Saturnino Garcia Movies
Long known for his stylish and terrifying werewolf films, Spanish actor/director Paul Naschy takes terror to a whole new level in this dark tale of an out-of-work actor's harrowing decent into madness and murder. His glory days long behind him, forgotten film star Pablo Thevenet (Naschy) bitterly resents the lavish attention heaped upon the film industry's latest generation of youthful and photogenic up-and-comers. When audition callbacks yield deafening silence, the destitute Thevenet is forced to accept a humiliating job as a doorman and entertainer at the mysterious Pandora Club. His performances as some of history's most notorious murderers -- including Jack the Ripper and Giles de Ray, among others -- prove increasingly disturbing as fantasy slowly bleeds into reality, and it isn't long before the disillusioned has-been is extracting bloody revenge on those he feels have hindered his late-career comeback. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
- Starring:
- Paul Naschy
A heartless killer receives an ominous message after killing his old partner with a car bomb in director José Miguel Juárez's mysterious thriller. Unbeknownst to Miguel Gironza, Remedios and Nemesio have witnessed the violent murder. When the elderly witnesses appear at the funeral with a young girl and tell Gironza that all of his dreams will come true when he sees a black cat with a full moon on its forehead, the confused Gironza ponders the price he will have to pay for such an extravagant fantasy. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
- Starring:
- Jose Sancho, Manuela Arcuri, (more)
A Cuban exile searches for his long-lost mother, as well as his cultural heritage, in this drama. Roberto Delgado (Jorge Perugorria) is a college professor living in Miami who was born in Cuba; Roberto and his father fled Cuba shortly before the final stages of the revolution, and he grew up believing that his mother Carmen abandoned the family rather than join them in the United States. After 32 years in America, Roberto has developed a gnawing curiosity about Carmen, the mother he hasn't seen in over three decades, and decides to take a vacation in Cuba in hopes of finding her. In Havana, Roberto tracks down his cousin, Pilar (Isabel Santos), who informs him that his father actually kidnapped him, taking him to the United States against his mother's wishes, and that Carmen was so distraught by the loss of her child that she ended up in a mental institution. With Pilar's help, Roberto sets out to find his mother, with taxi driver Antonio (Mario Limonta) as their guide and driver, though it sometimes seems as if the harder they look for Carmen, the father away she seems to get. Honey for Oshun was the first Cuban production shot on digital video equipment; it received its North American premier at the 2001 Montreal Film Festival, and was later shown in competition at the 2002 Sundance Film Festival. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
- Starring:
- Jorge Perugorría, Isabel Santos, (more)
In this allegorical comedy-drama, a disparate group of people wait at a rundown Cuban transit station for the next bus to arrive. The problem is, it never shows up. While a number of busses pass by the station, and others that are either full or at the end of the line stop by, it soon becomes obvious that the bus everyone was waiting for has left them high and dry. While one of the would-be passengers, Emilio (Vladimir Cruz), uses his down time to win the affections of beautiful Jacqueline (Thaimi Alvarino), most of the rest decide that if they're stuck without anywhere to go, they might as well make the station a better place to wait, and they begin forming a plan to turn the decrepit bus terminal into a showplace that people would look forward to visiting. Lista De Espera was directed by Juan Carlos Tabio, in what was his first solo directorial credit in eight years -- after several noted collaborative efforts. The film was shown as part of the Un Certain Regard series at the 2000 Cannes Film Festival. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
- Starring:
- Vladimir Cruz, Jorge Perugorría, (more)
Carlos Saura, one of the finest and most distinctive filmmakers in the Spanish cinema, wrote and directed this biographical epic concerning one of Spain's greatest artists, the painter Francisco de Goya y Lucientes. On his deathbed, Goya (Francisco Rabal), attended by his mistress, Leocadia (Eulalia Ramon) and their daughter, Rosario (Dafne Fernandez), is plagued by hallucinations and frequent visions of the beautiful Cayetana (Maribel Verdu) as his mind reels through the events of his life. As a young man, Goya (played in his younger days by Jose Coronado) became the court painter to King Charles and the Royal Family, where he created technically skillful but uninteresting portraits and was invited to a number of royal functions. At one such affair, Goya first met Cayetana, the Duchess of Alba, and he was immediately smitten; they became lovers, and she was both the subject and inspiration of several major works, including "Desnuda" and "La Maja Vestida." Goya's work developed a dark undercurrent after Napoleon invaded Spain and he took up with Leocadia, creating disturbing images that alienated his patrons and frightened his children. In time, the decline of the court and a changing political climate forced Goya to seek exile in France in 1824, where he would die four years later. Goya In Bordeaux was a project that Saura had dreamed of filming for years, and he was ably assisted in recreating the look of Goya's paintings by master cinematographer Vittorio Storaro. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
- Starring:
- Francisco Rabal, Jose Coronado, (more)
- 1997
The title It refers to sex. Originally made for TV, this Spanish comedy received a theatrical release in Spain after winning an award at the 1994 Munich Festival. Nerd teen Domingo (Daniel Guzman) can't lose his virginity since his department store night job keeps him from meeting girls. Encouraged by sidekick Tinin (Antonio Molero), he borrows stylish clothing from the store to impress women, concocts lies, and adopts an assumed name. He scores with diplomat's daughter Elizabeth (the late Diana Galvez), actually cop's daughter Isabel, also sporting an alias). The situation escalates further when it's revealed that hidden cameras are documenting their encounters for a TV "reality" show which hopes to have the couple wed on the show. Complicating matters, Isabel's ex-boyfriend (Paco Maestre) arrives to create trouble. ~ Bhob Stewart, Rovi
- Starring:
- Daniel Guzman, Diana Galvez, (more)
- 1996
This offbeat Spanish romance provides a fascinating look into modern gypsy life as it tells the off-beat tale of a romance between a confused payo (a non-gypsy man) looking for a gypsy soul and a real gypsy woman trying to find a happy medium between patriarchal cultural traditions and modern realities. Handsome womanizing waiter Antonio who entertains tourists by performing gypsy dances. Deeply traumatized in boyhood when he watched his parents die in a car wreck, he has grown up confused and aimless. His only real desire is to find the aforementioned soul. Lucia is the gypsy lass who falls in love Antonio. Her father, who owns the antique store in which she works, is outraged by the affair, but despite his protestations, the lovers struggle to stay together and to make others understand that their passion is real. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi
- Starring:
- Pedro Alonso, Amara Carmona, (more)
- 1995
- R
Spanish filmmaker Alex de la Iglesia followed his outlandish sci-fi/horror debut, Accion Mutante, with this colorful apocalypse fantasy about Father Angel (Alex Angulo), a scholarly priest whose intensive research into cabalistic "Bible Code" prophecies leads to a horrific discovery: the exact birthdate of the Antichrist. Convinced that Satan's spawn will be born somewhere in Madrid on Christmas Day, Father Angel embarks on a bizarre journey down the path of sin, committing the foulest possible acts against God and humanity in order to worm his way into the Devil's inner circle and face the ultimate foe on his own turf. Comprised of equal parts high-concept horror and scathing social satire (in the mode of the director's peer and former collaborator Pedro Almodovar), this ambitious horror film has garnered a sizable cult following. ~ Cavett Binion, Rovi
- 1995
This stylish, taut and unpredictable Spanish thriller is laced with black comedy and social consciousness as it tells the convoluted tale centering on alcoholic, unlucky Gloria Duque, an impoverished Mexico City prostitute. She is first seen performing fellatio on several crooks as they make another drug deal. Something goes awry and violence erupts and two corrupt drug agents and a local gangster die. Eduardo, an Argentine hit man survives and he does not kill Gloria. Just before one of the agents died, he handed Gloria a list of international money-laundering businesses and when things settle down she flies to Madrid, her hometown. There she sees her husband, a bullfighter in an irreversible coma, and begins living off of her mother-in-law's money. Doña Julia cares about her daughter-in-law and tries to get her to give up the booze, go to school and earn a respectable living, but Gloria is stubborn and insists on making it her own way. Unfortunately, her way is to rob a furrier, a front for one of the illicit businesses. Meanwhile, back in Mexico, Eduardo prepares to fly to Spain and complete his latest assignment: to kill Gloria and bring back the valuable list. Fortunately for her, just before Eduardo gets to her, Eduardo sees the light and turns to God instead of killing, but in the end, it is Doña Julia who holds the key to Gloria's final salvation. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi
- 1995
This Spanish drama chronicles the struggles of a gang of amoral hoods to survive in a hopelessly violent urban world. The film open inside a crowded getaway car right after a robbery. In is are three men, a woman, and a blindfolded cop, their hostage. Esteban, a robber, is sure that the cop saw his face and now threatens to kill him. The leader of the gang is Javi. Tono drives, and Alex, a 20-year old woman, tries to calm the hysterical Esteban. The car pulls into a deserted quarry. It is Tono who ultimately shoots the hapless cop. Most of the film focuses upon Alex who sports short hair with the word "void" shaved into the back of her head. Alex is the sole supporter of her parents and two brothers. She earns money by dealing drugs and helping Javi's gang run guns. She yearns for Javi to give the love and affection she has never known, but he ignores her. Alex becomes a body guard to an illegal dog fighter and finds herself in deep trouble when she is forced to kill the two men attacking her client. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi
