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.

This work traces how Gothic imagination from the literature and culture of eighteenth- and nineteenth-century Europe and twentieth-century US and European film has impacted Latin American literature and film culture. Serrano argues that the Gothic has provided Latin American authors with a way to critique a number of issues, including colonization, authoritarianism, feudalism, and patriarchy. The book includes a literary history of the European Gothic to demonstrate how Latin American authors have incorporated its characteristics but also how they have broken away or inverted some elements, such as traditional plot lines, to suit their work and address a unique set of issues. The book examines both the modernistas of the nineteenth century and the avant-garde writers of the twentieth century, including Huidobro, Bombal, Rulfo, Roa Bastos, and Fuentes. Looking at the Gothic in Latin American literature and film, this book is a groundbreaking study that brings a fresh perspective to Latin American creative culture.

Includes, beginning Sept. 15, 1954 (and on the 15th of each month, Sept.-May) a special section: School library journal, ISSN 0000-0035, (called Junior libraries, 1954-May 1961). Also issued separately.

This guide alphabetically lists 4000 plus horror movies and television shows, some very obscure, that featured monsters. Each entry provides a plot synopsis, identifies the cast and director, and rates the film on a five star scale. No index. Originally published by Billboard Books. c. Book News Inc.

This work provides a critical overview of monster magazines from the 1950s to the 1970s. The term monster magazine is a blanket term, which, for the purposes of this study is used to describe both magazines that focus primarily on popular horror movies and magazines that contain stories featuring monsters which are illustrated in comic book style but printed in black and white.

Mexican cinema has largely been overlooked by international film scholars because of a lack of English-language information and the fact that Spanish-language information was difficult to find and often out of date. This comprehensive filmography helps fill the need for a single source for basic information on Mexican films. Arranged by year of release and then by title, the filmography contains entries that include basic information (film and translated title, production company, genre, director, cast), a plot summary, and additional information about the film. To be included, a film must meet the following criteria: it must be a Mexican production or co-production, feature length (one hour or more, although exceptions are made for silent films), fictional (documentaries and compilation films are not included unless the topic relates to Mexican cinema; some docudramas and films with recreated or staged scenes are included), and theatrically released or intended for theatrical release.