THE MEXICAN FILM BULLETIN VOLUME 23 NO. 3 September 2017

The Mexican Film Bulletin

Volume 23 Number 3 (September 2017)

[Personal note: several decades ago, I visited the Second Story Books bookstore outside Washington DC Obituaries and purchased a stack of issues of “La semana el en Even given our quarterly schedule which tends to cine,” a publication edited by Emilio García Riera in the compress events of a long period of time into each early 1960s. I was surprised to discover that these were issue, there are far too many obituaries in this MFB, apparently copies that had belonged to José Luis Cuevas, with more than a dozen members of el mundo del since his name and address was typed in the subscriber’s espectáculo passing away over the past several box! How they got to Washington DC 20 years later, I’ll months. never know.]   José Luis Cuevas Gerardo Gallardo José Luis Cuevas, one of the most famous “modern” Comic actor Gerardo Gallardo died on 25 July 2017 Mexican artists of the 20th as the result of complications after a fall. Gallardo was century, died on 3 July born in September 1967 and 2017; he was 83 years old. began appearing in films and Cuevas, born in Mexico on television in the early City in February 1934, 1990s. His film & videohome became known as part of credits include Piedras the Generación de la verdes, Espiritus, and at least Ruptura, a movement that 3 pictures directed by Víctor rebelled against the Manuel Castro: Borrachas de famous muralists like pulquería, Mi novia ya no es Rivera, Alfaro Siquieros Virginia, and Usted decide si and Orozco. se embaraza. He also worked Cuevas was a self-taught painter, cartoonist, sculptor, in telenovelas and comedy series, like Carita de angel, and writer. He is credited with nicknaming the “arty” La dueña, Derbez en cuando, and Desde gayola, in section of Colonia Juárez the Zona Rosa in the 1960s. which Gallardo played scruffy “Chef Ornica.” Cuevas, although not a member of the “Nuevo Cine”  group of the 1960s, was friends with many of its Luis Gimeno members and made a number of cameo appearances in Actor Luis Gimeno passed away in Mexico City on films of the era that were created by artistic and 24 July 2017 of heart failure; he was 90 years old. intellectual filmmakers. These included Los dos Elenas Gimeno was born in (dir. José Luis Ibáñez, written by Carlos Fuentes), En Montevideo, Uruguay in este pueblo no hay ladrones (dir. Alberto Isaac, also February 1927 and began featuring Juan Rulfo, Abel Quezada, Luis Buñuel, Arturo acting in Mexico in the Ripstein, Ernest García Cabral and Carlos Monsiváis), 1960s. The majority of his La muerte es work as a performer puntual (dir. occurred on television and Sergio Véjar), the stage; his telenovela and Los amigos (dir. television credits included Ícaro Cisneros), Alcanzar una estrella, El Las visitaciones vuelo del águila, La dueña and Amarte es mi pecado. He del Diablo (dir. gained fame in Mexico for a long-running series of Arturo Ripstein, commercials for a detergent. Gimeno appeared in a with Carlos relatively small number of films in the 1960s and 1970s, Monsiváis), and Los días del amor (dir. Alberto Isaac). including Una canción para recordar, El amor y esas José Luis Cuevas is survived by his widow and three cosas, Juegos de alcoba, El encuentro de un hombre children of his first marriage. solo, and Los amantes fríos.

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Luis Gimeno retired from acting in 2011 due to ill- Princesa: la verdadera historia (shot in 2015), his final health. He is survived by 5 children and 12 motion picture role. grandchildren.   Antonio Medellín Alicia Juárez Actor Antonio Medellín died on 18 June 2017 in Singer and actress Alicia Juárez died in Guanajuato of Mexico City; he was 73 years old (some sources cite 75). a heart attack on 26 August 2017; she was 67 years of Medellín, born in Mexico age. Alicia López City in April 1934, began Palazuelos was born in acting professionally in the Jalisco in July 1950 but early 1960s. He was best- grew up in Oxnard, known for his telenovela California. Juárez was the roles, eventually appearing in third and last wife of more than 50 of these famous singer/composer episodic series, including José Alfredo Jiménez, 24 “María la del barrio,” “ La years her senior. They antorcha encendida,” and his appeared together in La last, “Tres veces Ana” (2016). loca de los milagros, made shortly before the death of Medellín’s film credits include Las troyanas (a filmed Jiménez in 1973. Juárez made 8 additional film version of a stage production), Su excelencia (with appearances over the next decade, mostly in rural action Cantinflas), Blue Demon: Destructor de espías, films: Juan Armenta el repatriado, Traigo la sangre Pubertinaje, Aquel famoso Remington, Nos traicionará caliente, La sotana del reo, La mafia de la frontera, El el presidente? and El hijo de Lamberto Quintero. Siete Vidas, El Charro del Misterio, La cosecha de  mujeres, and Tijuana caliente. She continued to perform as a singer prior to her death. She is survived by her Erika Mireles Actress and voice artist Erika Mireles died in San widower and several grown children.  Miguel de Allende, Guanajuato, on 18 July 2017. Erika Rodríguez Mireles worked in Héctor Lechuga a handful of films in the Comic actor Héctor Lechuga died on 17 July 2017; he 1970s, including La casta had been suffering from Alzheimer’s disease. Héctor divina, Las poquianchis, and Octavio Lechuga Rojas was born in Veracruz in either Canoa, but spent the last 20 1925 or 1927 (sources differ). He began acting on years of her life primarily as a television in the early 1950s, but gained fame in the voice actor. Among her roles 1960s and 1970s for were “Patty” and “Selma” on shows like “Chucherías” “The Simpsons,” and “Doña and “Ensalada de locos,” Clotilde” in the animated version of “El Chavo.” She working with Chucho also dubbed dialogue for numerous imported live-action Salinas, Loco Valdés, TV shows and films. and Alejandro Suárez,  among others. Lechuga’s comedy took Jeanne Moreau a political turn later, so French actress Jeanne Moreau died on 28 July 2017 in much so that his Paris; she was 89 years old. Moreau was born in Paris in program “Cotorreando la January 1928, and became a noticia” was taken off popular stage and screen the air, allegedly at the actress in the 1950s. Her request of the career continued well into the government. Lechuga 2010s and also included continued to work in television, radio, and on the stage directorial credits on two for most of the rest of his life. feature films. Lechuga made numerous films in the ‘60s and ‘70s— Moreau’s connection with among them Agente 00 Sexy, Las luchadoras vs el robot Mexican cinema was tenuous: she worked for Luis asesino, La mujer de a seis litros, Masajista de señoras, La fuerzas vivas, and México 2000. His screen Buñuel in 1964 on Diary of a Chambermaid (a French appearances were rare after that, with Los gatos de los movie), and co-starred with Brigitte Bardot in Viva María (1965), which was shot in Mexico (with numerous azoteas his only ‘80s film and Óscar Blancarte’s Mexican cast and crew members) but was not a co- production.

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 He also worked as production manager for films such as The Living Idol and Vivir del cuento. Genaro Moreno  Television host and actor Genaro Moreno died on 24 August 2017; he had suffered a stroke 5 years earlier, Eugenio Polgovsky and was in ill-health. Born in Director and cinematographer Eugenio Polgovsky Mexico City in March 1928, died in London on 11 August 2017; he was 40 years old. Moreno originally became Eugenio Gregorio Polgovsky Ezcurra was born in famous as the host of the 1950s Mexico City in 1977, and originally worked as a still childrens’ television program photographer. He attended the “Club Quintito.” CUEC film school and became Although his career was a documentary filmmaker, primarily spent in television, winning a Best First Work Genaro Moreno did act in at least Ariel for Trópico de cáncer. 3 theatrical films in the 1960s and He later won Arieles for Best one in the ‘70s: Las mujeres panteras, La isla de los Editing and Best Feature dinosaurios, Las luchadoras contra el robot asesino, and Length Documentary for Los Conserje en condominio (with Cantinflas). Moreno is herederos and was nominated 4 additional times. In survived by 2 of his three children. addition to his own projects, Polgovsky served as  cinematographer on a number of films for other directors and had an acting role in De tripas, corazón. Terele Pávez  Spanish actress Terele Pávez died as the result of a stroke on 11 August 2017; she was 78 years old. Teresa Rius Marta Ruiz Penella was Cartoonist Eduardo Humberto del Río García, known born in Bilbao in July as “Rius,” died of cancer on 8 August 2017 in 1939, and made her screen Tepotztlán, Morelos. debut in 1954. Her two Born in the state of older sisters, Emma Michoacán in June Penella and Elisa Montés, 1934, Rius lost his were also actresses. Pávez father at an early age had a long career in films, and his family moved to on the stage, and on television. Her only Mexican films Mexico City. In the were both co-productions: Oro rojo and Malocchio 1950s he began (released in Mexico as Más allá del exorcismo). working as a cartoonist  and by the ‘60s was politically active, Valentín Pimstein creating two popular Telenovela producer Valentín Pimstein died on 27 comic series, “Los supermachos” and “Los agachados.” June 2017; he was 91 years old. Pimstein, born in Chile Calzonzín inspector (1974), directed by Alfonso Arau, in 1925, moved to Mexico at the age of 18. He began was based on “Los supermachos.” Rius was extremely working for Telesistema México, which later became the prolific, writing and drawing over 100 books during his media giant Televisa. His lifetime. telenovelas included  “Gutierritos,” “Corona de lágrimas,” “María Isabel,” Sam Shepard “Cruz de amor,” “Rubí,” Playwright, actor and director Sam Shepard died on 27 “Yesenia,” “El amor tiene July 2017; he had been suffering from amyotrophic cara de mujer” (all of which lateral sclerosis. Samuel later had feature film Shepard Rogers III was versions), and “Rosa born in Illinois in salvaje,” “Simplemente November 1943. He began María,” and “María writing plays in the 1960s, Mercedes.” Pimstein is eventually completing over credited with elevating actresses such as Verónica 40. Shepard started a Castro, Lucía Méndez, and Victoria Ruffo to fame. second career as an actor in Before achieving telenovela success, Valentín Days of Heaven (1978), Pimstein produced a handful of non-telenovela related and was nominated for an Oscar for The Right Stuff. One feature films, including La cama de piedra, Las tres of Shepard’s acting roles was in Bandidas (2006), a pelonas, Cuando se quiere se quiere, and Napoleoncito. Mexican-French-USA co-production shot in Mexico and

3 THE MEXICAN FILM BULLETIN VOLUME 23 NO. 3 September 2017 featuring numerous Mexican performers, including Best Supporting Actor Salma Hayek, Ernesto Gómez Cruz, Ana Ofelia Andoni García (La 4a.. compañía) Murguía, and Edgar Vivar. Gabino Rodríguez (La 4a.. compañía) Hernán Mendoza (La 4a.. compañía)  Gerardo Taracena (La carga) Harold Torres (La carga) 2017 Ariel Awards Best Supporting Actress The 59th Ariel Awards were presented on 11 July Martha Claudia Moreno (Distancias cortas) 2017 at the Mariana Treviño (El sueño del Mara'akame) Palacio de Bellas Arcelia Ramírez (Jirón de niebla) Artes in Mexico Norma Reyna (La carga) City. The big Angélica Aragón (Mr. Pig) winner of the Best Co-Starring Actress evening was La Tiaré Scanda (El cumple de la abuela) 4a. compañía Adriana Paz (La caridad) (The Fourth Xochiquetzal Rodríguez (La carga) Company), a film Mariana Treviño (La vida inmoral de la pareja ideal) about a prison Carmen Beato (Los parecidos) football team, Best Co-Starring Actor which won 10 Hoze Alberto Meléndez (Almacenados) prizes including Diego Cataño (Desierto) Best Picture. Mauricio Isaac González (Distancias cortas) Best Director Antonio Parra Parra (El sueño del Mara'akame) went to a woman Carlos Valencia (La 4a.. compañía) for the first time Dario T. Pie (La 4a.. compañía) ever, Tatiana Manuel Ojeda (La 4a.. compañía) Huezo, for the documentary Best Animated Short Tempestad. Career achievement Arieles de Oro went to Ascención (Samantha Pineda, Davy Giorgi) actress Isela Vega and art director/costume designer Elena y las sombras (César Gabriel Cepeda) Lucero Isaac. Los aeronautas (León Rodrigo Fernández) [Winners in BOLD below.] Los gatos (Víctor Alejandro Ríos) Taller de corazones (León Rodrigo Fernández) Best Film Bellas de noche Best Documentary Short Desde allá 13,500 Volts (Mónica Blumen) Desierto Aurelia y Pedro (Omar Robles & José Permar) El sueño del Mara'akame Club Amazonas (Roberto Fiesco) La 4a. compañía La casa de los Lúpulos (Paula Hopf) Memorias del table dance (Silvana Lázaro) Best Director Semillas de Guamúchil (Carolina Corral) Jonás Cuarón (Desierto) Federico Cecchetti (El sueño del Mara'akame) Best Fictional Short Amir Galván & Mitzi Vanessa Arreola (La 4a.. Australia (Rodrigo Ruiz) compañía) El ocaso de Juan (Omar Deneb Juárez) Roberto Sneider (Me estás matando Susana) El tigre y la flor (Fabiola Denisse Quintero) Tatiana Huezo (Tempestad) Fisuras (Roberto Fiesco) Verde (Alonso Ruizpalacios) Best Actor José Carlos Ruiz (Almacenados) Best Production Design Adrián Ladrón (La 4ta. compañía) Alejandro García (7:19) Gael García (Me estás matando Susana) Jay Aroesty & Carlos Cosío (La 4a.. compañía) Danny Glover (Mr. Pig) Jay Aroesty (La carga) Noé Hernández (Tenemos la carne) Alisarine Ducolomb (Las tinieblas) Eugenio Caballero (Me estás matando Susana) Best Actress Claudia Sainte-Luce (La caja vacía) Best Film Editing Verónica Langer (La caridad) Ximena Cuevas (Bellas de noche) Maya Rudolph (Mr. Pig) Jonás Cuarón (Desierto) Ludwika Paleta (Rumbos paralelos) Pierre Saint Martin Castellanos, Raúl Zendejas (El sueño Adriana Barraza (Todo lo demás) del Mara'akame)

