Isabela Corona Movies

A middle-class family makes room for an elderly houseguest, only to discover her presence opens the door for evil in this atmospheric tale of terror. Aunt Alejandra (Isabela Corona) is an elderly woman who relocates to Mexico City and informs her nephew that she's moving in with him. The nephew agrees, despite the fact he and his family are struggling financially and Alejandra is well off enough to easily support herself. Relations between Aunt Alejandra and the family soon become strained, but no one in the family is aware of her secret -- she's a witch and soon uses her powers to take revenge against the children of the household. As the mother and father find their lives torn apart by the death of three of their children, they discover that their youngest daughter seems to have learned a few tricks from her aunt. La Tia Alejandra was directed by noted Mexican producer/director Arturo Ripstein, whose previous terror films have included Profundo Carmesí and El Castillo de la Pureza. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

A witch vows to avenge the death of her goddaughter in this atmospheric horror film from director Chano Urueta. Sara works as a housekeeper in the mansion occupied by her goddaughter Elena (Dina de Marco) and her husband Eduardo (Armando Calvo), a talented surgeon. When dark forces reveal to Sara that Elena will soon perish at Eduardo's hands, the pain of not being able to prevent the tragedy from talking place causes unimaginable torment. After the premonition comes to pass, Eduardo remarries and returns to the mansion with his new wife Deborah (Rosita Arenas. When Elena attempts to exact supernatural vengeance, Deborah is horribly disfigured in a fire. Little does Eduardo realize that his nightmare is only beginning. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

El Rencor de la Tierra was a box-office bonanza in Mexico, thanks in no small part to the presence of award-winning actor Carlos Moctezuma Lopez. The film concerns the plight of the humble tiller of soil in a region where the wealthy landowners call the shots. Lopez is cast as a farmer who tries his best to cope, but is overwhelmed by circumstances. Particularly effective is the supporting performance by Isabella Corona as Lopez' sexually frustrated sister. The film was produced by Rudolph Loewenthal, a past master at combining penetrating social commentary with "sock" entertainment values. Though denied a widespread American release, the film did reasonably well in Latino communities. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Passion Island (La Isla de Passion) represented the first directorial effort of legendary Mexican filmmaker-patriot Emilio Fernandez. Taking place over a period of several years, this is the story of Clipperton Island, more popularly known to Mexicans as Passion Island. Annexed in 1909, the island is put under the control of a small detachment of soldiers, who assume that their stay will be brief. But when the Mexican revolution breaks out on the Mainland, the troops are forced to spend two years on the island. Disease and dissent are rampant, leading to desertion and mutiny. David Silva stars as Julio, a loyal officer who tries vainly to stave off the mutineers for Love of Country, becoming a martyr in the process. Combining all the popular elements-action, romance, self-sacrifice, even music--Passion Island was an auspicious directorial debut for Emilio Fernandez, as well as one of the first Mexican films to gain critical acceptance in the US. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

La Noche de Los Mayas was adapted by director Chano Urueta from the novel by Antonio Mediz Bollo). Filmed on location amidst the jungles of Yucatan and the ancient Mayan ruins of Mexico, the film tells the story of a contemporary white man (Luis Aldas), who stumbles upon a tribe of people living exactly in the manner of their Mayan ancestors. Before the interloper's astonished eyes, a fascinating romantic drama plays itself out, as huntsman Uz (Arturo de Cordoba) falls in love with Lol (Estele Inda) with the mystical intervention of "apprentice witch" Zeb (Isabela Corona). The star-crossed lovers are held responsible for the drought that weighs heavy upon the land, but in the final analysis it is the hapless Zeb who is burned at the stake. Even so, a tragic denoument also awaits Uz and Lol, not unlike the "death before dishonor" finale of 1932's Bird of Paradise. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi