I've heard a lot about these films - about how they're so bad that they're good. Well, the truth is that this one isn't that bad, which unfortunately means it's not that good either. Santo invents a time travel machine and sends his girfriend back to what passes as a fairly flat adaptation of Bram Stoker's Dracula. She discovers the whereabouts of Dracula's treasure, comes back to the present and takes Santo and his sidekicks to the cave where said treasure is buried. Little do they know that a mysterious hooded figure and his handfull of bad guys are also after the treasure - a couple of lame fights ensue (including a wrestling match with the hooded figure's son), and then Santo finally comes up against the Count himself for one of the great anti-climaxes of horror/camp cinema. Apparently two versions of these Mexican wrestling horror films were made - a tame version for the Mexican kiddie market and a sleazier one (ie contains violence and nudity) for the foreign market. This is the tame version, which may explain why it's so bland. I hate to say this, but it needed the sleaze to liven things up. The print is only average (but at least the bad sound and grainy footage reminds you of watching those B-Grade horror flicks on late night TV in your youth). The montage of Santo movies looks like fun, and could even convince you to rush out and by the boxed set - fortunately the main event would dissuade you from wasting your money. Disappointing - I was looking forward to some "loopy but fun" cinema.
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