4 THE MEXICAN FILM BULLETIN VOLUME 23 NO. 3 September 2017 Mitzi Vanessa Arreola, Francisco X. Rivera, Camilo Best Original Music Abadía (La 4a.. compañía) Yoann Lemoine "Woodkid" (Desierto) Lucrecia Gutiérrez & Tatiana Huezo (Tempestad) Emiliano Motta (El sueño del Mara'akame) Best Special Effects Ramiro del Real, Renato del Real, Takaakira "Taka" José Manuel Martínez (7:19) Goto, Javier Umpierrez (La 4a.. compañía) José Manuel Martínez (Desierto) Carlo Ayhllón (Las tinieblas) Ricardo Arvizu Fernández, Ricardo Arvizu Solís (KM Leonardo Heiblum & Jacobo Lieberman (Tempestad) 31-2) Luis Eduardo Ambriz (La 4a.. compañía) Adrián Durán (Tenemos la carne) Best Visual Effects Omar Molina (7:19) Anthony Lestramau (Desiertos) Rodrigo Echevarría & Eduardo Viladomis (KM 31-2) Ricardo Robles (La 4a.. compañía) Gustavo Bellón, Benoit Manequinn, Andrés Palma, David Camiro (Las tinieblas) Best Photography Damián García (Desierto) Emiliano Fernández (Epitafio) Best First Work Miguel López (La 4a.. compañía) Bellas de noche (María José Cuevas) Damián García (Mr. Pig) Desde allá (Lorenzo Vigas) Ernesto Pardo (Tempestad) Distancias cortas (Alejanddro Guzmán) Best Adapted Screenplay El sueño del Mara'akame (Federico Cecchetti) David Desola (Almacenados) La 4a.. compañía (Amir Galván, Mitzi Vanessa Arreola) Fernando del Razo, Jesús Magaña, Emiliano Flores (El Maquinaria Panamericana (Joaquín del Paso) Alien y yo) Best Ibero-American Film Julio César Estrada, Gustavo Moheno, Ángel Pulido Anna (Colombia) (Jirón de niebla) El ciudadano ilustre (Argentina) Leticia López, Verónica Bellver, Natassja Ybarra, Lucía Sin muertos no hay carnaval (Ecuador) Carreras (Las Aparicio) Tarde para la ira ( Spain) Luis Cámara & Roberto Sneider (Me estás matando Una segunda madre (Brazil) Susana) Best New Actress Best Original Screenplay Gloria Carina López (La casa más grande del mundo) Jonás Cuarón & Mateo García (Desierto) Camila Robertson Glennie (Las tinieblas) Itzel Lara (Distancias cortas) Irene Ramírez (Maquinaria Panamericana) Federico Cecchetti (El sueño del Mara'akame) María Evoli (Tenemos la carne) Mitzi Vanessa Arreola (La 4a.. compañía) Natasha Dupeyrón (Treintona, soltera y fantástica) Joaquín del Paso & Lucy Pawlak (Maquinaria Best New Actor Panamericanas) Luis Silva (Desde allá) Tatiana Huezo (Tempestad) Luis Carlos Ortega (Distancias cortas) Best Animated Feature Paco de la Fuente (El Alien y yo) no nominations, no award Luciano Bautista (El sueño del Mara'akame) Best Documentary Feature Aliocha Sotnikoff Ramos (Las tinieblas) Bellas de noche (María José Cuevas) Best Sound La balada del Oppenheimer Park (Juan Manuel Christian Giraud & Pablo Lach (7:19) Sepúlveda) Daniel Rojo & Alicia Segovia (El sueño del Somos lengua (Kyzza Terrazas) Mara'akame) Tempestad (Tatiana Huezo) Javier Umpierrez, Isabel Muñoz, Jaime Baksht, Michelle The Weekend Sailor (Bernado Arsuaga) Couttolenc (La 4a. compañía) Best Makeup Fernando Cámar, Stan Mak, Jaime Baksht, Steven Avila, Gerardo Muñoz (7:19) Trip Brock, Michelle Couttolenc (Me estás matando Roberto Ortiz (El sueño del Mara'akame) Susana) Carla Tinoco & Alfredo García (La 4a.. compañía) Federico González Jordán, Lena Esquenazi, Carlos Felipe Salazar & Antón Garfías (La carga) Cortés (Tempestad) Marco Hernández, Cristian Pérez, Gerardo Muñoz (Los parecidos)

5 THE MEXICAN FILM BULLETIN VOLUME 23 NO. 3 September 2017 Best Costumes Alisarine Ducolomb (Epitafio) Mariana Gandía (El sueño del Mara'akame) Bertha Romero, José Guadalupe López (La 4a.. compañía) Adela Cortázar (La carga) Natalia Seligson, Juan de Dios Ramírez, Alberto Escamilla, Gianfranco Reni (Macho) Caperucita y Pulgarcito contra los monstruos

Arieles de Oro Isela Vega (at left) and Lucero Isaac

 Annual Halloween

Frankestein, el vampiro y compañía (Alberto Issue!! Villanueva "Chiquilín"?)

Frankenstein’s Monster in Mexican Cinema: A Gallery

Santo en el museo de cera Asesinato en los estudios (Ángel di Stefani)

Santo y Blue Demon contra los monstruos (Manuel Leal)

[Not shown: Dos fantasmas y una muchacha: video El castillo de los copies of this film are too poor to get a good screen monstruos grab.]

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Dando y dando (another commercial mask)

Chabelo y Pepito contra los monstruos (Mask by Don Post studios)

El arma secreta (Agustín Bernal) [Omitted: Orlak, el infierno de Frankenstein because the monster is non-standard (it’s a robot with a plastic human face.)] Santo vs. la hija de Frankestein (Gerardo Zepeda)  Later Luchadoras

Santo y Blue Demon contra el Dr. Frankenstein (sort of a cheat)

Las luchadoras contra la momia* [The Wrestling Women vs. the Mummy] (Cin. Calderón, 1964) Prod: Guillermo Calderón Stell; Dir: René Cardona [Sr.]; Adapt: Alfredo Salazar; Story: Alfredo Salazar, Guillermo Calderón Stell; Photo: Ezequiel Carrasco; Capulina contra los monstruos (Guillermo Amador) Music: Antonio Díaz Conde; Prod Mgr: Luis García de

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León; Prod Chief: José Luis Busto; Asst Dir: Jesús obtain fragments of a codex in order to locate a hidden Marín; Film Ed: Jorge Bustos; Art Dir: José Rodríguez Aztec treasure (which is a call-back to the original Granada; Decor: Adalberto López; Lighting: Luis Momia azteca films’ premise—no one ever accused García; Makeup: Felisa Ladrón de Guevara; Sound Supv: Alfredo Salazar of writing original scripts). Only very James L. Fields; Sound: Eduardo Arjona, Galdino late does the mummy arise and start stalking around. Samperio; Sound Ed: José Li-Ho; Union: STPC Temozoc, as he's called this time, is pretty impressive *[English-language version: Wrestling Women vs. the looking: glaring eyes, a skull-like grimace, and sparse Aztec Mummy-- Prod: K. Gordon Murray; Dir: Manuel hair (as opposed to Popoca's long tresses in the Aztec San Fernando; character names which differ in English- Mummy trilogy). Although Gerardo Zepeda plays language version are shown in brackets after original Tezomoc in his pre-mummified existence, it's not known character name] if the burly actor was also inside the mummy costume. *[a subsequent video release is entitled Rock 'n Roll Wrestling Women vs. the Aztec Mummy] Cast: Lorena Velázquez (Loreta Venus), Elizabeth Campbell (Golden Rubí), Armando Silvestre (Armando Ríos [Mike Henderson]), Chucho Salinas (Chucho Gómez [Tommy]), María Eugenia San Martín (Chela [Charlotte Van Dine]), Ramón Bugarini (Prince Fujiyata), Jesús "Murciélago" Velázquez (Mao), Víctor Velázquez (Dr. Luis Trelles [Dr. Tracy]), Julián de Meriche (Dr. Miguel [Mike] Sorva), Gerardo Zepeda (Temozoc), Armando Acosta (detective), Manuel Dondé (hotel clerk), Mario Sevilla (hat store clerk), Ballet de Milagros Oliva, Toña la Tapatía, Irma González, Chabela Romero, Martha Solis, Magdalena Caballero, The plot: several archeologists have been murdered Juan Garza, Mishima Ota, Uroki Sito, N. León by the Black Dragon gang of Prince Fujiyata. He is "Frankestein," Reyes Oliva, Gerardo "El Romano" trying to obtain all the fragments of a codex which shows Notes: The availability of this film in an English- the location of an Aztec treasure. Dr. Sorva eludes the dubbed version has made it somewhat more notorious gang and hides in the dressing room of Loreta and Rubí, than it might actually deserve. The second "Luchadoras" famous wrestling women. Loreta's boyfriend Armando’s feature, Las luchadoras contra la momia is rather uncle is Dr. Trelles, the final member of the disjointed and not at all as campy as its predecessor. archeological expedition. After Sorva tells his story, he's Speaking of dubbing, the voices assigned to Lorena killed by a poisoned dart. Chela Van Dine, the daughter Velázquez and Elizabeth Campbell at "Soundlab" in of one of the murdered scientists, has gone to Dr. Trelles Coral for help. Gables, In order to confound the Black Dragons, Trelles tells Florida, are Rubí, Loreta, Armando and Armando's assistant Chucho, unpleasant that he has split his part of the codex into three and fragments. He disappears to try and throw Fujiyata off annoying, the track, but later tips off his friends to the hiding places and Jesús of the codex parts. However, the Black Dragons kidnap Velázquez's Chela and turn her into a zombie; she helps them steal character two of the codex scraps. The third part is hidden in the ("Mao") is Luchadoras' locker room: Fujiyata and his men face off called with Armando, Loreta, Rubí, and Chucho. The Asian "Mayo" mastermind proposes a sporting bet: his two sisters (judo throughout the picture. Velázquez's hairstyle changes experts) will face the Luchadoras in a winner-take-all from shot to shot in some scenes, a bat flies backwards match. The combat is difficult, but the Luchadoras beat out of a window, and a substantial amount of footage is their stocky opponents (both of the "Asian" women allegedly shot via a hidden camera (which is itself shown resemble rotund comedienne Susana Cabrera, hardly a numerous times, to remind the audience of the point-of- fearsome sight), and Fujiyata turns over his part of the view being presented, I guess) that is apparently capable codex. [Alfredo Salazar re-used this plot device in Santo of tracking, panning, zooming, and even looking in other en el tesoro de Drácula, and it was even less logical the rooms, all from its location on a shelf (next to a bottle of second time around] Armando tries to arrest Fujiyata and liquor!). his gang for murder, but Fujiyata's sisters beat up But the biggest problem with Las luchadoras contra Armando and Chucho and the gang escapes! la momia is the overall lack of mummy. At least 75% of Dr. Trelles deciphers the codex and they all go to a the film concerns the efforts of sinister Prince Fujiyata to hidden chamber in an Aztec pyramid. According to

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Trelles, during the Aztec era a young maiden named Las luchadoras contra la momia has a cult reputation Xóchitl (aren't they all?) was scheduled to be sacrified to and a lot of people like it for its "camp" aspects, but it the gods but instead ran off with Temozoc, a sorcerer. really sounds wackier than it is. The Aztec Mummy trio Both were caught: Xóchitl, although presumably not a is more consistently entertaining, and the Luchadoras are virgin any longer, was sacrificed nonetheless and better served in their first feature. To recap, good Temozoc was buried alive to serve as her guardian. A mummy but not enough of him. breastplace inscribed with directions to the treasure horde was placed on Xóchitl's body.  Trelles and the others remove the breastplate from Xóchitl's dessicated corpse (which has a couple of rats still chewing on it, although I doubt if there was much meat left on her after a few hundred years). Temozoc wakes up but since he's as slow and clumsy as all movie mummies, the intruders escape. Fujiyata and his gang plan to steal the breastplate and then take possession of the treasure, but Temozoc wipes them out. He also tries to get the breastplate back but has Las mujeres panteras [The Panther Women] to return to (Cinematográfica Calderón, 1966) Prod: Guillermo his tomb by daybreak (his sorcerer's powers allow him to Calderón; Dir: René Cardona [Sr.]; Scr: Alfredo Salazar; turn into a bat and fly around, the source of the Photo: Agustín Jiménez; Music Dir: Antonio Díaz backwards-exit alluded to earlier; Calderón was too Conde; Prod Chief: Jorge Cardeña; Sub-Dir: Julio damn cheap to shoot 10 seconds of additional film, so Cahero; Film Ed: Jorge Bustos; Art Dir: Javier Torres they just reversed the bat's arrival!). Torija; Makeup: Margarita Ortega; Sound Supv: James L. Chucho and Chela decide to return the breastplate to Fields; Dialog Rec: Adolfo [sic = Rodolfo] Solis; Re-rec: the tomb themselves, but get separated inside the Galdino Samperio; Sound Ed: José Li-Ho; Union: STPC pyramid. Chucho brings Armando, Rubí and Loreta back Cast: Ariadne Welter (Gloria Venus), Elizabeth to help. Temozoc turns into a bat and a tarantula, but is Campbell (The Golden Rubí), Yolanda Montes eventually captured by having a bag put over his head "Tongolele" (Tongo), Eric del Castillo (Capt. Arturo (his eyes are his source of power). He's also scared of Díaz), Manuel "Loco" Valdés (Leocadio), Eda Lorna fire. The breastplate is returned. Temozoc still wants to (Eda), Jenaro [sic] Moreno (Ramón Pietra Santa), María do some strangling, but the tomb collapses, burying him Douglas (Satanasa), Jorge Mondragón (Prof. Rafael (Armando, Loreta, Chucho, Rubí, etc., escape). Pietra Santa), Elenita Saldívar (Paquita Pietra Santa), A few trivia notes: Lorena Velázquez appears not Notanael León (Caín), Ángel D'Stefano [sic] (Eloím); only with her father, Víctor Velázquez, but her uncle Female wrestlers: Betty Grey, Marina Rey, Guadalupe Manuel Dondé Delgado, Ma. Judith Mercado; Wrestlers/henchmen: (whose sister Gerardo Zepeda, "Murciélago" Velázquez, Cavernario married Víctor Galindo, Reyes Oliva; El Ángel (El Ángel), Armando Velázquez) also Acosta (spectator), Juan Garza (henchman), Jesús has a small role. Gómez (plainclothes cop), Manuel "Gordo" Alvarado Elizabeth (radio ancr), Federico Falcón (reporter), Carlos Suárez Campbell is as (man in wrestling office), Armando Gutiérrez taller or taller (impresario), "Picoro" (ring ancr) than anybody Notes: while Las mujeres panteras is a decent picture, else in the cast my pleasure was dulled by the realization that Alfredo (Lorena's poofy Salazar had done it again. The plot is a variation on El hairdo makes up the difference at times), and she bears a mundo de los vampiros (which Salazar adapted, from a surprising resemblance to a young Ann-Margret in story by others), and large portions of the script were certain scenes (when she's wearing a sweater and tight subsequently re-used for Santo y Blue Demon contra black capri pants). Drácula y el Hombre Lobo, right down to some of the

