Yesterday I discovered this fascinating Vice doc about a town in Mexico that’s famous for its sorcerers. Catemaco is where Mel Gibson filmed Apocalypto, but it’s also a place where a mix of folk traditions, Catholicism and pop culture have created a web of occult practices that’s as notable for its dynamism as it is for its dynamite aesthetics. Here are a few words from the YouTube page…

Catemaco in Veracruz, Mexico is known for two things: It’s the place where Mel Gibson directed Apocalypto, and it is full of self-called witches that work either for God or the Devil. VICE doesn’t really care about Mel’s movie, but we were quite enchanted by the idea of a town that has gotten such a huge reputation for its witchcraft that even politicians and celebrities from all over Mexico have gone to seek for their cures and powers.

In this episode of Mexicalia, we head down to the Disneyland of satanist tourists and check out all the chicken killing, voodoo dolls, and spirit possessions the town had to offer.

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You might not recognize the name Luis Barragán, but any student of counterculture and edgy film will recognize the great master’s work. The architect’s monumental sculptures play a key role in Alejandro Jodorowsky’s epic The Holy Mountain though most viewers might assume they are looking at stage sets. Here’s some Wiki…

The Torres de Satélite (“Satélite Towers”) are located in Ciudad Satélite, in the northern part of Naucalpan, Mexico. One of the country’s first urban sculptures of great dimensions, had its planning started in 1957 with the ideas of renowned Mexican architect Luis Barragán, painter Jesús Reyes Ferreira and sculptor Mathias Goeritz. The project was originally planned to be composed of seven towers, with the tallest one reaching a height of 200 meters (about 650 feet),[citation needed] but a budget reduction forced the design to be composed of only five towers, with the tallest measuring 52 meters (170 feet) and the shortest 30 meters (98 feet).

Goeritz originally wanted the towers to be painted in different shades of orange, but changed his mind later due to some pressure from constructors and investors. It was finally decided the towers would be painted in red, blue and yellow, the so-called primary subtractive colors, with the addition of white.

The Satellite Towers play a pivotal role at the beginning of the film’s mind-blowing second act, and it’s important to recognize not only Jodorowsky’s use of existing structures, but also Barragán’s gorgeous, massive work. Here’s a cool drive-by video of the actual towers that demonstrates their perspective-warping designs…

The Ever-changing perspective view of Torres de Satélite – Luis Barragan from Jinglu on Vimeo.

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