Rating summary

Movie		2.5
Video		4.0
Audio		4.0
Extras		3.5
Overall		3.0

Santo vs. The Evil Brain Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov February 28, 2023

Joselito Rodríguez's "Santo vs. The Evil Brain" (1961) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Indicator/Powerhouse Films. The supplemental features on the release include new program about the locations in Havana where the film was shot; archival program with actor Joaquin Cordero; new program with the Masked Critic; and more. In Spanish, with optional English subtitles for the main feature. Region-Free.

Now that I have seen the second film in the Enter Santo: The First Adventures of the Silver-Masked Man box set, which is Santo vs. The Evil Brain, I can confirm that my initial suspicions about the work Joselito Rodriguez and his crew did in Havana were correct. Santo vs. The Evil Brain and Santo vs. Infernal Men are compromised, incomplete versions of the films they were supposed to be. The two even share large chunks of identical material that was shot in Havana, which is a bit odd but not surprising. Why? Because after Rodriguez and his crew returned to Mexico, the producers of the films obviously did the best they could with the material they had to recoup their investment. Jesús Echeverria is credited as the editor of Santo vs. The Evil Brain, but I think that there were more people that worked on it and Santo vs. Infernal Men while the two were being finalized.

Santo vs. The Evil Brain is unquestionably the better film. It tells a more coherent story, uses superior footage from Havana, and looks better edited. If I had to guess, I would say that much of the footage it shares with Santo vs. Infernal Men was intended for it. This footage connects with unique new footage that looks logical, while in Santo vs. Infernal Men similar transitions lead to new footage that is quite random. More importantly, in Santo vs. The Evil Brain the masked hero has a far more convincing presence.

In Havana, the delusional Dr. Campos (Joaquin Cordero) and his associates kidnap Santo (El Santo) and inject him with a special serum that transforms him into a docile puppet. Shortly after, Dr. Campos begins using Santo as a wrecking ball during dangerous operations that are helping him make his ultimate dream come true – total world dominance. However, Dr. Campos also falls madly in love with his assistant, Elisa (Norma Suarez), and while plotting to take over the world decides to steal her from her fiancé. Dr. Campos’ new plan begins to fall apart when another masked hero appears, neutralizes the serum that has screwed up Santo’s brain, and the police launch a large-scale operation to detain him.

I mentioned earlier that Santo has a far more convincing presence in this film, but he is not yet addressed as Santo. Indeed, Dr. Campos, his associates, and the police refer to him as El Enmascarado. (The second masked hero is addressed as El Incógnito). So, it appears that at least initially the name Santo was not considered to be attractive enough. Of course, all these years later, this detail seems largely irrelevant because Santo is instantly recognizable and his antics do not look compromised at all.

The atmosphere is better controlled, but Rodriguez struggles to create proper excitement with it. After Dr. Campos’ intentions are revealed, Rodriguez simply goes through a few cliched situations that produce one-dimensional action that quickly reveals his inexperience as a director. A few years later, Jess Franco and the legendary producer Harry Alan Towers teamed up for Attack of the Robots, a similarly exotic film about another evil maniac, and in it the same type of atmosphere produces some very special thrills.

Ultimately, Santo vs. The Evil Brain should appeal primarily to hardcore Santo fans and completists as well. It has an undeniable historical value, but it is impossible to place it among the better films about the iconic Mexican cinematic hero.

Santo vs. The Evil Brain has been recently restored in 4K from the original camera negative.

Santo vs. The Evil Brain Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Presented in an aspect ratio of 1.67:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, Santo vs. The Evil Brain arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Indicator/Powerhouse Films.

Like Santo vs. Infernal Men, Santo vs. The Evil Brain has been fully restored in 4K from the original camera negative. The film looks good and healthy. However, there are some small yet noticeable misalignment issues that affect some scenes. I do not think that they will impact your viewing experience, but I have to mention them. Again, different areas reveal density fluctuations, but they are inherited. In fact, some are the exact same fluctuations you will see on Santo vs. Infernal Men because the two films share the same material. In a couple of other areas, grain appears a tad more coarse, but I still think the visuals have a very solid organic appearance. The grayscale is convincing. A few blemishes and tiny scratches can be spotted, but the surface of the visuals looks very attractive. (Note: This is a Region-Free Blu-ray release. Therefore, you will be able to play it on your player regardless of your geographical location).

Santo vs. The Evil Brain Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

There is only one standard audio track on this Blu-ray release: Spanish LPCM 1.0. Optional English subtitles are provided for the main feature.

Most of the audio sounds a bit compressed. The dialog is still very easy to follow, but it is very easy to tell that time has left its mark. I doubt that any extensive restoration could have produced better results. In fact, I am quite certain that this may the optimal audio quality for this film because the original soundtrack was shaky to begin with. Dynamic intensity is very modest.

Santo vs. The Evil Brain Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Joaquin Cordero: A League of Gentlemen - in this archival program, Joaquin Cordero recalls his involvement with the two early Santo films that are included in this box set. There are some interesting comments about his relationship with producer Jorge García Besne as well. The program was produced in 2009. In Spanish, with English subtitles. (12 min).

• The Killer Film: Mascara vs. mascara - in this new program, the Masked Critic discusses the foundations of Lucha Libre and the Cinema of Luchadores as well as the cultural significance of El Santo. In Spanish, with English subtitles. (33 min).

• Looking for El Santo - in this recent program, Viviana García Besné visits some of the locations in Havana where the first two Santo films were shot. Besne's granddaughter, Jorge García-Besne, produced both. In Spanish, with English subtitles. (31 min).

• Book - limited edition exclusive 80-page book with a new essay by Luciano Castillo, an archival newspaper article on Mexican wrestling, Christian Cymet on the history of the mask in Mexican wrestling, extracts from Carlos Monsiváis' The Rituals of Chaos and Jimmy Pantera's Los tigres del ring, an archival interview with Griselda Cruz, daughter of comic-book writer José G Cruz, Michael Donnelly on Perdida, an archival interview with Viviana García Besné and Alistair Tremps, and film credits.

• Poster - limited edition exclusive poster.

Santo vs. The Evil Brain Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Santo vs. The Evil Brain is unquestionably an all-around better film than Santo vs. Infernal Men. It tells a more coherent story, uses superior footage from Havana, and looks better edited. However, it is pretty obvious to me that both films are not what they were supposed to be -- they are variations of the original films that Joselito Rodriguez and his crew attempted to shoot in Havana. The better material ended up with Santo vs. The Evil Brain, which is why this film is easier to like, but it is its historical value viewers will appreciate the most. The release we have reviewed is included in Indicator/Powerhouse Films' Enter Santo: The First Adventures of the Silver-Masked Man two-disc set, which is Region-Free and available for purchase in the United Kingdom as well. (See our British listing here). RECOMMENDED to diehard Santo fans only.