Reptileenbu
Did you people see the same film I saw?
Glucedee
It's hard to see any effort in the film. There's no comedy to speak of, no real drama and, worst of all.
Hadrina
The movie's neither hopeful in contrived ways, nor hopeless in different contrived ways. Somehow it manages to be wonderful
Edgar Soberon Torchia
Following «Santo vs. the Vampire Women», another cult oddity came to Mexican cinemas in November 1962, surpassing the tale of wrestlers and female vampires in weirdness and kitsch value. Director Chano Urueta had previously released the classic «El espejo de la bruja» and then came «El barón del terror», probably the title for which he is most remembered among the horror genre fans for its bizarre concept. The story has a similar beginning as Mario Bava's «La maschera del demonio», in which Baron Vitelius d'Estera is sentenced to be burned alive by the Inquisition, accused of being a warlock and seducer. He curses his judges and 300 years later he returns to take revenge, as a hideous monster who eats people's brains. He kills the inquisitors' descendants, has enough cerebrum delicatessen at home to eat, but for no discernible reason Baron Vitelius also viciously kills innocent persons, among them pretty Ariadne Welter. Produced with a very low budget by Abel Salazar, who also took the title role, the money must have been spent in the top cast. The curious thing about «El barón del terror» is that everybody agrees that it is a trashy movie but none can deny the strange fascination it exerts.
ferbs54
It turns out that all the word of mouth about the Mexican horror flick "The Brainiac" (1961) is absolutely correct: It IS one wild and loopy film experience! This picture tells the story of the necromancer Baron Vitelius Destera (played by the film's handsome producer, Abel Salazar), who is burned at the stake in 1661 by the Inquisition in Mexico City and swears vengeance on the descendants of his tormentors. Good to his word, the Baron falls to Earth in 1961 on a comet (the phoniest-looking comet ever shown on film, perhaps) to begin his homicidal agenda. Destera has the ability to transform himself into a giant-headed, pointy-nosed, fork-tongued monster, and his ability to hypnotize with a glance and bend others to his mental will makes his nefarious plans that much simpler. Oh...did I mention that the Baron uses his Gene Simmons-like tongue to suck his victims' brains out? Oh, man! Sounds pretty cool, right? Truth to tell, though, this film has been made on the cheap, with loads of ersatz-looking backdrops, lousy FX, and reams of unexplained happenings. Why, for example, does the Baron need to keep a stemmed dish of brains around for snacking purposes? How do the film's detectives ultimately crack the case of all these homicides? Why is fire able to harm the Baron in 1961 but not in 1661? Where DID that blasted comet disappear to? This movie has so many head-scratching moments, so many outrageous situations, so many admittedly cool murder scenes, such egregiously artificial backdrops and such strange humor (brain tacos, anyone?) that the net result is one of absolute lysergic surrealism. So yes, the movie is a hoot, and features a monster you won't soon forget. Unlike the Baron himself, the film is NOT a brain-drainer, but a genuinely exhilarating cult item. I, for one, was sufficiently impressed to check out director Chano Urueta's next effort, 1962's "The Witch's Mirror"...
john22900
May contain spoilers! First of all, beware of any cut prints of this film. I have noticed that in a lot of current releases of this film that the drowning scene is cut and for aficionados of truly bad and cheesy cinema, that is unfortunate. The logical loopholes in this story are so huge you could drive a Mack Truck through them. In other words, you really have to suspend your disbelief quite a bit in watching this movie. That said, however, for a Mexican horror film it is very entertaining and a lot of fun to watch. It's almost like watching a Mexican version of PLAN NINE FROM OUTER SPACE. As cheesy as the special effects were for this film and the fact that it was obviously made on a very low budget - think Roger Corman - it is probably one of the better Mexican horror films. I would like to see this film come out on DVD in the full uncut dubbed English version and as an extra on the DVD, the full length uncut Spanish version. I wish they would come out with the full uncut dubbed English version of EL VAMPIRO Y EL SEXO, another milestone in weird Mexican horror cinema.
javierw
A man is burn by some people and swears to kill all their descendants. No I'm not talking about "Nigthmare on Elm Street" but the 1962 Mexican movie "Brainiac". In 1661, Lord Vitelius, played by the very prolific Mexican actor, Abel Salazar, is condemn by the inquisitors to be burn at the stake, where he curses them and promise to come back in the future to kill all their descendants. Two hundred years later he comes back to fulfill his promise. This classic has all the elements of a fun campy horror movie. Lord Vitelius transforms himself in a very funny looking monster with a fork-tongue and sucks the brains of the people dry. He makes men freeze and women horny with "The look", he stares at them and the magic works itself. Two policemen are after his lead, and they have the most funny lines of the film, specially the assistant.Poor Lord Vitelius falls in love with one of the descendants, that for his bad luck is with the incarnation of the only man who help him back in 1661. Can he fulfill his promise? Will love beat this unbeatable monster? Will women be ever capable of not falling to "The Look"? You will have to watch this great classic movie to find the answers, it will probably not scare you, but you will laugh nonstop.
