Cinco De Mayo
2013
Comedy / Drama / Horror
Cinco De Mayo
2013
Comedy / Drama / Horror
83% - Audience
5.4
Plot summary
El Maestro is an idealistic Chicano studies instructor at a junior college in a small rural town. Despite dwindling classes he is determined to bring to light the many injustices within their community and inspire political action. But his students don't care; they want to party on Cinco de Mayo. Aside from his star pupil, Magdalena, the rest of the class laughs at El Maestro and his out dated views on Chicanos and activism. But El Maestro is positive and remains confident that his students really need guidance. Upon planning a Cinco de Mayo protest against a rash of racially motivated violence against Mexican immigrants involving flag burning and an unsolved murder, El Maestro is thwarted by his boss, Dean Liberstein. The Dean accuses El Maestro of being a 'racist radical' and a trouble maker. With his life's work deemed 'obsolete', he is fired. El Maestro is crushed. Fearing for his mental health, the Dean sends him to the office of Dr. Harry Love, a psychiatrist who determines that El Maestro is unknowingly suffering from a rare disorder known as 'Aztec Blood Lust'. Dr. Love warns El Maestro that its only a matter of time before he explodes with homicidal rage and urges him to act it out in his office to exorcise his 'blood lust'. El Maestro refuses to believe Dr. Love's claims and bolts out of his office. But soon after humiliating exchanges with his racist neighbor,Ted, and the local sheriff, he begins to hear voices in his head, beckoning him to kill. Armed with a knife (given to him by Dr. Love to use as an exercise tool) and a Day of the Dead mask (given to him by Magdalena) he falls into a catatonic state and begins to stalk and execute his enemies. He begins with his neighbor Ted and then Dean Liberstein. With the body count rising, and fearing a racial revolt, a posse is formed to find the killer. The Sheriff orders the posse to stand down but they are defiant and will stop at nothing to restore order to their town. The Sheriff finds a clue that leads him to Dr. Love. After much interrogation, Dr. Love finally breaks and tells the Sheriff the horrible truth: he and Dean Liberstein were provoking El Maestro to comitt violence as a social/racial experiment. But it worked too well and now he is an unstoppable killing machine. The Sheriff races to find El Maestro before its too late. Meanwhile, El Maestro's students are having a Cinco de Mayo party at a farm house when the vigilante posse arrives and tries to assault them. As tension between the two groups starts to run high, El Maestro strikes and kills the vigilantes, implaing on of them on a flag pole with the Mexican flag waving in the breeze. El Maestro tells his former students that he murdered these men to show them that heroes do still exist, and that this was his destiny. The Sheriff shows up and pleads with El Maestro to come quietly. El Maestro charges at the Sheriff with extreme force and is shot down. The students gather around El Maestro's bullet riddled body with saddness and disbelief. Two male students aren't so sentimental; they scoff at El Maestro's actions. As they talk trash, El Maestro rises back from the dead and grabs the two students and they scream. Freeze frame. The end?
Uploaded by: FREEMAN
Director
Top cast
Tech specs
720p.BLU 1080p.BLUMovie Reviews
A highly enjoyable if only mildly flawed effort
Tired of his failed efforts, a teacher becomes frustrated that his class refuses to accept his teachings about the importance of their own Mexican culture in their lives but can't do anything until a psychiatrist inadvertently unleashes a homicidal spree across the community turning him into an Aztec-fueled warrior.
This was a rather fun and enjoyable indie slasher. Among the better elements here is the fine way this sets up the solid motivation for the killer to go on his rampages. The setup here involving his unbridled passion and respect for reaching others who aren't receptive to his teachings as they're just out for the stereotypical party they assume Mexican culture to be is a fantastic starting point here. When added together with the racist treatment the others engage in around him, from firing him unnecessarily to calling him an immigrant and worse, there's a wholly worthwhile and engaging starting point for this one. That setup allows the film to become a solid slasher. The initial setups here offering the first shots of his snapped sanity by taking out those around the town who engaged in racial treatment towards him are fun shock ambushes while the low-budget gore effects provide a fun sense of cheesy charm. It becomes quite fun in the finale where the rampage has sparked action from the remaining townsmen that bring about some rather fun encounters all bringing about a racial tinge that adds a lot to this one which all combine to give this one plenty to enjoy. There are some issues to be had here. One of the few issues here that bring it down is the rather overbearing setup that tries to make a stance on the cultural appropriation of Hispanic culture but becomes quite over the top as it goes along. Serving as a means of instigating his rampage well with how the mistreatment and racial prejudice keep him going, it all goes on way too stereotypical to be realistic or effective as it borders on aggravating parody to work which might upset those due to that issue. As well, there are times when this one's low budget comes into play with the gore and general appearance, but not enough to lower it that much.
Rated Unrated/R: Graphic Violence and Graphic Language.