El barón del terror (1962)

In 1661 Mexico, the Baron Vitelius of Astara is sentenced to be burned alive by the Holy Inquisition of Mexico for witchcraft, necromancy, and other crimes. As he dies, the Baron swears ... See full summary »

Director:

Chano Urueta

Writers:

Federico Curiel (story), Adolfo López Portillo (story),

Stars:

Abel Salazar, Ariadna Welter, David Silva

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Abel Salazar	...	Baron Vitelius d'Estera
Ariadna Welter	...	Bar girl - Second victim (as Ariadne Welter)
David Silva	...	Detective inspector
Germán Robles	...	Indalecio Pantoja / Sebastián de Pantoja
Luis Aragón	...	Prof. Saturnino Millán
Mauricio Garcés	...	Forensic surgeon
Ofelia Guilmáin	...	Luis Meneses' wife
René Cardona	...	Baltasar de Meneses / Luis Meneses
Rubén Rojo	...	Reinaldo Miranda / Marcos Miranda
Carlos Nieto	...	Lic. Francisco Coria
Carlota Solares	...	Townswoman
Federico Curiel	...	Detective
Magda Donato	...	Townswoman
Magda Urvizu	...	María Pantoja (as Magda Urbizu)
Miguel Brillas	...	Inquisitor Contreras

Storyline

In 1661 Mexico, the Baron Vitelius of Astara is sentenced to be burned alive by the Holy Inquisition of Mexico for witchcraft, necromancy, and other crimes. As he dies, the Baron swears vengeance against the descendants of the Inquisitors. 300 years later, a comet that was passing overhead on the night of the Baron's execution returns to earth, bringing with it the Baron in the form of a horrible, brain-eating monster that terrorizes the Inquisitor's descendants.

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Plot Keywords:

monster | comet | inquisition | burned alive | flamethrower | 

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Taglines:

The most bizarre horror movie. Ever.

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Genres:

Horror | Sci-Fi | Thriller

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Details

Official Sites:

Official Site

Country:

Mexico

Language:

Spanish

Release Date:

1963 (USA)

Also Known As:

Baron of Terror

Company Credits

Production Co:

Cinematográfica ABSA

Technical Specs

Runtime:

77 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA High Fidelity)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Quotes

Baron Vitelius: It so happens liquor does me damage. I once had a very strange disease.

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Connections

Featured in Mexican Monsters on the March (1994)

User Reviews

Absolute Lysergic Surrealism

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"...