- 1994
There are many minor occupations in the bullfighting profession aside from the one most people focus on. In this black comedy, Justino (Saturnino Garcia) is a sixty-two year old retired puntillero who lives a carefree life, hanging out at the local bar with his cronies while living with his married son. As a puntillero, his responsibility was to deliver the death-killing blow to bulls in the bullring if the matador failed to do so. One day his son and daughter-in-law irritate him for some reason and he finishes them off the same way and then stores their bodies in the apartment's freezer. After that, just about anyone who irritates him in any way is likely to die, from the policemen who didn't believe him when he confessed to them about killing his son, to a whole houseful of elderly people in an old-age home. ~ Clarke Fountain, Rovi
- Starring:
- Saturnino Garcia
Life and love provides the focus for this Spanish comedy which focuses upon four couples. Pablo, a pessimist, has a new lover. His relationship is very similar to the relationships of his three friends. Though they are all dissatisfied with their mates, none of the possess the courage to change their situations. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi
- Starring:
- Penélope Cruz, Coque Malla, (more)
- 1992
Waging war against all things glamorous and beautiful, crippled terrorists Accion Mutante plot a series of attacks on society's elite, gaining a fearsome reputation before their activities are stalled with the jailing of their leader and mastermind, Ramon. Soon reunited with their newly released leader, Accion Mutante plots the elaborate wedding reception kidnapping of Patricia, a wealthy socialite. Though many die in the botched kidnapping, the gang gets away with Patricia and jumps aboard their spaceship, destined for a distant planet and a healthy ransom. Celebration is short-lived as greed kicks in and Ramon plants the seeds of distrust among his fellow mutants shortly after take-off. With all of the mutants gone sans a vengeful Siamese twin (or at least half of him), Ramon takes his cash cow to the pay-off site, though a curious case of the Stockholm syndrome has thrown an unexpected wrench into Ramon's devious plan. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
- Starring:
- Antonio Resines, Frederique Feder, (more)
- 1991
- R
Vicente Aranda's Lovers is set in Spain, mostly in Madrid, during the 1950s. The story line is reminiscent of Theodore Dreiser's classic An American Tragedy (which was filmed as A Place in the Sun), wherein a passive, amoral, and shallow protagonist inadvertently destroys the lives of two women who love him. The handsome Paco (Jorge Sanz, who also starred in Belle Epoque and has been called "the Spanish Tom Cruise") is a young soldier involved with a virginal maid, Trini (Maribel Verdu of Y Tu Mama Tambien). Trini is saving her money and planning for their wedding, but Paco tells her not to worry, that he will find a job and save money for them. Paco leaves the army, but has trouble finding and keeping a steady job. He ends up renting a cheap room from Luisa (Spanish superstar Victoria Abril, best known for her work in Pedro Almodovar's films), a beautiful and mysterious widow. Before long, Luisa has seduced the sexually frustrated Paco, and involved him in her moneymaking scams. Trini quickly figures out what is going on, and makes a desperate effort to win back Paco's affection. Paco is obsessed with the sexually experienced and voracious older woman, but is unable to break off his long-term relationship with Trini. He attempts to string them both along, with disastrous results. The film was the first of veteran filmmaker Aranda to get a theatrical release in the United States, thanks largely to Abril's star power, and caused a minor sensation with its sexual explicitness, in particular the infamous "handkerchief scene." ~ Josh Ralske, Rovi
- Starring:
- Victoria Abril, Jorge Sanz, (more)
- 1986
The spirit, hopes, and failures of a troupe of itinerant performers in the 1950s create a poignant, humorous leitmotif in this drama by Fernando Fernan-Gomez. The story of the wandering players is told in flashbacks, as Carlos Galvan (Jose M. Sacristan) reminisces about the good times while under therapy with a psychiatrist in a senior citizens' home. Carlos and his lover Juanita (Laura del Sol), his teenage son, his father, and a few other actors try to eke out a living by putting on shows in small towns and villages. No one has very much money, but life is lived to the hilt, and Carlos himself has some pretty tall tales. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, Rovi
- Starring:
- José M. Sacristán, Laura del Sol, (more)
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