Dr. Aldama (Antonio Raxel) is dieing, but before he goes, his estemed
colleague Dr. Mazali (Rafael Bertrand) makes him promise that he must
return from the death as a spirit, take him to the land of dead and bring
him back to life in flesh.
Later, at a seance, Doc Mazali contacts Aldama, who says he makes
preparations to kill him in exactly three months, 9 o'clock p.m., and if
Mazali wishes to call everything off until then, he can anytime ...
The story now shifts to the insane asylum that Mazali heads, where one
day a patient, a gypsy (Carolina Barrret) goes crazy, and throws acid into
the face of Elmer (Carlos Ancira), whose face remains horribly disfigured
as a result.
Later, Patricia (Mapita Cortés), Aldama's impoverished daughter who
has never actually seen her father, pays a visit to Doc Mazali, to hand
him a key her father has obviously given her from his grave. Mazali
immediately falls in love with Patricia - but so does his new assistant
Eduardo (Gastón Santos). To keep her with him, Mazali offers Patricia an
education as a nurse, but Patricia, nothing more than an ordinary dancing
girl, only promises to think about it ...
The day of Mazali's death arrives, and it's only a few minutes to nine,
when Patricia shows up at his doorstep and tells him she plans to accept
his offer to become a nurse - reason enough for Mazali to call everything
off ... but before he can, he receives news that the gypsy woman has
broken out of her cell and has gone on a rampage - so Mazali has to join
the party to track her down, combing through the premises, while the gypsy
woman was actually heading for Mazali's home ... and the only one who's
really able to track her is Elmer, who still has a score to settle with
her (remember, the disfigured face), and right in Mazali's study, he stabs
her to death.
A short time later, Mazali finds the dead body in his study, but when
he's found leaning over the body - after the study's doors have been
mysteriously locked for a few minutes - everybody believes he did it. and
wouldn't you know it, it's exactly 9 o'clock ...
Mazali is tried for the murder,found guilty and convicted to be hanged
by the neck, and the pardon he hopes for just doesn't arrive. In the
meantime though, Elmer, the real killer, is overcome by guilt, and he
writes a confession and wants to bring it to the authorities to save
innocent Mazali, but stumbles down a staircase to his death ... he is
immediately buried, without even a coffin, because that was his last wish.
His written confession though, the only thing that could have saved
Mazali, has gone mysteriously missing.
Ultimately, Mazali is hanged, but as soon as the life leaves his body,
his soul returns in Elmer's body, and soon he manages to dig his way to
the surface and return to his, Mazali's, home.
When Jiminez sees Mazali in Elmer's body though, he doesn't believe
it's Mazali at all, and then he even finds Elmer's confession (which
mysteriously has re-appeared in Mazali's study) and wants to hand Elmer
over to justice ... and Mazali has to make an escape, but not before he
has spoken to Patricia, the woman he loves - but she finds him nothing but
a horrible abomination, so Mazali knocks her out and takes her with him,
to pour some acid in her face so she will become like him, but before he
can, Jimenez bursts in and the two start a fight that ends with Mazali (in
Elmer's body) catching fire and dieing, as if God would have punished his
awful sins ...
I have to admit, the plot of this film sounds incredibly silly, even
for a horror movie. However, the film itself is quite amazing, an
extremely moody, old-fashioned mad scientist flick/horror
thriller/morality play deeply rooted in catholizism that despite it's
ridiculous plot simply works like a charm. Even the occasional overuse of
genre clichés can't hurt this film one bit.
Definitely recommended !!!
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