Francisco Sanchez Movies

This surreal variant on the classic vampire tale is the directorial debut of Mexican filmmaker Guillermo del Toro, who garnered international acclaim and several awards. The film tells the story of elderly antique dealer Jesus Gris (Federico Luppi, in a role originally written for Max Von Sydow) who, with his eight-year-old granddaughter Aurora (Tamara Shanath), discovers an ancient artifact secreted within a statue obtained from the estate of a 16th-century alchemist. Unbeknownst to Gris, the device -- which resembles an ornate, gilded mechanical beetle -- houses an immortal parasite which will grant eternal life to its host. Naturally, there is a terrible price for this gift, which Gris is doomed to discover after the object anchors itself to his body. He begins to develop an extreme aversion to daylight, as well as an agonizing thirst for human blood. To compound matters, dying millionaire Dieter de la Guardia (Claudio Brook) has learned of the device's existence -- thanks to an occult tome obtained from its inventor -- and wishes to obtain it for his own use. To this end he employs his vain, brutish nephew Angel (Ron Perlman) to retrieve it for him. Angel's techniques are less than subtle, and he inevitably winds up killing Gris in his futile search for the artifact... but death is not permanent for the host of the Cronos, and he rises from the mortuary slab to reunite with the long-suffering Aurora. Together they confront de la Guardia and his nephew one last time, hoping to find a way to reverse the horrible process before Gris suffers the same monstrous fate as the device's creator. ~ Cavett Binion, All Movie Guide

In the early 1990s, Durango was a heavily forested region of Mexico, remote from citified life, and dependent on logging for income. This drama focuses on lives in transition in a town in the middle of those forests, where for decades the local movie theater has been the source for information and images of life outside the region. Now that satellite dishes are becoming more available, the local cinema is due for a serious cutback in its business. Aurelio has just moved to the town and is already romantically involved with his landlady. A young husband and wife are anxious about their upcoming separation, as the husband intends to seek work in the U.S. ~ Clarke Fountain, All Movie Guide

A British writer goes to live in a Spanish village while he looks into the mysterious life of a 19th century wanderer who was allegedly slain by La Sabina, a mythical lady dragon. The writer becomes lovers with an American visitor and then falls in love with an enigmatic beauty from town. Things get really confusing when the writer's good friend arrives with his wife. When the writer's all-out campaign to seduce the local woman fails, tragedy ensues. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide

In this sci-fi horror film, the brain of a male engineer is transplanted into a female's body. He soon finds himself unable to cope with the daily sexist discrimination most women deal with. For example, he is surprised when no one will hire a female engineer. When he is faced with dealing with female sexuality, he quickly begins exhibiting lesbian tendencies. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide

This Spanish-produced vampire weirdness was initially released in the U.S. as Saga of Dracula, then retitled Dracula: The Bloodline Continues for its video release. Narciso Ibáñez Menta plays the aging Count, who fears that his spineless male offspring is ill-suited to vampirism and is, therefore, an unworthy heir to the House of Dracula. He turns his attention instead to his pregnant niece, with the intention of transforming the unborn child into a vampire, but his efforts cause the baby to be stillborn. This does not sit well with the niece, who sets out on a campaign of attrition against all vampires -- including just about everyone in her family. All is not lost, however, as the child is not entirely down for the count (no pun intended). This film features some of the flamboyant cheesiness and gothic flair that added a touch of charm to so many Spanish hack monster films of the '70s (e.g. the complete works of Paul Naschy), with some surreal dream sequences and plenty of sex and gore on display. ~ Cavett Binion, All Movie Guide