Fifty years ago, a new movie superhero entered the national consciousness. The nation was Mexico, and its hero was the masked wrestler known as El Santo. After first gaining fame in the ring and then in comic books, Santo next took on the challenge of film. It was in this medium that the wrestler would cement his legend as a larger than life action hero.
Entries Tagged as ‘Cult’
01/24/2010
Cinema Misfits Podcast, Episode 5: Interview With John Wilson (Creator of the Razzies ), The Golden Globe Awards, and Reviews of The Giant Claw and Duel in the Sun
6 ‘n 90. Da Man reviews six films in ninety seconds. And this time, it’s a festival of “outs”! The Giant Claw. It’s a blur! It’s a bird! It’s a puppet! The Islander. Guests are interviewed by Nancy and asked to pick the ten films they would take with them to a desert island. Nancy’s guest this week is John Wilson, creator of the Razzies, an award that celebrates the worst Hollywood has to offer. Will a Pia Zadora film be among the movies he would take with him? Horror has many faces. For Lou, it’s the face of Sam Mendes. Daybreakers. Is a spoiler warning really necessary? A film so bad, it’s not possible to spoil it. The Golden Globe Awards. Let’s hear it for the winners! And if you don’t feel like clapping for them, don’t worry. They’re more than ready to give themselves a round of applause and a standing O. Hey, they deserve it. Duel in the Sun. Lionel Barrymore rides a horse! What else do you need to know?
12/11/2009
The House in the Middle
In the mid fifties, a Civil Defense short was created to address what can only be called The Tidiness Gap. Since the film was intended for the outlying suburbs and towns not immediately in the kill zone of a ground zero explosion, the whole issue of large metropolitan areas being vaporized is discretely sidestepped. The short also tends to focus on the atomic heat or “thermal wave” from a nuclear explosion, and doesn’t have a great deal to offer on the other affects from the blast like… well, for one thing, radiation.
All these years later, it comes as something of a surprise to realize that Hazel might have been our first line of defense against nuclear attack. Perhaps the Civil Defense seal should have been replaced by The Good Housekeeping Seal of Approval.
09/25/2009
Blood Freak
Blood Freak isn’t for everyone, but the next time Thanksgiving rolls around, try popping it in the DVD player. After watching the film, you might find yourself experiencing a surprising level of empathy with the turkey cooking in the oven, and if nothing else, Blood Freak might drive away a few unwanted relatives.
08/26/2009
Santo vs Frankenstein’s Daughter (plus audio review)
Santo may not be for everyone, or maybe he’s an acquired taste, but more than likely if you didn’t watch his films as a kid, the attraction may never be there for you. It’s easy to pick these movies apart and laugh at the crazy plots and goofy sets, but there’s also a winning kind of sincerity to them and a willingness to throw everything into the the movie — not just the kitchen sink, but werewolves, vampires, the living dead, Frankenstein’s monster, you name it.
Jim Rutherford
Nancy Louise Rutherford
Lou Aguilar
