Santo: El Enmascarado De Plata Box Set - VCI Entertainment (Blu-ray)

Theatrical Release Dates: Mexico, 1963 (Santo in the Wax Museum), Mexico, 1969 (Santo in the Treasure of Dracula), Mexico, 1970 (Santo vs. the Riders of Terror), Mexico, 1971 (Santo in the Vengeance of the Mummy), Mexico, 1972 (Santo vs. Frankenstein's Daughter), Mexico, 1973 (Santo and Blue Demon vs. Dracula), Mexico, 1974 (Santo and Blue Demon vs. Dr. Frankenstein, Santo and Mantequilla Nápoles in The Revenge of the La llorona)
Directors: Alfonso Corona Blake, Manuel San Fernando (Santo in the Wax Museum), René Cardona (Santo in the Treasure of Dracula, Santo vs. the Riders of Terror, Santo in the Vengeance of the Mummy), Miguel M. Delgado (Santo vs. Frankenstein's Daughter, Santo and Blue Demon vs. Dracula, Santo and Blue Demon vs. Dr. Frankenstein, Santo and Mantequilla Nápoles in The Revenge of the La llorona)
Cast: Santo (All Films), Claudio Brook, Norma Mora, Rubén Rojo (Santo in the Wax Museum), Aldo Monti, Noelia Noel, Roberto G. Rivera, Carlos Agostí (Santo in the Treasure of Dracula), Armando Silvestre, Julio Aldama, Mary Montiel, Gregorio Casal, Ivonne Govea, Carlos Agostí (Santo vs. the Riders of Terror), Eric del Castillo, Mary Montiel, César del Campo (Santo in the Vengeance of the Mummy), Gina Romand, Anel, Roberto Cañedo, Carlos Agostí, Sonia Fuentes, Carlos Suárez, Gerardo Zepeda (Santo vs. Frankenstein's Daughter), Alejandro Moreno, Aldo Monti, Agustín Martínez Solares, Nubia Martí, María Eugenia San Martín (Santo and Blue Demon vs. Dracula), Alejandro Moreno, Sasha Montenegro, Jorge Russek, Ivonne Govea (Santo and Blue Demon vs. Dr. Frankenstein), José Mantequilla Nápoles, Kikis Herrera Calles, Alonso Castaño, Ana Lilia Tovar, Sonia Cavazos, Carlos Suárez, Marcia Montes (Santo and Blue Demon vs. Dr. Frankenstein, Santo and Mantequilla Nápoles in The Revenge of the La llorona)

Release Date: February 8th, 2022
Approximate running times: 91 Minutes 56 Seconds (Santo in the Wax Museum), 76 Minutes 10 Seconds (Santo in the Treasure of Dracula), 77 Minutes (Santo vs. the Riders of Terror), 90 Minutes 57 Seconds (Santo in the Vengeance of the Mummy), 83 Minutes 15 Seconds (Santo vs. Frankenstein's Daughter), 93 Minutes 56 Seconds (Santo and Blue Demon vs. Dracula), 92 Minutes 31 Seconds (Santo and Blue Demon vs. Dr. Frankenstein), 88 Minutes 25 Seconds (Santo and Mantequilla Nápoles in The Revenge of the La llorona)
Aspect Ratio: 1.78:1 Widescreen / 1080 Progressive / MPEG-4 AVC (All Films)
Rating: NR
Sound: LPCM Stereo English (All Films)
Subtitles: English SDH (All Films)
Region Coding: Region Free
Retail Price: $69.95

Santo in the Wax Museum: "When people begin disappearing, Santo begins an investigation into the situation and soon learns a Dr. Carrol is behind what he finds are kidnappings, and the doctor is using the victims to create an army of monsters." - synopsis provided by the distributor

Santo in the Treasure of Dracula: "Brave and ingenious Santo gets his girlfriend to be the first to travel backwards in time to her past life as a colonial babe turned vampire. Rescued before her demise at the hands of vampire hunter Professor Van Roth, she returns with the knowledge of the whereabouts of the infamous vampire, Count Dracula’s hidden treasure. Naturally, Santo and his friends decide to go and find it!" - synopsis provided by the distributor

Santo vs. the Riders of Terror: "Six patients have escaped from the leper’s sanatorium of St. Lazarus. Galloping on their horses, they come to a small town to wreak havoc among its residents, fearful of contagion. The Townspeople are poised to fight them, but it will require the presence of Santo, the Silver Masked to restore peace again." - synopsis provided by the distributor

