Cris Huerta Movies
This visually inventive French sci-fi/fantasy tale began winning a cult following practically from the moment it was released. Krank (Daniel Emilfork) is a foul, monstrous creature who lords over the inhabitants of a small island; Krank's emotional being is every bit as ugly as his physical personage, largely because he does not have the ability to dream. However, he has developed a machine that can drain the dreams of others from their heads, and he devotes himself to kidnapping children from a nearby harbor town so that he can steal their pleasant dreams. Denree (Joseph Lucien) is one of the children who has been spirited off to the island; Krank discovers that he's an even bigger problem than he imagined when his big brother One (Ron Perlman), a harpoon-wielding mountain of a man, sets out on a rescue mission. Once he arrives on Krank's island, One encounters a brain in a fish tank that has learned to talk, a group of clones who can't decide who is the original, a pair of Siamese twins, an octopus that guides a group of orphaned thieves, and a girl named Miette (Judith Vittet) who says she can guide One to Denree. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Ron Perlman, Daniel Emilfork, (more)
- 1984
Set in a post-nuclear society, Rage concentrates on a band of refugees in search of the elusive-and possibly inhabited--Alpha Base. Tooling about in 1940s-vintage automobiles, the survivors steal a map from the resident villain and embark on a perilous journey. In On the Beach fashion, they learn that the radio signals emanating from Alpha Base are not of human origin. Still, they find an unexpected source of salvation for mankind. Conrad Nichols stars as Rage, head of the ragtag group, while Taida Urruzola is the underclad heroine. The "Anthony Richmond" credited with the direction is actually Tonino Ricci. Completed in 1984, Rage was released in the US two years later. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Conrad Nichols, Stelio Candelli, (more)
Familiar Italian character actor Giancarlo Prete (here using the pseudonym "Timothy Brent") helps a trio of Texas Rangers escort a spy (Karin Schubert) to Mexico in this routine spaghetti Western from Bruno Corbucci who wrote the far superior genre classic Django. Future porn star Schubert has a nude scene, and the cult cast may draw some (co-star Luigi Montefiore later starred as Antropophagus for Aristide Massaccesi), but this one is for devotees only. With Eduardo Fajardo, Cris Huerta, and Carlo Rustichelli, who also composed the peculiarly eclectic score. ~ Robert Firsching, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Timothy Brent, Karin Schubert, (more)
- 1971
In this baroque Spanish horror film, there is no end of nefarious goings-on. A modern Spanish family lives in a capacious castle. One son of the family wants to inherit the castle, so he chains the rightful heir, his half-brother, in the basement. No one is searching for the brother, who is believed to have died in a (faked) car crash. Nor is there anyone to protect the poor, mad mother. Perhaps they are being held in readiness for the family's annual satanic human sacrifice, also conducted in the basement. The supposedly dead brother's fiancee visits the castle for her vacation. Somehow the chained brother is freed and further mayhem follows. ~ Clarke Fountain, All Movie Guide
A priest--a former revolutionary--finds himself the target of a manhunt in a small Mexican town. ~ Kristie Hassen, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Telly Savalas, Martin Landau, (more)
- 1968
In this drama, two Polish brothers escape from a Russian labor camp and try to join the exiled Polish Army in Afghanistan. While awaiting the man who will sneak them over the border, they rent a room. There, one of them falls in love with the landlord's wife, and the other for a local waitress. The Russian secret police are everywhere around them, so every action is taken with great anxiety. The pressure of waiting mounts as the days stretch on. One of the brothers was injured in labor camp and is rapidly losing his vision. The other is struck down by typhoid on the day they are to leave. He must immediately have adrenaline or he will die and so begs the landlord to get it for him. While the landlord is gone, the almost-blind brother makes love to the landlord's wife, and afterwards the guilt-filled wife attempts suicide but is saved by the ailing brother. The landlord returns, and the brothers attempt their escape. The landlord, his wife, the smuggler, and his family go too, but, unfortunately, they are spotted at the border. The brother with typhoid makes one final sacrifice to assure the safety of the others. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Maximilian Schell, Raf Vallone, (more)
- 1967
A handsome prince searches for love in this whimsical fairy tale. Prince Ramon (Omar Sharif) has been pledged to an arranged marriage by the Queen Mother (Dolores Del Rio), but he balks at marrying a woman whom he doesn't love, and rides away on his horse rather than face the altar. While riding in the woods, Ramon is thrown from his mount, and the wounded prince finds refuge at a nearby monastery presided over by Brother Joseph (Leslie French). Unlike most monks, Joseph has magical powers and can fly when the spirit moves him. The Prince confesses to Joseph that he's been unable to find true love, so the monk puts his powers to work; soon Ramon finds himself awestruck by the beautiful servant girl Isabella (Sophia Loren). Ramon and Isabella fall in love, but her status as a commoner would preclude a marriage between them -- that is, until Brother Joseph does some rummaging through his bag of tricks. More Than a Miracle (also released as C'era una Volta and Cinderella -- Italian Style) was Dolores Del Rio's last dramatic screen appearance for 11 years; she was to act in only one more film, The Children of Sanchez. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Sophia Loren, Omar Sharif, (more)
- 1967
This bloody spaghetti western (filmed entirely in Spain) tells the tale of how an Indian (Burt Reynolds), whose entire tribe was slain by Anglo outlaws, gets gruesome revenge upon them. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Burt Reynolds, Nicoletta Machiavelli, (more)
- 1967
Cult filmmaker Massimo Dallamano directed this impressive spaghetti western -- his only foray into the genre -- under the pseudonym "Max Dillman." Enrico Maria Salerno stars as gunslinger Richard Martin, whose hands are destroyed in a battle with outlaw Billy Kane (Marco Guglielmi). Years later, Martin runs a Wild West show, and harbors a fugitive named Ricky Shot (Terry Jenkins), teaching him the art of gunfighting. The vengeful Martin and his protégé eventually track down the ruthless Kane, leading to a surprising conclusion. Luigi Pistilli, Cris Huerta, Antonio Pica, and Venantino Venantini co-star in this stirring revenge film, which also features a dynamic musical score by Egisto Macchi. Filmmaker Romano Migliorini collaborated on the script. ~ Robert Firsching, All Movie Guide
- 1966
This Latin western comedy chronicles the epic saga of the MacGregors, a Scottish clan of ranchers living on the Mexican border, who are in conflict with the local crooked sheriff, the local horse salesman, and a gang of banditos. The trouble begins when the horse trader tries to bilk them on a deal. The brothers begin brawling and are tossed in jail. They are eventually released and discover that the outlaws have taken their horses and find out the sheriff is in league with the rogues and will not help. They then set off to catch the thieves themselves. Unfortunately, they end up captured and can only be saved by their bagpipe-playing daddy. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Manuel Zarzo
- 1966
Set in fourth century Italy, this sword and sandal adventure retells the story of Kurosawa's The Seven Samurai as it follows the exploits of two brothers who gather a gallant group of ex-galley slaves and sail off to the Middle East to enact the downfall of a tyrant. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Tony Russell, Helga Liné, (more)
- 1965
A young boy (Luis Maria Hildago) wants to help the poor by selling his mule and leaving the money in the poor box at the local church. When his friends and the local priest find out about the gesture, they go to great lengths to retrieve the mule in time for the annual blessing of the animals in the town square. ~ Dan Pavlides, All Movie Guide