9 THE MEXICAN FILM BULLETIN VOLUME 23 NO. 3 September 2017 dialogue. Consequently, this film is all too familiar if two arena matches shown in the picture. In the second you’ve seen either of the others first. match, Welter's double is rather obvious, since her hair is Add to this a rather abrupt, anti-climactic conclusion, longer and darker, but Campbell seems to have done a miscast Ariadne Welter (replacing Lorena Velázquez), most of her own stunts, although several falls are done in and a disappointing performance by "Loco" Valdés in the extreme long shot so it's hard to tell for sure. However, comic relief slot, and Las mujeres panteras has a couple Campbell's body type is fairly distinctive, and it would of strikes against it. But there are a number of positive have been hard to find a real female wrestler that tall aspects as well, not the least of which is the presence of and--relatively--slim.] After the match, the Luchadoras Elizabeth Campbell in her last Luchadoras outing. are greeted in their dressing room by Gloria's uncle Campbell looks great (as usual), and her character is Professor Pietra Santa and his son Ramón. They go out significantly more active and assertive than Welter. In to a nightclub and watch Tongo perform an exotic dance; addition to the afterwards, Ramón introduces Tongo as his fiancee (he's titular panther a widower with a young daughter). [Tongolele still looks women (all good as a dancer, but appears somewhat older than two of them)-- Genaro Moreno—although in real life she wasn’t--and who look a has a rather hard face; in this scene, she also wears about little silly in a pound of sparkly sequins on each eyelid.] their furry Later, the Professor displays a death threat he beanies with received from "Las panteras de Eloím." He reads the ears, but one story of Eloím from an old book (the scenes are can't expect displayed in flashback, but the Professor can be heard in too much, can voiceover): Eloím was the head of an evil cult who was one?--there is killed by good magician Héctor Pietra Santa with the a big zombie-like monster (Ángel Di Stefani, a former Druid sword. Before he dies, Eloím cursed the Pietra Aztec Mummy) who looks appropriately gruesome but Santa and their doesn't have much to do and dies far too easily. One odd descendants. aspect is the inclusion of a masked hero, El Ángel, who The Professor is a professional wrestler (like Santo), a crime-fighter shows them (like Santo), has a secret lab (like Santo) and even drives the Druid a convertible sports car (like Santo). His dialogue is sword, and dubbed, like Santo. However, I've seen El Santo, and El says Paquita Ángel is not El Santo. He isn't bad, but the script just (Ramón's uses him as one part of the heroic ensemble--which daughter) is includes the Luchadoras and Eric del Castillo and Loco the last of the Valdés as police agents--and he doesn't have much of a family. He personality. On balance, however, Las mujeres panteras adds that members of the cult can change into panthers to is an entertaining picture, well-paced and with a good achieve their sinister aims. amount of action. Satanasa enters a crypt and opens the coffin of In a secret cave, high priestess Satanasa gives a quick Eloím. She tells him the first Pietra Santa will die that introduction to the plot (in the guise of an invocation to night. [Satanasa wears a cloak with a panther head on the other members of the cult): 200 years before, their leader back, somewhat resembling the "Puma" mascot of Eloím was killed by a member of the Pietra Santa family, UNAM; when he shows up later, El Ángel has a cloak wielding the "Druid sword." Over the years, the cult has with a big "A" on it, so the characters begin to resemble had its rival sports teams.] After Ramón leaves to take the revenge, so Luchadoras home, the older man places the Druid sword that now on the bed of his only 4 sleeping members of granddaughter. the Pietra When the Santa family Professor opens are left--and his bedroom soon there closet, he's will be zero. attacked by a The scene panther woman shifts to the (shown very arena, where Gloria Venus and The Golden Rubí are briefly). involved in a tag team match. [Both Welter and The next day, police detective Díaz tells Gloria and Campbell do a fair amount of their own wrestling in the Rubí that the Professor is dead. At the morgue, they meet

10 THE MEXICAN FILM BULLETIN VOLUME 23 NO. 3 September 2017 up with Ramón and Tongo. The Professor was clawed to deaths?" Cut to Eloím's crypt, where a panther statue death, as if by a tiger or...a panther. Díaz decides to call a spouts flames. Satanasa pours a vial of Ramón's blood on friend for help… Eloím's corpse, which comes to life (in a manner of Wrestler El Ángel gets a call from Díaz on his wrist- speaking): he's tall, wears a dusty robe, and has a radio. They meet at El Ángel's lab. El Ángel: "Once decomposed skull-face with a couple of strands of hair more we'll fight together for goodness and justice" (this (the basic design is similar to the mummy in Las line was reused almost verbatim in Santo y Blue Demon luchadoras contra la momia, but this is a different--or at vs. Drácula y el Hombre Lobo). El Ángel shows Díaz his least considerably reworked--mask). Eloím goes to new bullet-proof and fire-proof cape, a sure tip-off that kidnap Paquita, but the sight of the Druid sword--which we'll be seeing this cape in action, later. They split up the she still sleeps with (fortunately it's in a scabbard)-- work, and Díaz gets the good assignment, guarding Las repulses him. Luchadoras, while El Ángel will watch over Ramón. The cult concocts a plan to abduct Paquita. Tongo and Ramón takes Tongo home to meet Paquita. While he's Eda pose as two black-masked wrestlers (Las Sombras) out of the room, Tongo plays with a caged bird; when and challenge Las Luchadoras to a match. Satanasa says: Ramón returns, the bird is dead (does anybody remember "You're more agile, stronger, and you have claws!" Simone Simon in The Cat People? Clearly Alfredo Although they are suspicious (El Ángel says he Salazar did) and Tongo is hiding in the closet ("a joke," recognized Tongo's eyes), Gloria and Rubí agree. The she lamely says). Paquita doesn't like the looks of her night of the match, they leave the sleeping Paquita in prospective step-mother, and runs out. Later, Tongo tells their dressing room, with two cops guarding the door. Satanasa that she didn't kill Ramón because Paquita was The match begins. Meanwhile, El Ángel eavesdrops with him. El Ángel has been spying on this meeting (in on the cult members who--in their hideout--are watching Tongo's apartment), and radios Díaz, his goofy assistant the match on TV. He hears them say that the Sombras Leocadio, and the Luchadoras to help shadow Satanasa will become panther women at 10pm and that will end when she leaves. the match. He heads for the arena. Sure enough, the Satanasa radios her cult members to set up a trap, but Luchadoras watch as their opponents' hands turn into to avoid using their guns, since it is not time to kill furry claws. Díaz and El Ángel (who has just arrived) Gloria (yet). A fight breaks out in a warehouse. [This is leap into the ring to help subdue the panther women; filmed nicely, with a lot of quick cuts and closeups; Rubí Díaz and Gloria are clawed on their arms, while Rubí doles out a lot of punishment, while Leocadio is beaten suffers a wound on her thigh (there is an oddly realistic up by a little person. Ha ha.] El Ángel arrives and the closeup of Rubí grimacing in pain). The panther women villains flee. Rubí is attracted to the muscular wrestler, flee: one (Eda) is shot to death. Satanasa is there, and who says he swears vengeance even as she is taken into custody. wears a mask However, panther-Tongo has kidnaped Paquita! because "I fight Rubí threatens Satanasa with the Druid sword; the for justice, and cult priestess tells them where Paquita is being held (in justice has no Eloím's crypt), then commits suicide by leaping out of a face." window. El Ángel, Díaz, Leocadio, Gloria, and Rubí go Later, through a wiretap on Tongo's phone, El Ángel hears her make a date with Ramón. He tries to follow them, but is pursued by a carload of cult members (a nice, surprisingly long car chase on the Mexico City freeways at night). El Ángel takes shelter in an old house, then, to escape, leaps into a big pile of bales of hay. The cult members set the hay on fire, then riddle the bales with bullets. That does it for El Ángel, right? Well, no, because (remember) he has that bullet-and-fire-proof cape, and (some time later, after the gunmen are gone), he emerges from the ashes, no worse for wear. Ramón and Tongo go for a walk in the woods, she changes into a panther woman (again, seen only briefly), and puts the bite on him. Cut to Gloria telling Paquita to the crypt, spotting the dead body of Tongo who that her father went on a "long trip" (good thinking, (finally) succumbed to her wounds, but can't locate Gloria). El Ángel, Díaz, Leocadio, Gloria, and Rubí have Paquita, until Rubí hears a sound from inside Eloím's a conference: "Who or what is the cause of these stone coffin.

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They free Paquita but Eloím also emerges, only to be Rodíguez G.; Décor: Carlos Arjona M.; Makeup: María stabbed to death with the Druid sword (Rubí falters at the del Castillo; Sound Supv: James L. Fields; Dialog Rec: last second, so El Ángel does it). Eloím tumbles back Eduardo Arjona; Re-rec: Galdino Samperio; Sound Ed: into his coffin and bursts into flame. José Liho; Union: STPC; Eastmancolor El Ángel, his job done, vanishes. Díaz says "the *international version: El asesino loco y el sexo Ángel is a hero, a true hero...who fights for justice." The film ends with a closeup of El Ángel's mask and cape. It is curious to note that Las lobas del ring was shot in July 1964 and Las mujeres panteras was made in February 1966, yet some of the supporting players appear in similar roles (example: Manuel Alvarado is a radio announcer in both films and Armando Gutiérrez is a wrestling promoter in both films). Yet it doesn't appear that footage was re-used, so perhaps this was just a coincidence. Elizabeth Campbell, although second-billed to Ariadne Welter, is certainly the dominant member of the duo in this picture, whereas in the earlier films she had been subsidiary to Lorena Velázquez as "Gloria Venus." While the two women always appear together, Cast: Joaquín Cordero (Capt. Arturo Campos), Campbell has more Regina Torné (Gaby Reyna), Héctor Lechuga (Chava footage within the López), Malú Reyes (Gemma Nelson), Carlos Agosti scenes, including (Orlak), Gerardo Moreno (Waldo), Pascual García closeups, and she is P[eña] (Prof. José Ma. Reyna), Gloria Chávez certainly more (?secretary), Gerardo Zepeda (Carfax), Leo Herrera proactive than (arena employee), Eduardo MacGregor (Dr. Agustín Welter's character. Hill), Sally Winters (?Ritz’s daughter), René Barrera The (Zurdo), Victorio Blanco (old victim), Julién de Meriche humorous/romantic relationship which Campbell was (wrestling impresario), Roberto Corell (chief of Secret saddled with in every Luchadora film (her partners were, Service). ?Ramón G. Larrea (Dr. Óscar Chávez), in order, Chucho Salinas (twice), Pompín Iglesias, and Nothanael León “Frankestein” (wrestling trainer), "Loco" Valdés, all less-than-physically-imposing Miguel Gómez Checa (Dr. Roca), Ángel di Stefani (Dr. comedians) is still kind of annoying, although she Otto Ritz), Carlos Suárez (police agent) generally regards Valdés with a sort of amused contempt Notes: shot in April 1968, Las luchadoras vs. el robot (Valdés is terrible in this picture, as if some one told him asesino was the last official “Luchadoras” movie (and to tone down his usual wackiness and suggested he the only one in colour), although El horripilante bestia instead alternate not doing anything and acting infantile). humana (filmed the following month by mostly the same Campbell is really a striking specimen and delivers her crew) does feature a female wrestler. However, the latter own dialogue, with a slight but acceptable gringa accent. film was not written by Alfredo Salazar (although it does Las mujeres panteras isn't a classic, but it's a fun incorporate plot elements from previous Luchadoras picture and worth watching. movies) and doesn’t have the dual-heroine motif of the 5 series entries. Las luchadoras vs. el robot asesino and El horripilante bestia humana have some similarities,  including Gerardo Zepeda as a monster (the facial Las luchadoras vs. el robot asesino* [The makeup is slightly different, however) created by a mad Wrestling Women vs. the Killer Robot] scientist (although the “mad” scientist in El horripilante (Cinematográfica Calderón, 1968) Prod: Guillermo bestia humana is not really evil, he’s just trying to save Calderón Stell; Dir: René Cardona [Sr.]; Scr: Alfredo his son’s life). Both movies follows the formula of Salazar; Photo: Raúl Martínez S[olares]; Music Dir: having the lead police detective romance the main Antonio Díaz Conde; Prod Mgr: Alfredo Salazar; Prod female wrestler, but El horripilante bestia humana— Chief: Enrique Morfín; Sub-Dir: Valerio Olivo; Film Ed: because it has only one luchadora—omits the comic Jorge Bustos; Asst Dir: Manuel Alcayde; Art Dir: José relief sidekick (usually attracted to the second luchadora).

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an old bum doesn’t succeed, Orlak practically cries in frustration.] Orlak keeps Carfax, the only one of his failures to survive, locked up in a cell; Orlak has a muscular body but a scarred face, and acts like a beast (although he’s afraid of Orlak). The scientists’s assistant Waldo suggests they kidnap other scientists to help with the plan. The first abductee is Prof. Reyna, who happens to be the uncle of luchadora Gaby. Police agentArturo and his assistant Chava investigate. [In an amusing bit, when Gaby asks where her uncle might be, Arturo just shrugs!] Several more scientists are captured. Prof. Reyna refuses to cooperate and is murdered and dumped Like El horripilante bestia humana and other beside a road. Another victim, Prof. Chávez, escapes but Calderón films of the era, Las luchadoras vs. el robot is recaptured. Arturo, Gaby, Chava and wrestler Gemma asesino was shot in “clothed” and “unclothed” versions. visit robotic expert Prof. Ritz’s house, but the robot beats El asesino loco y el sexo was the nude scenes version, them to it, killing the professor and his daughter. released in the USA and elsewhere. Unfortunately, a Orlak's group of scientists solves the problem: once a copy of this has not surfaced to date; while posters and special metal bracelet is donned by a victim, Orlak can lobby cards exist, stills showing the alternate (nude) control him (or her) like a robot. [This is depicted as shots are rather rare. One may deduce from the original entirely the work of Prof. Roca, but Orlak isn't too proud film where certain “strong” shots may have occurred in to use the other man's invention.] Orlak can also kill the unclothed version: the murder of the nurse, a shower them by remote control, as he demonstrates on Chávez. scene, the assault on a young woman in her bedroom, Arturo and others wonder how the robot happened to kill and the brain transplant scene (a nude still does exist of Prof. Ritz just before they arrived, and remember that this). Prof. Reyna's nerdy assistant Orlak overheard their plans. Las luchadoras vs. el robot asesino is a partial remake [This is accomplished by re-playing the entire scene as a of the first Luchadoras movie, Las luchadoras vs. el sepia-tinted flashback!] They visit Orlak's house and médico asesino (and, perhaps coincidentally, Gerardo after some Zepeda was the scuffling, monster in that one Waldo and too!). While the Orlak's other earlier film doesn’t associates feature a robot, the are killed, monster does wear a the robot suit of armour blows up and which makes him the house look like one. catches fire. [As I discovered while surfing the Internet, the design Orlak, his of the robot in this film--silver face, dark glasses, bald henchman head covered by a black fedora, black coat--was Zurdo, and Carfax escape, unknown to the authorities. "borrowed" from the "Cybernauts" on the British Orlak downgrades his plans from "world conquest" televison series to "avenging himself on the luchadoras," ordering "The Avengers." Carfax to abduct wrestler Berta Reyes. He (somehow) The robot is transfers Carfax's strength to Berta, makes her a human strong but isn't robot, dresses her in a black mask and costume, and especially fast or introduces her as "Electra!" No one bothers to verify the nimble; there's a claim that she's the "champion of the United States," and slot in its Electra eventually gets a title match against Gaby. abdomen where Unfortunately, Orlak has to sit ringside with his little the villains insert metal controller box and he's spotted before Electra can a plastic card kill Gaby in the ring. Orlak and Electra flee to the upper bearing a photo and a "cardiogram" of its prey. The reaches of the arena; Chava uses a rifle to shoot them to film’s title is appropriate, since the robot is the main death. “monster” of the film, and Gerardo Zepeda as “Carfax” [This finale repeats the conclusion of Las luchadoras doesn’t have much to do at all.] vs. el médico asesino and Alfredo Salazar, never one to Orlak has invented a robot but because it’s “too slow waste an already-written script, recycled it for Santo y and expensive” to make another one, he wants to be able Blue Demon contra el Dr. Frankenstein.] to control human beings as if they were robots. However, he repeatedly fails. [When his experiment on

