Flag On The Moon – Part 4: Night Train to Mundo Fine, aka. Red Zone Cuba



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The final film of the Francis-Cardoza troika, Night Train To Mundo Fine (better known, thanks to Mystery Science Theater 3000, as Red Zone Cuba), is the culmination of all Francis’ apparent hatred towards the world. There are no redeeming characters, no morality, and no hope. Nothing but unpleasant, nasty characters doing unpleasant, nasty things.

This time around Francis put himself in the lead role, whether because he was simply looking to save some cash, or if he felt that no one else was capable of imbuing the character with such unbridled hatred and loathsomeness, we’ll never know, but I suspect the latter. Francis plays Griffin, an escaped convict who meets up with two drifters, Landis (Tony Cardoza) and Cook. Together these three schmucks devise a scheme to make a quick buck by joining up for the Bay of Pigs invasion. This brilliant plan goes about as well as could be expected, and the gang is quickly captured in Cuba and scheduled for execution, but escape thanks to the blinding stupidity and incompetence of their captors.

Actual audience reaction to Red Zone Cuba.

Actual audience reaction to Red Zone Cuba.

Once back in the States, the loathsome trio fills the rest of the film’s running time stealing, assaulting, raping, and murdering their way across the land, until finally Griffin and his gang are tracked down and, as you may have guessed, Griffin meets swift vigilante justice in the form of gunfire emanating from a light aircraft.

"Well, I needed the cash..."

“Well, I needed the cash…”

Night Train To Mundo Fine is without doubt, Coleman Francis’ darkest, ugliest, and most misanthropic film. Despite the wonderful addition of a brief cameo by b-movie stalwart, John Carradine (who also sings the opening theme song!), there is simply no one and nothing to root for in this film, save for the end credits.

 

Back to Part 1: Introduction

Back to Part 2: The Beast of Yucca Flats

Back to Part 3: The Skydivers

Part 5: Conclusion








 

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