SANTO EN LA VENGANZA DE LA MOMIA - Whipping Left When You Should Have Whipped Right

"A whip pan is a type of pan shot in which the camera moves sideways so quickly that the picture blurs into indistinct streaks. It is commonly used as a transition between shots, and can indicate the passage of time and/or a frenetic pace of action."
 -Wikipedia


SANTO EN LA VENGANZA DE LA MOMIA is chock full of whip pans. Though to be fair, the first half of the film features cuts to a whip pan of colorful, vertical lines that then cut to the next scene. The real whip pans, the fun ones at least, can be found at the films conclusion. When El Santo is fighting the "Mummy" in the cave, the whip pans reveal more than just a convenient place for the editor to cut. They reveal the set lamps and crew.

Take this guy for instance, and his snazzy, light blue sweater. Poor guy didn't know he needed to be screen ready on set that day. He just happened to be standing in the way when the camera whip panned right when it should have panned left.

If you have yet to see SANTO EN LA VENGANZA DE LA MOMIA do yourself a favor and check it out. The scene where El Santo fights a stuffed puma to the death, all while sporting his heroic butt crack, is worth the price of admission alone.

And take note of the little boy that Santo befriends in the film. That's his son in real life, the boy who would take up the mantle of El Hijo del Santo. In an interview with Box y Lucha magazine, El Hijo del Santo recalled the first time he realized that his dad was El Santo: "I was about eight when I realized that El Santo, my favorite movie hero, was also my dad. I was blown away! How many kids would have liked that surprise?"  *raises hand* Hey, my dad is awesome, don't get me wrong, but he never fought Dracula. According to El Hijo del Santo it was on the set of SANTO CONTRA CAPULINA that his dad first put on the mask in front of him. "I remember sitting there with my dad when, all of a sudden, he puts on the mask!" Can you imagine? You're eight years old, on a movie set with you dad, when he turns to you and reveals that he just happens to be the people's champion!