Week 8 (Aug 9 – 15) – Trash-Mex picks
Hey, Mario Almada was in over 300 movies, someone’s gotta help us find the good ones! Since 2010 Armando Hernandez has been one of the only people discussing Mexican genre pictures through his website trashmex dot com and the Trash-Mex podcast with co-host Joey Diaz. There’s ORO AUTÉNTICO on this list!
A group of young adults—who, despite being in their 30s, possess that peculiar, ageless energy of movie teenagers—head out to the woods for a getaway at Beautiful Lake. You know the drill: booze, pop music, late-night hangouts, maybe some sex and the creeping dread of El Hombre Del Hacha (The Hatchet Man).
The Hatchet Man, no relation to Victor Crowley, is a fascinating study in minimalist menace. He doesn’t have a convoluted backstory, he doesn’t deliver a monologue, he doesn’t have a mother who ruined his childhood, and he certainly isn’t interested in explaining his motives. He is simply a psychopathic force of nature who spends his time smoking, laughing quietly to himself and stalking his prey with a hatchet. He lives up to his name.
This movie didn’t get the memo that slashers need more than murders. They need, well, teen — or thirtysomething teen — sex hijinks. There’s a strip poker scene with no nudity. That’s bad direction. Aldo Monti, you also made Bloody Seduction and Santo in Anonymous Death Threat, both of which have great posters. You know what they say. No juzgues un libro por la tapa.
