Enter Santo (BluRay)

• SANTO VS. EVIL BRAIN (Joselito Rodríguez, 1961)
• SANTO VS. INFERNAL MEN (Joselito Rodríguez, 1961)
• Review

Synopsis

Immediately recognisable by his distinctive silver mask, the heroic wrestler known as El Santo (‘The Saint’) was Mexico’s most popular luchador, becoming a folk hero and the star of a hugely popular series of action films. Enter Santo: The First Adventures of the Silver-Masked Man presents the two earliest cinematic excursions of this icon of Mexican popular culture.

In Santo vs. Evil Brain (Santo contra cerebro del mal), the dastardly Doctor Campos is kidnapping and brainwashing scientists. When undercover detective Santo falls prey to Campos’ scheme, Lieutenant Zambrano (Enrique Zambrano) and El Incognito (Fernando Osés) must come to his assistance to foil Campos’ plans. Meanwhile, in the same year’s Santo vs. Infernal Men (Santo contra hombres infernales), the trio of Santo, El Incognito, and Zambrano team up once again to fight a band of drug smugglers.

Shot in Cuba in the final days before Fidel Castro entered Havana, these two films represent the celluloid birth of a true screen legend, and spawned a further fifty Santo films.

BluRay

Beautifully restored in 4K from the original negatives, these thrilling films finally receive their world Blu-ray premieres in this individually numbered Limited Edition two-disc set, complete with new and archival extra features, including a feature-length documentary, a poster, and an 80-page book.

• Label: INDICATOR / Powerhouse
• 2 x BLU-RAY SPECIAL FEATURES
• Release date: 5 December 2022
• Limited Edition Blu-ray (World Blu-ray premieres)
• Video: Brand new 4K restorations from the original camera negatives of Santo vs. Evil Brain and Santo vs. Infernal Men
• Audio: Original mono audio
• Extras: Perdida (2011), feature-length documentary by Viviana García-Besné, granddaughter of Jorge García-Besné, exploring her family’s massive contribution to Mexican cinema, including initiating the Santo series; Archival interview with actor Joaquín Cordero (2010); Santo vs. Evil Brain restoration comparison; Santo vs. Infernal Men restoration comparison; Perdida image gallery: stills collection from the Calderón family
• New and improved optional English translation subtitles
• Limited Edition exclusive: 80-page book; exclusive poster
• Limited edition of 6,000 copies for the UK and US
• Region free
• Buy now: From Amazon.co.uk