Mexico isn’t the first place you’d think of when it comes to Christmas, but they like commercialism as much as any temperate zone country and, as films like The Batwoman show, they sure have a knack of low-budget high-energy fantasy. And when something is introduced to me as “Mexico’s answer to Santa Conquers The Martians” I just have to give it a go*.


The first section is a touching tribute to children around the world, which means it has the cultural sensitivity of the It’s a Small World ride after 4 cans of special brew. There are lots of kids in various concepts of traditional native dress doing generic Christmas themed things, all under the watchful eye on Santa on his pipe organ. Many moments will make you say “…of it’s era” through drawn teeth, with somehow the worst bit being England’s entry singing but not being seen. It’s hearts in the right place though, so it’s somehow warming.

Then we go to Hell and there are a bunch of devils doing interpretive dance around pillars of fire. It’s rather frightening, but nowhere near as upsetting as the nightmare machines that we discover Santa users to monitor the world or the constant reminder that being rich means you’re morally superior because your kids will get better presents. There is also the devil Pitch, let loose on earth and trying to get kids to do terrible things based on their social class. There is a story being told here, but possibly not the one the producers imagined…

By the time Merlin turns up, you’ll be well into the groove of random Christmas related things happening. There is a plot about Santa trying to do the whole presents thing, but it’s mostly all an excuse for vignettes on morality and playful fantasy moments. Whilst the mood swings between day dream and attack of the sleep paralysis demons, it’s got enough overall positivity and inventiveness to keep you entertained. If they put the horror in to keep the kids or the parents engaged is up for debate.

For all its fractured storylines, hamfisted attempts at addressing extreme financial inequality in a world with an actual Santa, and occasional Cronenberg body horror, the acting, writing, and direction holds it together enough that it’s surprisingly watchable. At the very least, it’s never dull enough to lose your attention and the bizarre optimism that runs though it keeps the festive cheer throughout.

This is a Treasure to be experienced as an optimistic ode to a bygone era, sincere in it’s hopes to entertain and enthral. The overt horror aspects are more absent minded than malicious, so you can chuckle along with them and being somewhat jealous that that much experimentation could be put into a kids film. Good wins the day, thanks to the power of Santa, and that is enough to keep you warm on the chilly 23°C nights.

The Raggedyman
*Interestingly Vs The Devil came out 5 years before Conquers The Martians, but the English translation didn’t pick up until after the late 60s/early 70s, so the release sequence is revered in the mindscape of American B-Movie lore. Then again, there is a whole wave of people that found out about it via Mystery Science Theatre 3000; so, for them, both are adrift in the goop of the contemporary pop culture’s curated concept of the 60s.