HorrorTales.666

Director(s) - Phil Herman (Tales for the Midnight Hour, Burglar from Hell) and Michael Hoffman Jr. (Scary Tales, Sigma Die)

Starring - Joel D. Wynkoop (Ouija Mummy, Make Them Die Sleazy!), Julie Strain (Repossessed, Psycho Cop Returns), and Phil Herman

Release Date - 2003

Genre - Horror

Format - DVD (Personal Collection)

Rating (out of 5):

     When I started following The Sleaze Box some years ago I reviewed their first film Amerikan Holokaust and wasn't a fan.  I respected the story and amount of gore but the overall film was not something that I enjoyed.  However, their subsequent films were extremely fun and enjoyable.  With that being said, not all of their distributed films were my cup of tea.  Some are fun but a good bit of them just miss the mark.  After watching the Homicidal Maniac double feature along the horror documentary Blood, Guts, and Sunshine I decided to keep the Sleaze Box marathon going with HorrorTales.666.  I recently watched Mail Order Murder: The Story of W.A.V.E. Productions and was excited to check this one out after seeing that WAVE had a segment involved with this anthology.  

     The film follows a burglar who breaks into the home of an author.  He uncovers a hidden file on his computer and starts reading a horror anthology series that he has written.  He makes his way through each story that features murder, envy, and more murder before he is confronted by the deranged author looking for his next story.

     I was very excited to spin HorrorTales.666 when I saw that not only Julie Strain was attached but a segment came from the wild folks over at W.A.V.E. Productions.  Sadly, I was not a fan of this one and my favorite segment ended up with the biggest plot holes I have ever seen.  The acting in this one had me laughing.  The cast delivers unintentionally funny performances and a few of the scenes were awkward.  When I review anthologies I typically see some segments that are acted better than others but this one is fairly consistent throughout.  The stories for this one is very consistent but not entertaining.  The wraparound segment worked for an anthology and reminded me a lot of From A Whisper to a Scream but with a burglar reading stories instead of Vincent Price.  This wraparound worked but it's content of the other segments that makes this one tough to watch.  I did enjoy the segment with the two friends with the being envious of the other about how easily he can attract women.  With that being said, that segment has the biggest plot hole I have ever seen.  For someone that states several times that they had been friends since they were little he seemingly forgot that he had a sister?  The other segments were very forgettable and offered up nothing entertaining.  Finally, this one has some blood here and there but the kills are quick and offer up no fun practical effects.  In fact, even after watching the movie I don't remember a single one of them.  Overall, HorrorTales.666 is not a movie I would recommend and if you are like me and tossed it in your Halloween horror binge you will find yourself very disappointed in your choices.  This is one I would skip.  

Homicidal Maniac 2: Sicko

Director - Johann Tetreault (Homicidal Maniac, The Demon Club)

Starring - Lindsey Baker, Anna Talakkottur (Jurassic World, Finding Carter), and Xeno Zoltar (Homicidal Maniac)

Release Date - 2015

Genre - Horror

Tagline - "The second movie from the "Mad Genius" Johann Tetreault"

Format - Bluray (Personal Collection)

Rating (out of 5):

     When I watched it the first Homicidal Maniac I didn't expect to dislike it as much as I did but it was one of the worst film experiences I had ever seen.  I hate to be that negative but the movie just felt tossed together with little to no regard about being entertaining.  It had some nudity and blood but these were not as fun as they usually are in another film.  The double feature I recently acquired from Sleaze Box had the sequel that was made 8 years after the first film.  I had hoped that Tetreault had matured as a filmmaker and this follow up would be a much better film.  Sadly, it was not and it was just as much of a chore to finish as the first film.  If anything, the women are more attractive, at least to me, but that's the only redeeming quality that I can see. 

     The film picks up several years after the first film with the crazy seafood chef now living with his girlfriend with the events of the first film behind him.  However, he is triggered once more and goes on another killing spree which does result in the police searching for him. However, he is able to get the upper hand on them and brings the female investigator deep in the woods where she becomes another one of his female playthings that he tortures, rapes, and murders.

