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The Man and the Monster (aka: El Hombre y el Monstruo) — dvd movie review

by Chris ⋅ May 4, 2007 ⋅ Comment now ⋅ Subscribe RSS

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dreamlogic.net's DVD REVIEW . The Man and the Monster (aka: El Hombre y el Monstruo) The Man and the Monster, the second film in my initiation into the wild and wonderful world of Mexican horror is also my first encounter with Mexican Gothic. Honestly, I had no idea such films were made south of the border. Sure, I’d heard tales of the wonders of Coffin Joe and The Bloody Vampire, but somehow I never bothered to hazard a look. I wouldn’t say it was an aversion, but I do think the dubious quality of the various “Cinema Latino” cheapies lining the shelves at Fry’s did play a small part. Well, I think I might be getting hooked.

In a fit of jealous ineptitude, Samuel, a young maestro makes a Faustian bargain (for you uncultured masses, imagine Let’s Make a Deal, but hosted by Satan) in order to become the greatest piano player in the world. As always is the case, the devil grants the request, but with a twist. For, while from that moment on the maestro is indeed the best piano player in the world, every time he starts playing his favorite (and most technically impressive) song he transforms into a raging beast. Given that an audience wouldn’t respond well to a violent, hairy, clawed beast with a massive proboscis, no matter how well it played, Samuel’s dreams of public super-stardom are pushed even farther beyond his reach. And there’s also that little issue of Samuel’s former competition, ever so slowly rotting away in the corner of his house.

The Man and the Monster is a textbook slow building terror, working its way ever so carefully from scary audio cues, periphery character reactions, and fleeting glimpses to the actual transformations and monstrous mayhem. I’ll admit, at times it seemed exceedingly slow. What with an extremely hectic week, my late night viewing sessions gave me little patience for Samuel’s musician boarder, or his eerily oppressive mother. However the payoff was undeniably exciting. When Samuel transforms, in wonderful time-lapse fashion, he becomes not only a furry monster, but an egregious luchador, monkey pressing and (flying) clotheslining his victims like so many stale piñatas. It’s really quite amazing. Furthermore, following certain effects scenes I was left puzzling over exactly how they pulled it off.

While I mentioned the use of light and shadow in The Living Coffin, The Man and the Monster goes whole hog, its gloriously moody, high contrast compositions a striking Caravaggio to Coffin’s art school exhibition piece. As mentioned in my first paragraph, I had no idea such artistry could be found in Mexican horror, but then again, such artistry is little seen today in American films.

The Man and the Monster may never be my first pick when it comes to Mexican horror, but it is visually striking to the degree that demands further study. Again, my opinion on the film’s flow may certainly be influenced by the sheer number of outside commitments faced this week. However, it certainly wasn’t an experience that would prevent me coming back for a second viewing. If anything, The Man and the Monster has made me even more interested in these classic films than I was before. That, my friends, is something to get excited about.

The DVD
Like The Living Coffin, Casa Negra presents The Man and the Monster in an uncut, meticulously restored DVD transfer maintaining the film’s original 1.33:1 aspect ratio. While the younger of you readers may not think it takes much to make a black and white film look good, the work here is impressive. The transfer is clean to the degree you would expect of Criterion or its old HVE subsidiary; no muddy grays in sight.

The disc features bilingual menus (a Casa Negra standard, and carryover from select Panik House releases (see: Sex is Zero and Tokyo Psycho)), which is a very nice consideration given the film’s original target audience. The film can be viewed in either the original Spanish or classic English dub, which surprisingly was completely listenable (maybe with the near-extinction of the radio show Americans no longer care to excel at voice acting?).

Included as extras on the disc are the usual Casa Negra/Panik House bios for the film’s stars, an old radio spot for a double bill of The Man and the Monster and The Bloody Vampire, a photo gallery featuring posters and stills from the film, and an animated slideshow featuring many posters from classic Mexican horror cinema.

All in all, the disc is light on the special features, but its film has received a very loving restoration. And, with an SRP of just under $20, it’s guaranteed to be found for some very affordable prices. If you love classic cinema, and are looking to combat the endless sea of horror remakes, you might just want to pick it up.

About the Author

dreamlogic.net -- CHRIS NELSON

Chris Nelson has been a film fanatic since age six. A former film and English major, he is now a Software Engineer and contract Technical Writer living in the Silicon Valley.