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Las luchadoras vs. el robot asesino is Carlos Agosti's match (and in fact Orlak initially seems to be having a film from very difficult time doing so). start to The production values are satisfactory. The finish. Churubusco studios were larger and more luxurious than Regina the América facilities, and the sets look fairly substantial Torné, Malú (if rather familiar from over-exposure in other films of Reyes, the era). The photography is colorful and the other Joaquín technical aspects are slick if not stylish. Cordero and Héctor  Lechuga don't have Changed Cinema much to do that's especially distinctive or interesting; Lechuga's character vacillates between buffoonery and reasonable competence, which is something of a novelty, but that's about it. Agosti, on the other hand, pulls out all the stops, ranting and raving as the evil scientist Orlak, but acting meek and harmless when he's "undercover" as Prof. Reyna's assistant. No one, least of all director Cardona, advised Agosti to "tone it down a little," and there are numerous scenes where he laughs evilly, practically screams in anger or sinister glee, and otherwise chews the scenery from top to bottom. The scientists he abducts and co-opts are given the opportunity for some character development (certainly more than Arturo, Gaby, Chava and Gemma): Reyna (Pascual García Peña, usually a comic relief sidekick) is Macabra, la mano del diablo [Macabra, principled and refuses to go along with Orlak's plans, the Devil's Hand] /Demonoid* (Zach Motion Chávez pretends to agree but rigs up a bomb and flees, Pictures--Panorama Films/American Panorama, 1979) only to die later, Hill fearfully joins Orlak's group, and Exec Prod: Michel [Miguel] Zacarías; Prod/Dir: Roca participates whole-heartedly. Alfred[o] Zacarías; Scr: David Lee Fein, Alfred[o] The film does Zacarías, Amos Powell; Story: Alfred[o] Zacarías; not make much Photo: Alex Phillips Jr.; Music: Richard Gillis; Assoc sense. Carfax is Prod: Valley Hoffman, Paul Bagley; Asst Dir: Manuel supposed to be Ortega, David Silvan; Film Ed: Sandy Nervig; Art Dir: bestial and fears Xavier Torres Torija; Spec FX Art Dir: Bob Burns; only Orlak (who Visual FX: A&A Special Effects, Chubby Cordero; Prod whips him from Mgr: Joseph Yamas [José Llamas]; Stunt Co-ord: time to time), but Whitey Hughes; Special Mkup: Ken Horn Orlak's nurse *U.S. release 1981 as Demonoid (credits above are blithely opens the from this version) monster's cell to give him dinner (and dies as a result)! CAST: Samantha Eggar (Jennifer Baines), Stuart Carfax abducts Berta by the simple expedient of walking Whitman (Father Cunningham), Roy Cameron Jenson into her bedroom and carrying her off (she doesn't even (Mark Baines), Narciso Busquets (Dr. Julian Rivkin), wake up!). How Orlak transfers Carfax's super-strength Erika Carlsson (Nurse Morgan), Lew Saunders (Sgt. Leo to Berta is never clearly explained, and how she Matson), José Chávez Trowe (Pepe), Ted White suddenly gets wrestling bouts (she can’t do anything (Frankie Phillips), Haji Catton (Angela), George Soviak without being controlled by Orlak, and she can't talk) is a (Sgt. Needham), Whitey Hughes (gambler), Al Jones mystery. [In Santo y Blue Demon vs. el Dr. Frankenstein, (Patrolman Yates) these problems are avoided: Frankenstein dons a mask to NOTES: In the 1970s and 1980s, Alfredo Zacarías hide his identity and puts another mask on his already- and his cousin René Cardona Jr. each made a number of existing monster (Golem)--changing his name to films aimed at the international market. Cardona’s "Mortis"--and enters the world of professional wrestling productions included Survive!, Guyana--Cult of the more or less legitimately.] Orlak controls Berta via a Damned, Tintorera, Beaks, and others; Zacarías small metal box with 3 or 4 knobs on it (he also talks to countered with The Bees, Crime of Crimes, and her through the box at least once), which seems an Demonoid. Most of these films had international casts, awfully awkward way to "puppeteer" a wrestler in a which is to say that Mexican performers did not

14 THE MEXICAN FILM BULLETIN VOLUME 23 NO. 3 September 2017 predominate (there are exceptions, cf Survive!). In his hand claws its way out, then he climbs Demonoid, the two principal actors (Samantha Eggar and out (the climbing out shot is used later in Stuart Whitman) were not Mexican regulars (Whitman Demonoid) had starred in René (c) there is a quick shot of a “devil” when the Cardona Jr.’s cop is possessed, as well as a shot of a Guyana--Cult of nurse bandaging the cop’s arm after his the Damned and hand has been cut off would also appear (d) there are more optical effects when the in that director’s hand possesses Samantha Eggar, and at the multi-national El very end of the movie she crashes face-first tesoro del into a glass tabletop. Amazonas and Macabra, in addition to the expanded scenes Traficantes del mentioned above, has some unique material as well: pánico). Roy (a) Samantha Eggar looking at a body in the Cameron Jenson morgue acted in some (b) Stuart Mexican movies Whitman (and co- at productions) in the graveside, 1960s, but was also drops his a Hollywood Bible in performer. The the grave! only two (c) Whitman substantial roles for Mexicans were taken by José asks for Chávez Trowe and Narciso Busquets, and these were Eggar at her hotel; sees her car and chases both supporting parts (Busquets sounds like he was it, only to discover that it’s a similar car dubbed in Demonoid). driven by another woman. Demonoid was shot in California, Las Vegas, (d) the doctor “talks” to the corpses of the Guanajuato (including some scenes in the mummy mummified museum), and in Mexico City studios, but most of the cop and nurse post-production appears to have been done in the U.S. in his office Production values are OK but not great; special effects of (e) Whitman the crawling hand(s) are adequate. wipes off the There are minor but interesting differences between metal “hand” Macabra (Madera Video version, which runs 89:38) and case, sees Demonoid (Media Home Entertainment version, running something 80:23). written there A number of scenes in Macabra run longer than (f) the hand enters Eggar’s hotel room through similar scenes in Demonoid, although the content is the shower drain; Eggar takes a shower. basically the same. However, Demonoid contains some These shots are intercut with shots of a car additional material not in the Mexican version. The most wreck. noticeable is the opening of Demonoid, which does not Both versions have their good points, and it’d be nice appear in Macabra at all: a cryptic sequence in which a if there was a “definitive” Macabra-Demonoid including large-breasted blonde (we find this out when her blouse the topless prologue and the tabletop conclusion from the is ripped open) tries to steal a small metal casket (in the English release and the additional footage and longer shape of a hand) from a band of hooded devil scenes from the Mexican version, but one can’t have worshippers. For her troubles, she is chained to a cavern everything. wall, stripped to the waist, and has her own hand The plot (the chopped off. Demonoid never lives up to this lurid same in both beginning (more hands are chopped off later, but never films): Mark so graphically, and there is no more nudity). Other manages a mine in Demonoid additions include: Guanajuato; his (a) in the “shack murders” sequence, there are wife Jennifer several extra shots of the murdered woman, visits, and as well as additional optical effects (green accidentally flashes, superimposed lightning). uncovers a side (b) the resurrected Roy Jenson leaps out of the tunnel featuring grave in this version, whereas in Macabra mummified bodies and silver ore. When the workers

15 THE MEXICAN FILM BULLETIN VOLUME 23 NO. 3 September 2017 refuse to go back into the mine, Mark and Jennifer doggedly chasing Eggar. Eggar is satisfactory (although decide to show them up. They discover a secret she doesn't seem like a likely romantic partner for the sanctuary with a demonic altar; they also pick up the brutish Jenson) but Stuart Whitman (who sometimes tries metal casket. That night, the hand crawls out of the for an Irish accent) is glum as the stereotypical tormented casket and tries to strangle Jenson, then suddenly priest. vanishes. The next day, Mark forces his workers into the mine  shaft and blows it up, then drives away. He's next seen in Las Vegas, where he wins repeatedly at craps. A gangster and his girlfriend kidnap Mark and try to make him reveal his secret. Instead, Mark kills them both; a fire breaks out and consumes all three bodies. Jennifer, trying to find her husband, arrives too late. The third body was not identified as her husband: instead, it was sent to Los Angeles (the authorities thought it was the owner of the desert shack which burned down).

La maldición del monasterio* [The Curse of the Monastery]/Blood Screams (Prods. Gallo, 1989**) Exec Prod: Ernesto Fuentes [MM only]; Prod: Pedro Villa, Glenn Gebhard [and Paul Congaware, BS only]; Dir: Glenn Gebhard; Scr: Glenn Gebhard, Tony Wakefield [Wakefield credited in MM only]; Story: Glenn Gebhard [MM only]; Photo: Miguel Garzón; Music: Raúl Díaz de la Garza [as “Ralph Garza” in BS]; Jennifer goes to L.A. and meets local priest, Father Assoc Prod: Tony Wakefield, Rosie Bell; Prod Mgr: Cunningham, who is having a crisis of faith. As it turns Víctor M. Osorio [MM only], Ernesto Fuentes [BS only]; out, Mark's burned body has dug its way out of the grave Prod Supv: Mary Aimfisher [BS only]; Asst Dir: (why it waited all this time to revive isn't explained). Francisco Guerrero; Film Ed: Francisco Chiu [MM only], The walking corpse cuts off its own hand (using a car Glenn Gebhard; Art Dir: Francisco Magallón; Camera door!), then the hand possesses a local cop. The cop Op: Javier Cruz Osorio; Sound Op: Abel Flores; Re-rec: kidnaps Jennifer and takes her to a nearby medical Ricardo Saldívar [MM only]; Makeup: Graciela office; he forces the doctor to cut off his hand, since the González; Special FX: Jorge Farfan, Federico Farfan Jr. hand wants to be with Jennifer (for some reason). But a [BS only]; Union: STIC scuffle breaks out, and the doctor becomes possessed *[IMDB lists Los monjes sangrientos [The Bloody instead. A car chase ensues, concluding with the doctor's Monks] as an alternate title, but I’ve never seen any VHS death; the hand is severed by a passing train and it "runs" box, DVD case, or promotional “paper” with this title.] away. **[IMDB cites 1986 as the production date.] In a final showdown, the hand corners Cunningham Credits: Rafael Sánchez Navarro [“Ralph Navarro” and Jennifer in his church. The priest allows himself to in BS] (Jaime), Stacey Shaffer (Karen), Russ Tamblyn be possessed instead of Jennifer, then burns his hand (Frank), Ana Luisa Peluffo [MM only] (mother of down to the bone with a blowtorch. The ashes are Enrique), Jaime Garza [“James Garnett” in BS] dumped in the ocean. Time passes. Jennifer receives a (Ricardo), Mario Almada (Victoriano Córdova), Isela package containing a black candle; she also notices Vega [MM only] (Angélica), Alfredo Gutiérrez “El puddles of water and pieces of seaweed in her house. Turco” [as “Alfred” Gutiérrez] in BS] (Javier), José The hand reappears, grabs her, and the film ends with Chávez Trowe (fisherman), Wally Barrón (train alternating freeze-frames of Jennifer's tormented face conductor), Gustavo Aguilar “Manotas” (fisherman), and a matched shot of a Guanajuato mummy. Luis Guevara (fisherman), Octavio Acosta, Arturo Macabra doesn't make a lot of sense, but it moves Massón, Susannah Smith [BS only] (? Diana), Rene along at a good clip. The biggest drawback is the lack of [Renée] Víctor [BS only](?witch), Andy Valdez, any clear explanations (there are some lame ones) of Christian León Uribe, Sasha, Martín Quintana, Kirk what the hand is, what it wants, and why it is so Olgin

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Notes: several Mexican horror movies of the 1980s Meanwhile, Frank leaps off the train after discovering were released in both Spanish and English versions, Karen is gone. He wanders around the countryside, often with (at least) slight differences. These include hooks up with some fisherman, and eventually steals a Macabra—la mano del Diablo/ Demonoid; Ataque de los horse from them. [This is all basically comic relief pájaros/ Beaks; and Dimensiones ocultas/ Don’t Panic padding. Frank (relatively unchanged except for the language). La doesn’t even make maldición del monasterio and Blood Screams are two it to town until the versions of the same film, but the differences are more very end of the extensive than some movie.] of its Karen discovers contemporaries. Ricardo has been Some scenes are masquerading as clearly alternate an undead monk takes (and/or and has murdered alternate edits), people as part of a plot to keep the villagers away from sequences appear in the monastery. He’s searching for the hidden gold. different order in Ricardo chases Karen but is distracted by Frank’s arrival. each film, additional Karen and Jaime discover another dead body in the footage appears in monastery, and are confronted by Ricardo. Ricardo says Blood Screams, and he didn’t kill this guy, but he intends to burn down the there are some major monastery (with Karen and Jaime inside), then search the casting changes as ashes for the gold. However, a bunch of undead monks well. smash their way out of the walls, and undead Victoriano La maldición del grabs Ricardo as the fire breaks out. Karen and Jaime monasterio was escape. When the train arrives the next day, Karen directed by Glenn changes her mind about leaving, and remains in town Gebhard, a filmmaker and professor at Loyola with Jaime. Frank tags along. Marymount University in California. It was his first fictional feature (he later made two more, but his filmmaking career has mostly been focused on documentaries). The movie was picked up by Roger Corman’s Concorde Pictures for release in the USA (posters exist which suggest it may have been released theatrically in the USA, but this is unconfirmed). It’s not known if all the changes to the U.S. version were actually re-shoots, but this seems possible, since at least one of the new performers (Rene Victor, better known as Renée Victor) is an actress who appears in Latino productions made in the USA. Blood Screams also amps up the “spooky” level with some additional footage of a diabolical “ceremony” and other witchcraft-related plot content that’s not present in La maldición del monasterio. La maldición del monasterio has an ambiguous The film begins with a prologue in which sinister conclusion: were the dead monks all in Ricardo’s mind hacendado Victoriano slaughters a bunch of monks in or not? Neither Karen nor Jaime see them, since they’re hopes of stealing their gold, then commits suicide when more concerned with escaping the flames. However, government troops arrive. In the present day, gringa Ricardo makes a point of saying he didn’t kill Enrique tourist Karen leaves a train in a small town (partly to (the man found in the monastery at the end), so who did? escape from annoying fellow traveler Frank), only to (Presumably it was Ricardo who murdered town drunk discover she’s now stranded there for several days. Javier earlier.) Jaime, who has returned to the town after a long absence, Blood Screams has the same basic plot as La helps her get a room in Ricardo’s house (“There is no maldición del monasterio, but adds some additional, not Holiday Inn here”). Jaime and Karen become friends particularly logical, footage. Angélica, the curandera and then lovers over the next several days. As a young played by Isela Vega in the Mexican version, doesn’t boy, he was traumatised by the discovery of his father’s have a lot to do. In her one major scene, she advises the body in the old monastery; Karen has memories of being troubled Karen to confront her fears, and that’s about it. abused as a child by her father. Karen has nightmares of Vega’s role was taken in Blood Screams by actress Rene undead monks, and other strange things occur. Victor, whose lair is filled with skulls, candles, and other magic paraphrenalia (whereas Angélica’s room in the

