Pretty damn good and without question the best of the Aztec Mummy series. Like all monster movies, you wish there was more of the namesake mummy. If the translations presented here are accurate (I speak some Spanish, but I'm not fluent) then the dialogue in this film comes across as more intellectual than the average low budget horror movie. The story of the Bat stealing the Aztec treasure is carried throughout all three films. The scenes with the Aztec ceremony and the hypnosis would definitely be considered "padding" within this plot line. That's the main problem with many horror films of the era is that they occasionally commit the cardinal sin of boredom. Regardless, overall the score is excellent and the mummy looks great so I would consider this an above average film.
... View MoreThis so called horror film was cut many times to make other so called horror films that were brought to the U.S. by K.Gordon Murray , who translated a few low budget Mexican horror films , like some of the El Santo films and then sold them to the drive- in circuit in the 60s .The ''Angel'' who is the hero of this film , gets his arse kicked throughout the film . He never wins a fight and the mummy saves them all in the end , but its a real bad/good gem in my book .Between the bad dubbing , the bad acting and the bad make-up , there are more than a few laughs to make it a somewhat pleasurable waste of time , so give it a try if you've some time to kill , there are worse ways to waste time !!
... View MoreAll too often, "low budget" translates into "minimal talent" or, worse still, a total absence thereof. Many of the El Santo movies, as much as I begrudgingly like them, can boast little in the way of either coherent story lines or competent film-making. The same is true for the Paul Naschy werewolf movies (most of which are unbelievably bad). A surprising exception to the rule is THE AZTEC MUMMY. Although the print I saw wasn't pristine (it was washed-out), the performances of the players combined with some genuinely good craftsmanship to produce a very watchable- and downright enjoyable- little movie. With the notable exception of a very long ritual at one point, the movie moves right along. THE AZTEC MUMMY VS. THE ROBOT, while made up of a lot of filler (flashbacks from at least two previous films, including the first), was just as good. If you're looking for some very well done no-budget monster flicks, give the Aztec Mummy the once-over.
... View MoreI didn't quite know what to expect from the "Aztec Mummy" trilogy, a typically wacky Mexican variant on a classic horror theme. This first entry proved quite a surprise: a highly entertaining confection which, apart from delving into ancient Aztec lore, also incorporates elements of science-fiction and gangster dramas into the fray! The distinctive Aztec temples and (overstretced) rituals seen here provide an exotic alternative to the Egyptian examples we'd seen in previous Mummy movies. The background to the curse is still the same, however a girl intended for sacrifice (played by Rosita Arenas, whose other Mexi-horror titles include starring roles in classics such as THE WITCH'S MIRROR [1960] and THE CURSE OF THE CRYING WOMAN [1961]) is caught in the arms of a warrior, for which he's condemned to be buried alive; centuries later, when his lover's tomb is desecrated, he awakens to eliminate those responsible.The sci-fi trappings are put across with a good deal of persuasion (since they involve reincarnation, this section bears a striking resemblance to Roger Corman's contemporaneous THE UNDEAD [1957]), while the crime-lord involved is a masked figure referred to as "The Bat" (most probably inspired by the 1926 Roland West film of that name or its sound remake, THE BAT WHISPERS [1930]) his presence is initially intriguing, but the ultimate revelation of his identity beggars belief. Among the secondary characters, then, are a cowardly medical student who acts as comedy relief and is quite amusing (even so, the very need for it betrays the fact that the Mexican horror film was still in its infancy at this point in time), and a kid ostensibly the hero's (much) younger brother who brings absolutely nothing to the table except that he's always being scolded by his elders for following them around! Unfortunately, my enthusiasm for the film was considerably dissipated by the dire quality of the print included on BCI/Eclipse's 3-Disc Set. I didn't mind so much the softness of the image, the rather low audio or the occasional missing frame but, then, I was intensely annoyed by scenes that were set in complete darkness where it was virtually impossible to tell what was going on. Considering that these include the exploration of the tomb, all the footage of the rampaging mummy and the climax, it felt like I only watched half a film without even the benefit of getting a good look at the titular creature!!
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