Reviews

"La Herencia Valdemar (Valdemar's Heritage) is the first of a two-part story based on tale written by H. P. Lovecraft. It's the last picture of Spanish actor Paul Naschy whom career is linked to terror (specially with his classical character "Waldemar Daninsky". It is a very good film, with many topics of Cthulhu stories but in the good side. Film has two parts, one in present time, when the character of Silvia Abascal has to make a study about the value of an ancient mansion (Valdemar House); the second one is in the 19th century, and explains the origin of the mansion. There are many little things for smiling, as the names of some minor characters or the handle of the staff of Eusebio Poncela character. An interesting point is the fact that the film had no public money, a good exception in Spanish cinema. Secuel of the film is now in post-production.

La celda 211 es una película sólida, que demuestra una vez más que determinados géneros -como en este caso el drama carcelario- no es patrimonio exclusivo de la cinematografía de un único país. Hay que destacar la recreación del colectivo de presos, fiel reflejo de los clásicos modelos de "quinqui", y sobre todo, la magistral interpretación de Luis Tosar como "El Malamadre", y de un Antonio Resines que demuestra su versatilidad. Los puntos oscuros de la cinta se compensan con unas grandes dosis de bien logrado realismo. El "tempo" de la narración está bien conseguido, aunque algunos detalles podrían haberse pasado por alto, como la remembranza que Oliver hace de su vida cotidiana. Altamente recomendable y, en mi opinión, la mejor película española de 2009.

I have a very good remembrance from the original series. I don't know if those remembers will be destroyed if I'd watch again an episode. But I had preferred the idea of David Soul than this horrible picture. Stiller and Wilson are two of the worst actors I ever watched in a picture. Maybe the first could be an acceptable Starsky, but the second made a very stupid Hutch. At last, this is a very good example about how to destroy a good idea. To tell you the truth, I think the film has many good points. Seventies background, for example, is good: cars, clothes, caracterization of support actors... But the big problem is Stiller and Wilson.

In the concept of Hill&Spencer films, "Y si no, nos enfadamos" (Spanish title) is one of the funniest. Plot is designed specially for this actors, and they use all the tricks for they are best known. Unforgettable, the scene of the chorus (a.k.a. "pom pom pom / la la la)and the last battle in the balloons room. One interesting detail about this film is that it was filmed in Spain (more exactly in Madrid) and you can see many spanish support artist like Luis Barbero (well known in last years due to his character "Matías" in "Médico de Familia") or humorist Emilio Laguna (chorus director.) So you must watch this film... o si no, nos enfadamos ;)

This film is a perfect adaptation of PAco Ibáñez characters. Mortadelo, Filemon, Professor Bacterio, The Super, Ofelia, Rompeteños, people from RUE 13 PERCEBE are perfectly represented. Story and development take all the topics of the comic. Pepe Viyuela and Benito Pocino are credible and incredible as the worst couple of secret agent in the history of T.I.A.

In History of Spanish Private Television, this program marks the rising of tabloid television. "Real as life" and under the costume of a sociological analysis, this poor soap opera had the return of a long forgotten tv conductor, Mercedes Mila, and to convert into pseudo-celebrities a one group of freaks every year. Interesting only if you want to explode your voyeour side.

Mazinger Z is the best mecha (big robot) serie. Based on Go Nagai´s famous manga maybe thirty years have been too much for stories and animation, but the concept is intouchable (you can see "Mazinkaiser" if you can watch the S. XXI version of Mazinger, Great Mazinger, Koji, Sayaka, Baron Ashura (Baron Ashler in Spain), Doctor Hell and all the classic robot monsters (Grengus C-3, Baras k-9, Genocider f-9...), but if you want have a remembrance of a glorious past, you have to forgive and forget some details like women role in the serie (Aphrodite-A and Sayaka actions are always futile) and old animation system. On the other hand, you will have lots of

fun, amazing adventures and epic drama... ah! and Boss Borot.

Spanish Animation Company BRB was wellknown in television for this amazing adaptations of The Three Musketers, Around World in 80 days and the legend of gnomes in eighties but in the next nineties, quality of its series felt down until disappear. Sequels of its legendary hits were awful and this Mortadelo y Filemon is a good example of how a good idea can be change into an anodyne an no-charming product. This serie tries to adapt many famous adventures of comic (Mortadelo y Filemon is the most famous spanish comic) of these secret agents but thirty minutes format is very short for this kind of story so much details were not used. Worse than that, music and sound were very very bad and I think that animated films of sixties and seventies with the characters were better than that. Maybe with real actors film someone will try again and give to "Mortadelo y Filemón" the animated serie they have to have.

Sixteen years ago I could watch on spanish public television this serie on saturday evening and i have to say that this is one of the best animated series as good as the best japanese anime. Concept, stories and characters make a solid project. And what about hilarious evil characters? Toady ("Sapito" in spanish translation) Duke Ightorn... Where are now all that original ideas? That´s a good question.

Between the transition time and first socialist government, there was an age undreamt in Spain, and in this time, in all musical tv program were childs singing. Valtuille brothers were two of these childs that liked reading Zipi and Zape comic-books. So in early eighties, they tried to sing dressed as Zapatilla twins and film this movie. Zipi and Zape is the most famous creation from Escobar, a lengedary spanish penciler. They are twins have a great heart but in their adventures they often finish them in punished by their parents, Pantuflo and Jaimita Zapatilla, because they´re not good students as their cousin Sapientin. This film tries to put in the big screen all topics of Zipi and Zape with some cameos of The Incredible Hulk or Charlie Angels but at last, like the comic, the film haven´t had good aging.

"That Man Bolt" is a film situated in that part of videoclubs, far away from new or famous films, and really really far away from classics. I take the box, read the synopsis and look for the cast, no one is known. So, one day I feel very unconscious and rent the film and what is that? A very, very boring film with some pseudo-martial-arts that extende its relaxant effects during two hours. The idea of this film is very, very similar to "Rush Hour 2" (Hong Kong, false money, Las Vegas...) but Jefferson "Hammer" Bolt has nothing to do compared with Jackie Chan martial art style or Chris Tucker sense of humour. Perfectly forgetable.

"Gunan Il Guerriero" is typical picture you see in your video store and think "well, what the hell could be that?" Italy is very known for copying sucessful ideas and well-known films and making awful and stupid sub-products like this but, at last "Gunan" is the kind of film you can laugh and laugh with their actors(?, actresses (?!) and FX (!!): Gunan and his brother (called Gunan, too) are two stone-faces, Gunan´s girlfriend character is only for be nude everytime and fights are... are... well, you must see it for understanding. I have no words.