Product Description

Any on-screen schmuck can take down a wolfman with a silver bullet. It takes a certain kind of hero to hoist that wolfman overhead into an airplane spin, follow with a body slam, drop an atomic elbow across his mangy neck, leg-lock him until he howls, and pin his furry back to the mat for a three-count. It takes a Mexican masked wrestler. Add a few half-naked vampire women, Aztec mummies, mad scientists, evil midgets from space, and a goateed Frankenstein monster, and you have just some of the elements of Mexican masked wrestler and monster movies, certainly among the most bizarre, surreal and imaginative films ever produced. This filmography features some of the oddest cinematic showdowns ever concocted—Mexican masked wrestlers battling monsters, evil geniuses and other ne’er-do-wells, be it in caves, cobwebbed castles or in the ring. From the 1950s to the 1970s, these movies were staples of Mexican cinema, combining action, horror, sex, science fiction and comedy into a bizarre amalgam aimed to please the whole family. Chapters examine the roots of the phenomenon, including the hugely popular masked wrestling scene and the classic Universal horror films from which Mexican filmmakers stole without compunction. Subsequent chapters focus on El Santo, Blue Demon, and Mil Mascaras, the three most prominent masked wrestlers; wrestling women; other less prominent masked wrestlers; and the insane mish-mash of monsters pitted against the heroes. Each chapter includes background information and a full filmography, and a wide assortment of striking illustrations-posters, lobby cards and other graphic material, some better than the movies they advertised-accompany the text.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #1544681 in Books
• Published on: 2005-04-30
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Hardcover
• 216 pages

About the Author
Graphic designer and writer Robert Michael “Bobb” Cotter lives in Morgantown, West Virginia.

Customer Reviews

Bobb Cutter Cuts Through The Lucha Crap
This book is the bible for fans of masked wrestling films! "Bobb" Cotter's writing style is informal and fun to read yet highly informative. His book is literally crammed with every possible tidbit of information on the wrestlers, directors, producers, actors, and actresses that made the golden age of Mexican psychotronicness possible. He also seems to have a genuine fondness for the personalities behind the cameras; with the possible exception of Doyle Green's for more difficult Mexploitation Cinema, this book is your average fan's only chance to catch a glimpse at what went on behind the scenes at an El Santo film.

Filmography is also an invaluable tool in figuring out what Lucha Libre film's NOT to buy. There are after all over 100 of them! As a fan of the genre who (for the most part) enjoys watching the films, this book has helped me to spend my hard earned pesos on fun films like El Castillo de las Momias de Guanajuato and avoid turkeys like El Aguila Real. Consider this book an investment if you're going to collect some of the films.

If you're only going to buy a single book on the topic, make it this one.

This guy sees them, so you won't have to...
My first exposure to Mexican wrestling movies came from seeing a still in a magazine that showed a match in which one wrestler had a spider for a hand. Any genre that can go that far is worth exploring, and this book does a great job of providing an overview of Mexican wrestling and monster movies. The author has spent a lot of time studying these films, and it shows in the detail. In addition, the subject matter is treated affectionately, rather than as something to be derided. Unfortunately, actually watching these movies can be a chore. They are a lot like Japanese monster films: the buildup is a lot better than the payoff, the acting is atrocious, and you find yourself marking time until the next wrestling match. That this author was able to watch so many films and write about them so entertainingly is laudable. Whether they'd compel me to watch some again...I'm not so sure. I'm content in knowing that I have the best sourcebook available if I ever engaged in a late night debate on Mexican wrestling movies.