This black and white film opens with a back-street kidnapping of an unsuspecting young man. His disappearance has the authorities befuddled. Then, there are more kidnappings.
Next, the action flips to a smooth-voiced, debonair tour guide/museum owner leading well-heeled society folks through his wax museum. He introduces the wax statues: Gary Cooper, Gandhi, Stalin, Pancho Villa – then into the dark basement for the monsters – Mr. Hyde, Frankenstein’s creature, Quasimodo, and a Tibetan man bitten by the abominable snowman.
Dr. Karol, the debonair guide, is a bit intense. A tad too into his work. And a tad too into the pretty journalist (Susan) documenting his museum, who also disappears, perhaps another kidnapping victim.
Now we cut to the ring: Santo is doing what he does best. An Asai moonsault. A package piledriver. Et cetera.
After the match, Santo agrees to help Dr. Karo Read more...
This black and white film opens with a back-street kidnapping of an unsuspecting young man. His disappearance has the authorities befuddled. Then, there are more kidnappings.
Next, the action flips to a smooth-voiced, debonair tour guide/museum owner leading well-heeled society folks through his wax museum. He introduces the wax statues: Gary Cooper, Gandhi, Stalin, Pancho Villa – then into the dark basement for the monsters – Mr. Hyde, Frankenstein’s creature, Quasimodo, and a Tibetan man bitten by the abominable snowman.
Dr. Karol, the debonair guide, is a bit intense. A tad too into his work. And a tad too into the pretty journalist (Susan) documenting his museum, who also disappears, perhaps another kidnapping victim.
Now we cut to the ring: Santo is doing what he does best. An Asai moonsault. A package piledriver. Et cetera.
After the match, Santo agrees to help Dr. Karol locate the kidnapper. But is Dr. Karol himself the kidnapper?! Santo will discern the truth – he’s as good a detective as he is a lucha libre wrestler.
Most Santo films are perfectly paced. Santo in the Wax Museum is no exception.
It seems that Dr. Karol was an Auschwitz prisoner who, post-war, was disfigured in a laboratory explosion. But Dr. Karol’s face is unscarred. He looks too good. So, suspicion spreads to Susan’s sister’s fiancé, Ricardo. But then Dr. Karol reveals his super-scarred chest! Who’s the kidnapper? Dr. Karol or Ricardo?
Before we can decide, Santo is called to the ring for another match. Watch out for the Busaiku-Knee-Kick! Here comes Santo’s Tree-of-Woe Double-Foot-Stomp. Ooof!
Some may chuckle at the low budgets, bizarre dubbing, and cheesy earnestness. But 21st century Hollywood could learn a lot from these tightly plotted tales. And from Santo’s glitter-capes.
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N/A
5.7
