The Devil awakens his emissary of evil, Dr. Satan and orders him to track down and destroy a vampire who is searching for a formula that can change metal into gold. Dr. Satan knows he can’t do it alone, so he turns a bunch of hot babes into his personal zombie henchwomen. Meanwhile, some Interpol agents are trying to stop both villains before it’s too late.
The version I saw didn’t have subtitles, so if there were any other plot intricacies, I didn’t pick up on them. Honestly, the best Mexican horror films of the era don’t need subtitles. I can’t say Dr. Satan and Black Magic is among the best of its kind, but there are a few moments of cinematic nuttiness that translate into any language. The cinematography, for starters, is excellent. Everything looks like a million bucks, from the rocky sets of Hell, to the fog-shrouded nighttime scenes, to Dr. Satan’s Batcave-inspired laboratory, to the atmospheric moments when the hot babes rise from their crypts. It’s just enough to keep you watching, but not nearly enough to qualify it as a must-see or anything.
It’s also cool that the vampire in this one is Chinese, which gives Dr. Stan and Black Magic a different flavor than most Mexican horror flicks. The bat transformation effects are cheaply done, but moderately effective. For some reason though, he can go out in broad daylight and it doesn’t bother him. Also, crosses have to be held upside down to defeat him for some reason.
It’s a little disappointing that the character of Dr. Satan is just… a dude. He’s intense and all, but I can’t help but think he would’ve been better suited wearing a Lucha Libre mask or some sort of devil outfit instead of just a bunch of three-piece suits and black turtlenecks. I did like the scene where he gets killed and begs the Devil (also the same actor in a cool, scary man-bat costume with a large wingspan) for another chance to return to Earth and complete his mission. It’s basically a blatant rip-off of that old cartoon where Yosemite Sam goes to Hell. That is to say, it’s awesome.
Predictably, the stuff with the Interpol agents is the dullest in the film. I’m not sure these guys were absolutely necessary. I guess the filmmakers needed some good guys in there to counterbalance Dr. Satan’s anti-hero shenanigans. They don’t derail the proceedings, but they don’t do it any favors either. However, when Dr. Satan is working his black magic, the movie is a good deal of fun.
AKA: Dr. Satan vs. Black Magic.
No comments:
Post a Comment