Julio Fernández Movies

Jaume Balaguero and Paco Plaza return to scare the pants off of audiences once again with this follow-up to their Spanish chiller [REC], which centered on a trapped TV news crew in a quarantined apartment building whose inhabitants are infected with a virus that turns them homicidal. ~ Jeremy Wheeler, All Movie Guide

Like its predecessor -- the 2006 Hairy Tooth Fairy -- this Argentine children's film combines CG-animated characters and live-action human actors. It continues the tale of Perez, the sweet-natured, talking mouse whose nighttime job involves slipping into the bedrooms of young children, collecting the baby teeth under their pillows, and depositing coins in return. But that only represents half of his obligations; during the day, he works on a pearl ship, and the demands of two careers threaten to push him to the brink of exhaustion. Then, one night, Perez risks being found out when he slips into the room of Lucas and discovers that the little boy is both awake and waiting for him. With no other options, Perez waits for Lucas to fall asleep, and dozes off himself; he's then discovered by an attractive female mouse, Lola, who lives in Lucas' residence. The two escape from the bedroom together and forge a fast bond, and Lola teaches Perez salsa and bachata dancing; meanwhile, a vile show business producer named Gil Penkoff devises a crazy scheme that involves capturing Perez, making a spectacle out of him, and turning a profit off of him. To accomplish this goal, Penkoff strikes a deal with Lucas, so eager to catch a glimpse of Perez that he agrees to set a trap for the poor mouse the next time one of his teeth falls out. ~ Nathan Southern, All Movie Guide

Folks are literally dying to make room in a desirable neighborhood in this black comedy from Spain. Madrid's once-decaying Chueca district has suddenly become fashionable with gay couples looking for flats in vintage-style buildings, and Victor (Pablo Puyol) is a real estate agent determined to make the most of the neighborhood's new profitability. However, a number of choice properties are currently home to elderly women who've lived there for decades and have no intention of moving. Victor isn't about to let a little thing like uncooperative tenants stop him from signing new leases with wealthy clients, and at night he becomes a bloodthirsty killer, murdering old ladies and renting out their now empty flats. One gay couple who've already been living in Chueca are Leo (Pepon Nieto), a driving instructor, and Rey (Carlos Fuentes), who is between jobs. Leo and Rey are flabby, middle-aged and not in step with Chueca's new image, which has already made them a target in Victor's eyes, but when Rey's harridan mother Antonia (Concha Velasco) moves into the building, their days could well be numbered. Chuecatown was the first theatrical feature from writer and director Juan Flahn. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide

Timothy Hutton (Ordinary People, Made in Heaven) stars in the direct-to-video psychological thriller The Kovak Box. He portrays David Norton, a novelist and control freak who builds his life around the strategic manipulation of his characters and storylines. But suddenly, Norton watches his own life spin rapidly out of control when he is plunged into a bizarre series of events. Upon arrival in an exotic Mediterranean locale for a business conference, Norton receives the devastating news that his wife just received a mysterious phone call and subsequently threw herself from the balcony of their apartment building. One at a time, each of Norton's friends and family members suffer from the same inexplicable fate. The author then searches desperately for answers and an escape from this black hole of terror, as the world closes in around him. ~ Nathan Southern, All Movie Guide

Inspired by a series of brutal, true life murders that shocked citizens of Buenos Aires at the turn of the 20th Century, director/screenwriter Jorge Algora's horrific thriller centers on a ten year old boy suspected of being a sadistic killer. The year is 1912, and the town of Buenos Aires is being held in the icy cold grip of fear. Ten year-old Mateo (Juan Ciancio) has been experiencing a disturbing series of extremely vivid visions that would seem to suggest that he witnessed the killings firsthand. When word gets out about Mateo's strange case of second sight, many of the locals begin to suspect that it is actually he who is committing these unspeakable acts. Meanwhile, as the body count continues to rise, Mateo's mother Estela (Maribel Verdú) enlists the aid of forensics specialist Dr. Soria (Chete Lera) in finding a rational explanation for the visions and helping the skeptical Police Inspector Petrie (Daniel Freire) locate the real killer in hopes of proving her son's innocence. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide

A lonely orphan sheds his fear of the dark by taking an illuminating journey into the realm where nighttime truly comes alive in co-directors Adrián García and Victor Maldonado's imaginative animated lullaby. By day, Tim experiences the same small joys and minor disappointments of most other children his age; it's only when the sun falls over the distant hills that the otherwise carefree orphan feels truly alone. Tim has a paralyzing fear of the dark, a fact that his fellow orphans take cruel advantage of at every opportunity. One night, as the shadows begin to lengthen over Tim's bed once again, he climbs up onto the rooftop to gaze at the nighttime sky. In the distance, a falling star crashes to the ground, and the concerned youngster begins to fear that somewhere in the heavens the universe has come undone. Accidentally tumbling into the nocturnal abyss, Tim is quickly rescued by a gruff beast known as The Cat Shepherd and plunged into a world known as Nocturna -- where wondrous creatures engineer the night with otherworldly precision. Supervising the nightly operations is the java-fueled Mr. Moka, who welcomes young Tim and introduces him to the various characters that help to ensure that the midnight hours run smoothly. Now that Tim understands just what makes the clock tick through the wee hours, he may finally be able to overcome his fear of the dark after all. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide

When a poorly paid departmental assistant and economics teacher wins a general knowledge contest that pays the biggest prize ever offered in the history of television, he finds himself reconsidering the views he previously imposed on his students and fellow faculty members in director Rodrigo Cortés' dark comedy. Martín Circo Martín (Leonardo Sbaraglia) has just won three million Euros on a television quiz show, but as always there's a catch: Martín's sizable cash prize will be received as "payment in kind." Of course it doesn't take Martín long to realize that he can't really afford to enjoy his winnings, and that being wealthy can cost a pretty penny. Later, as economic illusions, unsavory banking schemes, a parasitic sycophants begin to take their toll on the increasingly cynical Martín, the winner gradually finds himself assuming the role of economic dissident. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide

A handful of soldiers are faced with the ultimate temptation, which impacts their ethical standards in different ways in this comedy-drama from Colombia. Perlaza (Carlos Manuel Vesga), Lloreda (Diego Cadavid), Venegas (Juan Sebastian Aragon) and Porras (Manuel Jose Chaves) are four G.I.'s in the Colombian Army who are part of a counter-guerilla unit dedicated to ferreting out revolutionaries who've set up camp in the nation's jungles. Porras is married and a dedicated family man, while the others are single and like to party hard when they're not on duty. While cleaning up after they're ambushed by guerillas, one of the soldiers makes a surprising discovery -- several tubs buried in the jungle which hold $40 million in cash, hidden by drug kingpins in cahoots with the guerillas. While Porras predictably maintains they should leave the money alone and tell their commander Lizarazo (Marlon Moreno) about it, the others want to take the fortune for themselves. However, hiding $40 million from Lizarazo proves to be a difficult task, and spending the money without drawing attention to themselves isn't much easier. Directed by Rodrigo Triana, an established name in Colombian television, Sonar No Cuesta Nada (aka A Ton Of Luck) was based on a true story and became a major box-office attraction at home when it opened as its real-life counterparts were on trial. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide

A bloody trail of mutilated corpses leaves a remote village frozen with fear in this full moon tale of terror starring Julian Sands and directed by El Segundo Nombre's Francisco Plaza. When authorities discover a number of bodies bearing wounds of surgical precision mixed with savage gashes deep within the nearby forest, the citizens of Allariz vow never again to set foot in the dreaded woods. Though a wandering soap vendor named Manuel Romasanta has confessed to the crimes claiming that he used the fat of the victims as the foundation for his deep cleansing skin care products, a deeper investigation reveals that Romasanta may in fact be suffering from the curse of lycanthropy. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide