Will Laughlin Joins Vampiros and Monstruos

Carlos Enrique Taboada, Mexico's master of subtle horror.

As the book VAMPIROS AND MONSTRUOS was finally nearing completion, I realized that one significant hole remained, despite my intention of doing a second volume dedicated toward Mexican horror and fantasy cinema that could have taken up that missing element. Upon continual review, I realized that it would be a mistake not to have in the first book an article on one of Mexico's great masters of the macabre and supernatural--Carlos Enrique Taboada.

Enrique Taboada started in the horror and fantasy field as a scriptwriter, working on such films as ORLAK, THE HELL OF FRANKENSTEIN, and the Nostradamus series starring German Robles. As a director he is known for a quartet of films that still impress to this day (two of which were redone for contemporary audiences): HASTA EL VIENTO TIENE MIEDO/EVEN THE WIND IS AFRAID (1968), EL LIBRO DE PIEDRA/THE BOOK OF STONE (1969), MAS NEGRO QUE LA NOCHE/BLACKER THAN THE NIGHT (1975), and VENENO PARA LAS HADAS/POISON FOR THE FAIRIES (1984).

I also realized that the assignment was a difficult one (having dabbled in attempting it myself), as not much is known about Taboada, something that could soon change with the publication of a Mexican book on Enrique Taboada this month. But, if not filled with factual information, an article that addressed his directorial work in the genre was still necessary. I'm delighted to have found an author who is most capable of writing about Enrique Taboada and his quartet of chillers (to include also a fifth film, typically not included in a review of Enrique Taboada's genre work--the 1968 EL VAGABUNDO EN LA LLUVIA/THE DRIFTER IN THE RAIN). And so I welcome Will Laughlin (of Braineater.com) to the Vampiros and Monstruos project.