The Panther Women

Director - Rene Cardona (La Llorona, Doctor of Doom)

Starring - Ariadne Welter (The Devil's Hand, Bloody Sea), Elizabeth Campbell (The Phantom Gunslinger, She-Wolves in the Ring), and Tongolele (Isle of the Snake People, The King of the Neighborhood)

Release Date - 1967

Genre - Horror

Format - Bluray (Personal Collection) (Screener)

Rating (out of 5):

     A few weeks ago I was browsing the MVD website when I saw that they were handling the blu release of a Rene Cardona double feature for VCI Entertainment.  I was really interested in this release especially for The Batwoman.  Sadly, I was not a fan of that flick when I was able to check it out which didn't leave high hopes for the second film in the set.  However, The Panther Women really surprised and the story was just as wild as I had hoped The Batwoman to be.  I want to once again thank MVD for sending this one over for review.  

     The film follows a group of female wrestlers who are tasked with finding the people or thing responsible for a series of murders.  However, what they soon uncover is that a Satanic cult is behind these murders who are panther women and lead by an evil witch.

     I went into this one expecting a mess of a film like The Batwoman but I was really surprised by how wild and well put together this one was.  I have a huge soft spot for cults and seeing a Mexican lucha flick with werepanthers and witches in a cult really sold the film for me.  The acting in this one is a little flat like The Batwoman.  I think it was a style of the time mixed with regional traditions but the cast is very underwhelming.  Some of the characters are a little more entertaining than others but they are still generally flat.  The story for this one has a lot going on and unlike The Batwoman we get to see and explore each aspect of it.  Maybe Cardona had producers more hands on with The Batwoman due to it's title character but The Panther Women is put together better and far more entertaining.  With that being said, the lazy acting and dialogue heavy scenes does make the film feel a lot longer than it actually is.  Finally, the film has some fun moments like the undead cult members and the female wrestling.  However, if you are looking for blood and gore you will be very disappointed.  Overall, The Panther Women really surprised me.  It's not going to be for everyone but if you are a fan of 1960's lucha libra movies then I highly recommend snagging this weird horror flick.  It's well worth a watch.