Helga Liné Movies
- 1986
Popular film director Pablo Quintero (Eusebio Poncela) has found a new love in the form of handsome blue-collar Juan (Miguel Molina). Not altogether comfortable with his lifestyle, Juan decides to leave Pablo for a while to contemplate his future. Pablo insists that Juan keep in touch by sending him love letters. Ever the director, he plans to write the letters himself, and have Juan mail them back with his signature. If you think that settles things, you don't know filmmaker Pedro Almodovar. Among the many plot complications in Law of Desire is Pablo's subsequent romance with the possessive Antonio (Antonio Banderas, whose "gay kiss" in the film prompted front-page headlines in the Brazilian press), and Pablo's efforts to film the life story of his sister (Carmen Maura), who started out life as his brother. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Eusebio Poncela, Carmen Maura, (more)
- 1985
This drama about dueling health clubs focuses on Roger (Daniel Greene), who runs a gym called (logically enough ) "Roger's Gym." But Roger is fast losing business to The Rejuvenarium, a health club owned by Marlene (Helga Liné). It seems Marlene is making off with Roger's best instructors and is keeping close watch on his business, possibly using illegal surveillance. The rivalry between the two gyms leads to a hotly contested battle at an aerobics competition, including a "race" on stationary bicycles. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Daniel Greene, Bob Small, (more)
- 1982
Spanish director Pedro Almodovar's films are colorful, sexy, and very funny, and this one is a perfect introduction to his work. An emperor's son, Reza Niro (Imanol Arias), comes to Madrid in disguise and sleeps with Sadeq (Antonio Banderas), an Islamic terrorist with a highly developed sense of smell. Sadeq's group wants to kidnap Reza, who disguises himself as a punk rock singer and falls in love with Sexilia (Cecilia Roth), a nymphomaniac singer for a rival band. There's also a wealthy woman (Helga Line) who wants Reza's sperm for an artificial insemination, a delirious dry-cleaner who sleeps with his own daughter, and other bizarre characters. Almodovar takes delight in intersecting lives, chance meetings, and humor that springs from the strangest of situations. He also has the rare talent of presenting potentially offensive material in such a whimsical and affectionate fashion that no matter what his characters do, the audience loves them as much as he does. ~ Robert Firsching, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Cecilia Roth, Imanol Arias, (more)
- 1981
- PG13
- Add Los Ritos Sexuales del Diablo to QueueAdd Los Ritos Sexuales del Diablo to top of Queue
The American title of this Spanish melodrama suggests that the film has something to do with Satanism. The original Spanish title confirms this: Los Ritos Sexuales De Diablo. You can expect several buxom, barely clothed (if at all) damsels being sacrified on the altar of the Dark Prince. And sometimes, their fates are worse than death, if you get the picture. First distributed in English-speaking countries as Naked Dreams, this 1981 production didn't receive a general US release for nearly ten years. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1979
In this melodrama, Leticia is an upper-class girl who falls in love with an unhappily married tutor, despite the fact that the tutor's wife is her piano teacher. Leticia's father somehow finds out about the attachment between the two and confronts the tutor, who then commits suicide. ~ Clarke Fountain, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Ramiro Oliveros, Jeannine Mestre, (more)
- 1978
- R
China 9, Liberty 37 falls halfway between the Hollywood backlot-western school and the Italian "spaghetti" western genre, borrowing the best elements from both. Fabio Testi plays a gunfighter who is saved at the last moment from a hangman's noose. His liberators are a cartel of railroad men who want Testi to kill farmer (and former hired gun) Warren Oates, who has refused all entreaties to sell his land. As part of the scheme, Testi befriends Oates; on his own volition, he sleeps with Oates' wife Jenny Agutter. When the railroad barons insist that Testi go through with his mission, he refuses, and helps the farmer fight off the train moguls' hired thugs. Also known as Gunfire, China 9 Liberty 37 features a cameo by director Monte Hellman's role model, Sam Peckinpah, who plays a bombastic Ned Buntline-style novelist. And the significance of the title? It's the location of Warren Oates' spread: Nine miles from the town of China, 37 miles from the town of Liberty. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Fabio Testi, Warren Oates, (more)
- 1974
- R
Though no longer fighting in the war, four deranged Vietnam vets continue to enjoy hunting people down and killing them. This violent exploitation drama tells the story of their latest two victims. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- 1973
Spanish director Carlos Aured's fourth and final film with horror star Jacinto Molina (alias "Paul Naschy") stars the cult favorite as the mummy of a blood-drinking Pharoah, as well as his Arab guardian, Oseth Bey. The mummy predictably tracks down those who disturbed his tomb and searches for the reincarnation of his beloved queen (Helga Line) before being roasted alive. There is little inventiveness shown in this routine effort, although the murders are bloodier than usual for the mummy subgenre. Jack Taylor, Maria Silva, and Eduardo Calvo lead the veteran cast. ~ Robert Firsching, All Movie Guide
Spanish horror director Amando De Ossorio, who achieved cult status with the Blind Dead series of Knights Templar zombie films which began with La Noche del Terror Ciego, takes on the legend of the Lorelei in this disappointing effort. Helga Liné is the mysterious siren who turns into a silly-looking reptilian horror by night and rips out the hearts of nubile victims at a girls' school. Luciano Stella (aka Tony Kendall) is the virile guard in tight pants, who falls in love with the Lorelei long enough to visit her underwater cave. ~ Robert Firsching, All Movie Guide
