Misterios de la magia negra [Mysteries of Black Magic] (Miguel M. Delgado, 1958)
#FilmDuJour #MiguelMDelgado #Mexico #horror #witches #1950s ★★★★☆
Los hermanos Del Hierro [wrongly translated as My Son, the Hero] (Ismael Rodríguez, 1961)
#FilmDinner #IsmaelRodríguez #AntonioAguilar #JulioAlemán #ColumbaDomínguez #RaúlLavista #RosalíoSolano #western #drama #revenge #romance #Mexico #1960s ★★★★☆
El año de la peste [The Year of the Plague] (Felipe Cazals, 1979)
It has been a good day for everyone, even for God. No sign of rain. No evidence of disease or blood.
#FilmDuJour #FelipeCazals #Mexico #outbreak #pandemic #1970s ★★★½
Ánimas Trujano (El hombre importante) [The Important Man] (Ismael Rodríguez, 1961)
Underdog Ánimas Trujano is dead set on becoming his town's next mayordomio, the wealthy, respected man in charge of funding one of Oaxaca's major religious festivals. He does find a way, a terrible one, and does get the respect and riches he wishes for. But even with all the money and praise in the world, Ánimas' continuous down his well-trodden path of gambling away the riches bestowed, and cheating on his long-suffering wife.
It may take a moment to get comfortable with casting Japanese movie legend Toshirō Mifune as the titular important man, but from that moment on, Ánimas Trujano feels as universal as any great cinematic experience should be.
#Bales2023FilmChallenge #IsmaelRodríguez #RogelioBarrigaRivas #ToshirōMifune #ColumbaDomínguez #GabrielFigueroa #BookAdaptation #Mexico #Oaxaca #drama #1960s ★★★★½
El escapulario [The Scapular] (Servando González, 1968)
#FilmDuJour #ServandoGonzález #Mexico #mystery #horror #1960s ★★★★☆
Matinée (Jaime Humberto Hermosillo, 1977)
Two boys skip class to catch a movie – Alexander Mackendrick's similarly themed A High Wind in Jamaica (1965) – and end up as members of a violent gang instead. While Matinée has elements of a typical 70s #ComingOfAge movie, the more fascinating element is the role reversal of the two children and the robbers. As the kids are forced to grow up, fast, the criminals live out their childhood fantasy of never having to listen to anyone ever again. And bicker over comics.
Robert Rodriguez stated that the fearsome criminals in his El Mariachi (1992) never outgrew their childhood nicknames. I start to suspect that once upon a time, a little boy named Robertiño skipped class and went to the matinee.
#Bales2023FilmChallenge #JaimeHumbertoHermosillo #RodolfoChávezMartínez #ArmandoMartín #JoaquínGutiérrezHeras #JorgeStahlJr #ComingOfAge #Mexico #crime #drama #1970s ★★★★☆
Beatriz (Gonzalo Suárez, 1976)
#FilmDinner #GonzaloSuárez #RamónDelValleInclán #BookAdaptation #CarmenSevilla #Nadiuska #JorgeRivero #JoséSacristán #SandraMozarowsky #ÓscarMartín #FermínGurbindó #CarlosSuárez #drama #Spain #Mexico #1970s ★★☆☆☆
Veneno para las hadas [Poison for the Fairies] (Carlos Enrique Taboada, 1986)
#FilmDinner #CarlosEnriqueTaboada #AnaPatriciaRojo #ElsaMaríaGutiérrez #LeonorLlausás #CarlosJiménezMabarak #LupeGarcía #witches #mystery #horror #Mexico #1980s ★★★☆☆
Matinée (Jaime Humberto Hermosillo, 1977)
#FilmDinner #JaimeHumbertoHermosillo #RodolfoChávezMartínez #ArmandoMartín #JoaquínGutiérrezHeras #JorgeStahlJr ComingOfAge #Mexico #crime #drama #1970s ★★★★☆
Salón México (Emilio Fernández, 1949)
#FilmDinner #EmilioFernández #MargaLópez #MiguelInclán #GabrielFigueroa #drama #melodrama #crime #FilmNoir #romance #dance #cabaretera #Mexico #1940s ★★★½