the main hero. Mil didn't mind this at all as he saw more money being made with this move, but Blue was furious. The bitter rivalry that he and The Man in the Siver Mask shared in the ring finally poured out behind the Silver Screen (though fortunately not in front of it). For the duration of the movie, Blue and Mil were repeatedly defeated by the army of rampaging mummies (even going so far as to have one of them knock Blue out cold and steal his mask and costume so that Blue would mistakenly be blamed for it's crimes; oh, the indignity!) only to play final reel second bananas to Santo who not only fared better fighting the mummies, but is the one who figures out how to ultimately destroy them (always convenient to carry a trio of flame throwing pistols in your car!). It's easy to understand Blue's resentment.

That aside, the film is terrific fun. It may be a slow go in the early reels, but it gets cracking when it needs to. The mummies themselves are merely wrestlers with pull over fright masks, but director Federico Curiel utilizes them for maximum impact and they truly are an intimidating bunch. Said mummies are also helped by a welcomed unpredictable script that allows them to kill off characters that normally would survive in these genre outings which when combined with the fact that they are based on a real life exhibit, must have lead to a genuine feeling of insecurity for first time audiences. The finale in which our heroic trio makes a final stand against the seemingly invincible army of the undead, is perhaps the single most memorable Lucha Libre moment on film. It's a sequence that's aided by a matador-like theme that puncuates the action perfectly (though sadly, it can't take away from the absolutely awful organ theme that's inexplicable used for the opening and closing credits). Speaking of odd music, there is a particularly bizarre mid-film musical number in which Blue and Mil are serenaded by what can only be described as a group of Robin Hoods playing mandolins! Isolate this one sequence and you have a music vid clip that will leave you speechless. 

Despite being incinerated, the Mexican mummy army proved to have great staying power (especially when the box office warrants it) and they returned in several increasingly horrific (and decidedly more adult) sequels. This first entry however, remains the most memorable and the most fun. 

 Rating: 8/10

Curse of the Aztec Mummy

                                                              1957
                                                Director: Rafael Portillo
 Starring: Ramon Gay, Rosa Arenas, Crox Alvarado (aka El Angel), Luis Acevis Castenada

                                                        

Aside from El Santo, there is probably no more iconic a character in Mexican pop cinema than the Aztec Mummy (named 'Popoca'). Though drawing part of it's influence from the Universal Mummy movies of the '40s, the Spanish variation offers more genuine atmosphere and a less romanticized version of the legend. Unlike Kharis from the U.S. version, Popaca was not given eternal life in the hopes of reanimating an Egyptian Princess. Rather he is charged with protecting a breastplate that holds the secret to uncovering a long lost treasure. The more striking difference however lies in the Aztec Mummy's appearance. Unlike Universal's interpretation which usually portrays Kharis bandaged from head to toe, gimpy arm and feet dragging, Popoca is more mobile (though still a bit on the slow side) and dressed in ceremonial gear, making him appear more as an ancient zombified warrior. The face and head offer the mosr eyebrow raising difference. Rather than the expected wrinkled, subdued face with one bad eye and hair matted (glued) down, our Aztec avenger has wild hair and a skull-like visage. This was likely patterened after the actual Mummies of Guanaguato exibit (and later used in a lucha film series of the same name). The resulting appearance is imminantly more satisfying (to me, anyway).

Curse of the Aztec Mummy was the middle film in a trilogy, all released in 1957 (and likely shot back to back to back, by the looks of them). The crux of the story in all three entries was a running battle between opposing scientists, the good Dr. Almada who wishes to prove his theory of reincarnation (or something along that line) and the evil Dr. Krupp who is out to steal the treasure. In this respect, Popoca ultimately becomes the hero of the series as he is the only one who proves able to stop Krupp. Sadly, our too cool looking mummy appears for only roughly fifteen minutes during each of the three pics hour long running time. Each time, he basically shows up at the very end to foil Krupp's plans. It's a shame the filmmakers weren't creative enough to incorporate him into the episodic stories a little better. For this second film, we are "treated" to faux Lucha Libre, El Angel. Similar to Neutron (star of several entertaining faux Lucha films), El Angel is not a true wrestler, but merely an actor posing as one for this film. And it must be said that this is easily the worst and most worthless masked superhero (cough!) in the history of cinema. Despite his initial heroic entrance and apparent strength, time after time we see El Angel get thoroughly trounced by Krupp's cronies (they of the '40's American gangster variety). The sight of a masked hero continually getting beaten to a pulp by a few thugs is really disconcerting. But that's not the worst part, oh no! After being tied and lowered into a snake pit. our 'hero' (cough!!) radios for help from... Dr. Almada's young nephew! Yes, El Angel risks a young boy's well being so that he may be rescued. I kid you not. And then they're BOTH captured! Nice work, Angel... Then follows the most unthinkable indignity of all; once tied, our 'hero' (cough!!!) is unmasked! Of course, the gimmick is that he is revealed to be a family friend who was considered a coward and donned the mask to redeem himself. Me thinks it didn't work out so well. All that's left now is for Popoca to awaken and lay an Aztecian smackdown on Krupp and his stereotypical gangsters (causing one of his men to get a facefull of acid in the process).