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Mexican film has an NBA poster on the wall!). The “witch” in Blood Screams apparently keeps Diane, a  young woman, captive—Karen and Diane become friends and share a fair amount of screen time. There are Muerte infernal [Infernal Death] /Hell Doll some added scenes in which the witch, Diane and a (RGA Cinema Prods., ©1987) Prod: Roberto Guinar; character named Miguel Dir/Scr: Ronald perform a ceremony: the Wertheim; Orig. Idea: witch orders Miguel to Alfredo Salazar; Photo: summon his undead Genaro Hurtado; Music: monk brothers, Diane is Edgar Sosa; Prod Mgr: accidentally stabbed, and Marco A. Santander; the monks finally appear Asst Dir: Rosa R. and grab the witch. Romo; Film Ed: However, these aren’t Sigfrido García Jr.; Art the zombie-monks Dir: Bertha Coutiño; shown in La maldición del monasterio, but normal- Camera Op: Pepe looking monks. Romay; Makeup: Arthur The witch/Diane scenes in Blood Screams are the Galán; Sp FX Makeup: major additions to this film from the original. There are Arturo García; Union: some other changes, including shuffling the order of STIC various sequences. La maldición del monasterio runs Hell Doll credits just about 80 minutes (including credits), whereas Blood (where different): Screams is about 5:30 shorter, so a fair amount of Roberto Guinart Productions; Prod: Roberto Guinart; footage from the Mexican version has been trimmed. Dir: Roberto Guinart, Ronald Wertheim; Scr: Roberto Ironically, some of this footage is the Karen’s dreams, Guinart, Ronald Wertheim; Film Ed: Roberto Guinart, which are fairly effective in establishing a weird Sig García Jr. atmosphere but were apparently removed because they Cast: Benny Corral (Lawrence Mercero*), Erika didn’t directly advance the plot. Ana Luisa Peluffo’s Carlsson (Julia Mercero), Roger Cudney (Dr. Emmanuel admittedly irrelevant role as Enrique’s mother has been Richter), Yria Bazegui (Dr. Holly O'Hara), Sandra Félix entirely cut. (Margaret), Hellen [spelled “Helen” on end credits] La maldición del Goyas (nurse), Aurelio Pérez (Yermo), Roberto Guinar monasterio was shot (deliveryman), Chucho Medina (poor kid), Abel Avalos in El Chico, Hidalgo, (male nurse), Irma Tatiana (doctor) and makes good use of *the family name which appears on a tombstone and the actual locations. is used in the movie is “Mercero,” but is sometimes cited The production values as the Anglicised “Mercer.” are overall quite Notes: this is an odd movie, shot in English in satisfactory, and the Mexico, but apparently only released in a Spanish- Mexican supporting dubbed version (as far as I can determine). Producer cast is full of familiar Roberto Guinar--despite his top billing on the Cinevideo faces, including Wally VHS box (which also features a photo of him in an Barrón, José Chávez “action star” pose, shooting a pistol, a scene not in the Trowe and Alfredo movie at all)--makes Gutiérrez. Mario only a cameo Almada’s part is quite appearance as an ill- small: this is an early tempered example of a scheme deliveryman in the which became much opening scene; the more pronounced over the next several decades, utilising real stars are Benny Almada as a box-office “name” despite his extremely Corral, Erika limited screen time. Carlsson and Roger Although Russ Tamblyn has had a very long career, Cudney (foreigners who worked in the Mexican film the other U.S. performers (Stacey Shaffer, Rene Victor, industry but also spoke English), and Aurelio Pérez (a Susannah Smith) have very few credits between them. little person who can be seen in some other Mexican Everyone is fine, however, although Tamblyn is given a movies). rather thankless comic relief role which has little bearing Coincidentally, Carlsson, Cudney and Benny Corral on the plot. all worked in Total Recall (once again, because they were English-speaking actors in Mexico). Corral has been directing commercials and music videos for the last

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30 years, in addition to working as a choreographer, flees on his bike and nearly kills himself. He's taken to a actor, singer and dancer since the early 1980s. Aside mental hospital for observation. Dr. Holly O'Hara, trying from Carlsson, Cudney, Corral and Aurelio Pérez, the to communicate with Lawrence, allows him to put on a supporting roles are filled by unfamiliar faces, puppet show for the other patients; Yermo, brought from presumably chosen for their ability to speak English (in home for the the original version). performance, makes I can only guess that the English version was to be rude remarks and titled The Joker, since there is a song by this title on the sounds, offending the soundtrack [on Benny Corral’s website, he lists both The whole audience Jocker [sic] (1989) (except one patient, and Muerte who keeps infernal (1992), as applauding after if they were everyone else has different films, but left!). That night, this clearly does Lawrence's nurse not seem to be the comes to his room with romance on her mind, but is case.] The raped and murdered by Yermo. Lawrence and Yermo character of escape. "Yermo" is After a bizarre sequence intercutting Dr. O'Hara and referred to in the movie as a bufón, which means "jester," her boss Dr. Richter making love with Yermo and another word for joker. However, I cannot find evidence Lawrence lying on a bed laughing like they're stoned, that the movie was ever released under this title or any Holly goes home. Richter suffers a heart attack when he other except Muerte infernal and then—years later—as answers a knock at the door and is confronted by a Hell Doll (more about this later). skeleton. Later, Yermo creeps into Holly's apartment to There seems to be an attempt to suggest the film is set stab her, but changes his mind and starts to fondle her in the USA: the package delivered in the opening scene instead. She wakes up and flees, locking herself in the is addressed to "The Doll House," with a post office box bathroom; Yermo tries to chop through the door, but in "San Genaro, CA" [which does not appear to be a real leaves when the neighbors are aroused by the town, not even under the more common spelling of “San commotion. Back home, Yermo chases Julia with a Gennaro.”] The widowed Julia Mercero lives in the knife, but she falls aforementioned house, where she makes and sells dolls; into the fireplace her teenaged son Lawrence also lives there. Socially and is burned to backward and immature, he spends his time creating death! The film puppet shows with concludes with his friend Margaret. Julia's funeral; Lawrence Lawrence attends, discovers a large box and is then led in the storeroom of away by attendants the house; it contains from the mental a large doll [note: hospital. An anguished Yermo runs through the this never looks like cemetary, mourning the loss of his friend. a doll, it is clearly at If you didn't know the story for this film was written all times a little person wearing makeup--however, in the by Alfredo Salazar, you could figure it out by the clues: context of the movie, the "doll" is an actual, mummified combination of sex and horror, murderous doll, human being, so I guess that this is actually OK]. His ambiguous ending (see other Salazar-scripted pictures mother forbids him to use it in his show. She says his like Muñecos infernales and Una rata en la obscuridad). father bought it in Spain [it is later identified as the Although to the audience Yermo clearly seems to be an mummified body of a centuries-old jester, executed for animate, sentient being who acts on his own--especially perverted sexual practices with the ladies of the court]. when he's trying to rape and/or kill Holly--there are Upset, Lawrence goes to see Margaret; they almost make suggestions that he might only be "real" in Lawrence's love, but he's unable to go through with it. Coming mind, and therefore it is Lawrence who is doing all of the home, Lawrence is frightened to discover the large doll-- killing (this is especially noticeable at the end, when only named Yermo--in his bed! His mother put it there, Yermo is seen as Julia dies, but Lawrence’s voice can be apologizing for her earlier refusal. Lawrence and Julia heard). nearly commit incest, but at the last second Julia sees the The performances are satisfactory, although the staring, life-like eyes of Yermo and comes to her senses. dubbing makes this more difficult to judge. Corral in After being dumped in the park fountain by some particular is given a rather whiny, infantile voice and bullies, Lawrence runs into Margaret; embarassed, he

19 THE MEXICAN FILM BULLETIN VOLUME 23 NO. 3 September 2017 dialogue; it doesn’t sound like Carlsson or Cudney did her heart (if indeed that’s what he was going to do). End their own Spanish dubbing either. of scene. Director Ronald Wertheim, a longtime veteran of the It seems the Yermo flashback scenes were part of the U.S. adult film industry, had “original” version of the film, since Aurelio Pérez written, acted in, edited and appears in them, but the carnival and bullfight footage is directed films dating back to the obviously stock shots. While there is some attempt to tie late 1960s. How he got together the bullfight images thematically to Yermo’s murder of with producer Guinar isn’t known. the woman (cutting from the torero plunging his sword Most of the rest of the crew is into the bull to Yermo stabbing his victim), the carnival made up of Mexican technicians, footage is not as clearly relevant: stretching a point, we although seeing actor Pepe Romay could say the scantily-clad dancers = the nude young credited as camera operator is a woman. surprise (he later directed films The colour in all of the footage in the flashback is himself). heavily desaturated. Whether this was a deliberate Two decades after Muerte infernal was made, decision (to highlight the fact that this is a flashback) or Roberto Guinar revised the film and “released” it under to hide the poor visual quality of the Yermo scenes the title Hell Doll. It was listed (perhaps Guinar didn’t have access to a good print of this as available for streaming on material) is not known. Muerte infernal had a fair Amazon with a “2006” date, amount of nudity, so the omission of this particular but is no longer available there. sequence may be attributed to the graphic gore, as brief In 2012, two trailers were as it is. uploaded to Roberto Guinar’s Muerte infernal is professionally put together, YouTube channel with a note although certainly not elaborate; the pacing within saying the whole film would be sequences is fine, but the script is a little slow to get “uploaded soon,” but that started, and is (perhaps deliberately) vague about some apparently never happened (or things. The concept is better than the execution. it was uploaded and later taken down). [Guinar hasn’t Unusual, neither terribly bad nor especially good. posted anything to YouTube in 4 years, but he’s still active on Twitter.] Hell Doll was shown several years  ago on one of the Mexican-film channels I subscribed to at the time (Cine Estelar). I assumed at first it was just a Thirties Horror re-title of Muerte infernal, but a quick viewing proved (Prods. that new footage had been incorporated. El baúl macabro [The Macabre Trunk] Pezet, 1936) Dir: Miguel Zacarías; Adapt/ Dialog: The two versions are almost identical except for new Alejandro Galindo; Story: Jorge M. Dada; Photo: Alex opening credits and a 5-minute sequence at about the 37- Phillips; minute mark. In Muerte infernal, Julia examines the Music/ Songs: inanimate Yermo, saying the man who sold her late Jorge M. husband the doll had stuck a written description of its Dada; Music provenance in its clothes: Yermo was the “sexual Arr: Armando favourite” of the Queen and “various members” of the Spanish court in the 18th (?) century, then was killed and Rosales; Film mummified for his crimes. Julia says this was a “big Ed: Miguel mistake” on the part of Yermo. This scene lasts only Zacarías; Art about a minute. Dir: Jorge In Hell Doll, the sequence is expanded to 5 minutes, Fernández; with the insertion of scenes of costumed people dancing Sound: B.J . Kroger; Sound Ed: José Marino in the street as if it were carnival time (in some shots the Cast: Ramón Pereda (Dr. Maximiliano Renán), René dancers seem to be black, suggesting the footage was Cardona (Dr. Armando del Valle) , Manuel Noriega (Dr. Brazilian), with “typical” Spanish music (flamenco style Monroy), Esther Fernández (Alicia Monroy), Ruperto guitar and castañets) on the soundtrack. Yermo (wearing Bátiz (González), Carlos López [“Chaflán”] (Méndez), a powdered wig) spies on a nude young woman in her Juanita Castro (Virginia Renán), Juan García boudoir. He then chases her around the room. This (Gavilondo) , Enrique Gonze (Mozabú), Victorio Blanco footage alternates with the “carnival” scenes, then (bum), Alejandro Galindo (reporter) , Luis Ladrón de bullfight scenes are also intercut. When the woman tries Guevara to flee, Yermo forces her onto the bed at knifepoint, cuts Notes: Well-made but rather slow and only mildly her throat, has sex with her body, and then starts to slice horrific thriller that resembles Mystery of the Wax off one breast and carve into her chest. Blood spurts, but Museum, The Raven, and The Corpse Vanishes (which it we don’t actually see him remove her breast or extract predates).

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Dr. Renán is trying to cure his wife Virginia 's matching cuts are also in evidence, for instance, ending mysterious illness by means of transfusions (or one scene with a shot of a character’s feet and beginning something) from the corpses of other women. He has the next scene with a shot of another person’s feet. Late been stealing bodies from the hospital morgue, but when in the film there is a very nice transition bridged by this supply runs sound: a subjective shot of Renán putting the anesthesia low, he starts mask over the camera (i.e., Alicia’s face), then a cut to a kidnaping shot of cars speeding to her rescue. Alicia’s scream in patients, bar- the first shot segues perfectly into the sound of squealing girls, and any tires and police sirens in the succeeding shot. other available Production values are generally good: visually, El women. The baúl macabro doesn’t look like a Hollywood studio police suspect production of the same period, due to the difference in one of Renán's equipment, film stock, sets, costuming, etc., but the colleagues, Mexican film is not surgeon Armando del Valle, who happens to be the cheap or shoddy. There fiancé of Alicia Monroy, daughter of the head of the is one rather shocking hospital. A fake “blind” beggar has a run-in with Renán moment when the slate- as the latter is disposing of body parts in trash cans board appears in the around the city! The beggar doesn't recognize Renán, but middle of a scene (the he offers to help the unjustly-accused del Valle. sequence where Meanwhile, Renán has been called in to operate on Armando is playing the Alicia, who is suffering from appendicitis. He decides piano and singing to she is the perfect donor for his wife; however, Renán 's Alicia). There is also a very brief flash of nudity (a strange actions make the others suspicious, and the female corpse on Renán’s operating table). surgeon is Although not as comedy-oriented as El super loco, El forced to baúl macabro does have a fair amount of humour, kidnap Alicia. including virtually every scene featuring Carlos López as Alerted by the a dopey police detective, and some intended-to-be-funny beggar and his byplay involving René Cardona as the snarky Dr. del friends, Valle. Armando René Cardona (who had recently married the sister of trails Renán to director Miguel Zacarías) and Ramón Pereda were his hideout, already established performers, but Esther Fernández where the hadn’t yet made Allá en el Rancho Grande, which would operation is elevate her to stardom. Carlos López “Chaflán,” sans his about to begin. Armando is subdued by Renán and his handlebar moustache, is one police detective; the other is hunchbacked (naturally) assistant, Mozabú. As the police played by a young Juan García. Future director draw near Mozabú demands that Renán stop the Alejandro Galindo, who wrote El baúl macabro has a bit operation so they can flee. When Renán refuses (the part. Enrique Gonze, as “Mozabú,” rather closely operation is at a critical point for his wife), Mozabú resembles the future Jerry Lewis, and Victorio Blanco— shoots him. The police burst in and rescue Armando and later a familiar face as a white-bearded old man in many Alicia. Renán dies, along with his wife. Mexican movies—is unrecognisable here as the street El baúl macabro (the title refers to a large trunk beggar. containing a body, but Entertaining and worth watching. this certainly isn’t a [Original review in MFB 5/5 January 1999.] key aspect of the picture), is well-  produced and there are some interesting El Super Loco* [The Super Madman] (Prods. stylistic touches, as Cin. Éxito, 1936) Dir-Adapt: Juan José Segura; Story: well as attempts to Jorge Cadeña Álvarez; Photo: Lauron A. Draper; Music: flesh out the various Chucho Monje; Orchestrations: Daniel R. Castañeda; characters. On the Prod Mgr: Jorge Cardeña [Álvarez]; Asst Dir: Antonio stylistic side, Zacarías Guerrero T.; Film Ed: José Marino; Art Dir: José uses some clever Rodríguez [G.]; Sound: José B. Carles; Sound Ed: José transitions between scenes: panning from one scene, Merino; Titles: Véjar followed by an almost-invisible cut in the middle of the *the title is sometimes listed as El superloco, pan, then picking up in mid-pan to the next scene. Some although the title screen on the film itself appears to show three words, not two.