     I really do hate being negative about an indie production but I'm struggling to find anything redeeming about this film aside from Saturn Suicide.  Sure, he made good use of the former Suicide Girl but the movie itself is still a tough one to finish.  The acting in this one is similar to the previous films.  A good bit of the cast assumes that if they raise their voice that they are "acting" but that's the furthest from the case.  The cast spits out awkward dialogue and their emotional range is the same as Kristen Stewart.  I know the cast consists of mostly inexperienced actors but I've reviewed several no budget films with no experience and they did a far greater job than this.  With that being said, this film has what feels like the longest simulated sex scene I had ever seen which only makes sense considering it was the gorgeous Saturn Suicide.  The story for this one is literally the first film with just one small change.  We get the addition of the police but aside from that its mostly a rape, torture, and kill flick with nothing redeeming. In fact, I've seen shorts with a run time of less than five minutes deliver more story than this one.  Finally, the film has some blood, and a lot of boobs but don't expect memorable deaths and gore.  In fact, it's just the same as the first film.  Some blood splatter and that's the extent of it.  Overall, Homicidal Maniac 2 was another disappointment.  I love indie horror but this one does not have the heart that I expect from indie efforts and I have no idea what the story is that the filmmaker is trying to tell.  Honestly, I would skip this one as well.  

     

Homicidal Maniac

Director - Johann Tetreault (The Demon Club, Homicidal Maniac 2: Sicko)

Starring - Alexandra Cruz (Creekers, American Hostage), Melissa Eichorn, Nelli Kowalik (Deadly Sins, Sprawl)

Release Date - 2007

Genre - Horror

Tagline - "The first movie from the "Mad Genius" Johann Tetreault"

Format - Bluray (Personal Collection)

Rating (out of 5):

     I review a lot of movies and the majority of them are indie productions.  Those films may have slowed down with the onset of the pandemic but before last year I was spending a lot of my spare time watching and reviewing no budget films that was sent over by eager filmmakers wanting me to check out their hard work.  I know it takes a lot to make a film and it's even more difficult to make a feature length film when you have no budget at all to work with.  That's why I try to never completely bash a film but find something redeeming in each and every movie I review.  Sadly, sometimes I get something in that just doesn't do anything for me and almost every aspect is difficult to find something positive to say about it.  A few weeks ago Chris Woods shared that he would be releasing the Homicidal Maniac double feature on blu through his The Sleaze Box label.  I was curious about this release so I went ahead and snagged a copy.  After watching The Sleaze Box/ GatorBlade Films co-production Blood, Guts, and Sunshine I decided to keep it sleazy and go with another Sleaze Box release.  Homicidal Maniac was that film... o boy, what a movie.

     The film follows a man that works at a seafood restaurant while doing odd jobs on the side for his boss who is constantly getting caught up in illegal activity and fraud.  One day he is pushed too far when his boss' wife tries to fuck him.  When he turns down her advancements she gets mad and tells him that her husband is at his house fucking his wife.  He fucks her, then kidnaps her before going home to abduct his wife as well.  He takes them to a secluded area where he rapes, tortures, and kills them.

      I went into this one with an open mind and a great curiosity but what I found was a movie that felt like each scene was shot in one take with no rehearsal and little direction from Tetreault.  The movie was a little over an hour but it felt like it was a lot longer.  The acting in this one is forced, awkward, and very inexperienced.  The characters are cliched and the cast is all over the place with their performances.  I don't know if there was actual dialogue written or improved but we get a lot of "uh, uhms, and like" scattered throughout the scene which makes me think that they either forgot their lines or couldn't think of something to say.  This was funny at first but as the film progressed it made the scenes difficult to follow.  The story for this one is 40 or so minutes of dialogue heavy scenes and filtered sex scenes before we move into the horror element.  Even though these scenes were the final portion of the film it was still dragged out longer than it needed to be.  The film does very little to hold the viewer's attention and the story is all over the place.  It's almost as if they didn't have an actual story written and just started filming with a general outline.  Finally, the film has some blood and nudity but neither are eye catching or memorable.  We get some blood splatter here and there and random nudity  but if you are looking for memorable kills and great gore you will be very disappointed.  Overall, Homicidal Maniac is one of the toughest films to finish that I have ever reviewed.  Almost every aspect of the film was a struggle to finish and I can't recommend this one to anyone.  Skip it.  