Curse of the Aztec Mummy (like the other two in the series) will not appeal to everyone. It's low budget and ultimate lack of mummy action may prove offputting to some. But for couch potatoes looking for something different and amusing to watch (preferably sometime after midnight), it should do the trick.

Incidentally, the third film in the trilogy was Robot vs. the Aztec Mummy. This one featured Krupp creating a freaky 'bot (with a reanimated dead human inside!) to battle our semi-heroic  Popoka. That film was riffed by Mystery Science Theater 3000.

                                                                   ** / ****

Little Red Riding Hood and the Monsters (Caperucita Y Pulgarcito Contra Los Monstruos) (aka Tom Thumb and Little Red Riding Hood)

                                                              1962
                                            Director: Roberto Rodriguez
                   Starring: Maria Garcia, Cesareo Quezadas, Jose Elias Moreno

                                      
Ooooh boy, where do I start with this one? This 1962 release was the third in a series of mind numbingly warped Mexican variations of the Little Red Riding Hood tale. Designed as a musical comedy horror tale for kids, it quickly developed a well deserved reputation as one of the most jaw dropping pieces of screwed up cinema ever made.

Here's the setup, kiddies; The Queen of Badness (who appears to have been inspired by both The Evil Queen in Snow White and the 7 Dwarfs and The Wicked Witch of the West in The Wizard of Oz) has gathered all the monsters in the world. Among them are the Vampire (which looks to have been modeled after John Carradine's Dracula in House of Frankenstein and House of Dracula), Frankenstein's monster, Bluebeard, Carrothead, Father Hurricane, the Siamese Twins and the Killer Robot (the same suit that was used in Robot vs. the Aztec Mummy and also appeared in Ship of Monsters). Their objective is to capture and kill the last two decent humans, Little Red Riding Hood and Tom Thumb. In order to lure them into The Queen's haunted forrest lair, they have captured two of their friends, the Ferocious Wolf and the Red Headed Ogre and are using them as bait.

The above synopsis cannot begin to do justice to the mesmerizing insanity that transpires during it's 85 minute running length. I have seen plenty of whacky films from South of the Border, but nothing to compare to this er, monstrosity. Just the way it opens alone is indescribably insane. The credits play as if it were a full blown horror film. The forboding narration only adds to the uneasiness. Then without skipping a beat, the monsters perform a musical number. The entire film plays like this. It's really quite something to behold.

To add to the madness, this was one of the Mexican fantasy films that was dubbed and imported by the infamous K. Gordan Murray. Murray had previously unleashed other Mexi horror movies as well as a couple of El Santo films (whom he redubbed Samson). Murray's dubbing always seemed like it was being broadcast from another galaxy. Well, K Gordon outdid himself with the Red Riding Hood trilogy by dubbing the many musical numbers that appeared in each film. These numbers were bizarre enough in Spanish, but when dubbed in Murray-English, they produce something approaching an out of body experience. The "highlight" are the numbers performed by Red herself (played by little Maria Garcia). Mr. Murray saw fit to dub her with what sounds like a 50 year old opera singer! It just may be the most disconcerting thing in the entire film (and that says a ton).

One thing that all will likely agree upon is that love it or hate it, there is absolutely nothing else quite like Little Red Riding Hood and the Monsters.

                                                           *** / ****

                                            

Santo and Blue Demon in the World of the Dead (El Mundo de los Muertos)

                                                                1969
                                               Director: Gillberto Martinez
                                            Starring: El Santo, Blue Demon

                                              
This 1969 Lucha Libre feature is an early team up of Santo and Blue Demon, though it could hardly be considered as such as Blue is relegated to little more than cameo status. It wasn't until the 70s where these two would truly obtain Dynamic Duo status. At this stage, Santo was the star and Blue Demon was second banana and in some cases barely that. This angered Blue to no end as he was the superior ring wrestler and openly resented being the under card. To make matters worse, he was often cast as the villain in these earlier pictures. Essentially in films like this one, Blue was the Lucha equivalent of Rodney Dangerfield. In reality, this had more to do with El Santo's status as a living legend among fans so Blue had to grin (or rather grimace) and bare it.

