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4th day - Mexican actor Germán Robles 
This year La Semana Negra is paying homage to Germán Robles. Robles is a very well known actor in México and other parts of the world for the collection of vampire movies he did during the late 1950s. He is considered “the” Latin vampire of our time. As critic Jesús Palacios (author of the ¡A mordiscos! book distributed free each night) said, “the Americans have Bela Lugosi, the English, Christopher Lee. We have Germán Robles, one of the greatest”.
La Semana Negra has been screening his movies since Saturday, every night at ten thirty. Since the first day the tent has been full, definitely because at the beginning of each screening, Germán Robles himself presents the movie, and tells spectators an anecdote about the movie. Although he is an elderly person now, he still maintains a posture and an enviable elegance. He is a great actor and is not afraid to say it himself, as on Sunday, “I’m a great actor, and since I don’t have my grandma to be saying good things about me, I have to say it myself: I’m a really good actor!” 
Although he has been recognized for his work around the world, and his movies have been translated into more then fifty languages, he is not very well known in Spain. This is especially sad, because although his whole career is centered in México, Robles is from Gijón.
This was a big surprise for the people of this city. Robles’s dad fled the country during the years of the war and settled in Mexico City. Seven years later his wife and son Germán followed him, and the seventeen-year-old Germán Robles started working as an actor and draftsman. He filmed “El Vampiro” in 1957, directed by Fernando Mendéz, before Christopher Lee!
Germán told Sunday’s audience an amazing anecdote about this. He said he had a Mexican friend who used to work at London’s BBC, and at an event he had the opportunity to talk to Christopher Lee. Lee asked him if he was from México and if he knew the actor Germán Robles, to which the reporter, Robles’ friend, answered, “Yes, yes, we are like brothers”. Then Lee told him, “Well, tell Mr. Robles that he was been a true inspiration for me.” Who would have thought that a Mexican inspired the acting as a vampire of an Englishman! An incredible anecdote that Robles told with great pride and a definitely well deserved recognition.
I don’t know how hard it is to find his movies now, but it is definitely worth a try. There are incredibly good Mexican movies from the so-called, “cine de oro mexicano.” Instead of gothic cathedrals or houses with enormous chandeliers as we are used to seeing in dark vampire movies, you see an old Mexican hacienda in a little town of provincial México, a beautiful actress, and an indigenous man, endlessly praying throughout the movie.
Germán Robles's character is an elegant vampire who speaks well, and as Robles himself said, “you can smell his lavender cologne from meters away.” Well directed and aesthetically perfect, even though it was 1957, the special effects are good and the acting amazing. 
I emphatically recommend Roble’s vampire collection, and as La Semana Negra continues, so the screenings will continue special homage to a special bloodsucking Gijones.
Thania Muñoz
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By: La Bloga,
on 7/16/2008
Blog: La Bloga (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags: Semana Negra, Paco Taibo, Gijón, Thania Muñoz, crime fiction, España, Germán Robles, Jesús Palacios, Fernando Mendéz, El Vampiro, A mordiscos, cine de oro mexicano, Christopher Lee, 2008, Add a tag
By: Paintgranny,
on 2/27/2008
Blog: Middle of Nowhere (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags: jumble sale, cMaille, jumble sale, cMaille, Add a tag
Gone are the days when vintage clothing (oh, how I remember the Glory Days!) could be picked up for pennies...but dodging the old ladies elbows, I did grab some potential sewing material, a 60's wrap-around and a (possibly naff but good for making pouches) reproduction embroidered waistcoat courtesy of 'Past Times', both for 20p (40 cents US) each.
And lurking sadly under a trestle table, a pair of proper hand made brogues, with stitched leather soles and segs on the heels; obviously once lovingly cared for and still showing their quality, despite much wear...
I tried them on, hopefully. Too big even for my slabs and at a size 10 1/2, too small for Andy. But it was like finding an old courtly gentleman in the gutter and I just had to rescue them, if only for decorative value. (And they were only 20p/40 cents US).
