Griffin (Red Zone Cuba)



Griffin is the villain protagonist of the old B-movie Red Zone Cuba, which is best known for being featured in one episode of Mystery Science Theather 3000. He's played by Francis Coleman who is also the director and writer of the movie.

Griffin seems to be intended as anti-hero down on his luck and with emotional problems, considering the tragic way his death at the end of the movie was protrayed. But his actions throughout the movie, including the abuse of his companions and anyone who helps him, whipping his friend with a belt and then stealing his most valued possesion, killing a restaurant's owner and then raping the blind daughter of the owner, makes him a straight and unsympathetic villain.

In the movie, Griffin is an escaped convict who, along with his two associates, tries to avoid the law enforcers of the united states by migrating to south america as workers. Then they learn that the united stats are planning a military invasion of Cuba and they decide to sign-up, planning to eventually desert with the signing bonus.

During a military operation, Griffin and his companions are captured by cuban soldiers and imprisoned in a POW. While in prison, Griffin learns from a dying soldier the location of a rich mine in Arizona and decides to escape and take possesion of the mine.

Once back in the US, Griffin and his companions kills a restaurant's owner and rapes his daughter. Once they reach the mine, Griffin shoots a soldier's widow after she offered to split the mining profits with him.

At the end, the police finally tracks Griffin down and he dies getting shot by the policemen, while his companions surrenders.