Dios Mio!

Hola Amigos! Cinco De Mayo is just around the corner and what better way to celebrate the victory of the Mexican Militia over the French army at the Battle of Puebla in 1862 than with some of my favorite Mexican movies. So, when you are on your next siesta , sit back and watch some of Mexico's finest imports. 

Okay, so this has NOTHING to do with Cinco De Mayo, Militias or even the French but it does have to do with fighting for what's right and one of my favorite past times-Lucha Libre. I can not get enough of  Los Campeones Justicieros. Describing this movie is as easy to describe as making a Margarita. Take one part evil scientist, two parts Lucha Libre and sprinkle with little people wearing superhero costumes and you have the perfect recipe for a campy action packed fun. It doesn't matter if you can speak the language (there are no subtitles) watching a gang of masked wrestlers riding motorcycles through the lush  Mexican countryside is worth the price of admission alone. 

Keeping with the theme of not having a thing to do with Cinco de Mayo is my next favorite Mexican film, Brainiac. Baron Vitelius is convicted of consorting with the devil and the penalty is death. The Baron vows revenge as he burns to death. Fast forward to present day Mexico (well 50's Mexico) and the Baron is resurrected as the forked tongue beast that devours the brains of the living. There are so many questions concerning this movie but my biggest one is how many flamethrowers does it take to destroy the Brainiac? The world will never know.

The last but not least Mexican film in my Cinco  De Mayo tribute is an atmospheric Gothic tale of romance and blood sucking, El Vampiro (The Vampire), is one of the better Vampire movies ever made. You can cut the style of the film (and the fog) with a knife. Well acted, with a classic look that rivals a lot of the early Hollywood Horror flicks.

I'll admit it-these films have really nothing to do with Cinco De Mayo except the fact they were filmed in Mexico. I like to think that these wonderful actors channeled the fighting Militia on that May day and rose to the challenge of becoming their characters and entertaining us to the best of their abilities. Maybe that's just a tad too noble, but I for one, will raise my monster size margarita and salute those fine thespians of Mexican cinema.