Blood, Guts, and Sunshine: The History of Horror Made in Florida

Director - Sean Donohue (Die Die Delta Pi, Death-Scort Service)

Starring - Tim Ritter (Truth or Dare, Day of the Reaper), Joel D. Wynkoop (Ouija Mummy, Clownado), and Chris Woods (Chaos A.D., Earth Girls are Sleazy)

Release Date - 2021

Genre - Horror

Format - Bluray (Personal Collection)

Rating (out of 5):

     I've been reviewing for around a decade now and over the years I've made friends with several filmmakers from all over the world.  I've noticed a trend in filmmaking and how "pockets" all around the United States has several filmmakers.  Most notably, Ohio and Florida, has the biggest collection of indie horror filmmakers that I've met.  When I started writing reviews I stumbled across the Facebook page for Amerikan Holokaust which was co-directed by The Sleaze Box founder Chris Woods.  Since then Woods, and his frequent collaborator Sean Donohue, has released some notoriously bloody and sleazy horror movies in their home state of Florida.  A few weeks back Woods and Donohue announced a small release of their newest film, the documentary Blood, Guts, and Sunshine at Cinema Wasteland.  This new doc explores the horror filmmakers in Florida over the years and the impact they had on younger filmmakers in the region.  I was at Wasteland and snagged a copy while I could.  I'm glad I did because I absolutely loved it.

     The documentary explores early genre efforts in Florida ranging from the iconic Creature from the Black Lagoon, to the Godfather of Gore Herschell Gordon Lewis, to S.O.V. legends Tim Ritter and Joel D. Wynkoop before making it's way into the modern era with companies like Cult Movie Mania, GatorBlade Films, and the cons that sprouted around the local indie productions.  

     I get some documentaries in to review but they are rarely horror focused.  Most of the docs I get are for cryptids and so on but a few horror docs do trickle in.  Just last month I was lucky enough to review Mail Order Murder: The Story of W.A.V.E. Productions and it was a fun.  I love a good horror documentary especially if it doesn't discuss horror pop culture.  Blood, Guts, and Sunshine was a fantastic doc that I really enjoyed but my biggest complaint about it was that all the info was compressed to make the film just over 2 hours when it should have been split up into different films or volumes.  The interviews in this one range from previously recorded interviews from legends like Herschell Gordon Lewis, John Waters, and Ben Chapman along with new interviews from Florida legends like Shelby McIntyre, Sean Donohue, Chris Woods, Tim Ritter, and Joel D. Wynkoop just to name a few.  This wide range of people being interviewed does give us some insight into the decades long trend of filming in Florida but it is a little heavy on the modern filmmakers and for understandable reasons.  Some of the older legends has passed or reaching ages that makes interviews a little more difficult while the doc was put together by two existing FL filmmakers.  The topics discussed are similar to those being interviewed.  We get a small look at early filmmaking in Florida before moving into the more modern S.O.V. filmmakers like Ritter and Wynkoop before moving up to the conventions that influenced other filmmakers and finally reaching the modern wave of filmmakers.  My honest opinion on this is I feel that there is so much to discuss that this should have been a two or three part documentary.  The early years should be one film where we follow the liked or HGL, the filming of Impulse, Satan's Children, and the Creature from the Black Lagoon along with other films from the 50s through the 70s before moving into the 80s and days of S.O.V. before settling on the modern filmmakers.  I feel like so much history was left out of the film's 2 hour running time and I kind of want to see more.  Finally, the editing and transitioning in this one is smooth.  The topics and interviews are in chronological order and the transitions are extremely smooth.  The editing is very well done which helps the viewer keep up with everything that is being thrown at them from the doc.  Overall, Blood, Guts, and Sunshine is a fantastic genre doc that takes a deep dive into the legendary filmmakers from Florida over the years with each generation inspiring a younger generation to take up filmmaking.  As a fan of documentaries I have to say that this was the most informative and entertaining horror documentary I had seen in recent years.  However, I wish there was more to it.  I highly recommend it.  

