Note: This film was finally released in 2021 by Mondo Macabro in a Blu-ray
4K transfer, a video nasty cult classic
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Well made and acted but obscure 1983 Spanish crime-thriller-drama
with an explosive and nasty ending, and directed by Spanish genre favourite
Jorge Grau. The man behind the classic "The Living Dead at the Manchester
Morgue" and other genre gems. A very hard to find film that seems
to exist only as an old Spanish and Greek VHS, not sure though? This DVD
is an "Alternative market" release and the quality is perfectly
OK for
being a probable VHS transfer, maybe a little dark sometimes. This great
film has it's good points, as:
The fine Assumpta Serna in the main role as a female defence
lawyer and family woman, the delightfully nasty Luis Hostalet as the bad
guy, some
good drama and thriller, and finally the intense and surprisingly sleazy
ending. Almost as if Grau was striving for having a scene in the non-existant
Cinema Hall of Shame, along with e.g. Mariangela Giordano's scenes in
Burial Ground and Patrick is still Alive. OK, maybe not as infamous as
the
beloved Mariangela's, God Bless her, but a nice try.
Assumpta Serna
Adela (Serna) is a Madrid defence lawyer. She's very liberal
and blames society for poor people turning into criminals. After defending
some
of the unfortunate, a couple of nasty punks, they show her their gratitude
by stealing her car. In the car, they find some personal papers of her
and notices the fact that she has got a summer villa outside of Madrid,
and they decide to pay it a visit for some B&E.
Mauricio (Hostalot) the leader of a robber gang of four, also with Charlie/El
Chato, Travolta and Mauris kid brother Johnny/Juanito,
Luis Hostalot
When Adela, her husband George/Jorge (Victor Valverde)
and her mother (Monserrat Salvador) suddenly show up at the villa, they
surprise the
robbers and it turns nasty when her husband is shot to death by Mauricio,
after a struggle for the shotgun. The home invasion punks all escape
but for Johnny who is left behind and caught by the police. He's put into
prison, and Mauricio promises to take revenge if something should happen
to his beloved brother. Will something happen to Johnny, and will Adela
be Mauri's no. 1 target if so ?
Pretty well directed, better than i would've hoped for, and with fine
performances from Serna and Hostalot. This film should have been available
in a restored
DVD and Blu-ray version, but maybe there are no 35 mm film element to
be found anymore, only some very rare VHS copies from Spain and Greece.
There are some vague social commentary and Death Wish-esque sentiments
in this crime exploitation drama
This US alternative market DVD is presented in .... i don't know ? The
sleeve says widescreen but the ratio seems to be 1.55:1 or 1.58:1 or something,
not sure
and with an english audio. Jorge Grau passed away december 27th 2018
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And in 2021 US Mondo Macabro released a 4K transfer of
this great and intense Crime Drama on Blu-ray
Mondo Macabro presents the film in 1.85:1 widescreen and with spanish
or english DTS-HD MA 2.0 mono audio with english subtitles, region all.
Extra an interview with Catalan director Jorge Grau (49 minutes in spanish
with english subtitles)
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