Santo in the Vengeance of the Mummy: "When our favorite Mexican Uber wrestler and superhero Santo and his cronies discover the long-lost tomb of a mummified Aztec warrior, they unleash an ancient curse that begins claiming their lives one by one. Can Santo put an end to this unleashed evil before it’s too late?" - synopsis provided by the distributor

Santo vs. Frankenstein’s Daughter: "Dr. Freda Frankenstein (Gina Romand) and her assistant, Dr. Yanco (Roberto Canedo), try to find the formula for an elixir that enables them to achieve eternal youth. The only problem is that the missing ingredient is the blood of Santo, which is believed to possess extraordinary qualities. Because of this, the doctor will do everything possible to attract Santo to her lair, and make Santo her prisoner for eternity." - synopsis provided by the distributor

Santo and Blue Demon vs. Dracula and the Wolf Man: "Masked super-hero Mexican wrestler Santo teams up with his sidekick Blue Demon for tag team wrestling/monster fighting in this classic Lucha Libre film. After facing defeat at the hands of Cristaldi the magician, Dracula is back to seek revenge and rule the world. With the help of Wolfman and his legion of followers, victory seems imminent. Professor Cristaldi, a descendant of the magician, is warned about Dracula’s plans and calls upon Santo and Blue Demon in the hopes that they can defeat the infamous Count and the werewolf once and for all." - synopsis provided by the distributor

Santo and Blue Demon vs. Dr. Frankenstein: "When it’s discovered that their friend Alicia is to be the next target of Dr. Frankenstein, who is kidnapping innocent women for brain transplant experiments in an attempt to bring back his deceased wife, wrestling superheroes Santo and Blue Demon are called into action to go head-to-head with the most interesting mad doctor in the world and his formidable zombie, Golem." - synopsis provided by the distributor

Santo and Mantequilla Nápoles in The Revenge of the La llorona: "It’s up to masked wrestling superstar Santo and boxing legend [José] “Mantequilla” Nápoles to keep an ancient evil from murdering innocent children in this classic Mexican horror flick based on the Spanish-language legend of La llorona." - synopsis provided by the distributor

Video: 2.75/5 (Santo in the Wax Museum), 3/5 (Santo in the Treasure of Dracula, Santo vs. the Riders of Terror, Santo in the Vengeance of the Mummy, Santo vs. Frankenstein's Daughter, Santo and Blue Demon vs. Dracula and the Wolf Man, Santo and Blue Demon vs. Dr. Frankenstein, Santo and Mantequilla Nápoles in The Revenge of the La llorona)

Santo in the Wax Museum and Santo in the Treasure of Dracula come on a 50 GB dual layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 45.6 GB

Feature: 21 GB (Santo in the Wax Museum), 17.1 GB (Santo in the Treasure of Dracula)

Santo vs. the Riders of Terror and Santo in the Vengeance of the Mummy come on a 50 GB dual layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 44.2 GB

Feature: 16.7 GB (Santo vs. the Riders of Terror), 19.8 GB (Santo in the Vengeance of the Mummy)

Santo vs. Frankenstein's Daughter and Santo and Blue Demon vs. Dracula and the Wolf Man come on a 50 GB dual layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 43.5 GB

Feature: 19.3 GB (Santo vs. Frankenstein's Daughter), 21.8 GB (Santo and Blue Demon vs. Dracula and the Wolf Man)

Santo and Blue Demon vs. Dr. Frankenstein and Santo and Mantequilla Nápoles in The Revenge of the La llorona come on a 50 GB dual layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 43.6 GB

Feature: 21.4 GB (Santo and Blue Demon vs. Dr. Frankenstein), 20.5 GB (Santo and Mantequilla Nápoles in The Revenge of the La llorona)

The quality of the transfers used for these eight films is similar. Though the sources are in great shape and most source-related damage has been cleaned up, the result is a transfer that is never going to wow you. None of the transfers retain an organic look; the image generally looks crisp, color saturation is very good, black levels range from adequate to good, compression fares well, and there appears to be some DNR that varies in degree throughout these films. Santo in the Wax Museum is the only black-and-white film included in this collection. Despite the source looking clean, it is not without its shortcomings. Image clarity and contrast are generally good, and though black levels are adequate, there are times they look grayish.

Audio: 3.5/5

Each film comes with one audio option, a LPCM stereo mix in English, and included are removable English SDH subtitles. All of the films except Santo in the Wax Museum are newly created English dubs. The quality of these tracks is what one has come to expect from a dubbed soundtrack. Notably, the canned dialog does not always have the proper tone. That said, these tracks sound clear, and ambient sounds and the score are well represented. Unfortunately, the lack of original Spanish-language soundtracks is going to be a deal-breaker for most viewers. And seeing that most Santo films were originally only released for Spanish-language audiences, The lack of Spanish audio is a massive letdown.

