Brainiac, The (1962)

In Mexico in 1661, Baron Vitelius d’Estera (Abel Salazar) is sentenced to be burned alive by the Holy Inquisition of New Spain for witchcraft, necromancy, and seduction “of married women and maidens”.

He is unsuccessfully defended by the noble Marcos Miranda (Ruben Rojo), and as he dies, the Baron calls out each of his Inquisitors by name – Baltasar de Meneses (René Cardona), Álvaro Contreras (Marco Antonio Arzate), Sebastián de Pantoja (Germán Robles) and Herlindo del Vivar – and curses them, swearing vengeance against their descendants.

300 years later – in 1961 – the astronomer Professor Saturnino Millán (Luis Aragon) observes the passage of a comet with his astronomer assistants Ronald (“Ronnie”) Miranda (Ruben Rojo again) and Victoria (“Vicki”) Contreras (Rosa María Gallardo) in the sky of Mexico – the same comet which had been passing overhead on the night of the Baron’s execution.

The comet lands as a large meteorite in a field and when a passing motorist investigates, a strange creature emerges.

It attacks the man with a long forked tongue and kills him. Vitelius d’Estera has returned to earth – now with the ability to transform himself into a hideous pointy-nosed fork-tongued creature

Taking the man’s clothes, the baron encounters Ronnie and Victoria before materialising in a restaurant where he quietly observes a drunk woman (Ariadne Welter), before turning into his creature form and using his forked tongue on her.

The Chief Detective (David Silva) and his associate (Federico Curiel) find the two corpses with holes in the back of their necks and their brains sucked out through the openings but put the killings down to a “maniac.”

The Baron meanwhile tracks down the decendants of his inquisitors, sucking the brains out of a streetwalker (Susana Cora) along the way.

Baron d’Estera throws a party at his gothic mansion and invites the descendants of the Inquisitors (including Reynaldo and Victoria) and everyone is enthralled with his company.

After the party, the Baron calls upon one of the descendants, historian Professor Indalecio Pantoja (German Robles again).

During their conversation, the Baron is informed about Indalecio’s fascination with the Inquisition and also meets Indalecio’s daughter, Maria (Roxana Bellini).

As they look over some of the Inquisition texts, Indalecio notes a passage that mentions a name similar to the Baron’s, causing the Baron to inform Indalecio that his ancestor Sebastián de Pantoja was one of the men responsible for his death. The Baron kills Indalecio and his daughter, sucking their brains out, and then sets their home on fire.

The Baron next calls on Luis Meneses (René Cardona once more), the descendant of Baltasar de Meneses, where he paralyses Luis and attacks Meneses’ wife (Ofelia Guilmáin) sucking her brains out. Finally, the Baron uses his powers to compel Luis to walk to one of the furnaces in his laboratory and immolate himself.

After witnessing the wedding of Francis Coria (Carlos Nieto) and Ana Luisa Vivar (Magda Urvizu) the Baron murders Francis in the bathtub and then kills Ana Luisa, whose Inquisitor ancestor was Herlindo del Vivar.

Inviting Ronnie and Victoria to his house for dinner, the Baron takes Vicki to his office to select a jewel, as she and Ronnie are planning to marry soon. While they are gone, Ronnie looks around the house and discovers his dish of brains . . .

The Baron confesses his identity to Vicki and explains that he must kill her, even though it pains him to do so, because her ancestor Álvaro de Contreras ordered his execution – but since Ronnie’s ancestor Marcos Miranda had defended him against the Inquisitors, the Baron is willing to let Ronnie live.

The two comedy detectives show up with flamethrowers in the nick of time and kill the baron in his creature form.

This fun and cheesy Mexican horror classic – originally released as El Barón del Terror – is certainly one of the oddest films of all time and has deservedly gained a cult following over the years.

Don’t try to make sense of the plot, just sit back and enjoy. It’s bonkers.

Baron Vitelius d’Estera
Abel Salazar
Victoria Contreras
Rosa María Gallardo
Professor Ronald (“Ronnie”) Miranda/Marcos Miranda
Rubén Rojo
Professor Saturnino Millán
Luis Aragón
Professor Indalecio Pantoja/Sebastián de Pantoja
Germán Robles
Luis Meneses/Baltasar de Meneses
René Cardona
Señora Meneses
Ofelia Guilmáin
María de Pantoja
Roxana Bellini
Álvaro Contreras
Marco Antonio Arzate
Chief Detective
David Silva
Detective (Benny)
Federico Curiel
Francis Coria
Carlos Nieto
Ana Luisa Vivar
Magda Urvizu
Bar girl
Ariadne Welter
Prostitute
Susana Cora

Director
Chano Urueta