Santo contra el asesino de la T.V.

i have always enjoyed the Santo movies since i was a boy watching him beat up all types of baddies on TV. his movies used to be on before-Univision (was SIN in the 70s/80s) TV in the 70s/80s late nites and Sunday afternoons and also Sundays on Galavision years back. wonder if Galavision still shows Santo movies lately? he kept making movies till he was in his mid-60s. i read many reviews in his last 2 films PUNO DE MUERTE & LA FURIA DE LOS KARATECAS that said it was painful to see el santo wrestle at his old age. he still showed fighting skills in the film he did he 1981 SANTO VS. LA ASESINO DE LA T.V. hey! director Rafael Perez Grovas gave us 'reality TV' circa 1981! some masked creep named Magnus takes over radio/TV airwaves saying he will televise kidnappings of famous celebrities and commit jewel robberies on live TV. the police are clueless and their inspector wants el santo and his sometimes bumbling sidekick, Carlitos (played by santo's real life agent/friend, Carlos Suarez) on the case. Santo gets help from Gerardo Reyes who plays a singer who is also a newspaper reporter who is also a government agent!--whew! he sings better than he fights. santo does fight well here though in a martial arts sequence with a henchman it is very clear that that is a Santo double doing the faster fighting (maybe his son, Hijo del Santo). there is also a Santo double in a helicopter with reyes searching for Magnus' hideout in the mountains since this other fake santo looks pudgier and there is sweat seeping thru santo's silver mask while the face looks more obese! it ain't him.

in the weirdest scene, santo tries to rescue 2 females kidnapped by Magnus, santo is captured and briefly tied to a stake surrounded by flames. Magnus alerts TV viewers that the burning of santo is taking place and one of the viewers is a magician who with mind control concentrates hard on breaking santo's chains and they do slip off and santo escapes and beats up magnus. this is never explained afterwards. and carlos suarez is very funny here and in one dumb scene that still makes me laugh, he, santo, and a female reporter see magnus on screen, the 3 talk then carlos talks when the phone rings and it spooks him nearly jumping out of his chair! when carlos is the good guy in santo movies, he is charming, lovable and very goofy. when carlos is a baddie in santo movies, he is still goofy and nutty. so SANTO VS THE TV KILLER is fun fare. i am anxious to catch up on santo's last 2 films i mentioned earlier to see how he looks and how he fights. santo was not only a great wrestler and surprisingly he was a fine actor.

In a busy film career than ran from 1958-1982, El Santo established himself as a leading icon in the Mexican film industry. Always on the side of right and forever masked in a mask of purest silver, Santo continually battled evil in just over 50 feature films.

Over the years, Santo's roles in these films altered somewhat. Initially cast largely as a plot gimmick (and never referred to as El Santo) in his first two, Cuban-made films, he eventually settled into the comfortable role of a wrestler/crimefighter -- eventually being identified in several films as an actual agent of Interpol.

Filmed in 1981, and one of the last few films Santo made, this is actually an enjoyable little action/drama, featuring an atmospheric, pulsing title theme, some nicely staged ring work, and a somewhat unique variation on the mad scientist who frequently served as the foil in these films. The characters are also largely enjoyable, and Carlos Suarez' Carlitos is less abrasive than some of his earlier Santo-film performances.

Returning cross-country from a wrestling match with his manager (played by Carlos Suarez -- Santo's real life manager, who appeared in many of his films from the late '60s onward), Santo is passing through an isolated area when his radio cuts out. Thinking nothing of this, he proceeds onto the city.

In the meantime, a mysterious masked figure, Magnus (played by long-time lucha player Carlos Suarez) interrupts all television broadcasts to announce the on-air kidnapping of an actress. As his men make off with their victim, Magnus warns of a jewelry store theft which he will broadcast the following week.

In his cave hideout, Magnus explains to the kidnapped starlet that he had been scorned by her mother, years before. Now rich from dealing arms on the black market, he's out for revenge.

Santo is brought into the case, as is reporter/singer Gerardo Reyes, who had been performing on TV at the time of Magnus' initial broadcast. Working loosely with Reyes (who we learn is also a police agent in his spare time), Santo moves to investigate Magnus and block a second, planned kidnapping.

Magnus decides to end this interference and pays Santo's next ring opponent, the ominously named Assassin of the Ring, a million pesos to dispose of Santo during their bout. Both the Assassin and a hidden, remotely controlled machine gun fail, and Santo uses a helicopter and radio equipment to locate Magnus secret lair (rather conspicuously hidden in a cavern beneath two large satellite dishes in a valley).

After a decent skirmish with Magnus' troops, Santo is captured and is set to be burned at the stake on TV. A swami who happens to be watching mentally assists Santo in escaping, and Magnus is unmasked is a reporter who had earlier tried to get Ryes to share information and "collaborate on the story."

Rather than face capture, Magnus destroys his base with a bomb.

In a busy film career than ran from 1958-1982, El Santo established himself as a leading icon in the Mexican film industry. Always on the side of right and forever masked in a mask of purest silver, Santo continually battled evil in just over 50 feature films.

Over the years, Santo's roles in these films altered somewhat. Initially cast largely as a plot gimmick (and never referred to as El Santo) in his first two, Cuban-made films, he eventually settled into the comfortable role of a wrestler/crimefighter -- eventually being identified in several films as an actual agent of Interpol.

Filmed in 1981, and one of the last few films Santo made, this is actually an enjoyable little action/drama, featuring an atmospheric, pulsing title theme, some nicely staged ring work, and a somewhat unique variation on the mad scientist who frequently served as the foil in these films. The characters are also largely enjoyable, and Carlos Suarez' Carlitos is less abrasive than some of his earlier Santo-film perfomances.

Returning cross-country from a wrestling match with his manager (played by Carlos Suarez -- Santo's real life manager, who appeared in many of his films from the late '60s onward), Santo is passing through an isolated area when his radio cuts out. Thinking nothing of this, he proceeds onto the city.

In the meantime, a mysterious masked figure, Magnus (played by long-time lucha player Carlos Suarez) interrupts all television broadcasts to announce the on-air kidnapping of an actress. As his men make off with their victim, Magnus warns of a jewelry store theft which he will broadcast the following week.

In his cave hideout, Magnus explains to the kidnapped starlet that he had been scorned by her mother, years before. Now rich from dealing arms on the black market, he's out for revenge.

Santo is brought into the case, as is reporter/singer Gerardo Reyes, who had been performing on TV at the time of Magnus' initial broadcast. Working loosely with Reyes (who we learn is also a police agent in his spare time), Santo moves to investigate Magnus and block a second, planned kidnapping.

Magnus decides to end this interference and pays Santo's next ring opponent, the ominously named Assassin of the Ring, a million pesos to dispose of Santo during their bout. Both the Assassin and a hidden, remotely controlled machine gun fail, and Santo uses a helicopter and radio equipment to locate Magnus secret lair (rather conspicuously hidden in a cavern beneath two large satellite dishes in a valley).

After a decent skirmish with Magnus' troops, Santo is captured and is set to be burned at the stake on TV. A swami who happens to be watching mentally assists Santo in escaping, and Magnus is unmasked is a reporter who had earlier tried to get Rayes to share information and "collaborate on the story."

Rather than face capture, Magnus destroys his base with a bomb.