Extras:

Extras on the Blu-ray disc with Santo in the Wax Museum and Santo in the Treasure of Dracula include an interview with filmmaker René Cardona III (18 minutes 13 seconds, LPCM stereo English, no subtitles), an introduction with film historian Dr. David Wilt for Santo in the Wax Museum (5 minutes 21 seconds, LPCM stereo English, no subtitles), and an introduction with Dr. David Wilt for Santo in the Treasure of Dracula (8 minutes 17 seconds, LPCM stereo English, no subtitles).

Extras on the Blu-ray disc with Santo vs. the Riders of Terror and Santo in the Vengeance of the Mummy include an interview with Dr. David Wilt titled The History of Santo (35 minutes 31 seconds, LPCM stereo English, no subtitles),  an introduction with Dr. David Wilt for Santo vs. the Riders of Terror (3 minutes 5 seconds, LPCM stereo English, no subtitles), and an introduction with Dr. David Wilt for Santo in the Vengeance of the Mummy (3 minutes 9 seconds, LPCM stereo English, no subtitles).

Extras on the Blu-ray disc with Santo vs. Frankenstein's Daughter and Santo and Blue Demon vs. Dracula and the Wolf Man include a poster & photo gallery, an introduction with Dr. David Wilt for Santo vs. Frankenstein's Daughter (3 minutes 17 seconds, LPCM stereo English, no subtitles), and an introduction with Dr. David Wilt for Santo and Blue Demon vs. Dracula and the Wolf Man (4 minutes 19 seconds, LPCM stereo English, no subtitles).

Extras on the Blu-ray disc with Santo and Blue Demon vs. Dr. Frankenstein and Santo and Mantequilla Nápoles in The Revenge of the La llorona include an introduction with Dr. David Wilt for Santo and Blue Demon vs. Dr. Frankenstein (3 minutes 35 seconds, LPCM stereo English, no subtitles), and an introduction with Dr. David Wilt for Santo and Mantequilla Nápoles in The Revenge of the la llorona (3 minutes 26 seconds, LPCM stereo English, no subtitles).

Other extras include a slipcover and an eight page booklet with liner notes about Santo and the eight films included as part of this release, written by Dr. David Wilt.

Summary:

Over the course of three decades, Santo would appear in fifty-four films. Starting with Santo vs. the Evil Brain and ending with Santo in The Fury of the Karate Experts. And though there would be some changes to Santo's films as the series evolved, wrestling was clearly more of a focus. These films can be essentially summed up as Santo versus monsters and other diabolical characters.

Santo in the Wax Museum: The narrative pits Santo against a mad scientist who is abducting women for his experiments connected to developing an army of monsters.

Co-directed by Alfonso Corona Blake, who also directed Santo vs. the Vampire Women. The look and vibe of Santo in the Wax Museum are more indebted to gothic horror than later Santo films that were shot in color.

From its opening moments, Santo in the Wax Museum does a great job establishing and maintaining a foreboding tone. And the visuals very effectively use shadow and light to further heighten the mood. And when it comes to pacing, there is never an issue.

Though the acting is never going to wow, it is more than adequate for the story at hand. With Santo doing a superb job fulfilling the role of the hero. When he’s not kicking butt, he's using his detective skills to figure out who's behind the kidnappings.

The further one digs into the films of Santo, the more it is interesting just how diverse they are in content and quality. A film like Santo in the Wax Museum serves as a good starting point since it is a good mix of classic Mexican horror and elements that would later define Santo films. It features a solid premise about a mad scientist who was once a prisoner at Auschwitz, and more importantly, there is rarely a dull moment. Ultimately, Santo in the Wax Museum is one of Santo’s better films.

Santo in the Treasure of Dracula: This time around, Santo has invented a time machine that brings him face-to-face with Dracula.

Directed by René Cardona, who also directed these Santo films: Santo vs. the Strangler, Santo vs. the Ghost of the Strangler, Operation 67, The Treasure of Montezuma, Santo vs. Capulina, Santo vs. the Riders of Terror, Santo vs. the Head Hunters, and Santo vs. the Vengeance of the Mummy.

There are multiple versions of Santo in the Treasure of Dracula. It was originally released in black and white with no nudity. While a color version with full frontal nudity was shot simultaneously for the European film market. This release by VCI Entertainment can be seen as a third version since it is a no-nudity version in color.

Santo films have often been a melting pot of genres. A film like Santo in the Treasure of Dracula is a mix of horror and science fiction. Also, most Santo films cast him in the role of an individual who assists law enforcement. In Santo's Treasure of Dracula, he is a scientist who invented a time machine.

