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800 balas (2002)
A True Tribute to the Western by the industry of La Pelicula Española
Clint Eastwood made history in La Tierra Española, when he made his three Films of Fistfull of Dollars and A Fistfull of Dollars More as well as The Good, The Bad, & The Ugly; with those Films being made in Provincia de Almeria, and at a place called "Texas/Hollywood" today. Clint used a Poncho that he wore every day and night when he made Fistfull of Dollars and lost a bit of weight in that moment, of which Clint also left so many memories in this immortal part of Andalucia as a Region and Land of La Tierra Española, or Tierra de Iberia as it is also called. The fame of these Films and "The Magnificent 7" as well as Patton, which were also made in Almeria, made ALex de La Iglesia want to make this classic Film, with the tale being about the Stuntmen and what they face when they are forgotten and have to just live on the Tourists who come. The tale is innocent for it is about a Child who dreams and wants to know about his Father and runs away to see his Grandfather, but his Father is really dead for he died in a horrible accident while making a Film. His Grandfather is a drunk and washed up person, but the comic feel of the tale and the crazy life that these Misfits live, gives you the idea of how surreal the world of Almeria is, especially when instead of hearing songs of Cowboys in a Bar one hears Hondo Sevillana, which is the traditional music of Andalucia; while others may hear Castillano but not the type of that is spoken in Texas or Mexico, for instead one hears the strong Lisp Andaluz as well as the Gypsy Dialect of Iberia that is Callo. The town of Almeria is similar to those of Peru and the Andian highlands of Argentina, with the comedy of the town being that when Los Muchachos of Texas/Hollywood drive into the town they always crash into the makeshift wooden steps of this one old woman, and smash it to pieces while still driving away. This Western even has a full out Battle and a Shootout in between two rivals, when it also has Brothel Girls and a trek with the heroes being on Horseback and riding down the highway from Malaga, where the Grandfather is incarcerated at one time for theft. In the end, the Grandfather dies tragically and a funeral occurs where he is buried next to the makeshift wooden Church of Texas /Hollywood, in which all who loved him are at his funeral, as well as those who tolerated him but hated him; and one tall man is there whose face one does not see, but in the end one sees that it is to be someone as Clint himself, but it is a Spaniard actor who looks like him. I adore this Film and it is an amazing tribute to how and where those grand Westerns were made at Almeria.
A.T.M.: ¡¡A toda máquina!! (1951)
Pedro Infante and Luis Aguilar, May they Live on Forever !!!
Pedro Infante was a hero, and he made the Motorcycle Cops of el Distrito Federal as Movie Stars, with that being in this Film. ATM or A toda Maquina was also the Film that made Harley Davidson more and more legendary in Mexico. Luis is a Motorcycle Cop who is accepted in the Acrobatic Corps that performs death defying stunts in front of the public at Plaza Mexico at the end of the Film. He befriends a Homeless man who was in Jail for supposedly killing his Girlfriend, when he is also a Jinxed man where horrible things happen to his Loved ones. They suddenly end up being Roommates and a true Odd Couple for Mexico, but long before Niel Simon made his legendary Play. They get themselves in crazy situations where Luis has a Girlfriend and he broke from her, with him having many Girlfriends and one of them is connected with Gangsters, where they threaten Luis, and he has his now Roommate suffer the Blows by the Gangsters after he talks to that same Girl and is set up for trouble. A horrible fight takes place after Luis is confronted by all of his Girlfriends in a horrible fight with them, and both are arrested and then they still have to face one another for they became Partners in the Police Force; after because of sympathy the Commander gives Pedro Infante's character who is named Pedro a chance of becoming a Motor Cop. On more than one occasion both do amazing stunts on their Motocycles, in which Pedro first tries to con himself into getting a Job as a Motor Cop by saying that he was a Nephew of the General of the Police Force in el Distrito Federal; and almost goes to Jail as his farce is discovered. He is given instaid the Job of " Barrendero" or Sweeper, for the Barracks, but in time he becomes a Motor Cop. Both Luis and Pedro who cant stand one another, sing songs of love or Rancheras as well as the legendary Parece Que Va Llover, where they sing it on their Motorcycles while riding through the countryside of the then open space surroundings of Ciudad de Mexico, that no longer exist. The film at least ends with them becoming friends after a near death experience, and that is a good way of ending the story for despite so much that they have gone through they can not live without one another.
Muñecas de medianoche (1979)
A Mexican version of SOME LIKE IT HOT.
1979 was a year that would be forever considered BIG in Movie history, and the film of Muñecas De medianoche was one of the many Films that were released in that year, in which this film was to be one of the four that would make Sasha Montenegro a household name, of which the other two were Bellas De Noche and Las Ficheras, while Noche De Cabaret and Las Cariñosas were also huge films for her as well as Pedigrina. This film was made with a great cast and a fantastic setting, in which the film is considered a classic of all time, although in the U.S it would be considered as an NC17 film for its time, due to it showing Actresses in full Nude settings.