The Rape of Virgin Girls

Director - Francisco Cavalcanti (The Hour of Fear, Sexo Sexo)

Starring - Salvador Amaral (Desejo Violento, Mulheres Violentadas), Francisco Cavalcanti, and Suely Conti (Bacanal de Colegiais)

Release Date - 1983

Genre - Crime

Tagline - "Explicit!  Explicit!"

Format - DVD (Personal Collection) (Screener)

Rating (Out of 5):

     Exploitation and drive-in quality action flicks where what got me into writing reviews.  I was collecting box sets of these releases on DVD when I was in high school and college and I wanted to talk about them in some form.  I had saw the videos reviews of mrparka and the blog Celluloid Terrors so I decided to start something along those lines.  I wasn't comfortable in front of the camera for the video reviews so I turned to written reviews.  Exploitation is still my love but my obsession for horror has always been greater.  That's why I'm always on cloud 9 when an exploitation film I had never seen before arrives for review.  A few weeks ago One 7 Films sent over The Devil in Maddalena and The Rape of Virgin Girls.  The title of the last one made me a bit uncomfortable but I was still curious about this Brazilian exploitation flick.

     The film follows a man who is hired by a group of perverted men to kidnap "virgins" so they can rape and murder them.  This scheme has went on for sometime with several dozen women being kidnapped and dumped in the woods.  A dry-cleaner's neighbor is abducted and when he finds evidence of the kidnapping on the dry cleaning of one of the thugs he sets out to stop them before they rape and murder others.

     The Rape of Virgin Girls, or Abuser of Virgin Girls and Violentadores de Meninas Virgens as it is known, is not the film I was expecting when I tossed it in.  The title, artwork, and tagline made me think this was going to be a roughie that would make me uneasy.  However, the movie was not that but was a solid Brazilian crime film with a lot of exploitation.  It was a solid watch and one I can see myself revisiting.  The acting in this one is laughable at times but the fact that the cast was so dedicated to their roles says a lot about their commitment.  The characters are painfully generic but the cast does the best with what they were given.  The story for this one takes some liberties and reaches in several instances that results in some funny moments that was obviously unintentional.  The "virgins" in the films are women in  their late 20s and early 30s who are clearly not virgins.  I read one review that suspected they were local sex works which makes it even funnier.  Also, the crime aspect is very far fetched but enjoyable.  Having a random dry-cleaner take on a sex trafficking ring with the help of the local authorities is funny to me as well.  I don't know why but I was laughing at this.  Humor aside, I did enjoy the crime angle with the sleaze thought it was not as sleazy as one would expect from the title.  Finally, the film has some blood and boobs but nothing that will stick with the viewer.  Hell, the nudity in this one is nothing grand and the blood isn't that appealing either.  Overall, Rape of Virgin Girls is not the wild and sexually charged exploitation flick I was expecting but I thoroughly 

The Devil in Maddalena

Director - Jerzy Kawalerowicz (Night Train, Mother Joan of Angels)

Starring - Lisa Gastoni (Sacred Heart, Invasion), Eric Woofe (A Challenge for Robin Hood, The Avengers), and Ivo Garrani (Black Sunday, The Slave)

Release Date - 1971

Genre - Drama/Romance

Format - Bluray (Personal Collection) 

Rating (out of 5):

     When I started writing reviews for Horror Society back in early 2013 I was excited to check out all the genre titles that would be coming my way.  For the most part I have not been disappointed in the wild horror and sci-fi flicks that show up for review almost daily.  However, sometimes I get in movies that I had never seen before or would even expect to review.  Case in point, a few weeks ago I received the 1971 romantic drama The Devil in Maddalena from director Jerzy Kawalerowicz and starring the beautiful Lisa Gastoni.  What caught my eye with this one was not the fact that it wasn't a horror film but it featured a score from the legendary composer Ennio Morricone.  I was extremely shocked by this and was very curious to see how this one would play out.  I want to think One 7 Films for sending this one over.  

