Santo vs. las mujeres vampiro

In the late fifties a horror genre burst onto the Mexican screen:masked wrestlers as super heroes.They were a huge hit in Mexico.As usual K Gordon Murray snapped up the American rights to these films.Most were sold directly to televison as saturday afternoon kiddie fare.These were pretty cool when we were well under 12.

The best of the bunch was Santo(called Samson in American prints).Santo was actually a wrestler who kept his identity private until 1982 when he was 65 years old.

You don't have to like wrestling (and I don't) to enjoy these films.Now if you enjoy pure,100% grade A cheese then this is the film for you.Just fast forward through the wrestling scenes (except for the bout an hour into the film where Santo's opponent is killed and replaced by a monster).

A coven of some extremely crusty faced vampire women become hot mamas after a blood ritual.Their queen wants them to kidnap her successor so the queen can go to Hell and live with her hubby Satan.(Sounds like a real stormy romance).The queen to be is the unaware daughter of some idiotic professor.

Well the vampires and their 3 male vampire slaves(all wrestler types)generally bite necks and raise havok.After a couple of botched kidnapping attempts the professor calls in the man in the silver mask,Santo!His real identity a secret, the man in the silver mask,droopy drawers and flamboyant cape tools around in his little sportscar to kick vampiric butt.He also has a cool lab/hideout that the professor can reach via radio/tv.Neat!

After several fights the daughter is kidnapped and taken to the haunted hacienda to be prepared for the blood ritual.Santo arrives in time to get his arse kicked.He is chained next to the girl who will be queen.Will Santo somehow save the day?Will he ever get rid of that wedgie in his tights?Doesn't that mask itch?

This is just dumb fun.The haunted house and the lair of the vampire women is a great spooky set.Lots of mist and cobwebs. The vampire women are very easy on the eyes.The idea of a wrestling superman is a real hoot.Go a few rounds taking punishment that would kill any human,win and go kick some monster arse.All in a days work for Santo!

As usual the lousy dubbing hurts this film.There are a lot of plot holes as well.Vampires appearing in mirrors and the male vampires look like they're out trick or treating.The wrestling matches except for the last one are seemingly endless.

Consumption of your favorite beverage will enhance your enjoyment greatly.Go into it with an empty head and you'll be entertained.Isn't that what it's all about?

I mean the above as a good thing. Used for the last season six episode of MST3K, this Mexican wrestler film has good cinematography, an interesting plot, cool vampires... okay, so the girl's father has a goofy, dubbed voice and the wrestling scenes (one with a buff vampire!) might be tedious for some (like me). This movie has turned me on to Mexican horror of the 50's and 60's -- is that wrong?

I don't get it! This movie makes sense to me! A bunch of vampire women (who I also suspect to be lesbians) desire to make a queen out of a not-so-fetching woman. They attempt it several times and while they fail, I guess they are grating on the woman's nerves (You'd be upset too if the undead kept bugging ya), so she calls on Santo, a famous Mexican wrestler to stop the undead and protect her. Makes sense to me! What's yer problem?

This movie is a cheesy delight. As my friend explains it, mexican wrestlers of this era were even more revered than the ones we have here in the US today, so they got their own movies. Personally I'm glad, cause I doubt I would ever see a vampire get taken down in a belly-to-belly suplex by a guy in mask, tights, and cape, if not for this movie.

I didn't even realize til just now that the movie was on MST3K. I missed the episode I guess, but regardless, you don't need their help to enjoy this movie, it is so ridiculous and cheesy on its own that even at 2 hours in length it is still a campy delight.

For goodness sake they call on Santo like he's Batman, there's even a Comissioner Gordan type character who has a hotline directly to Santo in the car. I also dug the vampire chicks who had really dry skin (bad air circulation in coffins) until they got their hands on some blood...suddenly they got really hot. Now that's my kind of movie.

Just a word to the wise. Anytime a vampire squints and then unsquints at you, they are going to use their power. Way too many people fall for that, we need to stop that. Just a friendly word from me. But enjoy Santo Versus The Vampire Women, it's a fun flick.

A simple question...

How do you make a B- vampire movie more interesting than other B- vampire movies?

Answer...

YOU THROW IN A MEXICAN WRESTLER!!! Woo hoo!

To the creators of 'Samson vs. The Vampire Women', my hat goes off to you. Few people could turn a bad movie into a down-right deliciously horrible one so effortlessly. That is a talent in of itself.

The acting, dialogue, and storyline are recognizably trite from scene one, but the premise is still fairly easy to follow. Vampires + reincarnated vampire sacrifice + spooky castle = a vampire movie. Then... suddenly out of nowhere... a mysterious masked wrestler pops up halfway through the film. Why, you ask?

To stop the vampires, of course!

This is Samson the wrestler, and it's his destiny to conquer evil. He wears a mask, sports a shiny cape with leotards, and drives around in a convertible! "But why a Mexican wrestler for the hero?" Well... because it's never been done before! That's why!

I must admit, these laughably bad B- movies are really a guilty pleasure with me. You really learn to appreciate their sheer stupididty... so long as you don't take them seriously. In any case, I'd recommend this movie to anybody. You have to see it at least once to believe it.

It begs the question, "Who felt that this story needed to be told?"

1.3 out of 10!!!

Back when the wrestlers wrestled for real, back when vampires were scary and erotic, back when women were REALLY SEXY, there was "Santo contra las mujeres vampiro". With a popular superhero, a very, very, very sexy vampire queen (I'd let be myself bitten by her)and an hour plus of really good entertainment this is easily the best mexican film ever made. The childish special effects and poor performances of the actors just make it a jewel of surrealism. If you are looking for a masterpiece of nonsense, search no more, this one is for you.