The performances are best described as serviceable. Fortunately for anyone familiar with Santo films, this is not an issue since Santo more than fulfills his role. That said, one thing that you notice about Santo films is that most of them have an ample amount of eye candy.

The opening setup of Santo in the Treasure of Dracula places Santo in a passive role, as he is nothing more than an observer of events surrounding his time machine. Fortunately, Santo is back to his usual active self in the latter half of the film. Also, though wrestling usually makes its way into Santo films, there is only one wrestling match in Santo, in the Treasure of Dracula. Despite its shortcomings, there is something enthralling about Santo in the Treasure of Dracula.

Santo vs. the Riders of Terror: The narrative revolves around a group of criminals who exploit escaped lepers by masquerading as lepers.

Directed by René Cardona, who also directed these Santo films: Santo vs. the Strangler, Santo vs. the Ghost of the Strangler, Operation 67, The Treasure of Montezuma, Santo vs. Capulina, Santo in the Treasure of Dracula, Santo vs. the Head Hunters, and Santo vs. the Vengeance of the Mummy.

Santo knows no boundaries; he has appeared in just about every situation and film genre. That said, seeing Santo in the Old West feels odd, even by Santo film standards. The most impressive aspect of Santo vs. the Riders of Terror is how they manage to work wrestling matches into a film set in the old west.

Though billed as the main attraction, Santo does not appear until around the 23-minute mark. And though he does his best to convincingly portray a cowboy, Santo, performance-wise, is the weakest link. When it comes to the rest of the cast, they are great, especially the actors portraying the lepers.

Content-wise, Santo vs. the Riders of Terror has all of the elements one would expect from a western. With some Santo elements thrown in for good measure, unfortunately, the sum of these two parts never really gels.

When viewed as a western Santo vs. the Riders of Terror, it is a very good film, but when viewed as a Santo film, it is one of his weaker films. Fortunately, the good outweighs the bad. Ultimately, Santo vs. the Riders of Terror is a melting pot film that has something for everyone.

Santo in the Vengeance of the Mummy: This time around, Santo goes on an expedition looking for the long-lost tomb of an Aztec warrior.

Directed by René Cardona, who also directed these Santo films: Santo vs. the Strangler, Santo vs. the Ghost of the Strangler, Operation 67, The Treasure of Montezuma, Santo vs. Capulina, Santo in the Treasure of Dracula, Santo vs. the Head Hunters, and Santo vs. the Riders of Terror.

Santo in the Vengeance of the Mummy, like so many of Santo’s films from the 1970s, is heavily loaded with wrestling matches. And though Santo in Vengeance of the Mummy pits Santo against a famous monster, the result is something closer to an adventure film than a horror film. In fact, there is nothing remotely scary in Santo's Vengeance of the Mummy.

The performances are best described as serviceable. Santo shines brightest when it comes to action-oriented moments and wrestling matches. That said, no performance leaves a lasting impression.

From a production standpoint, there are many areas where Santo in Vengeance of the Mummy comes up short. And nothing is more egregious than a padded narrative that has some serious pacing issues and, even worse, suffers from predictability. Ultimately, Santo in the Vengeance of the Mummy is one of Santo's more forgettable films.

Santo vs. Frankenstein's Daughter: The daughter of Doctor Frankenstein needs Santo’s blood to perfect her youth serum.

Directed by Miguel M. Delgado, who also directed these Santo films: Santo and Blue Demon vs. Dracula and the Wolf Man, Santo and Blue Demon vs. Dr. Frankenstein, and Santo and Mantequilla Nápoles in The Revenge of the La llorona.

Once again, Santo is pitted against a mad scientist and familiar horror cinema monsters. These types of scenarios are the ones that best suit Santo's character. Though shot in color, Santo vs. Frankenstein's Daughter has a Gothic horror vibe.

The performances are some of the strongest for a Santo film. Despite Santo often dominating the screen, another performance of note is Gina Romand in the role of Dr. Freda Frankenstein, who provides Santo with a formidable foe.

From a production standpoint, Santo vs. Frankenstein's Daughter is a film that far exceeds its anemic resources. The premise is well executed, and the narrative does a good job maintaining momentum. Another area where Santo vs. Frankenstein's Daughter holds up well with its special effects Ultimately, Santo vs. Frankenstein's Daughter is a very satisfying mix of horror, action, and Santo's eccentric elements.

Santo and Blue Demon vs. Dracula and the Wolf Man: The only thing standing in front of Dracula and the Wolfman’s quest for world dominance is Santo and the Blue Demon.