This was another Santo pic that portrays his masked ancestor in Colonial times (something previously shown in Santo vs the Diabolical Axe and Santo vs Baron Brakola). The story centers on Damiana, a 17th Century Devil worshiping witch who has created an army of undead warriors in order to defeat the ancestor of El Santo - the Silver Masked Hero (dressed in Colonial gear yet still with the mask on!). Damiana fails and is burned at the stake along with her warrior creations. Fast forward to present time and Damiana's spirit has taken over the body of a young woman. She revives her undead warrior servants (as wrestlers, of course) and gains possession of a cabalistic dagger and sets off to destroy the descendant of the Silver Masked Hero. Ultimately in order to destroy Damiana, Santo must travel to Hell itself.

Story wise, this is one of the strongest Santo adventures. The early colonial scenes are very well done and quite gripping. The Silver Masked Hero's running battle with Damiana's undead servants in modern times are both excitingly choreographed and unintentionally comical (the pipe organ theme starts and stops as if someone lifted the needle on a phonograph, which is likely how it went down). The final scenes in the Netherworld are eerily effective with constant wailing voices and color tinted film. Alas, there was one giant goof up. At the very climax, the film effectively splices in scenes of flying spirit creatures from the Mario Bava directed Hercules in the Haunted World. We cut back to the new footage and how are the spirit creepies portrayed? By a trio of wrestlers with  shmatas on their heads! Ugh!

You know even with this embarrassing gaffe, El Mundo de los Muertos may still be one of my favorite films featuring the Man in the Silver Mask. The rest of the film is just too good for it to be ruined so easily. Blue Demon fans will be disappointed, but otherwise this is a highly recommended adventure that sadly has yet to be English subtitled for us Spanish language impaired fans.


                                                             *** / ****

Las Vampiras

                                                               1967
                                                Director: Federico Curiel
                            Starring: Mil Mascaras, John Carradine, Maura Monti

                                                            

I remember growing up as a kid in the 70s watching WWF wrestling on Saturdays. We're talking pre Hulkamania times when the champ was Bob Backlund and other characters included Superstar Billy Graham, Bruno Sammartino, Ken Petera, The Wild Samoans etc. One of the occasional stars that caught my eye was a Mexican Wrestler named Mil Mascaras, The Man of a Thousand Masks. True to his name, he wore a different mask with each ring appearance. At the time (being a mere youngin') I knew nothing about  Lucha Libre wrestlers so Mil (both in appearance and wrestling style) was both exotic and entertaining. I also  remember being told by a friend that Mil was a movie star in his home country...

Fast forward many years later and I finally got to see Mil Mascaras; movie star. And WHAT movies! As I mentioned in a previous blog, he along with his predecessors El Santo and Blue Demon have appeared in some of the wackiest, most bizarre flicks ever made. Las Vampiras, Mil's third film made in 1967 is considered his er, best and is certainly one of the most beloved of all Lucha adventures. And this one has a ringer of sorts in the form of John Carradine, playing 'The King of the Vampires" (I guess they weren't allowed to use the name Dracula). And oh boy, does he ever ham it up in the part.

In the film, Drac... I mean the King of Vampires finds himself caged by one of his lovely vampire brides. She is attempting to unseat him as... Queen, I suppose. However, one of her "sisters" objects, wanting to free her jailed king. This leads to a challenge and much of the film (indeed the entire middle section) features the shapely vamps (all wearing matching tight green outfits and small capes) prancing around in a mucho bizarre ritual before squaring off, using torches as weapons. Enter our thousand mask wearing hero to get to the bottom of things...

The word "camp" doesn't begin to describe the bewildering madness that ensues. This, like most Lucha Libre epics really needs to be seen to be disbelieved. And the very sight of the aged Carradine (voice dubbed in Spanish) bellowing and faking madness (it's all part of his plot, you see) while confronting the ever stoic masked Mexican wrestler is a sight you will not soon forget.

Las Vampiras emerges as a heavy duty slice of South of the Border cheeze that makes for perfect 3:00 am viewing. Appropriately, that is the time I found myself writing this review...

