#santo and blue demon vs dracula and the wolfman

[fullmoonreviews]

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This will probably be a new feature, similar to the old monthly LUNAR CYCLE I used to do. I figured I would just post quick thoughts on films I’ve recently seen, while giving bigger/solo spotlights to more popular/important films. Let’s see how this goes.

Films reviewed:

SANTO AND BLUE DEMON VS. DRACULA AND THE WOLFMAN (1973)

CHANOC AND THE SON OF SANTO VS. THE KILLER VAMPIRES (1983)

FIVE NIGHTS AT FREDDY'S (2023)

NO ONE WILL SAVE YOU (2023)

OUT THERE HALLOWEEN MEGA TAPE (2022)

SORORITY SLAUGHTER (1994)

[movieposters1]

[mexcine]

Swipe File #3: Drakula ve Kurt Adama Karşi (1990s Turkish release of Santo y Blue Demon contra Drácula y el Hombre Lobo)

            Where to begin?  First, “George Rivero” (aka Jorge Rivero) doesn’t appear in this film.  Rivero did co-star with Santo in 2 movies, but not this one.  Blue Demon (unbilled on this poster) did.

            Now let’s get to the “swipes” part.

The main character image was taken from the original Mexican poster for Los Jaguares vs. el invasor misterioso (a 1973 Colombian-Mexican co-production) which starred masked wrestlers El Jaguar de Colombia, and Los Jaguares.  The image of El Jaguar de Colombia on the poster is clearly Jack Kirby-inspired: I can’t find an exact match for the pose, so for the moment this will be “in the style of Jack Kirby,” rather than an actual swipe.  This image was recreated by an unidentified artist for the Spanish release poster (which actually has better art than the Mexican one).  When the Turkish distributor ordered up their poster, the artist lifted the character’s image from the Mexican original (never mind that El Jaguar de Colombia isn’t in the movie and looks nothing like El Santo).  Not sure why they couldn’t find any suitable image of Santo, who was known in Turkey.

Christopher Lee as Dracula.  I guess this makes sense.

Unidentified photo of a screaming woman.

The “wolfman” photo is from the 1982 Don Post mask catalog – Timberwolf (Grey).

The “3 scary monsters” image comes from pre-production marketing for Syngenor (1990), which was conceived as a semi-sequel to Scared to Death (1980) – actually the only connection is the monster, which was deliberately patterned after the one in the earlier movie.  I was unable to find any indication that Syngenor (which appears to have gone direct to video) was actually released as Scared to Death II, and I was also unable to find this same “3 monster” image in other formats (video box, etc.), although that doesn’t mean it doesn’t exist.  [The image shown here comes from The Bloody Pit of Horror: https://thebloodypitofhorror.blogspot.com/2014/02/syngenor-1990.html]

[riotatthemovies]

Santo and Blue Demon vs Dracula and the Wolfman (1973)

Let me make this simple.. I fucking love this movie even if it is one of the cheesiest fucking things you will ever see. One of the slickest productions of El Santo, the man the myth the legend of Mexicos feature films. 

Looking on the surface as something in a mod swingers dream scene from an Adam West era Batman episode. But cutting to quick but shockingly dark scenes of horror in scenes. For example Draculas resurection in the early part of the film consists of a blood sacrifice that seems very harsh for this funky super hero adventure but really adds to the whole picture. 

El Santo and his best amigo (sometimes rival) are asked to stay at a castle and protect the resisdents from the dark lord Dracula himself and his swingin’ werewolf sidekick Rufus (yes Rufus). 

Many leg scissor takedowns, drop kicks and double axehandle punches to the back later mixed with an epic swashbuckling feel fueled soundtrack that makes you feel like you watched Captain Kirk and Spock fighting monsters and mardi gras and the movie is over.. leaving you wanting more... 

Santo and Blue Demon vs The Monsters (1969)

So you get more in Santo and Blue Demon vs the Monsters. You get more classic monsters plus more stranger monsters too. Blue demon gets an evil clone so that means more Blue Demon. You get Mad Scientists and somehow Santo seems to act way sexier the usual, which is surprising cause he already gets way more ladies than you would expect for a liittle square guy in a mask.  The two movies have similar plots but if I had to pick the better movie it’s Dracula and The Wolfman as it’s the more solid story and you get the luchadore tag team duo playing Chess in mint sweaters ... some say pointless, I say spectacular. 

Loved it. I love this double bill. Viva la lucha!

[mudwerks]

(via 13: SANTO & BLUE DEMON vs DRACULA & THE WOLFMAN / Cinematográfica Calderón S.A. - 1973)