Mexico

  • María Novaro – Sin dejar huella aka Without a Trace (2000)

    1991-2000DramaMaría NovaroMexico

    Quote:
    Ana, an educated art historian, and Aurelia, lone mother of two, are two women in trouble, one with the law and the other with drug trafficking thugs. Their paths cross as Ana asks if she can get a ride with Aurelia to Cancun as both attempt to escape their pasts. This is in the backdrop of a vicious serial killer that has murdered over 250 women and haunts all women in Mexico. Without a Trace is a wonderful road movie about the two women as they try to change their lives on their own in the shadow of a patriarchal society. Novaro creates a motherly environment as mother Aurelia breast feeds and nurtures her little baby, but also a tough femme fatale atmosphere with the women drinking beer in different bars. These two aspects of the women are brought to the screen with strong drama and comedy as the women venture for something better. In the end, Novaro creates a wonderful cinematic experience that both entertains and enlightens the audience.Read More »

  • Rubén Gámez – La Fórmula secreta AKA The Secret Formula (1965)

    1961-1970Amos Vogel: Film as a Subversive ArtArthouseMexicoRubén GámezShort Film

    IMDB comments say:
    This is one of the best Mexican short movies ever. You could probably imagine the Mexican idiosyncrasy, read some history books, but you will find a big difference and experience the feeling of the post-revolutionary age of Mexico with this film.

    Labor unions, the invasion of large scale and global foreign companies, the mother’s love, the Mexican habits descriptions are part of this master piece.

    Adding the emotion of Jaime Sabine’s narration voice in all the allegoric signs and metaphors.Read More »

  • Luis Buñuel – Ensayo de un crimen AKA The Criminal Life of Archibaldo de la Cruz (1955)

    1951-1960ArthouseCrimeLuis BuñuelMexico

    Quote:
    The delirious journey of a mental disordered man, who is obsessed in making the perfect crime.Read More »

  • Alejandro Jodorowsky – Santa Sangre [+ director’s commentary] (1989)

    Arthouse1981-1990Alejandro JodorowskyArchitectureCultMexico

    Quote:
    Santa Sangre is the surreal horror story about a young man, Fenix (Axel Jodorowsky) who has grown up in a circus with his mother Concha (Blanca Guerra) and his philandering father. Fenix witnesses a brutal fight between his mother and father, at the end of which his mother loses both of her arms and his father commits suicide. Fenix spends years in an insane asylum, before his mother persuades him to act as her hands in her bizarre nightclub act. Soon, Concha is having Fenix perform a variety of murders, where he is killing every female in sight. Though the film has some of the hallucinatory qualities of Jodorowsky’s earlier films, Santa Sangre doesn’t quite have the same punch, particularly in terms of cerebral and emotional impact, despite its fine visuals. Santa Sangre is available in both R-rated and NC-17 edits.Read More »

  • Luis Alcoriza – Mecanica Nacional AKA National Mechanics (1972)

    1971-1980ClassicsCultLuis AlcorizaMexico

    This is a satirical look at Mexican contemporary life. It makes fun of its culture in many ways. Even though it has many dramatic and serious moments, it’s a very effective comedy.
    The movie is simply about two families from Mexico City that go camping to the mountains outside the city overnight to see the conclusion of a cross country car race. Most of the movie takes place the night before the race. There is a lot of drinking, dancing, and many other things that happen in a big party. And there’s like two hundred vehicles camping waiting for the race the next day.Read More »

  • René Cardona Jr. – La noche de los mil gatos AKA The Night of a Thousand Cats (1972)

    1971-1980CultHorrorMexicoRené Cardona Jr.

    Millionaire playboy Hugo (whose lack of facial expressions give him the appearance of a Thundercat marionette) flies around Acapulco in his private helicopter to pick up sexy young women. He whisks them away to his secluded old castle, where he wines and dines them (among other things, *wink*). With the aid of his bald mute little helper Gorgo, he kills his dates, keeping their heads in a crystal cage and feeding their chopped up body parts to his 1,000-strong army of blood thirty, flesh hungry cats.Read More »

  • Juan López Moctezuma – Alucarda, la hija de las tinieblas AKA Alucarda (1977)

    1971-1980CultHorrorJuan López MoctezumaMexico

    When the teenage orphan Justine arrives in a convent, she befriends Alucarda, who was raised since she was a baby by the nuns. They become best friends and stay together most of the time. When they meet a gypsy on the forest, he is indeed Satan and possesses the teenagers. Soon the convent is turned upside-down affecting the lives of Alucarda, Justine, the nuns and Father Lázaro. The skeptic Dr. Oszek will also witness a showdown between good and evil affecting his beliefs.Read More »

  • Jaime Humberto Hermosillo – Doña Herlinda y su hijo AKA Dona Herlinda and Her Son (1985)

    Drama1981-1990Jaime Humberto HermosilloMexicoQueer Cinema(s)Romance

    Quote:
    A sophisticated social comedy directed by Jaime Humberto Hermosillo, one of Mexico’s most daring, original filmmakers.

    Dona Herlinda is a wealthy, fantastically manipulative widow living in Guadalajara who quietly accepts her son Rudolfo’s affair with a handsome young music student, Ramon. After she invites Ramon to live with her family (“Rudolfo has such a big bed,” she says) the situation becomes hilariously complicated by Rudolfo’s marriage of convenience to Olga, a feminist and employee of Amnesty International.Read More »

  • Leobardo López Aretche – El Grito (1968)

    1961-1970DocumentaryLeobardo López AretcheMexicoPolitics

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    Quote:
    A documentary on the student movement in Mexico, 1968, made by film students

    Quote:
    A documentary of the conflicts that arose in Mexico in 1968, just before the Olympic Games, between students protesting against the corrupt government, and the police and armed forces. This documentary was made by film students, and remains one of the few graphic testimonies of all the events that led to the massacre of students in Tlatelolco.Read More »

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