Santo vs. the Evil Brain
(Santo contra Cerebro del Mal)
Joselito Rodríguez | Fiction, Science Fiction, Adventure, Classic
1961 | 73 minutes | Mexico, Cuba
In this cult classic from El Santo's saga, an undercover police officer is kidnapped by Dr. Campos who brainwashes him into becoming a member of his gang.
Synopsis
NEW RESTORATION!
This newly restored Cuban-Mexican horror-action cult classic opens with three gangsters cornering El Santo in a deserted alley and knocking him out. He is then taken to the laboratory of a crazed Doctor Campos and turned into a docile servant through a series of injections and electric shocks. Filming was done in late '50s pre-Revolution Cuba and ended just the day before Fidel Castro entered Havana, and declared the victory of the revolution, forcing the filmmakers to flee prematurely (with the unprocessed 35mm negative smuggled inside a coffin).
Santo vs. the Evil Brain marks the cinematic debut of El Santo (Rodolfo Guzmán Huerta) and solidified his status as Mexico's quintessential masked luchador through a whole network of pop culture spinoffs, including a comic book series and, most notably, the 52 wrestling-themed films that cemented his legend on the silver screen. His acting career spanned four decades, dazzling audiences from all around the world with his skills and talent. He is considered to be one of Mexico's most legendary sporting figures and is said to have popularized professional wrestling in Mexico just as Rikidōzan did in Japan.
El Santo was buried wearing his silver mask, in one of the biggest funerals in Mexico. On 23 September 2016, to honor the 99th birthday of El Santo, Google ran a special El Santo Google daily doodle. A skeletal version of El Santo, complete with a silver mask and cape, appears briefly in the Pixar film Coco as a guest at a party in the Land of the Dead, with actress María Félix as his date.
Praised by Tarantino and B-cult movie lovers, Pragda’s El Santo film collection also includes Santo vs. the Riders of Terror (René Cardona, 1970) and Santo vs. the Infernal Men (Joselito Rodríguez, 1961), both in their newly restored versions. The films are part of The Permanencia Voluntaria Archives, whose main objective is to rescue, preserve, and restore the popular cinema of Mexico's cinematographic history.
Citation
Main credits
Refn, Nicolas Winding (film producer)
Zambrano, Enrique J. (screenwriter)
Zambrano, Enrique J. (film director)
Zambrano, Enrique J. (actor)
Osés, Fernando (screenwriter)
Rodríguez, Joselito (film director)
Guzmán Huerta, Rodolfo (actor)
Cordero, Joaquin (actor)
Suárez, Norma (actor)
Other credits
Cinematography, Carlos Nájera; editing, Jesús Echeverria; music, Salvador Espinosa.
Citation
Cataloging
Pragda subjects
Keywords
Clips
Festivals
Berlinale World Forum
DIRECTOR: Joselito Rodríguez
NATIONALITY: Mexico, Cuba
YEAR: 1961
GENRE: Fiction, Science Fiction, Adventure, Classic
LANGUAGE: Spanish
COLOR / B&W: Black and white
GRADE LEVEL: High School, College, Adult
SUBTITLE/CC: AVAILABLE
AUDIO DESCRIPTION: NOT AVAILABLE
Existing customers, please log in to view this film.
New to Pragda? Register to request a quote.
Related Films
Stories Our Cinema Did (Not) Tell
Histórias que nosso cinema (nāo) contava
The Bat Woman
La mujer murciélago
Perdida
Panther Women
Las mujeres panteras
Santo vs. the Riders of Terror
Santo contra los Jinetes del Terror
The Phantom of the Monastery
El fantasma del convento
Santo vs. the Infernal Men
Santo contra Hombres Infernales
Looking for El Santo
Infernal Dolls
Muñecos infernales
Behind the Scenes: La Llorona
La Llorona
The Welles Raft
A jangada de Welles
Untouched
Sombra verde
Related Collections
Fiction Films
A compelling glimpse into Spain and Latin America's rich storytelling traditions, showcasing a blend of established directors and emerging voices. Each film highlights the depth and creativity of the region.
Number of titles: 266
SEE COLLECTION >
Día de los Muertos
Dia de Los Muertos, or the Day of the Dead, is a time to honor ancestors, the deceased, and those who have entered the spiritual realm. Check out this collection of films inspired by the Mexican holiday!
Number of titles: 21
SEE COLLECTION >
Permanencia Voluntaria Archives
The only independent film archive in Mexico specializing in the collection and preservation of popular films, focusing mainly on the works of the pioneer Calderón/García Besné family.
Number of titles: 15
SEE COLLECTION >
Spanish Language Films
A cinematic highlight of the magic and diversity of the Spanish language.
Number of titles: 440
SEE COLLECTION >
Cinema Studies
Independent, classic, experimental, risky, and transgressive films from Latin American that celebrate art of filmmaking.
Number of titles: 59
SEE COLLECTION >
High School Collection
Given varying criteria for content ratings and age restrictions in different regions, Pragda STREAM recommends faculty watch films in their entirety before assigning them to students.
Number of titles: 509
SEE COLLECTION >
The Pragda Complete Film Collection
The essence of Spain and Latin America captured in their original language with English captions or subtitles.
Number of titles: 637
SEE COLLECTION >
Our Essential 100 Titles
A hand-picked selection of our must-have films showcasing the very best of Spanish, Latin American and Latinx cinema.
Number of titles: 100
SEE COLLECTION >
Mexican Films
A collection of fascinating titles, from recent films to restored jewels, that highlight the significance of Mexican cinema’s quality and status while encompassing different aspects of the country's culture and traditions.
Number of titles: 76
SEE COLLECTION >