This Spanish horror film (which has developed a cult following among Eurotrash enthusiasts) follows a group of itinerant workers who travel to a small village where they've been told domestic workers are in great demand. However, when their bus driver dies along the way, several begin to suspect that something odd is going on, and while the new arrivals are welcomed with open arms, enough seems amiss that many of the group are certain of foul play. As it turns out, the newcomers have every right to be suspicious, as they've been lured into a village populated entirely by hungry cannibals and thirsty vampires. Orgy of the Vampires was directed by Leon Klimovsky, who also helmed several of Paul Naschy's werewolf outings, with Jack Taylor in the leading role. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jack Taylor, Dianik Zurakowska, (more)
Spanish horror star Jacinto Molina, best known as Paul Naschy, stars in this bloody horror film from gore specialist Carlos Aured. Molina plays a knight who is decapitated and whose wife is cut in half, cursing his descendents when they come to the old mansion looking for his head. The knight's head is rejoined to his body, his wife (Cristina Suriani) is revived, and much mayhem follows. A maid has her head lopped off with a sickle, Suriani rips flesh from a man's back during sex, and zombies emerge from a nearby lake. Aured throws everything but the kitchen sink into this violent pastiche, but the engaging cast (including horror regulars Helga Line, Emma Cohen, and Vic Winner) and some creative touches make it worth seeing for Naschy devotees. One of the best Spanish horror films, this was the first effort of the nascent Profilmes production company, which turned out numerous genre efforts over the ensuing years. ~ Robert Firsching, All Movie Guide
This horror science-fiction thriller, a cult favorite, takes place in 1907. Professor Caxton (Christopher Lee), a fossil-hunter has discovered some sort of pre-human creature frozen in ancient Manchurian ice. He is traveling to London with his find on the Trans-Siberian Railway and is horrified to discover that his frozen man is missing, and corpses and zombies are appearing all over the train. It turns out that the frozen specimen is an alien with some unusual powers. The combined forces of Professor Caxton, his rival Dr. Wells (Peter Cushing), and a Cossack captain (Telly Savalas) are needed to save the world from this monstrous being. Skillfully told, with a good dose of humor, this film also features the train which appeared a year before in Nicholas and Alexandra . ~ Clarke Fountain, All Movie Guide
This Spanish-produced vampire weirdness was initially released in the U.S. as Saga of Dracula, then retitled Dracula: The Bloodline Continues for its video release. Narciso Ibáñez Menta plays the aging Count, who fears that his spineless male offspring is ill-suited to vampirism and is, therefore, an unworthy heir to the House of Dracula. He turns his attention instead to his pregnant niece, with the intention of transforming the unborn child into a vampire, but his efforts cause the baby to be stillborn. This does not sit well with the niece, who sets out on a campaign of attrition against all vampires -- including just about everyone in her family. All is not lost, however, as the child is not entirely down for the count (no pun intended). This film features some of the flamboyant cheesiness and gothic flair that added a touch of charm to so many Spanish hack monster films of the '70s (e.g. the complete works of Paul Naschy), with some surreal dream sequences and plenty of sex and gore on display. ~ Cavett Binion, All Movie Guide
- 1972
This Spanish language film centers on the search for the pieces of a treasure map and what people will do to get them. ~ All Movie Guide
- 1971
This unwieldy Spanish drama tells the story of what happens in a conservative country region, sometime in the past, when the new director of a home for mentally deranged women attempts to bring more modern and humane methods to the management and treatment of his charges. The staff and the neighboring villagers and officials resist his changes, considering them no better than witchcraft. He has some success with his patients but cannot make headway with those who hired him. When he leads his charges through the village as a form of protest march, his days in charge are over. ~ Clarke Fountain, All Movie Guide
- 1970
This bunch is none other than the Merry Men of Sherwood Forest and their feisty leader, Robin Hood. This is a '70s release of the often-played Robin Hood story. ~ All Movie Guide
- 1970
- R
Inspired by the spaghetti westerns, Giuliano Carnimeo's Buon Funerale Amigos, Paga Sartana concerns a tough man who cleans out the bad guys in a town with the help of his trusty rifle. ~ Perry Seibert, All Movie Guide
- 1970
Nazis are threatening, and only a squad of British commandos can stop them. ~ All Movie Guide
- 1969
- R
Before making the string of cannibal adventures which made him notorious, Umberto Lenzi directed three kinky giallo thrillers starring Carroll Baker (Baby Doll). This one is a bisexual round-robin, in which chemist Jean (Jean-Louis Trintignant) is married to Danielle (Erika Blanc), a lesbian who may be sleeping with Baker, who may in turn be sleeping with Trintignant. Baker is being stalked by a mysterious killer, Helga Line might be sleeping with any of them, and then there's Horst Frank, who may or may not be the killer. Everyone wants to kill everyone else, as in Trintignant's previous La Morte Ha Fatto l'Uovo (1967), and although it may not be quite as all-out bizarre as that film, its' still a lot of fun for genre fans. ~ Robert Firsching, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Carroll Baker, Jean-Louis Trintignant, (more)
