Red Zone Cuba
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| Red Zone Cuba | |
|---|---|
 VHS release cover for the Anthony Cardoza Classics label. |
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| Directed by | Coleman Francis |
| Produced by | Anthony Cardoza Coleman Francis |
| Written by | Coleman Francis |
| Starring | Coleman Francis Anthony Cardoza Harold Saunders John Carradine Lanell Cado Tom Hanson George Prince Frederic Downs |
| Music by | John Bath |
| Cinematography | Herb Roberts |
| Editing by | J.H. Russell |
| Distributed by | Hollywood Star Pictures |
| Release date(s) | November 1966 (USA) |
| Running time | 89 min. |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $30,000 (estimated) |
| Gross revenue | Unknown |
| Allmovie profile | |
| IMDb profile | |
Red Zone Cuba, also known as Night Train to Mundo Fine, is a 1966 American drama film that follows the meandering adventures of an escaped convict and two ex-convicts he recruits along the way as they become involved in the 1961 Bay of Pigs Invasion and try to find a hidden treasure in a tungsten mine. Though John Carradine receives fourth billing in the credits, and was prominently featured in the advertising and promotional material for the film, he only appears briefly, during a framing sequence at the beginning of the film. Carradine also sings the film's opening theme song, "Night Train to Mundo Fine".
Coleman Francis wrote, directed, produced, and starred in Red Zone Cuba. In the other two films he helmed, The Skydivers and The Beast of Yucca Flats, he limited his acting to cameos. This was his final film as director.
In December 1994, it was featured as an episode of the movie-mocking television series Mystery Science Theater 3000.
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[edit] Plot summary
In the film's opening sequence, a young reporter asks a train engineer (Carradine) about three men--Griffin, Cook and Landis--who hopped his freight train years back. "He ran all the way to hell", the engineer remarks about Griffin.
The title sequence follows, and afterwards the film proper picks up.
During the course of the film, Griffin (Francis) escapes from jail, and runs into Cook (Harold Saunders) and Landis (Anthony Cardoza). The three make their way to an airstrip run by Cherokee Jack (the phrase "I'm Cherokee Jack", delivered in a stilted manner by actor George Prince, would soon become a recurring joke for the MST3K writers, both in this film and in others to follow) who flies the men to a military training facility, where they will be paid to take part in the Bay of Pigs invasion.
Having been lied to about the money they were to receive, the three attempt to escape, only to be recaptured and forced to invade Cuba regardless. They are soon captured again, this time by the Communist Cuban forces.
A lengthy sequence of executions is ended when the three escape again, leaving behind their superior officer, Chastain, who is badly wounded. However, he begs them to take him with them, even informing them of his family mine back home that contains pitchblend, tungsten, and other precious metals. Despite this, they refuse, as they cannot carry him during their escape. They find an airstrip and steal a light aircraft in order to return to the US.
Back on American soil, the three engage in a variety of crimes in order to get to the home of Chastain's wife, in order to help her mine the metals her husband spoke of back in Cuba. These crimes include throwing a café owner down a well and stealing his car, and train-hopping.
Eventually, the law catches up with them as the three and Chastain's wife head towards the mine. Cook and Landis surrender, while Griffin dies in a shootout with the police. Chastain returns alive and is reunited with his wife. As police collect the belongings Griffin was carrying at the time of death, a voice-over (voiced by Francis) somberly intones that Griffin "ran all the way to hell...with a penny and a broken cigarette" as the film ends.
[edit] Mystery Science Theater 3000
On December 17, 1994, Red Zone Cuba was featured as the subject of an episode of Mystery Science Theater 3000. It was the second of Coleman Francis's films to be featured in the show's sixth season, following The Skydivers and preceding The Beast of Yucca Flats. The film was preceded by the short Speech: Platform Posture and Appearance, an educational film about public speaking.[1]
One of the main gags in the host segment breaks was that Dr. Forrester had fallen victim to a vicious beating by mobsters who had come to attack TV's Frank over a large unresolved debt.[1] Forrester spent much of the episode in a full body cast. The film itself had Mike and the "bots" repeatedly comparing Francis's character to Curly Howard of the Three Stooges, while under the strain of watching it Mike became convinced he was Carol Channing.
A DVD release of the MST3K cut was released on March 26, 2002.[2]
[edit] References
- ^ a b SEASON SIX: 1994-1995. Satellite News. Retrieved on 2007-03-06.
- ^ Red Zone Cuba: Mystery Science Theater 3000. DVD Empire. Retrieved on 2007-06-03.
