Los hombres piensan sólo en eso (1976)

Alberto Olmedo y Jorge Porcel. If you’ve been here before, you’ve probably read about them before. It’s hard to believe that I’m tempted to go back to them periodically despite the fact that many of their movies seem like different versions of the same ludicrous plot. However, this Argentinian duo are at the Mount Olympus of latsploitation and their wonderful cheesiness and humor are enough to make me crave one of their films once in a while. This time around, I decided to check out Los hombres piensan sólo en eso (Men only think of that), a film from 1976 directed by Enrique Cahen Salaberry, a respected and very prolific Argentinian director who even directed some films in Spain.

 

LOS HOMBRES PIENSAN SÓLO EN ESO
Argentina, 1976, Enrique Cahen Salaberry

In Los hombres piensan sólo en eso, Olmedo y Porcel play a couple of friends who spend their days trying to con people into giving them money or selling them absurd or fake products. They have a friend called Palomita (Little Dove) who usually joins them and helps out. One day, Palomita wins a prize that brings him a good chunk of cash and plane tickets to Caracas, Venezuela. To celebrate, he goes to visit a prostitute and drags his friends along. Palomita is a bit of a hypochondriac, but something really goes wrong this time around and he dies on the hooker’s bed. With his last breath, he asks his two best friends to take care of his little sister. In typical latsploitation fashion, the little sister turns out to be a very sexy cabaret dancer who drives both men crazy while she falls in love with a better looking man. Needless to say, bikinis and hilarity ensue.

I have no idea how an award-winning director ended up working in a film like this, but he makes a big difference. For starters, the movie is shot much better than your average latsploitation film. Also, there are a few song and dance numbers that show that some thought went into making the film. Besides Salaberry’s contributions, there is also something special about Porcel here. Maybe it’s the plethora of movies under his belt or maybe he was tired of the same jokes, but his deadpan delivery here actually makes unfunny jokes somewhat better. Oh, and there’s a scene where he gets so horny that smoke comes out of his ears. Yeah, really.

One more thing that makes Los hombres piensan sólo en eso worth a watch is Susana Gimenez, who plays Palomita’s little sister. Gimenez is now known as the biggest celebrity in Argentinian television. Her resume includes work as an actress, model, and hostess. In fact, she’s now considered the most important Latin American talk show hostess and has won a few awards. When you consider what she became, watching her in this role is a treat.

Latsploitation runs the gamut when it comes to quality and production values. This movie is by no means a technical accomplishment or a tour de force when it comes to acting. However, it definitely stands out as a solid movie that looks decent despite its budget. If you’re in the mood for a short, somewhat funny Argentinian sexy comedy, give Los hombres piensan sólo en eso a chance. After all, few movies have great truths in the title.