Alucarda (1978)

Alucarda is an unheralded gem and even within the horror community I don’t think too many people are familiar with this Mexican film by Juan López Moctezuma. This is a pity, because the film boasts beautiful visuals, controversial themes and violent deaths.

Alucarda is about two teenage girls living in a Catholic convent that also serves as an orphanage. Justine arrives at the convent after her parents die, leaving no one to care for her. Taken in by the nuns (who wear weird, mummy-like wrappings) Justine is placed in a room with Alucarda and the two girls quickly become inseparable. On a walk in the forest one day, they happen on a band of gypsies selling charms and trinkets. After a gypsy tells Alucarda and Justine they have only darkness in their future, the girls run away and stumble upon an enormous old crypt in the middle of the woods. While they are exploring, they open an old coffin and unleash a demonic force that possesses them. Back at the convent, the demonic force is unleashed upon the kind nuns and other inhabitants.

The visuals of the film border on gothic, with misty forests, decrepit crypts and Catholic imagery. The convent itself is lit by flickering candles and its sparse, utilitarian rooms are only decorated with crosses. Its church has rows upon rows of crosses, each fitted with an agonizing Christ. The stone crypt that the girls explore is festooned with faded red banners, creepy statues and lots of vines growing over everything. The gothic feel is reminiscent of many old Hammer films, with the subject matter just being a bit more dark and controversial.

For its time, the film was controversial, as it dealt with lesbianism, Satanism, sacrilege, the occult and more. While these themes are considered “tame” today, don’t be mistaken – the film still packs a punch. From a kiss that turns into Alucarda licking the blood off a naked Justine, to a gypsy Satanist that can invoke the Devil, to bloody psychic nuns to midnight orgies, to reanimated corpses to a fiery, Carrie-esque conclusion, this film will definitely keep your attention.

However, I feel like the above paragraph also does a disservice to Alucarda, as it is as not as exploitative as it may seen. The arresting visuals, engaging storyline and multi-layered themes heighten the film and make it into something much more substantial than your standard exploitative occult flick. The themes of evil corrupting even the most innocent, but also of redemption and ultimate faith, will resonate with viewers, regardless on their view of religion.

Alucarda is an underrated gem, and one that more fans of classic horror should definitely seek out.

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Wrestlemaniac (2008)

There’s something about the mystique of Mexican wrestlers that always gets to me. With their faces covered by colorful masks and their identities hidden, Mexican wrestlers remind me a lot of superheroes…or supervillains. Wrestlemaniac is a new film that prominently features a fictional legendary wrestler, El Mascarado, in its plot with entertaining results.

A group of amateur pornographers is driving down to Old Mexico to shoot a little film, but somehow lose their way and wind up lost. At a run-down gas station, the attendant (a great cameo by Irvin Keyes) tells them they are but a few miles from the town of La Sangre de Dio, where the Mexican wrestler El Mascarado was banished when he snapped and started killing his opponents. The story goes that El Mascarado was assembled from body parts of Mexico’s four top wrestlers so that Mexico would have the greatest wrestler in the world. Things went awry when El Mascarado started killing his opponents in the ring and the government was forced to lock him away in the isolated town of La Sangre de Dio, where legend says he remains to this day.

Most of the group incredulously brushes the story away, but Steve (Jeremy Radin), a big fan of Mexican wrestling, believes the gas station attendant and knows the story. Still, they all head on and soon enough come across the seemingly abandoned town of La Sangre de Dio. The director, Alphonse (Adam Huss), decides it is the perfect location and the girls, Dallas (Leyla Razzari), Debbie (Margaret Scarborough) and Daisy (Catherine Wreford) start getting down to business while geeky Steve films and stoner Jimbo (Zack Bennett) stumbles around the deserted town.

Pretty soon, though, the numbers of the group dwindle and the remaining survivors realize they are not alone…El Mascarado is present and he is ready to hit the mat…to the death!

Though Wrestlemaniac follows the familiar formula of a slasher film (leave a group of 20-somethings in an isolated location and watch ‘em get butchered by a masked psycho), its character of El Mascarado is intriguing and fun! The story, written by Jesse Baget (who also directed), moves at a quick clip and is entertaining throughout. I really think it was genius how he used a mythical Mexican wrestler as the killer and the back story behind the character was well thought out and explained thoroughly.

The only thing that seemed too much of a stretch was the whole “let’s drive ALLLLL the way down to Mexico to film a porno!” It just didn’t seem believable. Also, the characters were pretty one-dimensional and most of them were annoying, from the chauvinistic director to the useless stoner…good thing they all died pretty quick. I did like seeing that Dallas could handle herself, though, and Steve was a very endearing character. Both Leyla Razzari (as Dallas) and Jeremy Radin (as Steve) were both standouts in the film. And let’s not forget about the masked wrestler himself, played by Rey Misterio, Sr.! He was certainly an imposing figure and made for a kick ass villain!

The gore was another great thing about the film. El Mascarado likes to unmask his victims just like a wrestler would unmask an opponent to finish him completely. Only, most of his victims don’t wear masks so he must make due with taking off their faces! That’s right, he cuts and peels the skin on their faces off! There are a few wicked scenes that brutally feature this, El Mascarado’s signature move! By the end of the film, the remaining survivors are literally drenched in blood!

Besides the blood-red gore, the film also looks fantastic. Director Jess Baget really has a great eye and all the shots have something interesting in them, whether it’s the stifling heat of the Mexican desert or interiors of an old abandoned town, Baget captures the feel of the moment. Though there are quite a few sleazy scenes towards the beginning with the three girls, these gratuitous scenes quickly fade as the real action kicks in. I also forgive Baget for all the shots trained on the actresses’ asses as well (or towards the end when a survivor’s short shorts get ripped off, leaving her in only her panties and thin tank top with no real point except to titillate) because of the overall entertainment Wrestlemaniac offers.

Though not without its flaws, Wrestlemaniac is an entertaining good time. It has an imaginative killer, great kills and a story that moves at a fast pace and is actually cohesive. Wrestlemaniac is the perfect party movie, one that you don’t have to pay much attention to and yet you’ll still be entertained.

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The Black Pit of Dr. M (1959)

Full of dark shadows, creeping fog, howling wind, ghostly apparitions, mental patients, disfigurement, death and murder, The Black Pit of Dr. M (aka Misterios de Ultratumba) is a masterpiece of gothic filmmaking that deserves far more attention and praise than it has received.

Dr. Mazali (Rafael Bertrand) and Dr. Aldama (Antonio Raxel) have sworn a pact that states whomever dies first must figure out a way for the other to experience the afterlife while still being able to return to the flesh. When Dr. Aldama dies, Dr. Mazali conducts a séance to remind his friend of their promise. Dr. Aldama speaks through a medium to Dr. Mazali that in precisely three months at 9 pm he will fulfill his promise and show Dr. Mazali the afterlife, but at a horrific cost.

Meanwhile, Dr. Aldama’s estranged daughter Patricia (Mapita Cortés) is led by the ghost of the late doctor (her father!) to the mental hospital where Dr. Mazali works. Patricia falls for Dr. Mazali’s young intern (Gastón Santos), while Dr. Mazali becomes entranced with the pretty girl. All the while, time is quickly passing and leading to the fateful night when the doctors’ pact will be realized.

One night, a mental patient (Carolina Barret) of Dr. Mazali gets exceedingly violent and hurls a bottle of acid in the face of an orderly named Elmer (Carlos Ancira), horribly disfiguring him. When the same mental patient turns up dead in Dr. M’s arms, he is blamed for her death and convicted of her murder. All the way to the gallows he believes Dr. Aldama will fulfill his promise and save him from death…but at what cost?

Mexican director Fernando Méndez crafts astoundingly atmospheric visuals and writer Ramón Obón spins a dizzyingly suspenseful story, both creating an unforgettable film with The Black Pit of Dr. M.

The visuals of the long halls of the arcane mental hospital, the dense fog, the Doctor’s villa and the dark shadows will strike you first. There are certain shots that are framed to perfection, including one scene that features the starkly back-lit gallows, which rival any of the classic Universal horror films for their gothic mystique.

Secondly, you will notice that the story of intrigue builds upon itself and never leaves a dull moment. Not only that, but time is adequately taken to properly develop the characters as the story unfolds. While the gorgeously gothic visuals help grab your attention and establish the dark mood of the film, it’s the compounding storyline that keeps building that really sets this masterpiece apart. It really has a bit of everything, from the ghostly visits of Dr. Aldama to the deranged mental patient to the disfigurement of Elmer and the strange love triangle between Dr. M, Patricia and the intern. It may sound a bit overwhelming at first, but both director Méndez and writer Obón skillfully weave an engaging story.

The actors also add to the high quality of the film, doing an amazing job of bringing their characters and their inky motivations to life. Rafael Bertrand is wonderful as the titular Dr. M and is easily the Mexican equivalent of Vincent Price! I also enjoyed the beautiful Mapita Cortés as Patricia. She added a real spark to the film. Even the woman who played the violent mental patient, Carolina Barret, did a fantastic job with her character. Though she had no dialogue, her facial expressions and body language artfully portrayed all the mad emotions in her character. All of the actors’ passionate portrayals of their characters, coupled with the mysterious atmosphere and intriguing story, helped create an unforgettable film.

