I’m going to proceed with my THE CROW research however there aren’t many precise THE CROW films to assessment, so right here’s just a little little bit of a facet mission.

EL MUERTO (because it’s referred to as on streaming, THE DEAD ONE on DVD) is a 2007 DTV film I all the time assumed was a THE CROW wannabe. It stars Wilmer Valderrama (SUMMER CATCH) as Juan Diego, a man who’s actually into Day of the Lifeless and on the best way to a Day of the Lifeless celebration (whereas sporting cranium make-up and a mariachi swimsuit adorned with little white bones) he crashes right into a tree and is possessed by Aztec gods. Then when he will get to the celebration he sees a shrine to himself and realizes oh shit, I died and a 12 months has handed and now I’ve come again with supernatural powers. Like THE CROW, besides completely different. Adn on his favourite vacation. What the fuck.

Like THE CROW it’s based mostly on an indie comedian e-book, and please notice that this isn’t the identical El Muerto that Dangerous Bunny was gonna play in a film directed by Jonas Cuaron. That El Muerto is a lucha libre character who’s a villain from Spider-Man, this one comes from El Muerto: The Aztec Zombie, by a man named Javier Hernandez, who I imagine has a cameo within the film sporting a skeleton costume. He first printed it as a xeroxed comedian in 1998, which I do know as a result of the Wikipedia entry is so detailed it has to have been written both by Hernandez himself or a fan who is aware of a lot about Hernandez it could make him uncomfortable. It lists many influences for his work and none of them are The Crow. And to be honest, the entire footage I’ve discovered from the comedian e-book are drawn in a cartoony model that provides a really completely different feeling from the scratchy, broody, self-serious Crow.

However the film… yeah, it looks as if they probly made the connection that these premises have been comparable.

Within the prologue, younger orphan Diego (Darien Dikeos) is amongst a bunch of migrants crossing the border when he will get assist from a wierd previous man who leads him to a shrine for the Aztec god of dying Mictlantecuhtli, carves an emblem into his hand, then convulses and dies. Awkward. It took me a minute to acknowledge the character “Outdated Indian” as Billy Drago (PALE RIDER, INVASION U.S.A., DELTA FORCE 2, MARTIAL LAW II, DEATH RING, LADY DRAGON 2, CYBORG 2, THE HILLS HAVE EYES remake) behind his poncho, lengthy white hair and (dubbed I believe?) Mexican accent. However yep, that’s him.

Ten years later grown up Diego is sitting outdoors pondering (if I perceive appropriately) having a brand new Day of the Lifeless themed tattoo that he doesn’t bear in mind getting. His wacky greatest buddy and rommate Zak (AVATAR’s Dr. Norm Spellman, himself, Joel David Moore) factors out that he’s all the time been “loco” about Dia de los Muertes, and this can be a kind of TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES sort issues that performs very completely different if you carry it from a comic book e-book not supposed to be taken significantly in any respect and put it right into a dwell motion function movie. The one character introduced is that he’s obsessive about this vacation all 12 months round. Why would that be? How would he have pals? Additionally, why is it even vital for the plot, can’t you simply clarify him sporting Day of the Lifeless make-up within the afterlife as a result of he was sporting it when he died? The entire thing is befuddling.

He’s head over heels in love with Maria (Angie Cepeda, ENCANTO), whose uncle (Tony Amendola, THE MASK OF ZORRO) is the Padre on the native Catholic mission and disapproves of Diego speaking about Aztec stuff. (Okay, I suppose he has one curiosity moreover Day of the Lifeless.) When he comes again from the lifeless Zak and Maria appear to spend alot of time collectively, nevertheless it doesn’t flip right into a love triangle factor. He reveals himself to Zak, who tries to assist him do no matter he’s alleged to do.

