The Ship of Monsters.

Review #1679: The Ship of Monsters [La nave de los monstruos].

Cast: 

Eulalio González (Lauriano Treviño Gómez), Ana Bertha Lepe (Gamma), Lorena Velázquez (Beta), Consuelo Frank (Regente de Venus), Manuel Alvarado (Ruperto), Heberto Dávila, Jr. (Chuy Treviño Gómez), Mario García (Borracho), and José Pardavé (Atenógenes) Directed by Rogelio A. González.

Review: 

Admittedly, one can only see enough sci-fi horror films before they decide to inject a little bit of flavor into their time to spend watching the screen. So why not a Spanish-language sci-fi horror movie that has a singing cowboy? How about a movie that seems to practically revel in showing its production values (such as the strings or a cow skeleton with wires to spare) to a curious audience that will find plenty to see in terms of surprises? One shouldn't think of this as the work of an Ed Wood imitator however, since Rogelio A. Gonzalez was a career director that found countless work in seventy movies over the course of three decades. Sure, the movie may not make too much sense if one even thinks about it for two minutes, but there is something quite special in seeing this weird little movie come alive with frenzied energy that never looks like a dull affair. At the helm for its cast is two beauty pageant models-turned actresses and a comic known by the nickname of "Piporro" that was part of the Golden Age of Mexican cinema. In other words, there is a little bit of everything present to try and appeal to the audiences at heart, which is comprised of: feminine kidnappers from Venus in a bout of curiosity, stock footage for space shots, moments of singing to appeal to...singers of whimsy, robots that looks like they were made from the scrap heap to appeal to the kids, alien creatures that range from big brains to mere bones...so yeah. This was written by Alfredo Varela Jr based on a story by José María Fernández Unsáin. It has a mindset that could be thought of as a comic book laced with junk food, but I can say this much: I really dig it. There is something quite breathtaking about its mindset that makes for a steady balance of laughter that isn't completely just targeted at making fun of the proceedings. One never takes it seriously, but it keeps your interest without leaving one insulted. Pointing out the weird stuff is the fun, which is probably what one could say for a film like Plan 9 from Outer Space (1959), albeit without so much "it's so bad it's good" involved.

At any rate, talking about the acting won't take too much time, because really one could pretend they are doing improvisational comedy with kidnappers on a big box set and likely match the actors. Actually, they are kind of funny, mostly because Gonzalez does generate interest in the wisecracks that come from balancing tall tales and goofy heroics. The hint of a wink to the camera seems present, but it isn't something that chortles the need to groan either; a gallant man can go far if the audience doesn't try to fiddle with their devices. Lepe provides some grace to the proceedings, with at least some sort of chemistry to share with Gonzalez. Velazquez gets to play the other side of the fiddle in terms of a silly adversary, because one cannot truly appreciate the rabid beauty over jealousy and wrath (at least if you want to be technical along with dry) without realizing that she is actually playing a vampire. Yep, did I mention the vampire? One just has to stand there with a hint of wrath and let the big effects monsters help do one's work as a double team. Keep in mind, it is amusing enough that this only started because someone couldn't handle the standards of love between the planets. By the time Gonzalez and Velazquez reunite for a brief number that involves a definition of love that will surely work for that moment in time, you probably won't consider much of the adversary when she ends her time by falling into a spike. Nobody else really makes much of an impression, probably because the only notable scenes that involve anybody besides the main three are either with a robot, in a bar full of folks laughing at our hero, or involving a kid that does the bare minimum. The fun is what you see in the contents of amusement that leave you on your feet in terms of unpredictability and perhaps amazement. 81 minutes is just enough to deserve a welcome look for anybody in the mood for something quirky and serviceable (preferably with subtitles, but one wonders if it makes any difference in making sense anyway). It isn't exactly "so bad, it's good", but that is only because it feels too good to be bad.

Overall, I give it 7 out of 10 stars.