Jorge Patino Movies
- 1987
The mere fact of a marijuana plantation in the Mexican state of Chihuahua might not be enough to upset many, and many factors contribute to escalating lawlessness of the gangsters who cultivate and sell the drug. The plantation in question was much too large for the Mexican authorities to ignore even if they wanted to, and in 1984 it was raided. What they discovered there was much more chilling than fields of the illegal herb and a bunch of gangsters: nearly five thousand poor persons worked there as slave laborers, after having been lured to the plantation with promises of high wages for picking apples. This is one of two docudramas which were made about the incident. The story concerns a man whose efforts to support his family through working illegally in the U.S. were thwarted by thieves who stole his mail. When he discovers this after being deported, he responds to the promise of high wages for apple-picking and winds up being a slave laborer. In addition to the dramatic reenactment of events, this docudrama also includes footage of the actual raid on the plantation and interviews with survivors, which the actors then comment on. ~ Clarke Fountain, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Mario Almada, Narciso Busquets, (more)
- 1987
The Mexican "Desarrollo de Investigacion para la Planeacion Familiar" or Diplaf, a state-funded family-planning agency, funded this cautionary drama, filmed in a somewhat avant-garde and experimental manner. In the story, a childless couple suffer endlessly, and their relationship deteriorates as they watch their friends and neighbors breeding prolifically. ~ Clarke Fountain, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Rafael Sanchez Navarro, Patricia Reyes Spindola, (more)
El Mofles (Rafael Inclan) is a poor mechanic who works at the Los Pits garage in this low-budget comedy. When he finds a bag full of money, Mofles is elated until the crooks who stole the loot come looking for him and the missing cash. Music groups Generacion 2000, Los Chicanos, and Grupo Centarario appear to help add to the thin plot. The comedy highlight is a birthday celebration that turns into a drunken fiesta. ~ Dan Pavlides, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Rafael Inclán, Maribel Fernandez, (more)
- 1987
In this drama, a doctor helps wounded rebels. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- 1987
Life is good for the good Dr. César Fuentes. He has plenty of money, a good marriage, a healthy young son and a nice house in addition to his interesting job. When a man who used to be his gardener teams up with a drug baron to kidnap his son, that's bad. They want a mere $20,000, which should be all right, except that what with one thing and another, the spoiled child is soon killed by the kidnappers. When the doctor sees his son's pathetic body, he plans his revenge. In this crime thriller, the unhappy doctor decides to kidnap the drug lord's son. In between massive mayhem and many car chases, we learn that the drug baron's son is much happier with his abductor than he ever was at home. ~ Clarke Fountain, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Fernando Almada, Mario Almada, (more)
- 1986
Suspenseful without emphasizing blood and gore, this crime drama stars Maribel Guardia as Eugenia (The Scorpion), a tough, single-minded detective who is determined to track down a deranged killer that is terrorizing the demimonde of Mexico City. The schizoid murderer is Don Eliseo Mendieta (Carlos Ancira), an antique dealer by day, and a brutal killer at night. His religion-inspired madness drives him to kill each of the people in a porn film in exactly the same way, including his wife. "The Scorpion" travels through the shady, crime-ridden neighborhoods of the city looking for leads that will help her capture the murderer. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Maribel Guardia, Carlos Ancira, (more)
This drama revolves around a star-crossed romance between two very unlikely people. Gabriela (Maribel Guardia, a former Miss Costa Rica) is a considerably beautiful young woman from a wealthy family who was educated in the United States and therefore speaks the language of high finance and everything that has "cachet." Ulises (Valentin Trujillo), whose mother washes clothes for a living, never completed his high school education. When Gabriela and Ulises meet and fall in love, her family is understandably less than enthusiastic about Ulises, so he is determined to change their opinion of him. He vows to become a successful boxer (known as "El Bronco") and therefore qualify as an appropriate husband for Gabriela. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Valentin Trujillo, Maribel Guardia, (more)
- 1986
This drama concerns a rich Mexican woman's outrage at the gap that separates the wealthy from the abjectly poor (there is not much in-between in most Third World countries). Yolanda (Blanca Guerra) has been raised in the lap of luxury, but she chafes at her easy life. She is also having serious trouble relating to either of her parents, since neither morals nor communication seem to be their strong points. Both have lovers on the side, and neither is capable of understanding their daughter's anguish. When Yolanda comes across a gang leader and eventually takes up with him, the separation between herself and her parents -- as well as the rest of society -- takes a giant leap into the world of the renegade rebel. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Blanca Guerra, Valentin Trujillo, (more)
- 1985
Alfredo Gurrola's 1985 Spanish-language thriller El Rojo's Escape (La Fuga del Rojo) concerns the title character (Mario Almada), a rogue mercenary approached by a group of fighters in desperate need of guns and ammunition. The men enlist El Rojo's services, and he undertakes a dangerous mission smuggling arms across the border - for a price. ~ Nathan Southern, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Mario Almada, Carmen del Valle, (more)
In a rather far-fetched action thriller about horse thieving, an otherwise upright rancher is blackmailed into stealing a pricey, champion racehorse that some gangsters want for their own stables. The two gang leaders, Bruno (Toño Infante) and Killer (Rubén Recio) connive to enlist a commando from the Korean War named Felipe (Mario Almada) to carry out the theft of the racehorse Excaliber, soon to run at the Tijuana track for the first time. They dispatch the evil Osaka to twist Felipe's arm, which he successfully does by kidnapping Felipe's son and then beating his ranchhand nearly to death, blowing off his leg for good measure. Thus coerced, Felipe looks up an old army buddy and with some of the money that Osaka left in payment for the deed, Felipe covers the cost of his friend's help. Next, another vet from the Korean War is recruited as a helicopter pilot and the three begin to rehearse the planned horse-napping. Their objective is to pick up the horse by helicopter in mid-race, and to ensure the success of that imaginative heist, Osaka kidnaps the jockey's wife to force his cooperation. When the big day comes, the horse caper is successful -- with a few glitches here and there -- yet Felipe is a long way from getting his son back safely and at the same time, escaping arrest. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Mario Almada, Rosenda Bernal, (more)
- 1977
In this Mexican drama about personal and public truth and corruption, a filmmaker has been hired by the government to make a documentary about the relations between the government and a tribal group. Persuaded by his many interviews with the indios that they have been badly treated, his filmed footage begins to reflect these insights. Government people see his raw footage periodically and are not amused. As a result, he is fired, and his footage is turned over to a new director. ~ Clarke Fountain, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Paul Ramirez, Aaron Hernan, (more)
