After seeing the excellent Shrew's Nest (2014-also reviewed) I decided to check on Shudder for other Spanish Horror titles. Aware of the film maker but not having seen his creations,I was happy to spot a exclusive to Shudder movie by Alex de la Iglesia,leading me go for a viewing on the witching hour.
View on the film:
Bewitching the viewer with a jewel shop robbery involving a man dressed as a toy solider and another man being joined by his young son,as he takes part in the robbery dressed as a silver Jesus, co-writer/(with regular comparator Jorge Guerricaechevarría) directing auteur Alex de la Iglesia reunites with cinematographer Kiko de la Rica, and performs a breathtaking multiple change of genre,running with the robbers out of the shop in rapid-fire whip-pans that becomes seated in a road movie of smooth criss-crossing pans and zoom-ins on the increased bickering of the robbers.
Shooting a SpongeBob SquarePants blocking their way to the getaway car, Iglesia conjurers up a gloriously wacky Comedy atmosphere of ultra-stylised tracking shots into the heart of the witches coven,twirling to zip-line close-ups on the cackling witches,and the hilarious quivering in their boots reaction from the jaw-slacked guys.
Whilst dipping Slap-Stick Black Comedy over everyone, Iglesia impressively keeps the comedic balanced, whilst treating the horror Jose, Antonio, Sergio and Manuel come under the spell of seriously, via a decadent lair for the cannibalistic witches, spun in shiny blacks and splinters of yellows being swept along by the brooms, which Iglesia sends flying with a spectacularly over the top Monster Movie final battle.
Crisply establishing the friction between Antonio, Jose and his son Sergio in the snapping back and fourth during the robbery, the screenplay by Iglesia & Guerricaechevarría dip these relationships into a witches cauldron of Jose (a great, quick-witted Hugo Silva) Antonio, (a wonderfully chatty Mario Casas) and Manuel (a funny, nervous Jaime Ordonez) becoming increasingly aware that their detour from a quick getaway does risk them dying, but increasingly finding themselves unable to break a bewitching spell.
View on the film:
Bewitching the viewer with a jewel shop robbery involving a man dressed as a toy solider and another man being joined by his young son,as he takes part in the robbery dressed as a silver Jesus, co-writer/(with regular comparator Jorge Guerricaechevarría) directing auteur Alex de la Iglesia reunites with cinematographer Kiko de la Rica, and performs a breathtaking multiple change of genre,running with the robbers out of the shop in rapid-fire whip-pans that becomes seated in a road movie of smooth criss-crossing pans and zoom-ins on the increased bickering of the robbers.
Shooting a SpongeBob SquarePants blocking their way to the getaway car, Iglesia conjurers up a gloriously wacky Comedy atmosphere of ultra-stylised tracking shots into the heart of the witches coven,twirling to zip-line close-ups on the cackling witches,and the hilarious quivering in their boots reaction from the jaw-slacked guys.
Whilst dipping Slap-Stick Black Comedy over everyone, Iglesia impressively keeps the comedic balanced, whilst treating the horror Jose, Antonio, Sergio and Manuel come under the spell of seriously, via a decadent lair for the cannibalistic witches, spun in shiny blacks and splinters of yellows being swept along by the brooms, which Iglesia sends flying with a spectacularly over the top Monster Movie final battle.
Crisply establishing the friction between Antonio, Jose and his son Sergio in the snapping back and fourth during the robbery, the screenplay by Iglesia & Guerricaechevarría dip these relationships into a witches cauldron of Jose (a great, quick-witted Hugo Silva) Antonio, (a wonderfully chatty Mario Casas) and Manuel (a funny, nervous Jaime Ordonez) becoming increasingly aware that their detour from a quick getaway does risk them dying, but increasingly finding themselves unable to break a bewitching spell.