René Cardona, Jr. Movies

Few television programs, Hispanic-language or otherwise, have managed to experience such an enduring level of success as Siempre En Domingo. A small-screen staple across three continents since 1969, this Latin American sensation has been compared to such popular English-language programs as The Ed Sullivan Show and The Tonight Show, and host Raul Velasco has been at the forefront of the program since the very beginning. In this release, fans can re-live some of their favorite moments from Siempre En Domingo as they view a nostalgic stream of highlights featuring such popular celebrities as Juan Gabriel, Jose Jose, Luis Miguel, and Yuri. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

Spanish hack Rene Cardona, Jr. (of Aztec Mummy fame) directed this gory rip-off of The Birds (not a parody as its goofy title suggests) which follows a reporter/photographer team (Michelle Johnson & Christopher Atkins) as they investigate frequent reports of lethal bird attacks on humans. They eventually conclude that the attacks -- which are increasing in size, frequency and severity -- are part of an orchestrated avian plot against mankind. They could have saved themselves a lot of trouble by screening Hitchcock's classic chiller beforehand, just as viewers expecting a spoof of that film can save themselves the grief of enduring this bloody exercise, which pulls no punches in its graphic depiction of flesh-rending bird attacks. Gore-hounds should approve, as the makeup effects are painfully convincing, but die-hard Cardona fans may be disappointed to learn that no lady wrestlers actually step in to swat at the winged tormentors. ~ Cavett Binion, Rovi

In this comedy that's heavy with one-liners, the work ethic takes a drubbing and family values are touted as the true source of happiness, even for crooks. "El Multiple" (Rafael Inclan) is a devoted father and husband who loads up on stolen goods, smuggles his family and the loot into the United States, and then strikes it rich by selling his merchandise for high prices. In contrast to "El Multiple," Don Proculo (Pedro Weber) works hard to get a better life for himself by pouring his energy into his antique shop. One day while he's away on vacation, someone breaks into his store and steals everything of value. Don Proculo is forced out of business and "El Multiple" comes back, looking for a place to start a small family restaurant. For the characters in this film, family means more than a business, or the goods which so readily (and illegally) change hands. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, Rovi

Greed was originally released as Treasure of the Amazon, the literal translation of its Spanish-language title. Ostensibly based on a true story, the film stars Stuart Whitman as Gringo, an aging but still virile soldier of fortune. Right now, Gringo is foraging deep into headhunter country in South America, in search of a cache of diamonds. Meanwhile, ex-Nazi Klaus (Donald Pleasance) is likewise searching for the gems, and unlike the essentially honorable Gringo, Klaus is willing to leave a few corpses in his path in pursuit of his goal. The international supporting cast includes Emilio Fernandez, Bradford Dillman, John Ireland, and Pedro Armendariz Jr. all of whom seem to have been recently graduated from the Take-The-Money-And-Run School of Dramatic Art. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

An action adventure about a group of fortune hunters who search for gold and jewels in the jungles of South America. ~ Rovi

"Names have been changed to protect the innocent" in this infamous fictionalization of the tragic mass suicide of 914 followers of Jim Jones' "People's Temple" in Guyana in the fall of 1978. Rev. James Johnson (Stuart Whitman) is a charismatic but deeply paranoid man of the cloth who moves his flock from Northern California to a settlement in Guyana, where he intends to create an interracial socialist utopia. Addicted to prescription drugs and convinced he is surrounded by enemies, Johnson rules his colony, "Johnsontown," with an iron fist, torturing anyone who violates his rule, seducing both women and men from his congregation, confiscating money and property from his followers, and forcing them to work long hours in the fields for meager rations. Lee O'Brien (Gene Barry), a California congressman who represents the district Johnson and his followers once called home, has received complaints from friends and relatives of the Johnsontown settlers, convinced something is wrong. O'Brien and a team of reporters fly to Guyana to find out the truth about what is happening; Johnson is convinced O'Brien has seen too much, and armed gunmen ambush his party before they can return to the United States (with a number of Johnsontown residents who wish to leave). After a failed attempt to arrange exile in the Soviet Union, Johnson convinced his followers to perform a "final revolutionary act" before authorities arrive. This oddball blend of fact and fiction also features Joseph Cotten and John Ireland as Johnson's lawyers, Yvonne de Carlo as Johnsontown's press officer, and Bradford Dillman as the doctor who mixes the punch for Johnson's final gathering. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

Essentially a gory knock-off of Jaws, this watery horror outing follows the exploits of two adventuresome shark hunters vying for the love of several bathing beauties. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi

The famous story of the rugby team whose plane crashes in the Andes is exploited in this lurid drama that focuses on the fact that the young men were forced to eat their dead companions to survive. For a much more engrossing, sensitive and suspenseful rendering of the true story, watch the 1992 version Alive. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi

Cult maestro René Cardona, Jr. (Night of a 1,000 Cats, Rock 'n' Roll Wrestling Women vs. the Aztec Mummy) enters Peckinpah territory with the 1974 blood-soaked western melodrama Guns & Guts, starring Jorge Rivero, Pedro Armendariz, Rogelio Guerra and Zulma Faiad. Guns concerns a hired gun (Rivero) determined to head out on his last mission and then retire with a prostitute. The job involves rubbing out a sheriff who conceals his whereabouts in an ancient monastery. Thus begins a wicked, prolonged cat-and-mouse game between the two men, leading up to an operatically violent finale. ~ Nathan Southern, Rovi

In the Mexican horror film The Night of the Thousand Cats, the villain of the story is a handsome, wealthy playboy (Hugo Stiglitz) who likes to make love to vast numbers of lovely women. For some reason, once he has had his way with them, he decapitates them, preserves their heads in alcohol, and feeds their bodies to his many cats. He travels out of his mansion in fabulous motorcars, motorcycles and helicopters in pursuit of feminine fulfillment. Eventually the cats choose their own victim. ~ Clarke Fountain, Rovi