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Cast: Leopoldo Ortín (Sóstenes), Carlos Villarías his 80s but looks much younger). Dyenis sends his (Dr. Dienys), Aurorita Campuzano (Susanita), Consuelo henchman Idúa to burgle Alberto's house and Idúa Frank (Margarita), Ramón Armendgod (Alberto returns with a photo of Margarita; the mad doctor is Montes), Emilio Fernández (Idúa), Jorge [Cadeña] smitten. Dyenis tells Alberto and a panel of scientists Álvarez (Dr. Castillo), A[rmando] Roozendaal (Jorge, that mental power can be used to cure physical ills and friend of Sóstenes), Raúl Urquijo (The Monster), Galdino even prevent aging. When Dr. Castillo calls Dyenis a Samperio (bellhop), Juan García (bartender), Manolo "charlatan," Dyenis stares at him and Castillo drops dead Noriega (scientist) of a heart attack. Notes: Carlos Villarías appeared as Count Dracula in Dyenis tries to split up the 1931 Spanish-language Drácula, but it was several Alberto and Margarita. years before Mexican Alberto sneaks into the secret filmmakers made a very chamber where Dyenis keeps brief attempt to establish a “subnormal being” he him as a "horror star" in captured in Patagonia and has 1935's El misterio del been imbuing with super- rostro pálido and 1936's strength via mental waves (or El Super Loco (in that something). The “monster” same year he also knocks out Alberto and played the title role in escapes. Meanwhile, Nostradamus--in which Margarita visits Dyenis and he was accompanied by his El Super Loco co-stars demands to see Alberto; the Consuelo Frank and Leopoldo Ortín--but this was a mad scientist loses his self- costume picture, not control and attempts to a fantasy film). For embrace Margarita, but this whatever reason-- causes him to age decades in perhaps these films a few seconds. were not popular Alberto’s friend Sóstenes successes--Villarías and Alberto’s shrewish aunt made no more Susanita arrive at Dyenis’s appearances as mad house. They see the doctors until Una monster (who looks more or aventura en la noche less like a normal guy who in 1947. As "Dr. needs a haircut and a new shirt) kill Idúa; he also flips Dyenis" in El Super Loco, Villarias is in full Lugosi- over the car, with Susanita inside. Sóstenes and mode, suave and menacing--he's even given the "Lugosi- Margarita rescue the (still) unconscious Alberto. The eyes" closeup treatment in at least one shot, and in his monster tosses the enfeebled Dyenis through a window. final scene with Consuelo Frank--in which the mad Sóstenes battles the monster, tossing a bottle that causes doctor loses his self-control due to lust--Villarías a battle-axe on the wall to fall and hit the creature on the definitely looks like he's going to bite her neck! I never head! The police thought Villarías looked much like Lugosi, but in El arrive and declare Super Loco he strongly resembles the Hollywood horror Sóstenes a “hero.” star, even in non-horror scenes where he’s just strolling Alberto finally around in a natty suit, twirling a cane. wakes up and is El Super Loco is a curious hybrid, combining a reunited with sketchy but Margarita. familiar horror Ramón movie plot with Armengod was a extremely heavy singer/actor who doses of comic had a long career in relief in the Mexican cinema as person of a leading man. He tended to play sensitive, even weak Leopoldo characters rather than stalwart heroes, and El Super loco "Chato" Ortín is a good example of this: Alberto becomes stubbornly (whose real-life obsessed with Dr. Dyenis, ignores his girlfriend, and wife Aurora plays no significant role in the climax of the movie Campuzano plays the acerbic Susanita). (aside from accidentally freeing the monster), being Scientist Alberto neglects his fiancee Margarita to unconscious the whole time! This leaves the alcoholic promote the fringe-science ideas of Dr. Dyenis (who's in Sóstenes as the “hero” by default, although it’s obvious

22 THE MEXICAN FILM BULLETIN VOLUME 23 NO. 3 September 2017 that the movie was constructed from the start as a vehicle Sierra Negra. After various “spooky” happenings during for comic actor Leopoldo Ortín, one of the earliest the trip, the prisoner escapes and the truck is stolen, so starring comedians in Mexican cinema. Capulina and the others head for an old, abandoned One interesting aspect of El super loco is the location house. shooting at the “Club Deportivo” in Mexico City: a fair Inside, Capulina, Virtua, Adelita, and Valentina are amount of the scenes are shot either in the club bar chased by several "ghosts" (clearly men in masks), (possibly a set) and around the swimming pool and on eventually discovering these are the escaped prisoner the grounds. Zopilote and his two henchmen (who were also, coincidentally, the telegrapher and waiter at the train  station in town). With the aid of the police captain, don Serapio, his son, and doña Matilde, the crooks are Comic Chills eventually captured. Viruta will marry Valentina, Capulina will wed Adelita, and don Serapio is happy because he bought the land on which the old house rests, and it sits on a deposit of oil. El camino de los espantos was written by Roberto Gómez Bolaños, later famous as “Chespirito,” and there are a number of things which seem to foreshadow his television hits “El Chavo del Ocho” and “El Chapulín Colorado.” El camino de los espantos contains a lot of argumentative, humourous dialogue with wordplay and puns. In one sequence, Capulina is questioned by the truck’s passengers: person A asks a question, person B asks a question, and Capulina gives an answer which—if taken in the context of question B, is insulting—but he explains away as “I was answering [person A].” At the end of the bit, Capulina delivers one final nasty comment, and when person D says “oh, you were El camino de los espantos [The Road of the answering person C,” Capulina replies, “No, I was answering you.” There are also some visual gags which Spooks] (Nacional Cinematográfica**, 1965) Prod: are cartoonish in nature: Viruta repeatedly running Mario A. Zacarías; Dir: Gilberto Martínez Solares; Scr: through solid walls, leaving a hole shaped like his body, Roberto Gómez Bolaños; Photo: Raúl Martínez Solares; doña Matilde falling on her husband and pounding him Music: Sergio Guerrero; Prod Mgr: José Llamas U.; into the floor/ground. The climactic battle between the 3 Prod Chief: Enrique Morfín; Asst Dir: Valerio Olivo; villains and the 7 protagonists consists mostly of Film Ed: Gloria Schoemann; Art Dir: Javier Torres everyone hitting everyone else on the head with large Torija; Décor: Ernesto Carrasco; Lighting: Miguel wooden clubs, reminiscent of the mallet used by El Arana; Camera Op: Cirilo Rodríguez; Makeup: Ana Chapulín Colorado. One funny and surreal recurring bit Guerrero; Sound Supv: James L. Fields; Dialog Rec: Luis has Capulina periodically pulling a lit candle out of this Fernández; Re-rec: Galdino Samperio; Sound Ed: coat pocket, using it, then putting it back (still lit). Reynaldo Portillo; Spec FX: Antonio Muñoz R.; Union: The characterisations also remind one of Chespirito’s STPC TV characters. Serapio and Matilde’s grown son (who **the screenplay is ©Prods. Zacarías doesn’t seem to have a name, although it sounds like he’s Cast: Viruta [Marco Antonio Campos] (Viruta), called “Pipo” once, but it might just be “hijo”) is spoiled Capulina [Gaspar Henaine] (Capulina), Elsa Cárdenas and a mildly obnoxious know-it-all, a bit like “Kiko” (Adelita), Salomé (Valentina), Crox Alvarado (El (Quico) in “El Chavo del Ocho.” Serapio and Matilde Zopilote), Guillermo Rivas (Captain), Consuelo don’t have direct analogues in “El Chavo del Ocho,” but Monteagudo (Matilde), Mario García “Harapos” they are the same kind of offbeat characters Gómez (Serapio), Arturo Rosen (son), Notanoel [sic] León Bolaños often created. Moreno “Frankestein” (telegrapher), Manuel Barrera Towards the end of El camino de los espantos (before Nápoles [aka René Barrera] (waiter) the too-long final battle), Capulina and the others are Notes: when a storm washes out a railroad bridge, 7 sitting around discussing the case, and Capulina says would-be passengers—a middle-aged couple and their “From the beginning I suspected [the leader of the gang] grown son, two local women who’ve won a contest and was [El Zopilote],” in the same tone as El Chapulín are to appear in a movie, and a police captain and his Colorado would frequently announce “No contaban con prisoner--are stranded in a small town. They pay local mi austucia!” truck drivers Viruta and Capulina to deliver them to the One mildly annoying aspect of El camino de los city; since they’re not licensed to carry passengers, espantos is shared by thousands of movies throughout Viruta decides to take a back road through the “haunted”

23 THE MEXICAN FILM BULLETIN VOLUME 23 NO. 3 September 2017 the history of cinema: the “instant romance” scenario. picture may come as a surprise: he’s still somewhat However, in this picture the level of unbelievability is ingenuous, but he’s not infantile and at times is assertive raised considerably. Viruta and Valentina and Capulina and crafty. Capulina also has a lot of solo footage: in and Adelita fall in love and decide to get married all in fact, the scenes where the partners actually team up for the space of a few hours. Literally minutes after some comedy business are rather limited. Whether this Valentina has met Viruta, they’re calling each other mi foreshadowed their eventual breakup (still nearly 2 years amor, and Adelita soon sets her sights on Capulina as off) is not known. well. The script indicates they’re all from the same small El camino de los espantos is fairly interesting and town and knew of each other prior to this night, but entertaining, and one is tempted to give Roberto Gómez weren’t acquainted: Valentina didn’t even know Viruta’s Bolaños a large share of the credit. name! It’s a considerable stretch to imagine that two attractive and presumably talented young women (who  won a contest to appear in a movie) would be instantly smitten by a couple of truck drivers. I don’t think many Mario & the Monsters people would form their concept of real-life romance on a Capulina and Viruta film, but if they did, they were Masacre probably in for an unpleasant surprise. nocturna [Nocturnal Massacre] (Prods. Viejo, 1990) Exec Prod: Gilberto & Raúl Trujillo; Dir: Gilberto de Anda; Scr: Gilberto de Anda [uncredited]; Photo: Antonio de Anda; Music: Raúl Martell; Film Ed: Sigfrido García; Asst Photo: José Luis Vera; Makeup: Lupita Sandoval; Sound: Cuahutémoc [sic] Ponce; Asst Dir: Fernando Bidart; Prod Mgr: Mauro Gazcón; Action Coord: José The picture’s small cast is mostly composed of Quintero veteran performers, with two exceptions. Salomé’s Cast: Mario Almada (Alfredo), Juan Peláez (Luis credit indicates she’s a “Spanish actress” making her Lara), Sergio Sánchez (The Count), Wanda Seux (The debut in cine mexicano: she’s attractive enough and a Countess), Carlos Pouliot (Alejandro Langlia), Roberto decent performer (although her dialogue may very well Cobo (Renfield), Lizbet Castro (Karen?), Mauro Gazcón, have been dubbed, since she has no Spanish accent), and Tina Cobo (Alfredo’s wife?), Jorge Guzmán, José L. is given a very extraneous musical number to perform. Quintero, Mónica Rambal, Rodolfo Villareal However, she doesn’t appear to have made any other Notes: Gilberto de Anda's directorial credits include a Mexican movies. The other surprising name in the cast number of fantasy films, including Cazador de is “Arturo Rosen,” better-known as Arturo Ripstein. demonios, La noche de la bestia, Un paso al más acá, Mi Ripstein acted in a handful of films in this period but fantasma y yo (all theatrical releases), Armagedón, el directing was clearly his passion: in fact, he directed his ángel de la muerte, Colmillos de furia, and El first film (Tiempo de morir) in 1965, a few months after Chupacabras (direct-to-video). Masacre nocturna is a appearing in El camino de los espantos. Rosen/Ripstein multi-story film (like Un paso al más acá and La zona is adequate in his role here, although a trained comedian del silencio, written by Gilberto but directed by his might have done more with it. brother Rodolfo de Anda): each story is peripherally Everyone else is fine. Mario García “Harapos” plays linked to the preceding one. his role rather straight, and for once doesn’t use his wild The film opens as actor Alejandro Langlia appears in mop of hair to get laughs (he wears a pith helmet for the dress rehearsal of a stage production of "The most of the movie but even when he removes it, his hair Phantom of the Opera" (not the musical), wearing looks normal). Viruta is, as usual, Capulina’s straight elaborately horrible makeup. Fellow actor Luis Lara man and is scrupulously given his fair share of “solo” visits Alejandro's home, begging Langlia to teach him scenes (that is, scenes in which he appears without how to act and do makeup. Langlia refuses, although he Capulina). For those only familiar with Capulina’s later does taunt Luis by showing him a large, old book that he movies, the rotund comedian’s rather hard edge in this says contains his "secret." That night, Luis comes back

24 THE MEXICAN FILM BULLETIN VOLUME 23 NO. 3 September 2017 to steal the book but is confronted by Langlia; Langlia and ripping the arm from another man). Mario waves shoots and wounds the intruder, but Luis kills him with a goodbye to his furry friend as he and his wife depart. fireplace poker. He Masacre nocturna isn't too bad, although the second departs with the story is so forgettable that I didn’t remember it when I book, not noticing a was making my video page has fallen out. documentary on Mexican [Do you think that vampire movies! The will be important, plots are fairly simplistic later?] At home, and predictable, and are Luis discovers the stretched out too long: book is "black the only one that is paced magic," and contains fairly well is the third, a spell that cures his gunshot wound instantly. although none are boring. Due to the death of Langlia, the producers of the play Clearly made on a low are frantic and accept Luis's offer to fill the leading role. budget, the producers did spring for an elaborate makeup He's a success, his horrific makeup just as good as in the first tale (the Phantom Langlia's. However, the police have found Luis's looks like Peter Boyle as a fingerprints in the murder victim's house and arrive to burn victim, or a mud-man), arrest him. Luis discovers the secret of "returning to and when he tears off his normal" is missing from the book: he isn't wearing own skin there's a fair makeup, he became the monster. When the police burst amount of blood; a bit of into his dressing room, Luis has ripped off his own face makeup (fangs) in the and is dead. second; and a full-body Yeti Among the audience suit (the creature's face is members leaving the theatre never seen, however) and are the Count and Countess, the aforementioned "gore" and their major-domo effects (decapitation and arm-ripping) in the final story. Renfield. As they enter their The performances are satisfactory. Carlos Pouliot house, they're the victims of a gets a somewhat larger role than usual in the first story, home invasion by 4 criminals. and Juan Peláez is his usual supercilious self as the Although the Countess hands fatally-ambitious Luis. Sergio Sánchez, Roberto Cobo over her jewels readily, the and Wanda Seux ham it thugs refuse to leave, believing the couple has cash up a bit in the second hidden. Finally, the Count and Countess reveal sequence but that fits themselves to be vampires (and Renfield turns into a with their roles of wolf), and kill the miscreants. aristocratic On the street outside, Alfredo and his wife Irma are Transylvanian emigrants driving by in an RV; Alfredo claims he heard a wolf to Mexico (the Countess howling. They continue on their journey to the says she's actually from countryside, bickering all the while. Alfredo says as a Buenos Aires but later boy he was hunting with his father and was confronted married the Count). by a Yeti. Now Almada and Tina Cobo (I he's back to find guess) are basically the whole show in the third tale. it. Armed with a While Cobo's role is quite one-note (the shrewish wife), crossbow, Almada is really pretty good (although the script is quite Alfredo enters the contradictory: he returns to hunt the Yeti, changing his forest, leaving mind after it saves his life; however, he later tells the Irma behind Yeti that he always thought of the monster as an although she "imaginary friend" after their first encounter, years fears she'll be before). assaulted by De Anda's direction is workmanlike but there's only indios with so much that can be done in the videohome medium in machetes. terms of atmospheric sets, photography, and so forth. Alfredo nearly falls off a cliff but is rescued by the Yeti Technical aspects are adequate. and they become friends. Irma really is attacked by a group of armed men, but the Yeti kills them all  (smacking one man so hard that he knocks his head off,

