Claudio Brook Movies

Although this Mexican romp stars popular, flamboyant singer Gloria Trevi, it was a box-office flop because audiences were put off by the vulgar situations within the story. Playing a dual role, Trevi plays an innocent but rebellious school girl, Gloria, and a notorious drug runner "Las Grenas." The latter is in deep trouble with some gringo gangsters after she cheats them out of $2 million. When she learns that Gloria is her doppelganger, she convinces the girl to pretend to be her corpse in a funeral. Among the more objectionable scenes is one in which Gloria, is punished by her principal and forced to clean out the latrines and handle human waste, something the girl does with relish and glee. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide

The son of one of Columbus' soldiers, Bartolomé de las Casas was educated at the University of Salamanca, taking a law degree there. In 1502 he joined conquistador Gonzalo Fernández de Oviedo in what was then the largest military expedition ever to set sail from Spain. In 1510, he became the first man consecrated to the priesthood in the New World. He was 36 at the time. The next year he went along with the men who set out to occupy Cuba. There, he witnessed the brutal treatment and enslavement of that island's native people, including the execution of one of their great chiefs, a man whose life he tried to save. At the time of the early Spanish conquests, it was customary for the conquerors to take any natives they captured who survived the ordeal and give them as slaves to reward the conquerors, along with grants of land. The brutality of this practice, along with many similar ones, moved de las Casas to journey back to Spain to try and win support from the monarchy for more humane treatment of the indigenous people coming under the yoke of Spanish rule. Though he largely succeeded in his appeals to the monarch, eventually winning approval of an edict mandating better treatment, it was widely ignored by the military rulers of the New World colonies. Despite this, he devoted much of the rest of his life to improving conditions for "indios," or native people in the new Spanish colonies in the Caribbean and in Central America. This biographical drama is based on a play which celebrated the life of this pioneer, whose name is used today as a banner for indigenous peoples' rights movements throughout the Spanish-speaking world. Fr. de las Casas wrote several important works during these early days of the conquest, in particular his "Hístory of the Indies." ~ Clarke Fountain, All Movie Guide

Kevin Costner plays an ex-pilot who visits the posh Mexican estate of an old associate (Anthony Quinn) "Tibey" Mendes, for a bit of R & R. Tibey has turned into a very powerful Godfather type who rules his world and those who touch it. Costner can't help but notice his old friend's incredibly beautiful young wife (Madeleine Stowe) and before long they're involved in some sizzling hoochie-coo at the risk of being discovered by Mendes. Mendes eventually catches on and exacts a painful and cruel punishment on the reclusive lovers caught in their lustful liaison. Costner vows a pay-back and the last part of the movie involves his attempt to achieve it. ~ All Movie Guide

Timothy Dalton is better in Licence to Kill than in his first James Bond endeavor (The Living Daylights), but he still seems uncomfortable on the right side of the law. This time around, Bond is working on his own rather than on behalf of the British Secret Service. His American friend Felix Leiter (David Hedison), an agent of the Drug Enforcement Administration, has been seriously injured by drug dealer Robert Davi, and 007 is out for blood. There is precious little time for the usual Bondian quippery and directorial campiness, resulting in a marked increase in bloodletting (including the "implosion" of secondary villain Anthony Zerbe). A climactic highway chase involving an oil tanker and a helicopter is stretched slightly beyond its value, but is still one of the best action setpieces in any Bond film. Licence to Kill was a refreshingly serious change of pace for the series, albeit one that tended to lessen Bond's box-office value. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

In this cautionary tale, based on a novel by Luis Spota, the travails of four "wetbacks" are told. These men have left their homes throughout Mexico in order to sell their labor north of the Border in the U.S. Along the way, one dies while crossing the Rio Grande, another is deported, a third is killed, and the remaining one suffers horribly while working in the U.S. Indeed, such illegal Mexican immigrants are routinely abused and roughed-up, in addition to being poorly paid for back-breaking labor. However, in this movie at least, the lead characters are not particularly admirable people, as they are prepared to rob the only person who shows them kindness. This is clearly a movie with one simple, overriding theme for its intended viewers: no matter what, stay at home in Mexico. ~ Clarke Fountain, All Movie Guide

