(1969)
(1969)
Reviewed By-Paul Cooke Director : Gilberto Martinez Solares Scripted : Rafael Garcia Travesi Starring : Santo , David Alvizu , Carlos Ancira , Heidi Blue , Alejandro Cruz , Vincente Lara , Manuel Leal , Jorge Rado , Fernando Rosales , Santanon , Gerardo Zepeda & Elsa Maria Tako
Arm yourselves with a magnum of mirth and a gigantic mug of Mexican beer and prepare for a 1969 made sci fi slug fest of magnificently monstrous magnitude , as its time to get in the ring with Santo and The Blue Demon to triple team against a mad scientist and his menagerie of miss mash monsters. Santo , the silver masked Mexican Wrestling super star , teams up with his blue garbed bro , The Blue Demon , to take on an insane scientist brought back from the dead. This fresh from the slab Einstein of grave misdemeanours knows the secret of reanimation through brain patterns and he’s drawing upon the famous Universal Creatures to assist him in ruling the world. Aided by his vertically challenged hunch backed assistant Waldo , who looks like he has stuffed the back of his quality reject pullover with a huge triangle of Swiss chocolate Toblerone , this suitably over the top crazy sets about forming Monsters R Us. Is this man mad ? , well no madder than the Ed Wood Jr script played out upon a crazy canvas of luscious colour that sets this caper off a real treat.
The Blue Demon goes off for his holiday only to be captured by green faced goons clearly dug up from the very Earth itself , green apart from the fleshly normal tones of their complexion where the make up artist missed. Poor old Blue gets cloned for the evil Doctors use against Santo. The gang is not complete though without the resurrection of the goofy creatures , The Vampire and Vampire Woman , The Wolfman , Frankenstein’s Monster , The Mummy and craziest of all Cyclops. What the heck were the costume department smoking when they developed the Cyclops !?. Seven foot of spongy material that looks like a hot water bottle with plug ears and best of all a glowing central eye that looks like a throwaway hand torch ebbing out its strange orange glow. Santo gets to seek this freak ball out by swimming into a pond after it as it seems to think it’s the Creature From The Black Lagoon. Well at least with its handy head torch it can see its way in The Black Lagoon presumably !.
Good old Santo can’t believe his Blue Buddy has turned to the dark side but before he can solve his dilemma of who to partner in the ring come the next Tag Team match he has to fend off the creatures of the night from fondling his female companion. These monsters seem to be sent out after dark , although the camera man and continuity crew seem to get mixed up between night and day to add to the Fun. When Santo speeds after his abducted lady friend in his open topped car its daylight , when he catches up to the car he’s chasing its night time , when he makes the rescue and the bad guys car crashes down the hill its daytime !. Stick with it , it’s a crazy journey but the path taken is an enjoyable one.
The Wolf Man looks like some crazy old Mexican codger brought out of retirement from a late night horror show but The Vampire is a blast. Watch in amazement as he clings to the side of walls looking down upon his prey and stifle back a relentless guffaw as he does his party piece of flying off a hill side from a running start. Classic !. The Mummy is very interesting as his thin white bandaged bodice is so reminiscent of Director Jorge Grau’s famous hospital Zombie from his later made 1974 ‘The Living Dead At The Manchester Morgue’. Could it be that Grau was a Santo fan and saw this film episode and was inspired to pay tribute in his own movie ?.
Frankenstein’s Monster is pretty cool and similar to bad makeup versions of the Monster made around the same time , Andy Milligan would be proud. The whole ensemble of monsters is very much in the mould of an Abbott and Costello franchise and indeed the whole caper is perhaps just bereft of having John Carradine co starring to complete the obvious similarities on show.
The movie plays out with so much tongue in cheek laced in good old harmless Fun its like sitting back with an old friend from days of youth gone by. Nestling back in a recliner with Santo though is like mixing it with a Mexican Monster Matinee that you can enjoy at any time of the day. Gloriously silly stuff indeed and a flick that will have you cheering for Santo as he sets about to save his friend and loved one from the farcical fiends of the night. Entertainment guaranteed for all those with a sense of silliness and a taste for wonderment beyond the realms of reality. For full on fan appreciation don a Santo mask or dare to be The Blue Demon. Better yet , for that sense of devil may care frivolity , go charge off out to practice The Vampire dives from a grassy knoll. You don’t need to be in Texas or Steve Austin to try that just the once !.
Discuss this film in our fourm.
