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CREEPY CLASSICS PRESENTS Mexican Monster Party!
DVDs, videos, magazines on those great Mexican Monster movies! Print and save! To add an item to your Shopping Coffin Cart on our secure server, click on the icon to the right of the desired item! |
See photos from the Mexican Monster Bash Party on November 5, 2006!
(Editor's Note: For information about the fun-filled Monster Bash Classic Monster Expo and Film Fest, go to the Monster Bash Home Page). As I said, I can show you a lot of the reasons the column is late, and they are as follows:
The new book should be out by then, and here's the cover, which is sort of appropriate for the subject matter. You can pre-order this McFarland Book NOW, here at the Mexican Monster Party:
The new issue of SANTOSCENE is done and ready for consuming. The second great FEARBOOK features the greatest interviews in the 'zine's history, including the historic sit-down with Chilly Billy Cardille. The Biggest Issue Ever! Full-Color cover and Centerfold! (Just scroll down to order yours now!)
The second 'new' 'zine is actually the resurrection of an old title, brought back for a 20th Anniversary celebration, in celebration of 75 years of the character it's devoted to. 'Way back in the late 80's, I did a pioneering fanzine called DOC SAVAGE: INSIDE & OUT, an exhaustive compendium of illustrations from the Doc Savage pulp title. And so to signify Doc's 75 years as a pop culture icon, after 20 years, there's a new issue, and better yet, it's mostly new material! This issue is a recreation of the pressbook for the 1975 movie Doc Savage: The Man of Bronze. Like the other two 'zines, this one features full-color cover and centerfold, enveloping a host of Doc graphic delights.
Big Classic Mexi-Monster Release: CRYPT OF TERROR - HORRORS FROM SOUTH-OF-THE-BORDER Volume 2 has just recently been released. It's from BCI with nice prints of the dubbed versions of NIGHT OF THE BLOODY APES, CURSE OF THE DOLL PEOPLE, SPIRITISM (Yes! The Telefilms version of this had some technical problems), THE NEW INVISIBLE MAN, WRESTLING WOMEN VS. THE AZTEC MUMMY (Not featured on THE AZTEC MUMMY COLLECTION box set) and DOCTOR OF DOOM. You can order it by scrolling down to the DVD section here at the "Party."
The rest of the film details Alambrista's long and hard journey to become el Campeon, which he does with warmth and style. The wrestling scenes are solid, and the fights are well-choregraphed, a little rougher than the usual 'bitch-slap' fights seen in Lucha films. The supporting cast are all good, especially his manager/father figure, who doles out tough love from his wheelchair. The wheelchair is motorized, which enables him to do things which probably weren't intended by the makers! And while basically a drama, there are a number of amusing scenes, like when a gymful of luchadores are working out, and one of them looks out the window and yells 'Border Patrol!' A second later, the agents enter an empty room of swinging punching bags. The only thing I didn't like about it, and I told Alfonso I must mention this, is that there are a couple of scenes that involve cock-fighting and the injection of a rooster with the performance-enhancing drug, and as all my readers know, I'm vehemently opposed to animal cruelty, whether real or simulated, and regardless of the fact that this represents a real everyday occurence and figures into the plot, I still didn't like seeing it. But with the wonders of DVD, you can skip through these scenes and not lose any continuity. All in all, an extremely poished first effort, and I look forward to more! MONSTER HIT OF THE MONTH: - 'Planet Claire' The B-52's. Surprise! You just gotta dig that nutty retro bongo beat, sputnik sound effects and groovy farfisa organ! 'Planet Claire has pink air/All the trees are red/ No-one ever dies there/No-one has a head...!' Let's do the Mashed Potato!
It is with great sadness indeed that The Mexican Monster News notes the passing of Rocketeer creator Dave Stevens. He died of Leukemia, and I knew him as one of the nicest, most talented graphic artists of our time. He even owned copies of my 'zines without my having sent them to him! We almost worked on a project that never came together. Not only did he utilize many treasured pulp and pop culture references in turning The Rocketeer into a Pop Icon, but he re-introduced Bettie Page to the masses via those pages. He was a giant, and will never be replaced. I miss him. Thanks for everything, Dave, and... "See ya around, Rocketeer". Okay, that's it for this month, amigos! Back next time with more news and reviews! Vaya con Dios, -Uncle Roberto, Cousin Lucky & Cher Editor's Note: At this year's Monster Bash, Roberto Cotter will be introducing THE SHIP OF MONSTERS, with Pat Gonzalez doing a live English translation, free tacos and burritos will be passed out...and few more surprises. Make sure you don;t miss this year's Monster Bash, the annual gathering place for fans of classic monster movies! Books: Fanzines: DVDs: |
Mexican Movie News
The Bash will soon be upon us, and we have an EXTRA-SPECIAL Mexican Movie Night planned! To start off with, our feature will be that classic fan-favorite SHIP OF MONSTERS! Only the fun will be added to this time with translations provided by Pat 'Ghoulchick' Gonzales, who gave such an entertaining show last year. And of course, there'll be the usual free mexi-food, and the masked antics of yours truly, but this year... THIS YEAR... alas, I can say no more. But I can promise it will be like no other Mexican Movie Night in Bash History!
I've also got two NEW 'zines premiering this year - the first is The VampiReview, dedicated to Warren Publishing's sexiest and most famous monster of all time! This ish features a complete issue-by-issue index to every story, artist, writer, etc, that created the long-running series, plus full-color cover and centerfold featuring some of Vampi's most sultry graphic incarnations.
Lastly pictured, but certainly not least, is our feature film of the month. I know we usually deal with vintage Mexi-classics, but this one's a BRAND NEW entry into the genre, and it shows a lot of promise. It was sent to me by its producer, director and screenwriter Alfonso Sahagun Casaus, and it's called ALAMBRISTA EMPLUMADO, which translates as 'The Fence Jumper'. It doesn't have any monsters or fantastic content (although Alfonso assures me the second one will), but is more in the style of the Huracn Ramirez films, or some of the other wrestlers' movies where there are more sports dramas, squaring off against evil, but human foes, like crooked wrestling promoters or gangsters. ALAMBRISTA takes this one step further; there are the archetypal crooked wrestlers and promoter, but Alfonso gives it a welcome topical note, adding performance-enhancing drugs, white racists, and ranchers who exploit the labor of illegal immigrants. His treatment of it is extremely sympathetic, showing many of them as hard-working, honest people, who only want to provide for their families - but he does not shy away from showing bad Mexicans as well who are involved in the process. This is essentially the motivation for Alambrista becoming what he is - the movie opens with a warm family scene, gathered 'round the TV watching Lucha Libre, Alambrista unnamed but already masked. He works in the produce dept. of a local store, and is called away when his father dies suddenly of a heart attack, two events that have especially personal meaning for me, as they are things that happened to me.