Now I am a born-again needle felter, I need something to hold my bits in, and although I have many storage baskets and tins, they are all crammed with paraphenalia. So I was holding out a vague hope that I might find a Victorian sewing casket nestling in a box of vintage silk remnants. I didn't, of course. But I did find an unused rice steamer for 50p ($1 US)
- which comes apart in three layers and is perfect for storing my ever growing supplies in.
Topped by a gorgeous (how on earth did this arrive in our little village?) mint condition Australian flour sack, for 20p (40 cents US) - just the ticket for keeping my lovely wool tops in.
Somewhat weighed down, I staggered home, to be met by a groan from Andy when he saw not just a full rucksack, but two bags as well. However, I am an expert at making my stash fit in, and now you would hardly know it was there...
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By: La Bloga,
on 7/16/2008
Blog: La Bloga (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags: Semana Negra, Paco Taibo, Gijón, Thania Muñoz, crime fiction, España, Germán Robles, Jesús Palacios, Fernando Mendéz, El Vampiro, A mordiscos, cine de oro mexicano, Christopher Lee, 2008, Add a tag
1 Comments on The Mexican Vampire, last added: 7/16/2008
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By: Paintgranny,
on 2/27/2008
Blog: Middle of Nowhere (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags: jumble sale, cMaille, jumble sale, cMaille, Add a tag
How much fun can you have for under a fiver ($10 US) at the weekend? Lots, if there is a jumble sale at our village hall. There aren't many nowadays, but there are always treasures to be found. One peculiar rule here seems to be that if it is advertised as a 2pm opening then one should aim to get there after 1.30, as the organisers have a very loose attitude towards time. I did so, and was lucky to be first at the book stall and snaffle this bunch of beauties for £1.50 ($3 US) - a complete set of the Book of Nature study in fine condition, plus a couple of other old nature-oriented books. Having ascertained that there was nothing more of interest to be had in the melange of dog eared paperbacks, I moved swiftly on to the bric-a-brac stall next door and picked up an excellent little pair of Praktica pocket binoculars for 50p.($1 US)
Gone are the days when vintage clothing (oh, how I remember the Glory Days!) could be picked up for pennies...but dodging the old ladies elbows, I did grab some potential sewing material, a 60's wrap-around and a (possibly naff but good for making pouches) reproduction embroidered waistcoat courtesy of 'Past Times', both for 20p (40 cents US) each.
And lurking sadly under a trestle table, a pair of proper hand made brogues, with stitched leather soles and segs on the heels; obviously once lovingly cared for and still showing their quality, despite much wear...
I tried them on, hopefully. Too big even for my slabs and at a size 10 1/2, too small for Andy. But it was like finding an old courtly gentleman in the gutter and I just had to rescue them, if only for decorative value. (And they were only 20p/40 cents US).
Now I am a born-again needle felter, I need something to hold my bits in, and although I have many storage baskets and tins, they are all crammed with paraphenalia. So I was holding out a vague hope that I might find a Victorian sewing casket nestling in a box of vintage silk remnants. I didn't, of course. But I did find an unused rice steamer for 50p ($1 US)
- which comes apart in three layers and is perfect for storing my ever growing supplies in.
Topped by a gorgeous (how on earth did this arrive in our little village?) mint condition Australian flour sack, for 20p (40 cents US) - just the ticket for keeping my lovely wool tops in.
Somewhat weighed down, I staggered home, to be met by a groan from Andy when he saw not just a full rucksack, but two bags as well. However, I am an expert at making my stash fit in, and now you would hardly know it was there...
Many thanks to cMaille at Etsy, who posted my artwork Koko on their blog, very much appreciated!
25 Comments on Budget Treasures, last added: 3/13/2008
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Nice Job!
At this moment I don't remember if I had seen that movie, The Vampire, but I am pretty sure that I did since that was my grandpa's passion and hobbie, to watch Cine de Oro Mexicano. Felicidades Thania por este trabajo. Thanx for keeping us update of what is happening at La Semana Negra.
Changuito