This opens with John Carradine in a natty sports jacket, dubbed with a rich deep Spanish voice, jovially chatting with the camera about ‘vampiras’, explaining that Edgar Allan Poe believed in them and he does too, then fading away through a Méliès dissolve. After cartoony credits, masked wrestler Mil Mascaras (Mil Mascaras) arrives piloting a small plane, and the film delivers one of those time-filling wrestling bouts these Mexican genre movies always indulge in – though director Federico Curiel at least tries for a few high angles, hand-held shots and amps up the screaming fans in the crowd, which puts the scene ahead of the rote, heavily padded matches in most Santo movies. Like Boris Karloff making Mexican Horror Films in the last days, this was one of four Mexican horror films that Carradine made in a row features him as a Count ordering vampire brides to get new victims but there's a masked wrestler to the rescue. Contrary to popular belief, and despite being stated as doing so in several reference guides, John Carradine does not play Count Dracula in this movie, at least in the original Spanish version. Carradine's character is a vampire and is dressed in the traditional Dracula style costume, but his name is Branus and he is described as having been Dracula's master. Plus, his goal is to become King of the vampires along with Veria, Countess Dracula (María Duval), the widow of the Count. Pretty fun film hearing John Carradine talking in Spanish and not dubbed in English. Great Horror effects of giant bats turning into vampire women and, There are scenes with Carradine locked in a cage acting like a gorilla, which have to be seen if you're a fan of his. Starring Mil Mascaras, John Carradine, Maria Duval, Maura Monti, and Martha Romero, Uncut Spanish Version with English Subtitles. 1969 Color 91 Minutes on DVD-R.
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$20.00Price
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