This documentary on the Mexican horror films of the 1950's-1970's takes its viewer into the world of such filmmakers Abel Salazar and Fernando Mendez who took a Hollywood genre into new dimensions is very interesting and shows the worldwide appeal of a genre that still influences filmmakers today. There's a creepiness to much of the clips here because for most English speaking audiences, these films are very obscure, and these clips are never utilized in horror film montages. Fortunately, many of them are available in well subbed English versions (premiering on American TV), and there's a seductiveness and rawness usually only shown in the most controversial of Hammer films.
The black and white photography as an art to these films, and this is a great preview to interest new audiences to these films. It is obvious that filmmakers who saw these on TV in their dubbed versions were influenced to bring more shock value in the American horror genre that had only in small doses been released on big screens, mainly Mario Bava's Italian cult classics (particularly "Black Sunday"). The documentary shows the rise and fall of this genre, especially through the use of sexual themes that didn't help. I may not go out of my way to find all of these films, but it's opened a new door to world cinema that is quite unique.
The black and white photography as an art to these films, and this is a great preview to interest new audiences to these films. It is obvious that filmmakers who saw these on TV in their dubbed versions were influenced to bring more shock value in the American horror genre that had only in small doses been released on big screens, mainly Mario Bava's Italian cult classics (particularly "Black Sunday"). The documentary shows the rise and fall of this genre, especially through the use of sexual themes that didn't help. I may not go out of my way to find all of these films, but it's opened a new door to world cinema that is quite unique.
