Who Were Those Masked Men?!

The reel world of Lucha Libre: Mexican Wrestling films hit the UK

This summer, the nations’ cinema screens will be taken over by men in tights. Not only Superman, but Jack Black in NACHO LIBRE, the tale of a rural Mexican monastery’s cook with a yen to be a famous masked wrestler (luchador enmascerado). But who are these masked men? In August and September, Cornerhouse (Manchester), Phoenix Arts (Leicester), and Filmhouse (Edinburgh) bring the exciting world of Mexican wrestling films to the UK, through three classics, featuring El Santo, the biggest star of them all.

Hugely popular in Mexico and many other Spanish-speaking lands, the films feature stars of the Lucha Libre (Free Fighting) ring. Since the 1930s, these Mexican wrestlers have adopted secret identities, often built around the masks they wore. A fighter never removed his mask nor revealed his true self – until death. Even then, most are buried in their masks.

These heroes were immortalised in comic books and later films, with the first titles appearing in the 50s and continuing through the seventies. These exuberant, low-budget titles pitted El Santo and competitors/cohorts Blue Demon, Mil Mascaras (Thousand Masks), etc against such daunting adversaries as the Martian Invaders, Frankenstein, the Female Vampires, and the Mummies of Guanajuato in a crazed cauldron of sweat, superheroes, sci-fi, and horror.

These three titles have been specially arranged with Latin American distributors. Although Mexican Wrestling films have found a huge cult following in the States, in the UK they are still relatively unknown – and unavailable. Until now! These rare screenings offer the chance to experience the reel world of Lucha Libre!

Films screening:

Santo vs The Invasion of the Martians (El Santo contra la invasion de los marcianos) (1966) The title says it all! As seen on the TV in the outdoor bar scene in THREE BURIALS OF MELQUIADES ESTRADA. Spanish with English subtitles.

Santo and Blue Demon vs the Monsters (Santo y Blue Demon vs los monstrous) (1969). The evil Dr Halder terrorised science when he reanimated a corpse. Later, Blue Demon decides to investigate the doctor’s apparent death, but his disciples turn the wrestler into an evil being. He heads out to destroy his worst enemy: Santo! Spanish with English subtitles.

Santo in the Wax Museum (Santo en el museo de cera) (1963)

Santo-styled take on the Vincent Price chiller, HOUSE OF WAX. A young lady reporter suddenly goes missing in the Wax Museum. Santo is summoned to solve the mystery. To succeed he will have to face evil and the abnormal!

Please note this title is dubbed in English