Angel Alvarez Movies
In this somber and slow-moving drama, the overbearing mother of six daughters is consumed by the emotional trauma of her husband's death. One daughter is compelled to hang herself when she realizes she will never escape her mother's icy emotional grip. The story is taken from the play by Federico Garcia Lorca. ~ Dan Pavlides, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Ana Belén, Florinda Chico, (more)
- 1981
This is the third film in a sequence that started in 1978, about the Marquis de Leguineches, his hopeless son Luis José, his mistress/servant Viti, and in this instance, a Catholic priest. The Marquis has been living in Madrid since he lost his villa, and when his father-in-law dies, the family gets together and that becomes a catalyst for thinking more directly about their future. This leads to the Marquis' decision to leave Spain with the family's money, yet it will be difficult to cross the border without having their wealth confiscated by the authorities. So the Marquis fakes a broken leg and stashes the wealth inside his cast on a journey to Lourdes to seek a miracle. Unfortunately, France is no more amenable than Spain to the wealthy aristocracy since Mitterand's socialist government has just been elected into power. Between his unwieldy cast, the crazy family members, and the problem of where to go next to keep his fortune intact, the Marquis has a rough time of it. The repartée among the Marquis' family members and friends will entertain most audiences, but the originality of the 1978 family has worn thin by now and will be difficult to stretch into yet another episode in the future. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Luis Escobar, Amparo Soler Leal, (more)
- 1976
In this tragicomedy, loosely based on a tale by Anatole France, Fernando Fernan Gomez plays a man who has locked himself away in the bathroom of his apartment in Madrid after furnishing it with various necessities. In a wan attempt to communicate with the far-distant world, he flushes aspirin bottles filled with messages down the toilet, reasoning that they will reach the sea eventually. After almost a dozen years, one of his messages reaches someone who finds the idea of responding somewhat amusing. The "kept" mistress of a millionaire looks him up, and they have a very brief affair. ~ Clarke Fountain, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Fernando Fernán Gómez, Claude Dauphin, (more)
- 1973
- R
Robert Mitchum's son Christopher heads the cast of this Italian melodrama. Despite the horrific title, the film is actually a Mafia yarn. Arthur Kennedy shows up as a WASP-ish Godfather type, while Barbara Bouchet is the love interest. The presence of Hollywood names in the cast was supposed to create a market for Cauldron of Death in the U.S. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Christopher Mitchum, Barbara Bouchet, (more)
- 1972
Wim Wenders' The Scarlet Letter (German title: Der scharlachrote Buchstabe) may well be the most fascinating of the many screen versions of Nathaniel Hawthorne's 19th-century novel. Though the story is set in 17th-century Salem, Massachusetts, the film was lensed in Spain. Senta Berger is surprisingly well cast as Hester Prynne, whose sexual indiscretions have compelled her to wear the letter "A" (for adultery) on blouse--a symbol of shame to her neighbors, but a strange source of pride for Hester. Lou Castel plays the tortured Reverend Dimmesdale, the man who impregnated Hester but whom has been sworn to secrecy by the self-sacrificing heroine for the "good of the community." Hans Christian Blech portrays Hester's long-lost husband, whose reappearance sets the stage for the wrenching climax. Wenders' interpretation of the customs, behavior and inbred bigotry of the early American immigrants is eye-opening, as only an "outsider's" perception of what we take for granted can be. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1968
This spaghetti western finds a despotic mine owner (Eduardo Fajardo) the target for revenge by the idealistic patriot Eufemio (Tony Musante). He hires Bill Douglas (Franco Nero) to incite a revolution that will oust the government and the greedy miner. Douglas agrees as long as his creature comforts are insured during the crossing of the unforgiving desert. Ricciolo (Jack Palance) is the mercenary working for the side of the mineowner. Ennio Morricone provides the music for this violent and humorous film. ~ Dan Pavlides, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Franco Nero, Tony Musante, (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)
- 1966
Maddalena (Catherine Spaak) masquerades as a heroic male named Teodoro and joins the army to gain insight on men in this costumed comedy satire. She falls for an officer (Tomas Milian) but he is naturally unable to act on his impulses because he believes she is a man. Other men also make passes at her in hopes she is really the man she claims to be. The situation allows for plenty of sight gags and situation comedy from the battlefield to the bedroom. ~ Dan Pavlides, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Catherine Spaak, Robert Hossein, (more)
Sergio Corbucci crafted one of the most popular and widely imitated of the Italian "spaghetti westerns" of the 1960s with this violent but stylish action saga. A mysterious man named Django (Franco Nero) arrives in a Mexican border town dragging a small coffin behind him. When he attempts to save a woman who is being attacked by a group of bandits, he finds himself in the middle of a conflict between Mexican gangsters and racist Yankee thugs, with the innocent townspeople and a fortune in Mexican gold stuck somewhere in between. Django becomes a force to be reckoned with when it's discovered his coffin actually contains a Gatling gun. Django proved so popular in Europe that over 30 sequels and follow-ups were produced, though Franco Nero would not return to the role until 1987's Django 2: Il Grande Ritorno (the only sequel endorsed by Corbucci, which proved to be the last film in the series. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Franco Nero, Loredana Nusciak, (more)
- 1966
In this political satire, a bearded Marxist takes over a Caribbean island, and the rest of the democratic world wants him ousted. To do this, they assign the owner of a razor company to lead a covert operation. He enlists the aide of a sexy stripper. Their mission is to shave the leader's beard so that he will no longer be identifiable as a Marxist. The woman dances her way into the leader's boudoir, but soon discovers that his beard is false and the new leader is really the old one in disguise. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- 1965
The business of death provides the framework for this black comedy about a mortician's assistant who wants to marry an executioner's daughter. Her father really wants to change professions, but cannot, as he will lose his new government-sponsored apartment. The young man is persuaded to take over the job, but he swears he will quit before he must kill someone. Unfortunately, an execution is scheduled shortly before the beginning of a major carnival, a time when many executions are halted. The bride and groom travel there, hoping the victim will be pardoned, but he is not and the groom must fulfill his duty. Although he swears he will never do another, his face tells another story, and the old executioner knows that many more state-sanctioned deaths will follow. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Nino Manfredi, Emma Penella, (more)
- 1952
Bienvenido Mr. Marshall (Welcome Mr. Marshall) is a comedy predicated on the Marshall Plan, which provided American financial aid to deserving European communities. When two Marshall-Plan representatives announce plans to drive through a small Spanish town on the Iberian peninsula, the mayor, in cahoots with a publicity agent, intends to make as good an impression as possible. As a result, all signs of Western culture are hidden, and the town is transformed into a picture-postcard version of Old Iberia. As the townsfolk await the arrival of the Americans, each citizen conjures up visions (mostly inaccurate) of what life might be like in the good old USA. The satirical thrust of Bienvenido Mr. Marshall was misinterpreted as "leftist" by some observers when the film opened at the Cannes Film Festival. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Lolita Sevilla, Alberto Romea, (more)
