INVASION OF THE DEAD (1973, original title Blue Demon y Zovek en la invasion de los muertos) is another sweat-drenched tale of Mexican wrestling and alien invaders. This time around the hero is actually a guy called Professor Zovek, apparently a real-life fighting expert, who gets involved when bodies start disappearing and zombies start congregating in the rural wilds after a meteorite strike. Sadly, Zovek was killed in a helicopter attack during filming, so old-time wrestling legend Blue Demon is called in to help him out! Given the behind-the-scenes troubles this hangs together quite well, not feeling too disjointed all things considered, but it's noticeably low budget and has too much small talk and not enough action, at least not until the zombie invasion climax. Blue Demon's overtly comic sidekick takes some getting used to, too, although German actress Christa Linder is an asset.
5 Reviews
Invasion of the Dead review
JoeytheBrit3 July 2020
Although director Rene Cardona claimed he was inspired by Siegel's Invasion of the Body Snatchers, the plot is stolen from Plan 9 from Outer Space, which is coincidentally close to where the quality of this Mexploitation resides. And yet this daft tale of aliens resurrecting the dead to aid them in their plans for world domination is strangely entertaining. The ill-fated escape artist Zovek, who died during filming, punches zombies with a belt around his forehead as he saves the lovely Christa Linder from their clutches, while the luchador Blue Demon (called in to provide extra footage after Zovek's demise) talks incessantly in his boiler room lair and finds his comic relief sidekick as annoying as we do. Clumsy, almost inept, but strangely endearing.
A strange low-budget (and lousy) Mexican "Plan 9 from Outer Space"
dan the notorious10 September 2004
Probably one of the worst films ever made. If you like to see an old Mexican wrestling star with a blue mask wrestle Mexican wolf men, sleeping walking zombies, zombies that look as they just has gone to sleep in the coffin (no makeup what so ever), zombies who drive cars and helicopters. The funniest of all is the script where aliens from space (we never see them) send down a meteor shaped ship so that the undead can walk the dead and create rampage. Unfortunately the zombies are never frightening and why the aliens decide to attack a little Mexican village with 7 desperate-to-work actors is beyond me! Only for lovers of bad cinema who will love it as long as they fast-forward the first 30 minutes.
Cheap but amusing Mexican version of "Night Of The Living Dead"
insomniac_rod7 July 2007
Entertaining movie with sci-fi tones but pretends to be Horror. Although some scenes are really cheap and naive, the movie has a good atmosphere in the likes of "Planet 9".
The fight sequences against the living dead are amusing and ahead of it's time so I can say that the production values are very good.
The score is also satisfying and so the locations (specially the watery cave).
In this movie, two archaeologists and the GREAT Blue Demon face the Living Dead after a giant (!) ball of fir hits earth. The rest is up for you to watch.
It's a good option if you are into Mexican sense of Sci-fi and some cheap fun. Grab some beers and chips and enjoy!
The fight sequences against the living dead are amusing and ahead of it's time so I can say that the production values are very good.
The score is also satisfying and so the locations (specially the watery cave).
In this movie, two archaeologists and the GREAT Blue Demon face the Living Dead after a giant (!) ball of fir hits earth. The rest is up for you to watch.
It's a good option if you are into Mexican sense of Sci-fi and some cheap fun. Grab some beers and chips and enjoy!
Excellent movie considering the time when was made.
montecristocount22 September 2005
It's 1972, This is the Mexican version of "The night of the living dead" Professor Zovek was a real national hero. He was an authentic athlete, able to swim, jump the boxer's rope and perform sit-ups without stopping for more than 8 hours. He became famous for his escapes (better than Houdini's) and his demonstrations of his physical and mental strength, like stopping 8 motorcycles from start running using his teeth, a biting device and some chains (everything documented on TV and WITH audience in the studio).
The Fuji Telecasting Company LTD from Japan sent some agents to Mexico to invite the Professor for a special program "The World Surprise Show" where super stunts, strong men and extraordinary talented people were presented every six months having the best of the best in this Show, when they heard about Zovek, they thought it was like the "Zovek brothers" where one was an escape artist, another probably making the records an maybe another being the professional hypnotist etc. but they were surprised when realize that the Professor was everything in one man, so they called him and gave him the title of "The first Incredible Showman in the world".
With this we can understand why the producers of this movie the "Rosas Priego" brothers offered Zovek a contract of 9 movies, because they knew that success was guaranteed, at least in the local market.
Yes, this is a low budget film and the special effects are nothing if you compare those to Terminator's or Matrix's, but this is early 70's. Look for example the movies of that time like 007's or Roller Ball and you won't find Silicon Graphics style at all. In the other hand take a look to "Wild Wild West" where you have a superstar, Will Smith; there is a big budget and that was made in 1999 and for real that's a poor, empty movie.
The makers of this movie had to re-write the script because Professor Zovek was killed in a helicopter accident in March 1972 so they invited to the wrestling star "Blue Demon" to finish the story, and of course the Professor never saw the movie.
The fighting scenes looks real because actually The Professor was a Martial Arts Teacher (he trained the Military Police of the Mexican Army and received some offers from some other countries in Eastern Europe) and he mastered western boxing, French fencing and oriental Martial Arts.
When the cable TV industry was spreading in Mexico in early 80's even the next generation of kids enjoyed and cheered Professor Zovek every time they were presenting "La invasion de los muertos" and Professor's first movie "El Increible Profesor Zovek". So I know this movie has the power to make a kid to fall in love with it.
The Fuji Telecasting Company LTD from Japan sent some agents to Mexico to invite the Professor for a special program "The World Surprise Show" where super stunts, strong men and extraordinary talented people were presented every six months having the best of the best in this Show, when they heard about Zovek, they thought it was like the "Zovek brothers" where one was an escape artist, another probably making the records an maybe another being the professional hypnotist etc. but they were surprised when realize that the Professor was everything in one man, so they called him and gave him the title of "The first Incredible Showman in the world".
With this we can understand why the producers of this movie the "Rosas Priego" brothers offered Zovek a contract of 9 movies, because they knew that success was guaranteed, at least in the local market.
Yes, this is a low budget film and the special effects are nothing if you compare those to Terminator's or Matrix's, but this is early 70's. Look for example the movies of that time like 007's or Roller Ball and you won't find Silicon Graphics style at all. In the other hand take a look to "Wild Wild West" where you have a superstar, Will Smith; there is a big budget and that was made in 1999 and for real that's a poor, empty movie.
The makers of this movie had to re-write the script because Professor Zovek was killed in a helicopter accident in March 1972 so they invited to the wrestling star "Blue Demon" to finish the story, and of course the Professor never saw the movie.
The fighting scenes looks real because actually The Professor was a Martial Arts Teacher (he trained the Military Police of the Mexican Army and received some offers from some other countries in Eastern Europe) and he mastered western boxing, French fencing and oriental Martial Arts.
When the cable TV industry was spreading in Mexico in early 80's even the next generation of kids enjoyed and cheered Professor Zovek every time they were presenting "La invasion de los muertos" and Professor's first movie "El Increible Profesor Zovek". So I know this movie has the power to make a kid to fall in love with it.
See also
Awards | FAQ | User Ratings | External Reviews | Metacritic Reviews