Directed by Miguel M. Delgado, who also directed these Santo films: Santo vs. Frankenstein's Daughter, Santo and Blue Demon vs. Dr. Frankenstein, and Santo and Mantequilla Nápoles in The Revenge of the La llorona.

Santo would often collaborate with other characters in his quest for justice. In the later Santo films, he would get a sidekick like Batman did with Robin. Santo had the blue demon. Needless to say, teaming Santo with another wrestler means more wrestling matches.

Though horror is a genre that Santo would venture into more than any other, Santo and Blue Demon vs. Dracula and the Wolf Man is a different kind of horror film for Santo. Despite the fact that most of his other horror films had a Gothic vibe, Santo and the Blue Demon vs. Dracula and the Wolf Man feels like it was influenced by the films of Paul Naschy, with some Hammer horror thrown in for good measure.

The bulk of the performances are very good. Despite Santo and the Blue Demon being the two leads, it is Aldo Monti in the role of Dracula who delivers the most memorable performance. Also, there is an ample amount of eye candy.

Based solely on the premise, Santo and Blue Demon vs. Dracula and the Wolf Man has a solid foundation. Though there is an artificiality to the look of Santo and Blue Demon vs. Dracula and the Wolf Man, this actually works in its favor; needless to say, there is an abundance of atmosphere. Other strengths are a briskly paced narrative and stylish cinematography. Ultimately, Santo and Blue Demon vs. Dracula and the Wolf Man is top-tier Santo.

Santo and Blue Demon vs. Dr. Frankenstein: A pair of detectives team up with Santo and the Blue Demon in an investigation into the disappearance of women whose brains have been removed, turning them into zombies.

Directed by Miguel M. Delgado, who also directed these Santo films: Santo and Blue Demon vs. Dracula and the Wolf Man, Santo vs. Frankenstein's Daughter, and Santo and Mantequilla Nápoles in The Revenge of the La llorona.

Once again, Santo joins forces with the Blue Demon. Santo and the Blue Demon vs. Dr. Frankenstein pits Santo against a familiar foe, this time his grandson instead of his daughter. Also, like so many Santo films, the main villain is a mad scientist.

The performances are serviceable. Despite Santo and the Blue Demon more than fulfilling the role of heroes, none of the performances left a lasting impression. That said, Sasha Montenegro, in the role of Alicia Robles, provides some much-needed eye candy.

From a production standpoint, Santo and Blue Demon vs. Dr. Frankenstein and Santo and Blue Demon vs. Dracula and the Wolf Man have many of the same qualities. Santo and Blue Demon vs. Dr. Frankenstein is not in the same league as Santo and Blue Demon vs. Dracula and the Wolf Man. And nowhere is this clearer than when it comes to the narrative's pacing. Ultimately, Santo and Blue Demon vs. Dr. Frankenstein is a mid-tier Santo film.

Santo and Mantequilla Nápoles in The Revenge of the La llorona: This time around, Santo joins forces with a professor and his niece, looking for a medallion worn by La llorona.

Directed by Miguel M. Delgado, who also directed these Santo films: Santo and Blue Demon vs. Dracula and the Wolf Man, Santo and Blue Demon vs. Dr. Frankenstein, and Santo vs. Frankenstein's Daughter.

La Llorona, aka The Crying Woman, is based on Mexican folklore. Though this character has served as the basis for several Mexican horror films, the way in which La llorona is used in Santo and Mantequilla Nápoles' The Revenge of La llorona is unlike any other adaptation of this character.

This time Santo is given a new sidekick, a boxer named Mantequilla Nápoles. And just like in most Santo films, there are wrestling matches, and in this film, there are boxing matches. In one scene, the two heroes, Santo and Mantequilla Nápoles, square off.

As expected, the performances are serviceable. Despite Santo doing a good job in the hero role, his sidekick, Mantequilla Nápoles, is not as formidable as the Blue Demon. Also, there are a few attractive women who round out the cast.

Where to begin with Santo and Mantequilla Nápoles in The Revenge of the La llorona? In a film with La llorona, there are so many ways in which things go awry. Notably, there is nothing remotely scary, even when it comes to La llorona, and to make things worse, the execution of the premise feels more like a Scooby Doo mystery than a Santo film. Ultimately, Santo and Mantequilla Nápoles in The Revenge of the La llorona is one of Santo’s worst films.

Though Santo: El Enmascarado De Plata Box Set gives eight Santo films an English-friendly release, the lack of Spanish audio and underwhelming transfers make this a difficult release to recommend.

Written by Michael Den Boer