Abel Salazar, born in 1917, was a pivotal figure in Mexican horror cinema, appearing in numerous films throughout his career. He is best known for his roles in The Curse of the Crying Woman (1961), where he embodies the chilling atmosphere of the supernatural, and The Brainiac (1962), a film that blends horror with science fiction. Salazar's contributions as an actor in these cult classics solidified his status in the genre, influencing the landscape of exploitation cinema in Latin America.
The Brainiac
In Mexico City in 1661, Baron Vitelius d'Estera is condemned by the Inquisition and sentenced to be burned at the stake. As this sentence is carried out, the Baron promises that he will return with the next passage of a comet (visible over the scene of the execution), and slay the descendants of his accusers. Thus in Mexico City in 1961, the promised comet returns, carrying with it Baron Vitelius, who takes advantage of his considerable abilities as a sorcerer to carry out his threat: he is able to change at will into the hairy monster of the title in order to suck out the brains of his victims with a long forked tongue; furthermore, he has strong hypnotic capabilities and is able to render his enemies motionless or force them to act against their wills.
