Festival program writers and film reviewers have been rather free in comparing the new Spanish horror movie Musarañas (Shrew’s Nest) with Misery, the 1990 feature that presented Kathy Bates as an obsessed fan tormenting her favorite novelist, James Caan. Yes, there is a man held captive through much of Shrew’s Nest, but the best point of comparison is not the excellent Stephen King adaptation directed by Rob Reiner from a screenplay by William Goldman that focused on celebrity obsession and fan expectations that straightjacket artists who try to break from type. There was zero sexual tension in Misery between Bates and Caan, except for those who consider ankle breaking a form of foreplay. Shrew’s Nest, by contrast, is heavy with sexuality, even if unfulfilled or absolutely forbidden. (more…)
Posts Tagged ‘Álex de la Iglesia’
Musarañas (Shrew’s Nest) Review
Posted: October 19, 2014 in 2014 London Film Festival, Foreign, Horror, ReviewsTags: Álex de la Iglesia, Carolina Bang, Esteban Roel, Hugo Silva, Juanfer Andrés, Macarena Gómez, Misery, Nadia de Santiago, Spanish films, The Beguiled
Las brujas de Zugarramurdi (Witching and Bitching) Review
Posted: April 19, 2014 in Foreign, Horror, ReviewsTags: Álex de la Iglesia, Carmen Maura, Carolina Bang, Comedy, Horror, Macarena Gómez, Movies, Spanish films, Terele Pávez, Witching and Bitching
It’s a safe bet that filmmaker Álex de la Iglesia is in complete agreement with the famous Oscar Wilde quote: “Moderation is fatal. Nothing succeeds like excess.” No two sentences could better describe de la Iglesia’s approach in his latest film, Las brujas de Zugarramurdi (aka Witching and Bitching), a frenetic visual and linguistic exercise in the extreme. Over-the-top is the movie’s starting point, and the Spanish director is hellbent on ratcheting up the absurdity at every opportunity. While ultimately the film suffers from being too much of a good thing – a trim of about ten minutes from the 104-minute run time would be in order – the picture is so original, the cast so committed, and the production design so much fun that the experience is as irresistible as the English language title.
Meet Mr. Karma 