      The film follows a beautiful young woman who is looking for someone to call her own but she soon falls in love with a handsome priest.  The two are unable to copulate due to his celibacy and this causes friction between the two while the priest questions if being in the priesthood is what he still wants to do.  

     I can already hear the comment section of this review blowing up by people crying about how it's not a horror movie.  However, I don't care.  One 7 was kind enough to send this one over for review and review it is what I'm going to do.  The acting in this one is solid.  The film has two characters that stand out while the rest of the cast blends into the background.  It's got some seriously great acting but a lot of the characters are dull.  The story for this one is a strict dramatic romance with nothing really redeeming for those of you looking for something along the lines of sleaze.  The artwork made me think this was going to be a fun sexploitation but that was not the case.  It was a solid romantic film that wasn't bad but not what I was expecting.  Hell, I enjoyed it and the score from Morricone made it fun.  Finally, the film has some blood, which was surprising, but it's nothing that will stand out for horror fans.  Overall, The Devil in Maddalena is not the movie you expect but it's not a bad movie.  I even recommend it but don't let the films artwork deceive you.  It's a straight forward romantic drama.  The blu looks good and as much as I think it's fun I still can't see a majority of you checking it out which is a damn shame.  

No One Heard the Scream

Director - Eloy de la Iglesia (El Pico, Navajeros) 

Starring - Carmen Sevilla (Cross of the Devil, House of the Damned), Vincente Parra (The Cannibal Man, Daddy's War), and Maria Asquerino (Dead of Laughter, Nobody Will Speak of Us When We're Dead) 

Release Date - 1973

Genre - Horror/Comedy

Format - Bluray (Personal Collection) (Screener)

Rating (out of 5):

     The last few days I've been busy watching several films from Spanish filmmaker Eloy de la Iglesia who has helmed some seriously amazing films during his career.  A few weeks ago I was introduced to his films when Severin sent over The Cannibal Man for review.  I was sold then on his films but once I took a dive into the Quinqui Collection from Severin I fell in love.  I can't stop speaking the praises of El Pico and it's sequel.  Once I finished those three films I immediately took a dive into Iglesia's 1973 suspense thriller, horror, black comedy hybrid No One Heard the Scream starring The Cannibal Man's Vincente Parra.  Once again I want to thank MVD and Severin for sending this one over.

     The film follows a working girl who lives in an apartment building but things take a peculiar turn when she spots her attractive neighbor dumping his wife's body down the elevator shaft.  Not trusting her to keep her mouth shut, he forces her to help him dispose of the body but soon they start to catch feelings for each other creating a relationship out of murder and deception.  

     Iglesia may be my new favorite filmmaker.  Even though he passed away in 2006 I'm just now discovering him thanks to the hard work from Severin Films and their new releases over the last few months.  No One Heard the Scream is not my favorite Iglesia film but It's still a fantastic flick that I think a lot of genre fans can appreciate.  The acting in this one is great.  Vincente Parra is great as the husband who murders his wife and finds love with the witness.  Though the story is not about him he still finds a way to steal the show.  Makes sense that Iglesia was keen with working with him.  Carmen Sevilla is the film's lead and she doesn't a fantastic job.  Her seductive demeanor carries the film but her personality made it so much fun. The supporting cast is decent but the characters don't really stand out.  The story for this one is like a suspense thriller meets a horror with a little dash of comedy scattered throughout.  The humor doesn't match the film and doesn't really find it's mark but aside from that I found myself enjoying it.  It is a bit predictable but I really did enjoy it.  Finally, the film has some blood and a few moments of practical effects make-up but nothing that will stand out to the viewer especially to veteran horror fans.  It fits the film very well but it's not gruesome or extremely brutal.  Overall, No One Heard the Scream is a solid late not horror thriller that works with it's great cast and solid story.  It doesn't really offer up much in way of a revisit but it's entertaining for a first time watch.  I recommend it.  

