Doctor of Doom

Director - Rene Cardona (Night of the Bloody Apes, Treasure of the Amazon)

Starring - Lorena Velazquez (The Rape of the Sabines, She-Wolves in the Ring), Armando Silvestre (The Killing Zone, Amityville Playhouse), and Elizabeth Campbell (The Panther Women, Planet of the Female Invaders)

Release Date - 1963

Genre - Horror

Format - Bluray (Personal Collection) (Screener)

Rating (out of 5):

     I love discovering movies that are new to me.  Even if they are not for me and I don't like them I still find myself enjoying the experience.  It's even more fascinating when the film is international and from years long passed.  When VCI Entertainment sent over their release of Night of the Bloody Apes on blu I was fucking excited.  I had never seen the film before but I had heard about it which only stirred my curiosity.  Sadly, I was not a fan of the film but that didn't stop me from checking out the second film on the set which was 1963's Doctor of Doom.  This film was actually the original film to Cardona's Night of the Bloody Ape's remake.  This made me even more excited to finally check it out.  Like always, I want to thank MVD and VCI for sending this one over.

     The film follows a luchadora who's sister is attacked and left for dead.  The culprit is an ape like creature controlled by an evil scientist who is using the victims in his horrible experiments.  After discovering that her sister was one of several victims she sets out to find who is responsible and stop them before more suffer at his hands. 

     Doctor of Doom, in my eyes, was a better film than the remake which is strange considering both films were directed by Rene Cardona after he had spent almost a decade refining his skills.  Doctor of Doom just had a better pacing and atmosphere about it that Bloody Apes could not replicate.  The acting in this one is very similar to the remake.  The cast is great on screen, they work very well with each other, and their personalities hold the scene.  I really enjoyed the casting and how loud and enjoyable the characters are.  The cast had something to grab onto it.  The story for this one works much better than the remake.  The lucha story meets a slasher like story is such a fun combination that works in this case.  It's campy, with smooth pacing, and even though it's predictable it's still enjoyable.  I would have loved watching this one at the drive-in with some other lucha themed horror films.  Finally, the film has some make-up effects but that is the extent of it.  If you are looking for a bloody flick you will be very disappointed.  Overall, Doctor of Doom is the superior of the two films.  It's fun and campy.  I would highly recommend this one for those of you looking for an early 60s cheesefest.  It was a lot of fun.