She Packs a Punch
She Packs a Punch celebrates the action-laden, camp and curious world of 1960s Mexican pulp cinema with two recently restored films from director René Cardona. Showcasing his flair for action, spectacle and lucha libre, they highlight some of the most captivating female action stars of the era.
The Panther Women (Las mujeres panteras) and The Bat Woman (La mujer murciélago) both feature powerful women in high-octane adventures. In The Panther Women, wrestlers Loreta Venus and The Golden Rubí face off against a glamorous, satanic cult of werepanthers in a thrilling blend of gothic horror and lucha libre. Meanwhile, The Bat Woman delivers a rollicking ride where lucha libre meets superheroines and a splash of The Creature from the Black Lagoon. Both films offer a captivating blend of suspense, camp, and action, celebrating the fearless heroines who dominate the screen.
Presented by feminist film collective Invisible Women and T A P E collective, She Packs a Punch highlights the important contribution of female action stars to Mexican cinema. While these titles do lean into the exploitation genre, they also serve a crucial role in bringing luchadoras—who were not allowed to compete in the ring at the time—onto the screen and into the spotlight that they deserved. These films offer a chance to rediscover and appreciate the powerful women who, as Batwomen, as werepanthers, or as wrestlers, were at the heart of the action in films that will find their place in the pulp cult canon.
Screening as part of Art of Action, a UK-wide film season supported by National Lottery and BFI Film Audience Network.
Special thanks to Viviana García Besné from Permanencia Voluntaria
The Panther Women (Las mujeres panteras)
Directed by
René Cardona
The Panther Women (Las mujeres panteras) plunges into the wild world of 1960s Mexican pulp cinema, where (brilliantly named) fierce female wrestlers Loreta Venus and The Golden Rubi find themselves caught in a whirlwind of dark magic. The pair wind up pitted against the Panther Women, a glamorous and satanic cult of werepanthers waging relentless war against the descendants of the druid who once killed their ancient leader. With the mesmerizing exotic dancer and vedette Tongolele adding to the intrigue, The panther women serves up a heady dose of pulp thrills and high-energy action. This film delightfully blends gothic horror with the world of lucha libre, featuring a knock-off version of El Santo and a bevy of bloodthirsty, impeccably made-up wrestlers.
Year, Country, Running time
1967, Mexico, 87 mins
The Bat Woman
(La mujer murciélago)
Directed by
Year, Country, Running time
René Cardona
1967, Mexico, 81 mins
The Bat Woman (La mujer murciélago) takes you on a rollicking ride through 1960s Mexican pulp cinema, where lucha libre meets superheroes meets The Creature from the Black Lagoon. In picturesque Acapulco, a series of wrestler murders prompts the enigmatic Bat Woman, played by Maura Monti, to investigate. A deranged scientist is behind the mayhem, capturing wrestlers for his twisted experiments, and it’s up to Batwoman, who is also a coral diver, a wrestler, a markswoman, and super spy, to stop him. Clad in a cape, cowl, and bikini, Monti delivers high-octane action and epic car chases. As Warner has shelved their recent Batwoman film, this remains the only big-screen Batlady to date. The Bat Woman delivers a uniquely thrilling, action-packed blend of suspense, intrigue and camp, with Monti’s unforgettable performance as the one and only Batwoman stealing the show.