25 THE MEXICAN FILM BULLETIN VOLUME 23 NO. 3 September 2017 La hacienda del terror [The Hacienda of than 30 seconds. To be fair, his name isn't used to sell Terror] (Castañeda Films/1-800 Prendas/Zoológico de the film, and he did appear in another Martín Castañeda film (El lamento de un mojado) so the two men were Vallarta, 2004) apparently acquainted, but one wonders if Almada was Prod: Martín paid anything for his "role" in La hacienda del terror. Castañeda; Dir: La hacienda del terror utilises the hoary old Roberto premise—“heirs are summoned to an old mansion to Marroquín, hear the reading of a will”—and delivers this in the Patricia Fuentes, clumsiest, most uninteresting way ever. The editing Alejandro Todd; deserves a lot of the blame, but the script itself is Scr: Patricia confusing, pointless, loaded with stilted dialogue, and Fuentes; Adapt: concludes in an illogical and frustrating manner. Martín Castañeda; The incoherent script and extremely variable acting Photo: Febronio aside, there are several other major problems with this Tepozte [and videohome: Manuel Tejada, (1) it's too long (106 minutes). Literally the end-credits only]; first half of the movie is spent "introducing" the Prod Mgr: Antolín characters before they even arrive at the hacienda. This Gómez, Rosalinda could have been reduced to less than a third of the time, Castañeda; Sound at most. There is also a lot of padding, including 2 Engin: Guillermo songs, and other extraneous footage (such as jet ski and Carrasco [and Noé Rincón, end-credits only] pool party scenes). Cast: Oswaldo Sánchez (Miguel), Manuel Ojeda (don (2) there are too many characters; a fair number Manuel), María Sorté (Lic. María Robles), Lina Santos of them just blend into the background and the viewer (Lina), Patricia Rivera (Patricia Fuentes), Eduardo can't keep up with who's who. Medina (Andrés), Martín Castañeda (Martín), Norma (3) there is an annoying lack of consistency with Lazareno (doña Ana Luisa), Guillermo Quintanilla regard to the ghosts. Sometimes they’re semi- (Eugenio), Soledad Castañeda (Marisol), Rodrigo transparent (superimpositions), at other times they look Fernández (Leonardo), Jesús Corona (Chuy), Lorena solid. Live people are “possessed” by the spirits Velázquez (doña Lorena), Luis Ernesto Michel (Juan), (occasionally), and at the end of the movie various dead Antonio Castañeda (singer in palenque), Ana Luisa people—who are solid, not spirits—act essentially like Peluffo (Emilia Garza), Mario Almada (don Evaristo), zombies, attacking and killing others. [The screenplay Geraldine Bazán (Celeste), Luis Valls (Rubén), Fernanda tries to at least Reto (Diana), Jorge Sánchez (Roberto), Maribel Palmer partially (Claudia), Margarita Castañeda (hanged woman), explain this by Alfredo Toxqui (Lorenzo), Mario Aquino & Jesús saying the Carmona (paramedics), Emilia's bodyguards: Silvia transparent López, Luz Ma. Castañeda, M. Chuy Castañeda; Gerardo “spirits” are del Toro (Augusto), Ángel de la Peña (father), Guillermo strengthened Martínez (Sergio), César Gómez (La Mano), Narciso as each victim López S. (Dr. Olivera) dies, but this is Notes: the cast of La hacienda del terror consists of never made three distinct clear and groups. (1) "mature" doesn’t explain everything.] There is also no rhyme or (mostly) reason about the victims: some are attacked but survive professional actors, (some are later attacked again and die), while others are doing the best they killed outright. Who’s alive at the end is seemingly can with the random. material they've The film opens with a prologue (set 200 years in the been given; (2) past) in which a young woman complains to her professional futbol boyfriend that her father wants her to enter a convent. players, most of The father rides up and after a machete duel, kills the whom cannot act; (3) producer Martín Castañeda and his young man by smashing his head with a big log! [The relatives, some of whom can act, more or less. There young woman is the primary “ghost” of the second part might be a few people on-screen who don't fit into one of of the movie, credited as “the hanged woman,” but how these categories, but they're not very numerous. and why she hanged herself is never mentioned or The biggest "cheat" is Mario Almada's name in the discussed. She is seen hanging in one later scene in the credits. Almada is on-screen three times (as a present, a very poorly-done illusion.] transparent ghost, who says nothing) for a total of less

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Lawyer Robles tells doña Ana Luisa and her grown 1. Diana gets possessed (apparently by quite a few daughter Lina different ghosts) and eventually strangles that Ana Luisa’s Claudia and Marisol. late brother 2. Rubén is attacked by the ghosts of “hanged Evaristo woman” and don Evaristo, and survives, but has instructed that all nasty marks on his neck for a while afterwards. of his heirs visit 3. Some of the guests hold a séance (good idea!). his hacienda When Celeste tries to leave, “hanged woman” (where Ana (now solid) touches her on the arm and burns Luisa and Lina her. live) for the 4. Eugenio climbs over the wall into the hacienda reading of his will. Among those invited are: and gets his face messed up by a ghost (and also 1. Martín, apparently some sort of criminal (he dies…but comes back as a ghost-zombie). clashes with Emilia over some diamonds and 5. Leonardo serenades everyone around a feeds her to the lions in his private zoo!). campfire. “Hanged woman” ghost waits until [Trivia note: in real life, Martín Castañeda he finishes (don’t do us any favours, lady) then owns the Zoológico de Vallarta where this causes the fire to flare up suddenly. Ooh, sequence was shot.] Martín is accompanied by spooky! his partner and party girls Diana and Claudia. 6. Don Manuel is murdered by ghosts. 2. Roberto, whose sister Patricia stays home with 7. Various young people (don Manuel’s sons, their ailing mother doña Lorena. Patricia’s some futbolistas and/or hangers-on) see ghosts. greedy ex-husband Eugenio learns of the 8. Some of the dead people return to life and inheritance and crashes the reunion in hopes of murder a bunch of other people. getting some money (bad decision, Eugenio). Interspersed between all of these randomly-ordered 3. Factory worker don Manuel and his two sons. scenes is a sub-plot about Patricia and her mother, who 4. Futbol player (I guess) Miguel, who brings falls ill and has to be taken to the hospital. While in the along some pals and some women. hospital, doña Lorena has visions of the monster 5. Maybe some other people, I can’t remember. mayhem at the hacienda and sends Patricia to rescue Oh, Lina has a boyfriend, so that’s another one. Roberto. He’s not in the will, though. There are a lot of Patricia and people in this house, but only one servant, the Roberto avoid majordomo. the slaughter, as As mentioned above, the first half of this film consists do Martín, of tedious backstories for these people. None of these Rubén and are interesting in the slightest, and the spasmodic, Diana (although telenovela style editing (where no scene lasts more than a she killed minute or so before cutting to a completely different various people scene) doesn’t help. The dialogue is awful, and (in many while possessed; cases) awfully delivered. I guess that’s not a problem). As the film concludes, Finally, everyone arrives at the hacienda and doña Ana Luisa and Lina have a conversation about how supernatural things start happening. Naturally, the guests it was sad that so many people had to die to appease the all split up into small groups and wander around. Even vengeful ghosts of the hacienda, so that Ana Luisa and when threatening ghosts Lina can continue living there in peace. They suggest pop up (which they do, that this happens every year (or every 3 years, it’s not quite often), no one leaves clear) but there’s “no lack of people who’ll come to the because don Evaristo’s hacienda if they believe they’ll be getting an will says they have to inheritance.” spend the night or lose This “twist” ending is ridiculous. First, what about all their inheritance (and the people who died? Won’t anyone miss them? Won’t those who aren’t actual the police investigate? Also, all the “heirs” this time heirs—probably the were actually related to the late don Evaristo (and they at majority of the guests, least know of each other), so how could this be repeated come to think of it—don’t want to leave their friends or with a different group of heirs a year later? (Unless don maybe they just couldn’t get a ride home). It’s pointless Evaristo had a lot of heirs and Ana Luisa and Lina are to describe everything that occurs, but here are a few only inviting a few each time, which doesn’t seem samples (not in chronological order): feasible either.) Trivia notes: Rodrigo Fernández (full name, Paulo Rodrigo Fernández Rivera, who (poorly) sings an

27 THE MEXICAN FILM BULLETIN VOLUME 23 NO. 3 September 2017 interminable song in the film, is the son of actress (Leonora), Jaime Ramos (Chupacabras Franky), Daniel Patricia Rivera and singer/actor Vicente Fernández, who Acuña (El Mago), Arturo Barba (René, stuttering had a relationship in the 1980s. Vicente Fernández bartender), Jean Duverger (Capullo), Brian Medina legally acknowledged his paternity in 1987, but in the (Guicho), Ramón Rivera (Basilio), Malcolm Vargas 2000s indicated that a recent blood test proved Rodrigo (Juanjo), Diego Cataño (boy), Carlos Santana Arellano was not his biological son. & Luis Fernando Lezama (Jacinta’s sons), Isabel El hacienda del terror is far too long and basically a Cortázar (merchant), Osvaldo Benavides (dj at fiesta); narrative mess. However, the presence of some veteran cheerleaders: Danny Perea, Aurea Zapata, Isela Palacios, performers (not counting Mario Almada, who really Luz María Hernández, Lucy Bandala, Noemí Velázquez, shouldn’t even be credited—seriously, he’s in this less Eneraldine Borja, Bianca Borja than Bela Lugosi was in Plan 9 From Outer Space) and a Notes: Zurdo barely qualifies as a fantasy film—it is fair amount of horror action (as clumsy as it is) make the set in the future (or perhaps an alternate world) with a second half marginally bearable. certain amount of “futuristic” costuming (although most people dress normally) and sets, but nothing in the way  of science fiction-like inventions (in fact, there don’t even seem to be any televisions, radios, computers, or The World of the Future even telephones, although there are cars, flashing disco lights and sound systems). Zurdo takes place in “a (AltaVista Films-Fantasmas Films, Zurdo [Lefty] fantastic place called Buenaventura…in some time” and ©2003) Exec Prod: Francisco González Compeán, there is a rival town (never seen) called Santa María, but Federico González Compeán, Mónica Lozano; Creative no overt reference to the outside world otherwise. Post- Exec Prod: Yissel Ibarra, Jaime Casillas Ugarte; Prod: apocalyptic? Maybe, but it’s never clearly stated. Gustavo Montiel Buenaventura has a corrupt police force, a street gang Pagés; Co-Prod: (with three members), a pimp and a prostitute (maybe Blanca Montoya, more), but it’s not a dystopian hell-hole: people work, Carlos Salces, Ricardo children go to school, there is a sense of community, and Morales; Dir: Carlos so forth. Salces; Scr: Blanca The plot is not fantasy-oriented: a young boy, the Montoya, Carlos local marbles champion, upholds the honour of his town Salces; Story: Hubert in a match against the champion from a rival town, Barrero; Photo: Chuy despite numerous behind-the-scenes complications. The Chávez; Orig. Music: basic premise could be tweaked to feature virtually any Paul Van Dyk; competition, setting, and protagonist (1976’s El Moro de Orchestral Music: Cumpas (y el Zaíno de Agua Prieta) is about a horse race Eduardo Gamboa; between two towns, for example). Zurdo’s marble talent Prod Dir: Blanca is not depicted as supernatural, he’s just really good. Montoya; Prod Mgr: This said, Zurdo is an excellent film, extremely well Luz María Reyes; Asst made and acted. Carlos Salces had worked as an editor Dir: Carlos Hidalgo; Film Ed: Carlos Salces; Prod Des: and made short films—winning Arieles for editing Eugenio Caballero; Visual FX: Jaime Ramos; Spec FX: Bienvenido—Welcome and directing the short En el Daniel Cordero “Chovy”; Direct Sound: Gabriel Coll; espejo del cielo—before making Zurdo, his first Sound Design: Lena Esquenazi, Carlos Salces; Stunt commercial feature. Considering how slick and Coord: Gerardo Moreno; Makeup Design: Alfredo Mora, professional Zurdo is (it won Arieles for Best Music, Mario Pérez Zarazúa; Union: STIC Sound, Art Direction, Makeup, and Costumes, and was : Álex Perea (Alejandro “El Zurdo”), Arcelia Cast nominated for Best Editing and Best Special Effects), it’s Ramírez (Martina), Alejandro Camacho (Cmtde. Romo), rather surprising Salces Giovani Florido (Milito), Guillermo Gil (don Emilio), doesn’t seem to have Esteban Soberanes (Tomás), Blanca Salces (Dora), directed another feature Ignacio Guadalupe (Julián), Eugenio Derbez (The since then (sources indicate Stranger), Juan Carlos Colombo (referee), Regina he was working on one in Blandón (Dora), Gustavo Sánchez Parra (leader of 2004 called 6M but details Chupacabras), Regina Orozco (Sra. Mendoza), Gabriela are sketchy), although he Canudas (María de la Luz), Zaide Silvia Gutiérrez has continued working in (schoolteacher), Juan Carlos Serrán (Sr. Mendoza), Jorge the industry. Zárate (Pavis), Erika de la Llave (Ernestine), Hernán Alejandro, known as “El Zurdo” (Left-hander, Mendoza (Benito), Alicia Laguna (Jacinta), Arnoldo although his schoolteacher ties his left hand behind his Picazzo (Sebastián), Marta Aura (Eulalia), Farnesio de back to force him to write with his right), is the best Bernal (spiritual leader), Fernando Rubio (Pichardo), marbles player in the town of Buenaventura. He lives Octavio Castro (Chupacabras with afro), Flor Payán