Diego does find yourself killing just a few folks, however principally wanders round in broad daylight being unhappy, or talks to folks at church buildings, questioning what’s happening. Folks don’t react that a lot to him sporting the make-up aside from a reasonably good joke the place a cashier says “I do know who you might be” and he worries she is aware of he’s a zombie however what she means is she thinks he’s dressed as Jack Skellington. Anyway he begins sporting a hoodie to disguise it. I want he would put on a baseball hat pulled down low and sun shades, like a star making an attempt to not be observed in public.

It appears Diego was marked by the Outdated Indian to grow to be a priest for the Aztec gods and do sacrifices to satisfy a prophecy or no matter. However perhaps he’s really the one who’s alleged to cease them from returning. All he is aware of is he desires to save lots of his girlfriend.

It’s bought fairly a supporting solid. The good Michael Parks (THE RETURN OF JOSEY WALES) performs the sheriff, and although it’s not a memorable character in any respect I do all the time like seeing him squinting and leaving his mouth open. That sounds condescending however I swear, one thing about the best way he retains his mouth open, he’s all the time fascinating. Tony Plana (HALF PAST DEAD 1 & 2) performs Aparicio, a caretaker who helps El Muerto; Maria Conchita Alonso (FEAR CITY, PREDATOR 2) performs a nun; and Alfonso Arau (THE WILD BUNCH, EL TOPO, director of LIKE WATER FOR CHOCOLATE) has his identify on the opening credit however he’s simply the evil voice of the CG character Tezcatlipoca.

I’ve nothing towards Valderrama however sadly he doesn’t appear to have sufficient magnetism to offer this low sodium saltine cracker of a personality taste. Additionally, sadly, his make-up simply doesn’t look cool. I’m certain the clearly low price range is an element, however this doesn’t have an oz. of the model or environment of THE CROW, or the amusing crappiness of its different cousin SPAWN, and I believe it could want one or the opposite to work. With out a wave of fashion to trip on it turns into an enormous drawback how one dimensional this all is even in comparison with THE CROW. One of many few instances it comes alive is when (once more, if I understood appropriately) this previous woman who’s been round, with a rag tied round her head as a result of she bought her eyes poked out seems to even be Billy Drago and possessed by an evil demon or what have you ever they usually have a climactic battle for the world or his soul or one thing. That was fairly humorous.

In any other case it’s simply fascinating on paper, as an American horror/comedian e-book sort film that’s based mostly in Latin American mythology and tradition. Even should you’re gonna be cynical about illustration being a promoting level, it wasn’t again then, so that is fairly forward of its time. However the topic deserves a extra thrilling film than this, I believe. (You may watch it on Tubi and choose for your self.)

EL MUERTO is written and directed by Brian Cox, however not the actor from MANHUNTER, I don’t suppose. This specific Brian Cox directed the films SCORPION SPRING starring Esai Morales, Ruben Blades, Alfred Molina and Matthew McConaughey, and KEEPIN’ IT REAL starring Kurupt and Tiny Lister. Wikipedia notes that KEEPIN’ IT REAL was “Nominated for Finest Screenplay on the DVD Unique Awards,” however I seemed it up and it misplaced to the used automotive comedy SUCKER$.

Wikipedia additionally refers to EL MUERTO as “award profitable,” so I seemed into that too. It seems it received Finest Characteristic Movie on the Whittier Movie Competition. Hernandez is from Whittier, California so the movie is ready there. So far as I can inform that was the primary and final 12 months they held the pageant. Draw your personal conclusions.

Regardless of the accolades in Whittier, Cox didn’t direct once more. He did write just a few issues, like a dwell motion adaptation of the anime KITE that has Samuel L. Jackson in it however didn’t get a lot of a launch (David R. Ellis was gonna direct it however died in his lodge room shortly earlier than filming was going to begin).

One of the crucial completed folks concerned within the film is cinematographer Steve Yedlin. He had already accomplished Fortunate McKee’s MAY, which led to Tobe Hooper’s TOOLBOX MURDERS, and he’d even accomplished BRICK, which was adopted by doing all of Rian Johnson’s films, together with THE LAST JEDI. So I suppose if this gave him some apply it was price it.