I'm a huge fan of trashy cult movies, but I can't say the same for Mexican wrestling, which makes the Santo series a bit of a mixed bag for me. Santo vs The Vampire Women is a lot of fun when dealing with the titular bloodsuckers themselves, but whenever the undead action pauses for a prolonged bout of grappling in the ring, I struggle to remain invested.
After two hundred years asleep, vampire priestess Tundra (Ofelia Montesco) emerges from her coffin, looking a little worse for wear; the moon works wonders, however, its rays transforming Tundra into a ravishing, raven haired beauty (Montesco is a total fox!), ready to face the world in search of Diana (María Duval), the young woman prophecised to succeed Zorina, queen of the vampires (played by Lorena Velázquez). But Diana's father, Professor Orlof (Augusto Benedico), isn't about to let that happen, the scientist enlisting the help of Mexico's top luchador Santo (or Samson, as he called in the dubbed version) to battle the vampires.
The gothic elements of this movie are delightfully cheezy yet surprisingly atmospheric, with a creepy old castle (do they even have castles in Mexico?) festooned with cobwebs, a dusty crypt crammed with coffins (home to Zorina's vampire women), and lots of hokey rubber bats on strings. Tundra is a memorable vampire babe, rivalling the beauty of Hammer's finest, easily bending puny men to her will. It's just the fighting I have a problem with, Santo's wrestling in and out of the ring clearly used as padding, the plot not strong enough to fill a full hour and a half on its own. If you love lucha libre, then you'll probably have a good time with the highly choreographed body slams, arm locks and head butts, but I find it all rather tedious.
4.5/10, rounded up to 5 for tasty Tundra - just don't look at her in a mirror (these vampires have reflections, and it ain't a pretty sight!).
After two hundred years asleep, vampire priestess Tundra (Ofelia Montesco) emerges from her coffin, looking a little worse for wear; the moon works wonders, however, its rays transforming Tundra into a ravishing, raven haired beauty (Montesco is a total fox!), ready to face the world in search of Diana (María Duval), the young woman prophecised to succeed Zorina, queen of the vampires (played by Lorena Velázquez). But Diana's father, Professor Orlof (Augusto Benedico), isn't about to let that happen, the scientist enlisting the help of Mexico's top luchador Santo (or Samson, as he called in the dubbed version) to battle the vampires.
The gothic elements of this movie are delightfully cheezy yet surprisingly atmospheric, with a creepy old castle (do they even have castles in Mexico?) festooned with cobwebs, a dusty crypt crammed with coffins (home to Zorina's vampire women), and lots of hokey rubber bats on strings. Tundra is a memorable vampire babe, rivalling the beauty of Hammer's finest, easily bending puny men to her will. It's just the fighting I have a problem with, Santo's wrestling in and out of the ring clearly used as padding, the plot not strong enough to fill a full hour and a half on its own. If you love lucha libre, then you'll probably have a good time with the highly choreographed body slams, arm locks and head butts, but I find it all rather tedious.
4.5/10, rounded up to 5 for tasty Tundra - just don't look at her in a mirror (these vampires have reflections, and it ain't a pretty sight!).