                                                       *** / ****

Santo vs las Lobas (Santo vs the She-Wolves)

                                                            1972
                             Director: Jaime Jimenez Pons/ Ruben Galindo
                          Starring: El Santo, Rodolfo de Anda, Gloria Mayo

                                                
This 1972 shocker is one of the most underrated and most atypical of the Santo pictures.

By this point, the Lucha Libre series was in a slow but steady decline, both in quality and audience interest (which of course go hand in hand). This one reflects the period, with it's faint made for T.V. Movie of the Week look. The werewolf makeup is also a hit or miss affair with some of the actors having hardly any lycanthrope makeup at all; as if there was no money left to properly dress them all up which was probably the case. There's also an uneven feel to the story itself. This is likely attributable to the fact that there are two credited directors (rarely a good thing in any type of movie).

Yet despite these flaws, "Santo vs las Lobas" still makes for strangely compelling viewing. This film contains a genuine feeling of horror and dread that cannot be found in any other Santo picture. In other wrestler vs monster films the monsters though always treated seriously, are never actually viewed with any genuine fear (well, not by me anyway). What we have here however, is an actual blood and guts horror film that just happens to feature a masked Mexican wrestler in it. It's almost as if Santo had been displaced in a Paul Naschy feature. The horror elemnts are surprisingly atomospheric and for once, you actually fear for our silver masked hero's safety.

The story concerns the appearance of Lucan and Luba, the king and queen of a satanic werewolf cult that have reappeared with their clan of male and female lycanthropes. Their objective (wait for it) is to conquer the world. Enter Santo, el en Mascarado de Plata who teams with a decendant of a family that once fought off the werewolf invaders to stop them. Added to the danger is that Santo himself was bitten in an early film attack and must defeat Lucan before the coming of the red moon or else he will join the ranks of said beasties.

Incidentally despite the film's title, it is mostly the male wolves that our hero combats.

                                                         *** / ****

                                          

The Champions of Justice (Los Campeones Justicieros)

                                                                1971
                                                  Director: Federico Curiel   
  Starring: Blue Demon, Mil Mascaras, La Sombra Vengadora, El Medico Aesino,  Tinieblas

                                                              
Mexico's Lucha Libre film series truly lives in it's own enclosed little universe. Film after film portrays real life wrestlers as out of ring crime fighters going against assorted vampires, werewolves, zombies, mad scientists, aliens, you name it. If there was an otherworldly menace, you can bet that at some point, a masked Mexican wrestler has combated it. There has never been a film genre quite like these no budget wonders. Try to imagine Ric Flair and/or Hulk Hogan stepping out of the ring (always in character) to lay the smackdown against an army of werewolves bent on destroying us all and using mostly wrestling holds to get the job done (hey, that sounds like a great idea actually!) and you have a vague idea of just how outre these films are.

I have seen dozens of these films and of all of them, this one "Champions of Justice", made in 1970 at the peak of these films' popularity is probably my favorite. It is the Luca Libre version of "The Superfriends" as it teams five of the most popular Masked Mexican Wrestlers as a superhero team. They are led by Blue Demon, Mil Mascaras (the Man of a Thousand Masks), La Sombra Vengadora, El Medico Aesino and Tinieblas. Cocpicuous by his absence is the most famous of all masked wrestlers, El Santo (The Man in the Silver Mask). Unfortunately, Santo was tied up in other projects and couldn't appear in this one. One man who wasn't shedding any tears over this was Blue Demon. Though he and Santo often appeared together on film as a team, offscreen they were fairly bitter rivals with Blue always relegated to second banana status. With Santo out of the way (so to speak), this finally gave Blue leadership status.

The story of this one concerns a mad scientist and his plot to kidnap our heroes' women (who are all in a beauty contest, of course). His way of accomplishing this is by taking his midget wrestler assisstants and atomically enhancing them into Super Midgets, each decked in a red outfit and cape and with a giant "M" on their chests... no, really! The rest of the film consists of a series of kidnappings, chases, battles, more chases, more battles, etc. All this set to a blaring (and wildly inappropriate) jazz soundtrack that only adds to the otherworldly cheeze of the whole spectacle. If you're a fan of this stuff (and honestly, who isn't?) this epic is all you can ask for.

Incredibly, this was followed by a pair of sequels ("Return of the Champions of Justice" and "Triumph of the Champions of Justice") that while not quite as entertaining, actually trump this film in sheer weirdness.

Here's a mid film fight sequence. If this clip doesn't convert you, then nothing will.

                                                     **** / ****