El Dia de la Bestia (1995)
Directed by Alex de la Iglesia
Written by Jorge Guerricaechevarria and Alex de la Iglesia
Starring Alex Angulo, Armando De Razza and Santiago Segura
El Dia de la Bestia or The Day of the Beast is the winner of 6 Goya awards (think Spanish Oscars) and it may be one of the most original films you see. Director Alex de la Iglesia is no stranger to dark comedy and here he runs rampant with tongue firmly planted in cheek.
The story is about a priest, Father Angel (played by Angulo) who discovered that the Apocalypse will begin on Christmas day in Madrid. Thus he embarks on a journey to stop the child of Satan from being born. But first he must become a sinner so that he can envoke Satan and discover the location of the birth. Joining him in his quest is the overweight, Heavy metal listening Jose Maria (played to perfection by Santiago Segura) and a TV psychic named Cavan (Armando De Razza). If you have ever seen Shaun of the Dead, the same style is used, the story is played straight but there is humor around every corner.
Alex de la Iglesia hammers the film with all the subtelty of a rabid elephant in a china shop but that’s his charm. He pulls some incredible shot, seemingly out of no where and he keeps the story moving at a madcap pace that Sam Raimi should envy (and take a few notes).
The flick doesn’t shy away from violence and there is some decent gore and some amazing effects (Satan just looks awesome). I highly recommend this flick. It is only available on VHS in the US but there are several Region 2 DVD’s floating around. This is definitely worth tracking down.
What Have You Done to Solange? (1972)
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Directed by Massimo Dallamano
Written by Massimo Dallamano and Bruno Di Geronimo
Dallamano was the cinematographer for “A Fist Full of Dollars” and “For a Few Dollars More”
What a great great great giallo film. I swear that parts of this film teeter on soft core. The plot appears at first to be your standard slasher story but it is so much more. First off, Catholic school girls are being killed by someone dressed as a priest. Second, they are killed by being stabbed in their vaginas. Did I mention that these school girls spend their free time seducing older men?
This flick just rocks on so many levels. It has the slasher element but also this great mystery. I mean one look at the titular character and you just need to know exactly what happened to her. Also the soundtrack by Ennio Morricone kicks fucking ass!
Viva Maria! (1965)
Directed by Louis Malle
Written by Louis Malle and Jean-Claude Carriere
Starring Jeanne Moreau and Brigitte Bardot
SEE THIS MOVIE! It may be the most fun you can have in 2 hours. Moreau and Bardot play women named Maria who at the beginning of the flick invent the striptease and at the end of the film have liberated a county. There are a million great moments in this flick… some of my favorites are the circus magician using his trained doves to drop grenades on people and the priests attempting to extract confessions from the Maria’s by using ancient torture equipment (none of which seems to work). I’m glad you took the time to stop by but stop reading now and go get a copy of Viva Maria!