28 THE MEXICAN FILM BULLETIN VOLUME 23 NO. 3 September 2017 with his mother Martina, who does laundry for the (Romo tries to rape Dora, Romo murders Julián— wealthier members of the community. Zurdo’s best offscreen, but Julián’s corpse is shown, Romo is stabbed friend is Milito, and he has a crush on Dora, the sister of by the Chupacabras, Zurdo slices his own hand, etc.) and one of his marbles rivals. He earns extra money the plot isn’t tailored to a juvenile audience. delivering lunches prepared by cantinero don Emilio to There’s not much to complain about in Zurdo. Some various workers around town, including his uncle Julián. of the second half is a bit repetitious—Zurdo running Martina is warned that Sr. Mendoza is going to foreclose away, getting caught, running away again, getting caught on the mortgage of her house unless she makes her again—but the overall pacing is good, as are the payments on time. performances. The production values are fine, and all of One day a stranger arrives and says the greatest the technical/creative aspects (cinematography, editing, marbles player in the world—El Mago--lives in the town direction, sound) are slick and professional. Overall, of Santa María. Don Emilio and the other people in highly entertaining and well-made. town agree to a match pitting Zurdo against El Mago, and everyone pitches in to bet on the outcome.  Unknown to the women in town, who are not entirely on board with the gambling, the men decide to also wager the collective money saved for the town’s annual fiesta. [However, they don’t know that the local “Chupacabras” gang have already stolen this money from its hiding place.] Sr. Mendoza and brutal police commander Romo bet against Zurdo. Romo tells Zurdo that he and his mother will be thrown out of their house unless he loses the match, and if Zurdo tells anyone he’ll be called El Manco (the One-Handed) instead of El Zurdo. Zurdo decides to run away, is caught by Romo, then escapes again to the barren wasteland outside Buenaventura. His mother, uncle and several friends try to find him, but Romo and police catch Zurdo again. Romo stays behind with Julián. Zurdo’s mother tells him to follow his heart and win Polvo de ángel [Angel Dust] (Séptimo Arte the match. While he’s facing off against older teen El S.C.L./Promotora La Vida es Bella S.C./Fidecine- Mago in a packed arena, Zurdo is constantly aware of Mexico/Javier Rey La Isla a Mediodía/Estudios Romo in the audience, who continues to make threats Churubusco Azteca/Geisa Internacional S.A./Talento against him and his mother. When Zurdo learns Julián’s S.A. de C.V./Crear TeVe Colombia, 2007)* Prod: dead body has been found in the wastelands, he rallies to Claudia Cosío V. Martínez; Co-Prod: Javier Rey; Dir- tie El Mago in the final game. Zurdo shoots and hits El Scr: Óscar Blancarte; Photo: Arturo de la Rosa; Music: Mago’s marble: by the rules, if the two marbles are only David Burbano; Music Advisor: Gabriel Castro; Prod separated by a hand’s-breadth, Zurdo wins. The crooked Mgr: Jorge Vargas; Asst Dir: Guillermo González referee blows on one marble, rolling it just out of reach, Montés, Alejandro Rey; Film Ed: Mónica Romero but Zurdo takes a broken bottle and slices the “web” Arrieta; Prod Des: Ana Gabriela Tagliapetra, Enrique between his thumb and finger, allowing his palm to Ramírez Bernal; Art Dir: Guadalupe Sánchez; Costume spread wide enough to win the match. Romo tries to Design: Alejandra Dorantes; Sound: Armando Narváez; shoot Zurdo but the stranger (El Mago’s manager)—who Sound Design: Pablo Fernández; Sculptures & Polvo de is Zurdo’s long-lost father—takes the bullet for him. ángel Machine: Pablo Castillo; Union: STPC Romo flees but is killed by the Chupacabras’ gang. *Mexican-Colombian co-production Some time later, Buenaventura holds its annual fiesta. Cast: Julio Bracho (Sacro), Jorge Zárate (Caos), Zurdo is there, and says he won’t play marbles any more. Ludwika Paleta (Bella), Carolina Jaramillo (Susana), However, he now has a father and a girlfriend (Dora). Jorge Soto (Miguel), Miguel Couturier (Pedro Pablo; While Zurdo’s protagonist is a boy, the film is not Pablo Pedro), Idalmis del Risco (Dolores), Ernesto really a “children’s movie.” There is some violence Yáñez (Susión), L.A. Park (La Muerte), Jacqueline

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Voltaire (Sacha), Patricio Castillo (Dr. Eutanasio), Talía the blood of a virgin), they move on the second: kill an Marcela (Concepción), Héctor Suárez Gómis (militant), angel, grind up its bones and consume them to become Leslie Montero (Elena), Julio Lechuga (Amalia), Carlos immortal. That night, they shoot Elena, who's wearing Serrato (Luciano), Julio Escallón (monk; buyer), Plutarco an angel costume as a sales gimmick for Susión's Haza (Dominio), wrestlers: El Hijo de Cien Caras, Flash, business (sending messages to your late loved ones in the Máscara Sagrada great beyond). Elena's sister Susana and her boyfriend Notes: Óscar Blancarte graduated from the CUEC Miguel watch as Sacro and Caos speed off with her film school in the early Seventies and spent more than a body. However, after Sacro and Caos (off-screen and/or decade making shorts, commercials, and documentaries via comic book drawings) butcher Elena's body, grind up before directing his first fictional feature film, Que me her bones and sniff the resulting "angel dust," they both maten de una vez (1985). Since then, he's made handful collapse! Sacro escapes from the hospital but wacky Dr. of films (I've only seen Que me maten de una vez and El Eutanasio jinete de la divina providencia), while presumably gives Caos a earning a living doing non-feature work. Polvo de ángel brain was a Mexican-Colombian co-production: it seems to transplant, have been made mostly in Mexico, although cast reluctantly members Carolina Jaramillo and Jorge Soto are aided by Colombian performers. Dolores, an Polvo de ángel is a mixed-media "post-modern" style adherent of film: the credits appear the cult of La over full animation (and Santa Muerte some animation is later who wanted interpolated), there is to kill Caos and Sacro to protect her goddess. considerable use of split- Meanwhile, Sacro attacks wrestler La Muerte and is screeen, some scenes are defeated. He later abducts ditsy TV news reporter Bella elaborated via what appear and takes her to his headquarters. Also, two criminals to be reproductions of rob Susión's business: one is shot to death, but the other-- comic book panels, and at Pedro Pablo--escapes, flees to a monastery, and takes the various points in the movie place of his priest brother, Pablo Pedro. He makes a TV characters' thoughts appear broadcast indicating good and evil have an equal right to on-screen in comic book- exist on Earth. More stuff happens, such as a car chase style "thought balloons." (Sacro is driving, but Susana and Miguel--wearing There are also numerous rollerblades--are hanging on the back; they're followed film references, including by Caos in a stolen cab, and Susión in yet another auto), but not limited to: The Wizard of Oz, The Seventh Seal, and a wrestling The Time Machine, and El Santo movies. match in which The film's biggest drawback is its confused narrative. Sacro dons the mask About halfway through the picture, the plot (such as it is) of "Sacrilegio" to unravels and we're mostly left with chaos (and I don't fight La Muerte mean Caos, the character amusingly played by Jorge (with Dolores trying Zárate). Since Polvo de ángel is a science fiction/black to help La Muerte comedy, a certain degree of incoherence or illogic is and Bella--who now acceptable, but I'd have preferred a bit more structure. loves Sacro-- In "Latinópolis," a city of the future (which, if it's not stepping in to help Mexico City, at least erected a copy of that city's famous Sacrilegio). An atomic explosion wraps things up (but "Diana the Huntress" statue), Sacro, the self-styled it's not the end of the world: as the credits unroll, there "protector of humanity," is hired by Dominio, chief are Animal House-like scenes of the future lives of the executive of the Ultrasandwich corporation. protagonists; demented criminal Pedro Pablo is named Ultrasandwich is the most popular food, containing ham, pope, for example, and Elena suddenly reappears, cheese, cola drink, french fries, mayonnaise, catsup, and alive...as a real angel?). anti-depressants. However, various sales reps of the Polvo de ángel is shotgun satire, mocking many corporation have died recently, and Dominio wants things (religion, politics, big business, consumer culture, Sacro to "kill Death." Sacro turns down a salary, pop culture, the media), but doesn't focus on any one indicating his reward will be marriage to a beautiful topic for very long. Much of what occurs is amusing blonde so he can procreate. enough, but a lot simply doesn't make sense and there are Sacro consults Caos, who reads from a book entitled numerous throwaway gags which make the film "How to Kill Death and Not Die in the Attempt." For resemble a live-action "Mad Magazine" at times. some reason ignoring the first "mandatory" step (bathe in

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The live-action production values are actually rather Music: Juan Carlos Marelli, Claudio Brugger; Prod Mgr: high, with interesting set design (although I'm mildly Carlos Lozoya Jr.; Asst Dir: Graciela Sánchez; Film Ed: annoyed by the obvious CGI smoke, explosions, Enrique Murillo R.; Spec. Makeup: Juan Carlos gunshots, etc.). There are some "futuristic" trappings, Manjarrez, Erika Contreras; Spec FX: Federico Farfán but generally the picture takes place in a world that is not Cast: Sergio Goyri (Antonio Pardo), Rafael Inclán noticeably different--in terms of buildings, machinery, (Dr. Víctor Franscetti), Telly Filippini (Sergeant), autos, costumes--than the contemporary world of 2007. Rodolfo Rodríguez (Ygor), Agustín Bernal ("Francisco," Most of the performances are the monster), Alfonso Munguía (Isauro Pereda), Roberto pretty good and are surprisingly Montiel (Captain), Gilberto de Anda (Chamuco), well-modulated, considering the Armando Coria, Rafael Horta, Tito Guillén (Interpol outrageous nature of the events chief), Gabriel Godínez "Tarzan" (Tarzan, smuggler), unfolding on the screen. It's nice Paco Mauri, Gerardo Soublete [sic] to see Jacqueline Voltaire (in one Notes: Although not as overall satisfying as Goyri's of her final roles, since she El trono del infierno, the first half of this picture is well- passed away in 2008) again. produced, amusing, and smoothly put together. The last Julio Bracho (grandson of the half of the film slips somewhat, degenerating into film director of the same name) predictable slapstick at times, but overall the picture is fine as the deadpan Sacro, while Jorge Zárate is leaves a good impression. hilarious as Caos, especially after his character's brain Durango state policeman Antonio watches a transplant, which turns him into a Frankenstein-ish helicopter deliver a shipment of contraband arms to monster with a lolling tongue. Miguel Couturier, Chamuco and his men. The arms dealer is Isauro Pereda. Ernesto Yáñez and Patricio Castillo all have flashy roles Antonio cannot stop Pereda from leaving, but he and do more scenery-chewing than their fellow confronts Chamuco. A brief gunfight occurs, and performers, with justification. Idalmis del Risco also Antonio kills all of the smugglers except Chamuco, who deserves mention as the devout adherent to the cult of La is arrested. Antonio is scheduled to leave the state police Santa Muerte who's mistaken for a nurse and compelled and join an elite security police detachment in Mexico to assist Dr. Eutanasio despite her queasiness. City. His father, also a policeman, sends him to stay Polvo de ángel is consistently entertaining but is also with Dr. Víctor Franscetti, Antonio's godfather. frustrating due to its scattershot nature. What they do not know is that Víctor is really Víctor Frankenstein III, who is trying--with the aid of his  hunchbacked assistant Ygor--to create life from parts of dead bodies. However, his latest experiment fails due to a miscalculation, leaving nothing but a few bones and some burned scraps of flesh ("pure chicharrón," as Ygor puts it). Antonio arrives, and despite Víctor's warnings to stay out of the lab, promptly goes in. He is surprised by Víctor's "watchman," a disembodied Cyclops head in a jar. Víctor tells him about his experiments, and Antonio agrees to loan him money to continue. They set about planning for their next creature. Meanwhile, Pereda orders Chamuco killed to keep him from talking. The smuggler is being taken to the capital in a helicopter, in which Antonio's father is also riding. The copter is shot down by one of Pereda's men using a "Stinger" missile, and Captain Pardo is seriously injured, losing both arms and legs, and suffering other injuries--"only his brain is unharmed," the doctor says. Antonio and Víctor decide to transplant Captain Pardo's brain into their creature (Ygor buys the rest of El arma secreta [The Secret Weapon] (Goyri the body parts on the "black market," in a kind of combination morgue and supermarket). The experiment & Asociados--Video Prods. de Tijuana, 1992) Assoc. is a success, although the creature cannot speak and only Prod: Sergio Goyri, Delfino López, Fina Coronado; Dir: vaguely recognizes Antonio as his son. Antonio and the Sergio Goyri; Scr: Gilberto de Anda; Photo: Tim Ross;

31 THE MEXICAN FILM BULLETIN VOLUME 23 NO. 3 September 2017 creature (who has massive scars on his face, around his neck, and so on) both enroll in the police academy. The Saby Kamalich creature--who signs up as "Francisco Franscetti"-- Actress Saby Kamalich died on 12 September 2017; impresses everyone with his feats of strength and his she was 78 years old. Sabina Fantoni Kamalich was enormous appetite. born in Lima, Peru in May One of the teachers at the academy is supplying 1939. Kamalich began working weapons to Pereda. Antonio, the creature, and an as a television actress in Peru in attractive female police instructor follow a truck filled 1959, and achieved widespread with arms to Pereda's hideout. A battle ensues, and fame in Latin America after Pereda shoots the creature. Antonio then kills the arms starring in “Simplemente dealer. Antonio thinks he's lost his father once more, but María” in 1969 (she later made Víctor and Ygor arrive in time to revive him. The a feature film version). Shortly creature's first word, upon seeing Antonio, is: "Son!" afterwards Kamalich relocated Until Antonio and the creature enroll in the police to Mexico and appeared in academy, El arma secreta is quite amusing. What is telenovelas and theatrical films, even more impressive is Goyri's direction, and including Elena y Raquel, La particularly Tim Ross's photography, which makes the otra mujer, Valente Quintero, most of the well-constructed and Balún Canan. In the 1980s and beyond, Kamalich laboratory set. Inclán overacts worked in telenovelas in both Peru and Mexico, but her (and in a strange accent, to only significant Mexican film role in this era was in boot), but he and Rodríguez are Mariana, Mariana (1986), for which she won a Best Co- entertaining and while some of Starring Actress Ariel. the lab hijinks are reminiscent of Kamalich was married to Carlos Tuccio and had 4 Young Frankenstein, these aren't children.  too intrusive. There are also a few nice little touches which add Norma Munguía to the overall impact, such as the The death of actress Norma Munguía was announced Cyclops in a jar, and a scene on 15 September 2017 by the Asociación Nacional de where the creature hangs on to the back of truck that is Intérpretes (ANDI); no details were provided. Munguía speeding down the road, causing his feet to catch on fire. began acting in the late 1980s, One of the most bizarre scenes occurs when Ygor goes appearing in a handful of films such "shopping" for body parts in the "black market." He as El cartero alburero, as well as haggles with a morgue attendant/butcher, while a public numerous telenovelas and address system announces various "bargains." television programs. Her most Certainly not one of the greatest films ever made, recent appearance was in La 4ta. but a fun, professional effort all around. compañía, which won 10 prizes in the 2017 Ariel [originally printed in MFB 8/8 (October 2002). Awards.   Final note: best wishes to everyone in México Even More Obituaries affected by the recent earthquakes and those in Puerto Rico suffering from the hurricane damage. Stay strong, Mariano Soto our thoughts are with you. Mariano Soto, a drummer with the famous Mexican  rock band “El Tri,” passed away of The Mexican Film Bulletin is published respiratory failure on 1 4 times a year by David Wilt, 6803 Dartmouth September 2017. When Ave, College Park MD 20740 USA. the group “Three Souls [email protected] Contents ©2017 by David E. in My Mind” split up in Wilt except for material already copyrighted, 1984, Alex Lora ceded the rights to that name which appears under the Fair Use provisions. to drummer Charly Read MFB online: Hauptvogel and formed http://terpconnect.umd.edu/~dwilt/mexnews.html “El Tri.” Soto was the new group’s drummer for its first decade of existence. El Tri with Soto can be seen in Paul  Leduc’s 1985 film ¿Cómo ves? (Hambre). 

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