MEXICAN DVDS
DOCTOR OF DOOM
WRESTLING WOMEN VS. THE AZTEC MUMMYSomething Weird Video/Image Entertainment]
Movie [Doctor 2.0;Wrestling Women : 2.0]
Disc: 3.5Imagine both my elevation and disappointment when I heard that Something Weird Video was releasing on DVD the entire line of Mexican produced horror titles redubbed and released to TV through K. Gordon Murray during the 1960s. And then, even before the first release (and perhaps final release), Image announced that problems surfaced over who holds the rights to the K. Gordon Murray Mexican marvels and the series' release has been put on indefinite hold. Drat!
Since these Mexican horror/cult epics were released directly to American TV, the prints used here are good 16mm prints, not pristine 35mm, so the image is rather soft, the contrast reflects more grays than blacks and the soundtrack is far from crystal-clear. However, such B productions do not suffer too much from such a presentation, as our memories of them from small and grainy television screens were not any better, and perhaps considering reception problems, much worse.
Doctor of Doom is less well known than Wrestling Women but is perhaps the better film of the two, if we are forced to distinguish between B programmers that are very similar in plot and execution. Doctor of Doom involves our old reliable mad scientist who is working out the bugs on female brain transplants. The dubbing is ridiculously funny, featuring those dramatic deadpan voices sputtering forth the most inane dialogue. At first the doctor feels his female experiments die because he needs to operate on more intelligent women, so he kidnaps one, transfers her brain and she too dies. Thus, he figures it out--he needs to use physically stronger women as his experiments, so he eyes up the female wrestling champion, Gloria Venus, as his intended victim. However, Gloria Venus and wrestling partner Golden Rubi generally kick the butt of the Doctor of Doom and his henchmen, even when the good doctor employs his secret weapon Gomar, the blatantly silly offspring of the first successful male/gorilla brain transplant, a human of enormous physical strength. But whenever the villains attack, the wrestling tag-team spins into action making Doctor of Doom look like a South of the Border Republic serial.
Since the identity of the villainous doctor, who wears a mask, is unknown, the plot soon creates a slew of red-herrings, and even after the good Doctor of Doom is scarred by an acid bath, his identify is still not immediately revealed, [Spoiler Alert] but of course a kindly, benevolent 40-something-year-old man who moves and acts like he is 70 turns out to be more than simply a red-herring. Doctor of Doom becomes exciting kiddie-matinee Saturday night horror host fodder, and the equally enjoyable Wrestling Women vs. The Aztec Mummy offers more of the same, a double-blast of South of the Border Gothic fun.
The extras, as is true with most Something Weird Video DVD releases, are extensive, offering 60-second TV spots for the entire intended Mexican menagerie, trailers for many Mexican horror chillers and episode three of the monster, musical children-oriented TV show, Ghoul A-Go-Go . With any luck Something Weird Video and Image will work out the details to again release the entire line of K. Gordon Murray Mexican horror classics, but for now, we have to be satisfied with this Rene Cardona-directed double-bill treat.