     

Navajeros

Director - Eloy de la Iglesia (El Pico, The Cannibal Man)

Starring - Jose Luis Manzano (El Pico, El Pico 2), Isela Vega (Conan the Adventurer, The Bloody Monks), and Veronica Castro (Tell Me When, The House of Flowers)

Release Date - 1980

Genre - Crime/Thriller/Drama

Format - Bluray (Personal Collection) (Screener)

Rating (out of 5):

     I didn't know what was awaiting me when Severin sent the Eloy de la Iglesia Quinqui Collection but from the moment I tossed in El Pico I was hooked.  El Pico and it's sequel are two of the most riveting and compelling films I have ever seen.  I can't imagine finding two films that hook me like these two films.  However, my quinqui experience was not over yet.  I still had the 1980 film Navajeros left to dig into to.  

     The film follows El Jaro (Manzano) who is the leader of a group of deliquents that steal, assault, and do drugs.  El Jaro's mother left several years prior and his life has been a fight ever since.  He meets the older prostitute Mercedes who tries to help him but he soon falls in love with the beautiful but drug addicted Toni whose introduction spirals El Jaro's life out of control.

     Navajeros is a fantastic film but it's not on the same level as El Pico and it's sequel.  This is one of Iglesia's first film in Quinqui and one of the first films to be credited in the sub-genre but you can see how much he has grown as a filmmaker focusing on the young in Madrid between this film and his 1983 classic El Pico.  The acting in this one is just as great as any of the other films of Iglesia.  He is a fantastic director and you can tell he works very closely with his cast in order to achieve the performances he is looking for.  Manzano, may he find peace, is fantastic once again as a young man looking to make his mark on the world while struggling with living in horrible conditions among the civil unrest in Madrid.  The supporting cast is just as dedicated but the character of El Jaro is the one that stands out and carries the film for me.  The story for this one is a deep look into the underprivileged life of the younger generations in Madrid in the late 70s and early 80s but it doesn't deliver that extremely emotional connection with the characters like El Pico but it's still a dramatic look at how another country was struggling then and how the youth was adapting to it.  Its wild at times but others is filled with heavy dialogue that seems to be going nowhere.  Finally, don't expect a bloody film but there is some violence and some nudity.  Overall, Navajeros is a wild ride that has heart but doesn't have the story that pulls you in like some of the other quinqui.  It's fun but the weaker of the three films in the set.  

The Forever Purge

Director - Everardo Gout (Luke Cage, The Terror)

Starring - Ana de la Reguera (Army of the Dead, Nacho Libre), Tenoch Huerta (Tigers Are Not Afraid, Blue Demon), and Josh Lucas (Ghost of New Orleans, American Psycho)

Release Date - 2021

Genre - Action/Horror

Tagline - "The rules are broken"

Format - UHD (Personal Collection) (Screener)

Rating (out of 5):

     Blumhouse is hit or miss with me.  Some of their films are good on paper but as films they were very underwhelming but when they deliver a good film they knock it out of the park.  Happy Death Day and Freaky are some of my all time favorite films and Blumhouse really did a phenomenal job with those releases.  One of Blumhouse's more popular titles is The Purge which went on to spawn an impressive franchise.  I like most of the films and often look forward to each new installment when they are announced.  In the grip of the pandemic a new Purge film, titled The Forever Purge, was produced and released in theaters and VOD over the summer with a physical release hitting store shelves as we approach Halloween.  I never got around to checking it out in theater so when a physical release was announced I quickly jumped on it.  I'm glad I did because this is probably my favorite of the franchise.  

     The film picks up some years after the NFFA has taken control of the country.  With the annual purge reinstated everyone is preparing for the 12 hours where all crime is legal.  We follow Mexican immigrants Juan (Huerta) and Adela (Reguera) who seek refuge with their friend in a para-military bunker with armed people protecting them.  After the purge ends they leave and return to their jobs where they quickly discover that a new movement, the Forever Purge, is extending the purge to "purify" America.  Trapped in the middle is Juan, Adela, and the family of ranchers that employ Juan as they fight their way to Mexico to seek asylum.  

