Spain | Wildside Cinema

Film Review: Marchent’s ‘Cut Throats Nine’ (1972) Brutalizes The Spaghetti Western Genre

Action, Exploitation, Extreme, J. Andersson, Rape/Revenge, Revenge, Spaghetti Westerns, Spain, Westerns No Responses »

Nov 152011

I can imagine the filmmakers having a meeting before the shoot, before a script is presented. They want to make a western, that has been decided, but the writer is seething with anger. He has probably just gotten through a nasty divorce and is angry. They want a movie without heroes. They want everyone that dies to die in the most brutal way possible and the mood should be uncomfortable and filthy.

Boy did they succeed.

A group of soldiers are on their way to a fort with a number of chained Continue reading »

Film Review: Almodóvar’s Masterpiece ‘The Skin I Live In’ (La piel que habito – 2011) Leaves The World of Cinema Breathless

Drama, J. Meredith, Pedro Almodóvar, Spain, Thriller No Responses »

Oct 262011

Theatrical Poster

There’s no real reason to waste space and time trying to sell this movie on you with fancy writing and descriptive amateur journalism. The Skin I Live In is a modern masterpiece, Pedro Almodóvar a genius and if you miss this movie, then you have no reason to ever call yourself a genre fan ever again.

Horror has always been at the core of Pedro Almodóvar movies. In one-way or another, it’s been an important part of the universe his movies work in. Be it the rape victim taking violent revenge, the lunatic kidnapping the woman of his obsession, or the sexual predator being caught up in his own game. If you know your Almodóvar, you know that I’m talking about Kika, Tie Me Up! Tie Me Down! and Matador – which starts with a scene of Diego Montes [Nacho Martínez] having a good old wank to the death scenes of Mario Bava’s Blod & Black Continue reading »

Film Review: Vivas’s Brutal Film ‘Kidnapped’ (Secuestrados – 2010) Shows Armed Assailants & Viewers No Mercy

France, Horror, J. Felton, Spain, Thriller No Responses »

Jun 142011

Theatrical Poster

Due to reasons that I won’t go into I ended up watching Kidnapped, Secuestrados in its native Spain, in two parts. When sitting down to watch the final 20 minutes or so I warned my wife that it apparently gets quite harsh so she may not like what happens. Needless to say it did and she didn’t. Kidnapping certainly packs one hell of a punch.

On the surface Kidnapped could be viewed as just another home invasion style movie, and truth be known it is a home invasion flick. A Spanish couple and their daughter move to a new house, and everything is going smoothly aside from the odd glitch which is bound to happen upon arriving at your new house. Before the night is over though three men break into the house and take Continue reading »

Film Review: The Undead Return with a Horrifying Twist in ‘[REC] 2′ (Revisited – 2009)

Action, Demons, Horror, J. Felton, Spain, Zombies No Responses »

May 082011

Poster Artwork

The Spanish flick [REC] (2007) was a quite incredible movie. It seemingly came from out of nowhere and managed to achieve quite an amazing feat, it took both the Zombie and Cinema Verite sub-genre’s of horror, gave them both a firm kick in the Khyber pass and breathed some well needed life into them. Admittedly the Zombie sub-genre was the biggest culprit of the two, with a seemingly endless barrage of movies which for the most part had about as much life as their subject matter. It also managed to get itself remade in the States as Quarantine, which as remakes go wasn’t at all bad, which was partly due to the fact it was an almost shot for shot remake Continue reading »

Film Review: Filmax’s ‘Exorcismus’ (2010) Gives The Possession Sub-Genre a Shot in the Arm

B. Harris, Drama, Horror, Spain, Thriller No Responses »

Jan 242011

Poster Artwork

Emma, a troubled teenage girl, collapses at home in a violent fit during an argument and her parents and doctors are at a loss to explain, medically, what might be afflicting her. When she’s sent to a therapist for a session of hypnotism to find out just what’s going on, the gentleman falls dead in her lap from a fatal heart attack. Those around Emma soon find themselves in grave danger after it’s revealed to them that she’s possessed by an unclean spirit, a demon. Her only hope for salvation lies in the hands of her Uncle, a disgraced Priest with a tumultuous past involving an exorcism-gone-wrong. Is Emma being punished for her misdeeds or is she being tormented for some greater good Continue reading »

Film Review: The Politics of Crime of ‘Cell 211′ (Celda 211 – 2009) Creates Genuine Terror

Action, B. Harris, Crime, Drama, France, Spain No Responses »

Aug 022010

Poster Artwork

During a casual walk-through of the prison where Juan is begin working at the next day, some loose cement in the ceiling collapses, slamming into his head and injuring him. Forced to drag Juan’s body to the nearest empty cell, the guards must abandon the young employee when a riot sparks off and a wave of violence forces them to flee for their lives.

Shortly after being pulled to safety, Juan awakens in the cell to the shouting of the bloodthirsty prison population swarming the halls and realizes he’s as good as dead if he’s discovered fully clothed, looking like a guard. Stripping himself of all personal items Continue reading »

Film Review: School Killer (El vigilante – 2001)

Horror, Paul Naschy, Spain No Responses »

Sep 182007

DVD Artwork

Right from the beginning of School Killer I was thinking to myself that this does not look in the slightest bit original. There’s a group of kids on there way to an old abandoned school in the middle of nowhere. Well, I’ve never seen this premise before. Fortunately, the rest of the movie proved to be a fair bit better than my initial reaction.

True to form though, they arrive at the school to spend the weekend. No sooner do they get there when we discover there is a joker in the pack. He tries to scare the girls and weird shit starts to happen. Of course they are going to think he is involved in some of it.

One of the girls notices a light come on, even though there is no Continue reading »