VACACIONES DE TERROR (1989)
aka VACATION OF TERROR
(part of HORROR FROM SOUTH OF THE
BORDER VOLUME 1)
Directed by René Cardona
III
BCI/Deimos DVD
THE FILM
When a couple of eggs explode, a
wall bleeds, and dueling Ziggy sweatshirts
emerge, who you gonna call?
Yep. Nacho.
Nice folks: I like 'em. After all,
they're the reason why Vacaciones
De Terror goes down so smoothly.
For it is here that the unflappable
Nacho (Pedro Fernandez) from Trampa
Infernal and his charismatic
almost-family band together against
the forces of darkness. Darkness,
of course, being buck-fifty Mexican
interpretations of all the neat
stuff that happened in Ghostbusters
and Poltergeist. Typically,
unremarkable PG-level trashers do
as much for me as season two of
Diff'rent Strokes. Busto!
But Vacaciones rains pleasantness.
Everybody's happy, nobody dies,
and a jeep plows through a brick
wall. Now, if only they had a good
catch phrase...Nacho?
"I smell a ghost!"
When Nacho (his name is Julio, but
c'mon!) trades his "little
magic box" (a Walkman) for
a Satanic pendant, it's only a matter
of time before we wind up at his
girlfriend's uncle's haunted vacation
house and all hell breaks loose.
Blood trees! An obese Satan doll!
A muddy refrigerator! Possessed
R/C cars! The kids get scared, Mom
has a miscarriage (or something),
Uncle plays it cool, and Nacho kicks
some ghostly-ass. To reveal anything
further would be a travesty.
Vacaciones De Terror is
good, clean fun. Plain and simple.
Given director René Cardona
III's sleaze-filled lineage (Pops:
Beaks: The Movie, Grandpa:
Night Of The Bloody Apes),
that assessment is surprising, but
never frustrating. Aside from a
few surreal visuals, the 80 minute
film contentedly breezes by with
little distinction and lots of conviction.
Plus, they set it up for the best
sequel
ever made. You see? Nice folks.
Good vibes. Ghost smells.
Whatchoo tallkin' 'bout Nacho?
AUDIO AND VIDEO
Give me a fuzzy, scratchy, green-hued
print and I'll give you a smile.
By the way, the original Spanish
language soundtrack (with optional
English subtitles) is present and
accounted for.
EXTRAS
The brilliant, four-disc'd "Horror
From South Of The Border Volume
1" includes Vacaciones,
Vacation Of Terror 2,
Trampa Infernal, Cemetery
Of Terror, Grave
Robbers, The Demon
Rat, and Don't Panic.
It's almost too much. Yet, it's
never enough.
FINAL THOUGHTS
I like these people. The civilized
tone of Vacaciones De Terror
may be an initial turn-off, but
as it stands, there's nothing wrong
with this film. Relax, breathe it
in, and sniff up some ghosts...or
I will throw another catch phrase
at you.
— Joseph A. Ziemba, 02.22.08 |
They call me Nacho.
Ziggy, Inc.
Hullo 'dere!
Blark
|
