René Cardona, Jr. Movies
- 2001
- Add Siempre en Domingo: La Pelicula to Queue Add Siempre en Domingo: La Pelicula to top of Queue
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
- 1998
In this low-budget German documentary, filmmaker Monika Treut profiles Norwegian-born actress-sex therapist Eva Norvind. Born in 1944 as Eva Johanne Chegodayeva Sakonskaya, daughter of a Russian prince and a Finnish sculptress, she studied in New York and was penniless when she traveled to Mexico during the '60s. As Eva Norvind, she found roles in Mexican "B"-movies (Tonight No, Jan Pistoles, Blood Pact), dropped out of sight, had a daughter, and returned to NYC to study film at NYU. Her S&M experiments put her in a dominatrix mood, and she launched her own company in 1987, promoting her $300 sessions on TV ("out of the dungeon and into the classroom"), moving on to embrace academia and criminal psychology before adding explorations into religion and philosophy. Interview subjects (Eva, a psychiatrist, family, friends, film associates) are seen in a video-to-16mm transfer. Shown at the 1998 Berlin Film Festival. ~ Bhob Stewart, Rovi
- Starring:
- Jan Baracz, René Cardona, Jr., (more)
- 1988
In this routine adventure feature, Ramiro Caro (Rolando Fernandez) is an accused cocaine dealer who escapes from police after his capture. He is chased through cities and jungles by the lawmen who fall one by one at the hands of the wily Caro. ~ Dan Pavlides, Rovi
- Starring:
- Rolando Fernandez, Rosa Gloria Chagoyan, (more)
- 1987
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
- Starring:
- Christopher Atkins, Michelle Johnson, (more)
- 1986
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
- Starring:
- Rafael Inclán, Maribel Fernandez, (more)
- 1985
This routine music-filled drama is aimed directly at younger teen and pre-teen audiences willing to ignore flaws in directing and acting for the fun of seeing their idol, the 16-year-old Luis Miguel perform his songs. One of Luis's fans dreams of him night and day, and when the two finally meet on his concert tour, it is under trying circumstances. The fan has just witnessed a murder and runs away to escape capture or certain death at the hands of the killers. As she frantically searches for a way to elude the men chasing her, she encounters her hero Luis Miguel and he comes to her rescue -- what else? ~ Eleanor Mannikka, Rovi
- Starring:
- Luis Miguel, Lucerito, (more)
- 1985
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
"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
- Starring:
- Stuart Whitman, Gene Barry, (more)
This 1978 horror-lite opus was the work of René Cardona Jr., who was a creative force behind other tabloid-inspired efforts like Survive! and Guyana, Cult of the Damned. This less-exploitative entry in his filmography utilizes the infamous legends revolving around the many disappearances in the Bermuda Triangle as the backdrop for a fictional horror tale. The Bermuda Triangle tells the tale of a family scuba expedition, led by patriarch Edward (John Huston). Things take a turn for the bizarre when Edward's daughter finds a mysterious doll. The little girl claims the doll is telling her of their impending doom as strange things begin to happen to the cast and crew. The resulting film was more restrained than the likes of Survive!, going for more a Twilight Zone-style creepiness. Like much of Cardona Jr.'s work, it boasted an international cast that included Huston, Italian starlet Gloria Guida, Claudine Auger, and Cardona Jr. regular Hugo Stiglitz. The Bermuda Triangle found little favor with the critics but has earned a small cult following amongst people who have encountered it on late-night television. ~ Donald Guarisco, Rovi
- Starring:
- John Huston, Gloria Guida, (more)
In this children's action/adventure movie, a team of Royal Geographical Society scientists, led by professor Fergusson (Hugo Stiglitz) take a balloon trip across Africa in 1862. Along the way, they have adventures with natives, rescue a stranded Englishwoman, and discover a gold mine. ~ Clarke Fountain, Rovi
- Starring:
- Hugo Stiglitz, Jeff Cooper, (more)
Here's the classic Daniel Defoe tale as told by a narrating tiger that witnesses castaway Robinson Crusoe's struggles to survive the man-eating cannibals on the tropical island. ~ Rovi
- Starring:
- Hugo Stiglitz
Cult favorite René Cardona, Jr. (Night of a 1,000 Cats) helms the 1973 Spanish-language western La Mula de Cullen Baker. Proving the old adage that he who laughs last laughs hardest, the film weaves the fable of Cullen Baker, a social pariah relentlessly derided and browbeaten by everyone. Cullen's life turns a corner, however, when he discovers a "super weapon": a Colt Dragon revolver that can shoot six consecutive rounds. Sensing the opportunity for self-empowerment, he accosts two armed soldiers in the shadow of night, seizes their weapons and then slays the rest of the men's troop. As Baker acquires an increasingly large arsenal, he begins to murder anyone who dares to confront him. ~ Nathan Southern, Rovi
Departamento de Soltero concerns a womanizer who decides to take a wife. Unable to completely stop his wonton ways, the man takes a lover after the wedding. When the wife discovers the tryst, she makes contact with the lover. The two meet and decide on an elaborate plan to give the husband his proper comeuppance. ~ Perry Seibert, Rovi
The black comedy Esperame en Siberia Vida Mia concerns a wealthy man who is manipulated into taking a bride, the daughter of a nefarious doctor. The doctor attempts to get his hands on the fortune by convincing the wealthy man he should end his own life rather than face a terminal disease. Soon the doctor must hire help to finish off the man who they are having a very difficult time finishing off. ~ Perry Seibert, Rovi
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