EXCLUSIVE: Preview Son of Havoc vs. Angelico on Tonight’s ‘Lucha Underground’
Tonight is the premiere of Lucha Underground‘s milestone twentieth episode, and we at Geekscape have an exclusive look at tonight’s match pitting Son of Havoc against Angelico. Check out Angelico’s tenacity and Son of Havoc’s passion. This is why we watch pro wrestling, guys.
Besides the focus on lucha libre, I think one particular aspect that Lucha Underground has an edge over the competition are its frantic, kinetic camera angles. In just this minute-long clip, this is very apparent. I believe a cinematic eye is vastly underrated in modern professional wrestling, and yet pro wrestling affords that opportunity more than other, “actual” sports.
Lucha libre has a rich history in Mexican cinema. Decades before a certain guy from Miami layed the smack down in Hollywood, the lucha stars of yesteryear like El Santo, Mil Máscaras and Blue Demon were crossover sensations that ruled the ring and the screen. They were living comic book heroes, and they thrived and gave birth to a whole wonderful, bizarre subgenre of cinema. Among the many films produced in this era, Ladrón de cadáveres was a big success. Directed by Fernando Méndez, he would later revolutionize Mexican horror with the landmark El vampiro in 1957.
From Blue Demon’s Wikipedia page:
In three of his films, Blue Demon starred as the leader of a squadron of masked superheroes known as Los Campeones Justicieros (The Champions of Justice). Membership in the Champions included such legendary Mexican wrestling figures as Blue Demon, Mil Máscaras, Tinieblas, Rayo de Jalisco, El Medico Asesino, El Fantasma Blanco, El Avispon Escarlata and Superzan.
Before The Avengers, there was a time when masked wrestlers starred in movies that had them beat up demons and devils and lifted rocks to smash monsters. It was awesome, and I’m afraid in our cynical, too-serious mindsets we just can’t enjoy these stupid pleasures anymore. Even our superheroes brood too much today.
But about the cinematic eye, even the camera movement in those days didn’t take full advantage. That’s what makes Lucha Underground so exciting, it’s a weird blend of classic Mexican cinema with post-MTV reality style, faux cinema verite. These old formulas have been crafted to create something new, and that’s Lucha Underground.
Enough with the history lesson. Enjoy the clip and tune in to Lucha Underground tonight at 11 pm EST/8 pm PST. Check your local listings for El Rey Network.
Also check out the gallery we have for you below!