Frida Kahlo was more than a mere Mexican artist. Crippled, Kahlo used her art to speak for other physically afflicted souls. She also was a controversial political figure, commiserating with the likes of Leon Trotsky and Diego Rivera. Directed by Paul Leduc and photographed by cinematographer Angel Goded, Frida features the artist portrayed by Ofelia Medina. In 2002, Kahlo's story would again be told in another film called Frida, with Salma Hayek in the lead role. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Though made in Britain and Europe, Eagle's Wing qualifies as a Western. Easterner Pike (Martin Sheen) does a lot of growing up in a hurry when he becomes a trapper out-West. By mid-film, Pike is accomplished enough to compete with Comanche chief White Bull (Sam Waterston, there's a masterpiece of nontypecasting!) over possession of a white, wild stallion. The film contains subliminal pro-ecological and pro-tolerance messages, courtesy of its politically-minded stars and the screenplay by future Gandhi scrivener John Briley. Supporting Sheen and Waterston are such never-fail performers as Harvey Keitel and Stephane Audran. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

This hilariously awful killer-bee epic from director Alfredo Zacharias features surprisingly good special effects and horrible acting. Cult favorites John Saxon and Angel Tompkins star as scientists trying to deal with a U.S. invasion by trillions of sentient bees. The bees want humans to stop polluting the environment and they enlist Saxon to deliver their ultimatum to the United Nations. As Uncle Ziggy, John Carradine, before being shot by hitmen, delivers his dialogue as if speaking through dry heaves in a bad German accent. There are some exciting scenes of mass destruction as swarms of bees attack large crowds (including the Rose Bowl Parade, where President Ford is seen briefly) and then Saxon comes up with a plan. His proposal suggests the use of a chemical which turns the bees homosexual ("That reminds me of a certain neighborhood I know in L.A.," says one delegate). Eventually, Saxon goes to the U.N. to deliver the bees' message, only to meet with scorn. Naturally, billions of bees then burst into the room to plead their case. There are some well-done plane crashes, the bee scenes are realistic and incredibly numerous (a scene where they carpet Saxon's bedroom is astounding), and the storming of the U.N. is a classic. But all of this is compromised by annoying geometric wipes between scenes and some of the worst writing and acting to ever survive the cutting-room floor. Oddly enough, the same year's big-budget The Swarm would not improve on any of these areas, and is not as funny as this film either. ~ Robert Firsching, All Movie Guide

Arturo Ripstein directs Foxtrot, a drama filmed in Mexico that borrows much material from The Rules of the Game. Wealthy European aristocrat Liviu (Peter O'Toole) and his wife, Julia (Charlotte Rampling) escape the harsh reality of WWII by vacationing on a tropical island. Due to unforeseen circumstances involving their ship, they end up stranded on the island along with their servants, Eusebio (Jorge Luke) and Larsen (Max Von Sydow). They run around lawlessly and slowly run out of food. Soon the servants revolt and the wealthy couple discover that they can't escape the war. Foxtrot was released with additional footage under the title The Other Side of Paradise. Features the title song written by Jay Livingston and Ray Evans. ~ Andrea LeVasseur, All Movie Guide

The Mexican convent of St. Archangelo has a "bad rep" long before Sisters of Satan gets under way. The eponymous sisters don't seem to have a very firm grasp on the concept of giving one's life to one's Lord. When they finally determine that neither God nor the Virgin Mary can satisfy their spiritual needs, the nuns cast about for someone else to worship. That someone, as indicated by the title, is decked out with horns, a tail and cloven hooves. And just how did the lovely and graceful British leading lady Anne Heywood get herself mixed up in this monster rally? (Note how she never lists Sisters of Satan on her resume). ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

In this disturbing drama, a father, seeking to protect his family from the evils of the outside world, locks them away in his ancestral home for eighteen years. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide