The Curse of the Doll People (Munecos Infernales)
Mexico 1961
English dubbed
Director: Benito Alazraki
Cast: Elvira Quintana, Ramon Gay, Robert Rivera

Four scientists steal a sacred stone idol during an expedition to Haiti, only to bring a deadly curse back to Mexico. A vengeful voodoo high priest named Xandor unleashes an army of child-sized living dolls to murder the scientists and their families. Armed with long needle-like daggers, these blank-faced assassins stalk and kill. The only person capable of stopping the onslaught is Dr. Karina, a brilliant female doctor well-versed in alchemy and voodoo, who must fight against both the supernatural forces and the skepticism of her peers to break the curse.

This black-and-white feature stands out as a campy yet surprisingly effective staple of Mexican horror cinema. The bizarre creativity of its practical effects, using midget actors dressed in adult clothing and rigid masks to portray the miniature killers, is creepy. This unique approach creates an unsettling, dreamlike dread that transcends its low budget. Boosted by a remarkably proactive 1960s horror heroine and a wonderfully absurd voodoo lair, the movie is a prime slice of vintage B-movie fun.

The She-Wolf (La Loba)
Mexico 1965
Spanish with English subtitles
Director: Rafael Baledon
Cast: Kitty de Hoyos, Joaquin Cordero, Columba Dominguez

Clarisa (Kitty de Hoyos) is a wealthy young woman afflicted with a ancestral curse that transforms her into a ferocious werewolf under the full moon. Her desperate scientist father relies on extreme cryogenic experiments to suppress her bloodlust, while her fiancé harbors a dark lycanthropic secret of his own. Together, the monstrous lovers embark on a brutal killing spree across the Mexican countryside, tearing out the hearts of their victims. The reign of terror intensifies until a mysterious hunter arrives, armed with an ivory blade and a killer hound, determined to end the family bloodline once and for all.

A highly atmospheric, boundary-pushing gem of Mexican Gothic horror that thrives on pure B-movie energy. The film famously opens with a spectacular, dialogue-free ten-minute cemetery rampage that immediately establishes a gritty, surprisingly violent tone for its era. While the creature effects frequently cross into vintage camp, the film compensates with striking black-and-white cinematography and dreamlike dread atmosphere. Complete with a dark, uncompromising ending, it stands as an essential and wildly entertaining example of psychotronic cinema.

The double-bill is supported by programme of Spook-Show trailers.