I cannot believe this thing is listed as a horror and then thriller as it has practically no horror whatsoever within its running time. There is witchcraft, but that does not make it a horror when the dead is not rising and there is songs aplenty! Yes, this thing should be listed as a musical first and I will give it the thriller genre, but only a bit. Suffice to say if you like hearing drums and see ceremonial dances this is the film for you! I hate that crap, one of the reasons I do not enjoy the zombie films featuring voodoo as the dances and chants that never really quite resemble song go on forever and the horror lasts seconds. Here we get no horror and the songs go on forever!
The story is a bit all over the place as it is simply filler for the next dance number it seems. Years ago the slaves of a Cuban plantation thought they killed a witch. Her granddaughter Yambao returns to kill the villagers on behalf of her grandmother who resides in a cave and is very much alive! The master of the plantation is more beloved than the Master in Manos Hands of Fate as they truly care about his well being which seems, um, odd. Yambao loves him and he is the reason her heart is not into killing and she soon makes him hers; however, when his wife gives birth to her son the spell is broken! Yambao's grandmother is killed breaking her hold over her granddaughter, at least I thought that is what happened, but she kind of throws herself over a cliff at the end...
The only reason I give this thing a two instead of a one is due to the fact the actress playing Yambao is rather pretty. She is more attractive than the guy's wife to me and we actually see a bit of nudity. I didn't think nudity existed in films in the 50's. There is also one song done at the river that is not too bad and actually has some rhythm as the Yambao and another sing back and forth. This girl is a mystery as she seems to play an important part in the film ,but I missed where they may have explained her.
So, if you want to her very loud and earsplitting songs and drums this is your film! Seriously, that last song I had to cover my ears it got so loud! Maybe that is what they are referring to when they classify this thing as a horror film, because every time this thing gets the slightest bit interesting, here comes a song to shatter what is beginning to resemble a story and more drums and dancing occurs!
The story is a bit all over the place as it is simply filler for the next dance number it seems. Years ago the slaves of a Cuban plantation thought they killed a witch. Her granddaughter Yambao returns to kill the villagers on behalf of her grandmother who resides in a cave and is very much alive! The master of the plantation is more beloved than the Master in Manos Hands of Fate as they truly care about his well being which seems, um, odd. Yambao loves him and he is the reason her heart is not into killing and she soon makes him hers; however, when his wife gives birth to her son the spell is broken! Yambao's grandmother is killed breaking her hold over her granddaughter, at least I thought that is what happened, but she kind of throws herself over a cliff at the end...
The only reason I give this thing a two instead of a one is due to the fact the actress playing Yambao is rather pretty. She is more attractive than the guy's wife to me and we actually see a bit of nudity. I didn't think nudity existed in films in the 50's. There is also one song done at the river that is not too bad and actually has some rhythm as the Yambao and another sing back and forth. This girl is a mystery as she seems to play an important part in the film ,but I missed where they may have explained her.
So, if you want to her very loud and earsplitting songs and drums this is your film! Seriously, that last song I had to cover my ears it got so loud! Maybe that is what they are referring to when they classify this thing as a horror film, because every time this thing gets the slightest bit interesting, here comes a song to shatter what is beginning to resemble a story and more drums and dancing occurs!