The Panther Women – Indicator Series (Blu-ray)

Theatrical Release Date: Mexico, 1967
Director: René Cardona
Writer: Alfredo Salazar
Cast: Ariadne Welter, Elizabeth Campbell, Tongolele, Eric del Castillo, Manuel 'Loco' Valdés, Eda Lorna, Genaro Moreno, María Douglas, Jorge Mondragón, Elena Saldívar, Nathanael León

Release Date: March 25th, 2024 (UK), March 26th, 2024 (USA)
Approximate Running Time: 88 Minutes 6 Seconds
Aspect Ratio: 1.66:1 Widescreen / 1080 Progressive / MPEG-4 AVC
Rating: 12 (UK), NR (USA)
Sound: LPCM Mono Spanish
Subtitles: English
Region Coding: Region Free
Retail Price: £19.99 (UK), $39.99 (USA)

"The Panther Women are a witch cult who resurrect their leader by sacrificing the descendants of the family which murdered him. As the cult seeks to kill the youngest descendent, they are taken on by fearless luchadoras Loreta Venus (Welter) and the Golden Rubí (Campbell)." - synopsis provided by the distributor

Video: 4/5

Here’s the information provided about the transfer, "The Panther Women was restored in 2K by Permanencia Voluntaria and Cinema Preservation Alliance from the original camera negatives."

The Panther Women comes on a 25 GB single layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 23 GB

Feature: 19.8 GB

The source looks great; it is a substantial upgrade when compared to VCI’s mediocre release. That said, there are a few moments where the quality of the source dips; an example can be seen in the last screenshot. Most of the time, image clarity, black levels, and contrast are strong. Also, compression is solid, and the image retains an organic look.

Audio: 4.25/5

This release comes with one audio option, a LPCM mono mix in Spanish with removable English subtitles. The audio sounds clean, clear, balanced, and robust when it should.

Extras:

Extras for this release include an image gallery (42 images - stills/lobby cards/posters), a theatrical trailer (3 minutes 45 seconds, Dolby Digital mono Spanish with removable English subtitles), an interview with academic and Latin American horror specialist Valeria Villegas Lindvall titled Cat Fight (23 minutes 38 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English with removable English for Spanish film clips), an interview with lucha libre specialist and filmmaker the Killer Film titled Let Them Fight! (14 minutes 26 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo Spanish with removable English subtitles), an audio commentary with Keith J Rainville, publisher of From Parts Unknown and screenwriter of Los campeones de la lucha libre, and an 80-page booklet with cast & crew information, an essay titled The Panther Women and the Resurgence of Mexican Popular Cinema written by Iain Robert Smith, an archival essay titled Wrestling for Their Lives written by Janina Möbius, an archival essay titled Female Roles and Representations in Mexican Wrestling Films written by Ricardo Cárdenas Pérez, an archival interview with Guillermo Calderón by Viviana García-Besné and Alistair Tremps, and information about the restoration.

Summary:

In a career that spanned six decades and 147 feature films, René Cardona directed nine Santo films. His notable films are The Living Idol, La Llorona (1960), Doctor of Doom, Night of the Bloody Apes and The Bat Woman.

The narrative revolves around a cult of Satan worshipers who track down and kill the descendants of the man who killed their master.

Part horror film, part wrestling film, The Panther Women is a melting pot of genres. Humor also plays a role in the story that unfolds; there is a cowardly cop who is the main target of most of the humor in the mix. That said, though wrestling matches are part of Lucha Libre films, in many films they are nothing more than padding for the narrative. Fortunately, the wrestling scenes in The Panther Women are essential to the story that unfolds.

A wild premise and a briskly paced narrative ensure there is rarely a dull moment. That said, the narrative’s weaknesses are the police procedural moments. Fortunately, the police have a secret weapon in their fight against the forces of evil wrestlers, and the narrative is filled with outrageous moments that are a lot of fun.

The cast is all very good in their roles; there is an enthusiasm in their performances that is infectious. All of the actresses who portray the Satanists and panther women deliver perfectly pitched, diabolical performances. Being a crime-fighting film with wrestlers, it should come as a surprise that there is a Santo-like character named The Angel.

From a production standpoint, The Panther Women is a film that exceeds expectations. There are an ample number of well-executed brawls and wrestling matches. Also, considering the budget limitations, the special effects are better than expected. Another strength is the visuals, which have a Gothic horror vibe. Ultimately, The Panther Women is a highly entertaining mix of action and horror that fans of Lucha Libre films should thoroughly enjoy.

After watching VCI’s horrendous release, I was not originally impressed with The Panther Women. That said, this new release is a perfect example of how a quality release that takes full advantage of the Blu-ray format can enhance one's appreciation for a film. The Panther Women gets a solid release from Powerhouse Films that comes with a strong audio/video presentation and insightful extras, highly recommended.

Note: Limited edition of 8,000 numbered units for the UK and US.

Written by Michael Den Boer