     As I stated earlier, I'm a fan of the Purge films for the most part but it's difficult for me to call the sequels horror films.  They do have horror elements but they are very action forward.  With that being said, the dash of horror sprinkled throughout each film has went on to become iconic among pop horror fans.  The Forever Purge is easily my favorite film in the franchise and the one that actually sent chills down my spine.  It wasn't the action or horror elements that scared but the social commentary that really set the film off for me.  The acting in this one is fucking fantastic.  The entire film is filled with memorable characters with one hell of a cast.  We get an unforgettable performance from legendary screen actor Will Patton followed by everyone else delivering just as an impressive performance.  The story for this one pretty much extends the store established in previous films but on a much bigger scale that tips the scales of a international affair.  Mix that with a much bigger story centered around nationalism and racism.  The film is meant to be satire but seeing the "pure blood" Americans spit out their racist rhetoric really reminds me of a lot of my friends and family who obsess over politics.  Seeing something that is unnerving in my day to day get blown into proportions like this really made me uncomfortable.  The action is off the wall and the moments where they try to channel the horror fails but seeing the real life horror aspects of the film made it even more chilling.  Finally, the film has some bloody moments with a mix of visual and practical effects.  The kills are fun and fit the action portion of the film but they are not as gruesome as I would expect.  Overall, The Forever Purge is a wildly fun movie if you are open to it.  I know some horror hipsters will scoff at the thought of giving this franchise a chance but this one was a lot of fun.  I highly recommend this one.  

El Pico 2

Director - Eloy de la Iglesia (The Cannibal Man, No One Heard the Scream)

Starring - Jose Luis Manzano (El Pico, Navajeros), Fernando Guillen (Don Juan in Hell, Brain Drain), Andrea Albani (Sexual Desires, Mad Foxes)

Release Date - 1984

Genre - Crime/Drama

Format - Bluray (Personal Collection) (Screener)

Rating (out of 5):

     A few weeks ago I received the Eloy de la Iglesia Quinqui Collection from my friends over at Severin Films.  MVD sent it my way for review and I was really curious about the release.  Iglesia is one filmmaker I was not familiar with but Severin's release of The Cannibal Man made me a fan.  I knew the three films in the set were not horror titles but after watching The Cannibal Man I couldn't wait to see what sort of films he was bringing us.  I started the set with El Pico and it was one hell of a film that in seriously one of my top 10 favorite films now.  It's nothing short but phenomenal.  After spinning that it only made sense to check out the sequel El Pico 2.  

     The film follows Paco (Manzano) finds himself in jail after the murder of the drug dealer and the overdose of his friend.  His father is actively appealing his sentence.  While in prison Paco has made friends with a drug dealer who gets him addicted to heroin again.  However, when he leaves prison Paco finds himself doing things he normally wouldn't do for his fix.  Eventually his father gets him released from jail but is still addicted and finds himself robbing and stealing to support his habit.  His lifestyle eventually catches up with him resulting in the death of his father which proves to be the turning point of his life.

     El Pico was not what I was expecting and it's one that I can't stop thinking about even after I was done watching it.  However, El Pico 2 turns it up a notch and delivers another punch to the gut that I was not expecting.  The acting in this one is another example of perfect casting.  Manzano once again absolutely nails it as Paco.  His performance carries the film and I couldn't imagine it being as riveting if someone else took over the mantle.  The supporting cast is just as fantastic with everyone delivering a fantastic performance.  The story for this one picks up where the first film left off but dials it up to 11.  Each scenes takes you into the next while taking it a step higher.  Iglesia is one hell of a story teller and this is the story he should be remembered for.  Finally, we do get a little blood but if you are looking for a gory flick then you will be disappointed.  This one is focused on the characters and it delivers.  Overall, El Pico 2 is a fabulous film that shows you actions have consequences and just how far someone's life can spiral.  It's an amazing film that I can't recommend enough.