original Mexican/Spanish title LA LLAVE MORTAL [The Final Key]
also known as THE DEADLY KEY and THE DEADLY KEY

director Francisco Guerrero
starring Mil Mascaras · Manuel Flaco Ibanez · Maria Cardinal · Blue Demon Jr · Yoshi Yamamoto · Alfredo Gutierrez

         

Japanese karate master Yoshi Yamamoto, determined to validate his brand of martial arts as the best fighting style in the world, challenges luchador champion Mil Mascaras to a public match. Yamamoto claims his karate is better than wrestling and he wants to prove it. Mil Mascaras says Yamamoto has seen "too many Bruce Lee movies" and refuses the challenge. However, the situation soon spins into a major controversy involving mobsters, powerful businessmen, promoters and TV journalists. At the center of this surprisingly engrossing film is Mil Mascaras' concept of professionalism and his refusal to provide publicity to anyone "who wants to put a notch in his pistol."

This movie - perhaps the rarest of the Mil Mascaras films - was shot in 1990, shortly after the similar 'behind-the-scenes' exposé TRUTH OF THE FIGHT. The clever story is written by Mascaras, under his birth name Aaron Rodriguez.

Director Francisco Guerrero is a popular cult director, still active today. He has helmed 50+ movies but is probably best known for the biker exploitation film INTREPIDOS PUNKS in 1980.