Azteca/Mexican Lobby Cards
Mexican Lobby Card:
It Conquered the World (1956)
This Mexican lobby card for El Conquistador Del Espacio (It Conquered the World) shows a keen eye for focal structure in its layout. With the monster from Venus glaring out from center, the terrorized woman on left in close-up, and a movie scene with menace an arm's reach away, your eyes are drawn to the title and the creature (which looks much more terrifying here than in the movie) embracing the width of the lobby.
Mexican Lobby Card:
Un Viaje A Venus
First Spaceship on Venus (1960)
I often wonder why some Mexican lobby cards, instead of showing a scene from the movie, use a comic illustration instead. This one for First Spaceship on Venus is a futuristic dreamscape with mesmerizing alien colors and rocketships blazing across the void. I’m still on the fence deciding if the inset “scene” illustration detracts from the lobby’s overall effect. Perhaps stills from the movie weren’t available for inclusion on the card. Or perhaps using a comic book panel-styled scene was thought to be more dramatic. (Which wouldn’t say much for the movie, then, if that were the case.)
Mexican Lobby Card:
Monstruos De Piedra (1957)
A better than average B movie, Monstruos De Piedra (The Monolith Monsters) has a simple plot device: meteoric crystals that keep growing on contact with water provide a straightforward adventure with fairly well-integrated stock footage and bargain special effects (miniatures) that work well for the budget given. By this time Universal was looking to keep things as cheap as possible, but its later movies would suffer far worse at the hands of cost-cutting number crunchers. This movie would make a terrific remake. Just add suped up action, and killer special effects, and it would be a natural for a summer blockbuster.
Mexican Lobby Card: Nabonga! (1944)
If you've snooped around my blog long enough, you would have noticed I have a thing for jungle movies and giant apes (and big gorillas). Can't explain it. Just accept it. This Mexican lobby card for Nabonga! is awesome to behold. Click it to make Nabonga even bigger! I dare you. (Note: Seasoned jungle movie lovers will notice Buster Crabbe's name is mispelled as Grabbe.)
Mexican Lobby Card: Necrophagus (1971)
One of the worst movies ever made. (Read my review.) Great Mexican lobby card, though.