Unless you aren’t a fan of old black and white movies (and if you’re not, you are truly missing out), there isn’t one negative thing I can say about this film. From the opening death bed sequence to the grand, horrifying finale, The Black Pit of Dr. M had me hooked. Its stark chiaroscuro cinematography coupled with its intriguing story set in the fog-shrouded villa and mental hospital will leave you in awe.

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The Dead One (2007)

Another day, another comic book adaptation to film, eh? Today it is Javier Hernandez’s El Muerto: The Aztec Zombie that has been remade into The Dead One (El Muerto).

As a young boy crossing illegally into the United States, Diego (Darien Dikeos) follows an old Indian (Billy Drago) who makes him give a blood sacrifice to the Aztec gods. Years later, Diego (Wilmer Valderrama) is all grown up and passionate about celebrating the Day of the Dead. He paints his face to look like a skull, puts on his best black mariachi-inspired suit, complete with bone tailoring, and begins driving to the festivities. Problem is, he never gets there. He crashes his car and dies. The Aztec gods have returned to claim their blood sacrifice.

Diego wakes on the Day of the Dead, in his now permanent costume, to find that he’s been dead a whole year. He sees his friends and girlfriend, Maria (Angie Cepeda), praying over his grave in the cemetery. After being lost and confused (for a little too long), he discovers that the Aztec gods have tapped him to help them reclaim power and kill those whose bloodline was responsible for wiping out the Aztec religion.

Through the love of his amor, Maria, and help from his best friend Zak (Joel David Moore), Diego is able to resist the evil and fight against it. Still, people close to Maria and the church where she works continue to die horrible deaths. Can Diego stop the old Aztec evil from bringing about the end of the world or will he succumb to it?

When I originally heard about this film and its mix of Aztec mythology and Mexican folklore, I was really intrigued. It sounded very original and one of the few horror movies that focused on the Latino community. Then I watched it…and while it has some pretty nifty ideas floating around there somewhere, it was all lost on the presentation.

The Dead One falls victim to a slooooowly-moving story line. I appreciate the fact that it dives headlong into the story at the beginning and doesn’t waste time explaining the Day of the Dead to the audience, but from the time Diego comes back, undead, it just halts and we see the same scenes played out a few too many times. Diego looking confused. A bad CGI storm signifying the arrival of the evil Aztec gods. A dewy-eyed Maria, remembering promises of undying love. Diego running and hiding from police, friends, etc. Over and over again, we get these same scenes. Not to mention the anticlimactic fight scene between Diego and an Aztec baddie (funny, Billy Drago doesn’t really look Aztec…).

For a slow moving, repetitive flick, it sure doesn’t explain much. Anyone not familiar with Latin culture, Aztec mythology, Catholicism or Mexican folklore may have a hard time following along. I wasn’t too sure what was going on most of the time. One minute, they are talking about the end of the world and the next the Aztec gods are just planning on reclaiming world dominance. I was a bit fuzzy on the whole Aztec mythology and Diego’s reason for coming back one year after his death. Was he called back because of the love between him and Maria or because the Aztec gods sent him back?

The movie wasn’t all bad, though. Despite its poorly paced and convoluted storyline, the acting was pretty decent. It was a kick to see Billy Drago both as an “old Indian” and in drag and Wilmer Valderrama did a fine job as someone other than “Fez” from That 70’s Show. It also has good performances from familiar faces Michael Parks (Kill Bill), Tony Plana (Ugly Betty), Maria Conchita Alonso and Tony Amendola. This film showcases a very talented Latino cast…if only they had had a better script to work with!

The direction by Brian Cox (no, not the actor) was pretty basic and pedestrian, but still above average for a low-budget film. Still, since this was a comic book adaptation, I expected more KAPOW! and WHAM! action and instead of just dreary interior scenes over and over again. The only real “showdown” scene is at the end and it really is a sad sight for a comic book movie. Cox also wrote the script and shows the same problem…no clue on pacing and he makes it more of a teenybopper love story than one it’s supposed to be, which is a action-packed horror film.

Besides lack of action, there is also a serious lack of horror in the movie. Instead of horror, it really should be classified as drama (or the previously mentioned love story). Besides all the supernatural happenings and the scenes of the laughable Aztec god, there really isn’t anything remotely scary about The Dead One. It’s mostly about the love between Diego and Maria, but, DAMMIT, I wanna be watching a horror movie, not an Oxygen Network flick!

No matter how much I wanted to enjoy The Dead One (El Muerto), it was pretty near impossible not to wish I was six feet under instead of watching this dreary excuse for a horror movie. Still, I did enjoy the acting and it is a great Latino cast. The real fault here is the direction and script, which is a real shame because of the rich foundation laid by Javier Hernandez in his comic book.

Available from Amazon!