The film begins with a Cabaret setting that is also a Dance-floor setting with a Disco light floor that reminds many of Saturday Night Fever, when the music is Tropical and that of Puerto Rico's Rafael Fernandez, with the music in the whole film being that of this by then passed on composer, and it being performed by a great Orchestra named La Sonora Santanera. The story is really based on a man of wealth who is told by doctors that he has Cancer and is dying, when his best friend is a salesman who helps him try to con the Insurance companies about a fake suicide. When it is discovered that our hero is not dying he finds out that the man who is an American that they talked to is a Mafiosi, with strange accidents occurring to them once they try to sneak their way out of this mess. In the end the two have to disguise themselves as women and rent an apartment in a section of el Distrito Federal so they can hide out, and a Brasilera blonde befriends them with her giving our hero a job as an assistant to a Dancer at a Cabaret that is named "Las Muñecas". The hero is played by Jorge Rivero and his friend is played by Rafael Inclan, in which the dancer is Sasha Montenegro and is named Gina, and she first comes out in the film doing an amazing dance in a pool of water, with Vegas type Girls dancing around her as well as almost all naked Guys. The amazing thing about the story is that of how Inclan suddenly turns transvestite and comfortable as a Gay man, with " El Loco" Valdez whom is the father of Cristian Castro playing the role of the mad lover falling for the woman who is really Inclan. Sasha's character tells our hero that she started failing as a Model, and the Commercial was that of a Brandy where as she never drank any alcohol before she was totally drunk after three tries in the making of this Commercial where she was dressed up as Maria Antoinette; in which she is on the floor and throwing the glass that she drinks on the floor and shattering it, when then she raspberries. It turns out that the American Mafiosi is fooling Sasha's character in being an Italian and wanting to marry her, but in reality she wants to find a Rudolf Valentino and be with him, so from then onwards out hero tries to find a way in being Valentino for her. In the end he sneaks into her room and makes love to Sasha's character, but then he reveals to her that he is her assistant, and the poor girl becomes furious and gets out of bed stark naked, but then he tells her the story and the next day confronts the American who was not a Mafiosi at all but a true Con Man and that those strange accidents were just coincidences.
There are side stories that are as grand as this one, with Carmen Salinas playing the role of a former Girl of the Cabaret who is an alcoholic and is the best friend of the owner of the Cabaret who took over from her late husband; in which the role that Carmen Salinas does in this film always being the same as in so many others, but in different settings of Cabarets. One other story is that of the owner of the Cabaret and Andres Garcia who plays himself, with him doing everything to win her heart and finally winning her but after almost falling to his death from a window via him doing Glass Cleaning; of which although she tells Garcia that he was bad in bed, she tells him later on that he was, in which that is how the film ends. As for Gina and our hero they end up together in his real house, and Rafael Inclan's character continues on the farce of him being Gay and a woman when he runs away from "El Flaco " Valdez who wants to finally become intament to the woman who he supposedly thinks is for real.
Uga Uga (2000)
One amazing Pulp Fiction in a Novela
Fairy Tales are written in many different forms and different ways. Pulp Fictions are quite a setting for a Fairy Tale. Uga Uga is a Pulp Fiction with it telling the story of how an elderly man is searching for his Grandson and how his Grandson was raised by Indians in the Pantanal of Brazil as an Indian. The Fairy Tale features people going through pain and madness, when it also features wild and tipsy characters. There are so many characters to tell, but it is impossible. The one Fairy Tale setting that makes me so close to the story, besides the Grandfather doing all that is possible to find his Grandson and rid non desirables from his house; is that of a Sergeant and his beloved who he would be separated, from because of a cruel and evil Gangster, threatening his family with death if he did not do a dirty act, so the Sergeant faked his death and fled to live in the Pantanal. The pain that drives through his Girlfriend and haunts her always, also makes her strong in wanting to defend the son that she had with the Sergeant, but hid in identity from the world, by posing him as her brother; and that part of the story and the longing for her to see her dear Sargeant again, make me love the Fairy Tale more and more. It is when they find each other not once but twice, once again, that Uga Uga comes full circle in many areas, but as far as the other tales are concerned, they are intermarried, for the Grandfather finds his Grandson via the Sergeant, and his mother marries the Grandfather, but that is a totally different story that must be told by the tale itself; while his brother also marries a tipsy but loving Girl, who's story is connected to a " Runaway Bride" and the Grandfather's house. I recommend Uga Uga on many levels, and as for the scenes of Rio de Janeiro and the Pantanal, that are seen in the Novela, they are as beautiful as the tale itself, which is a tale that is also about the madness of life in Rio.
Moskva slezam ne verit (1980)
A wondrous Novella to inspire others
Films from a Communist nation can be Propaganda, but this is a Fairy Tale and Novella in the idea of so many Mexican Telenovellas that have been shown in Russia. This Film deserved its Oscar, and Vera Alentova as Katya is wonderful, let alone her being a beautiful Lady.
The story begins in Moskva "Moscow" in 1958, and Katya is a student who failed her Finals, and her roommates are Lyudmila and Antonia. This story talks about the decisions that they made at a young life and how they haunted them, as Katya came out Pregnant and Lyudmila married a future Drunk who still cling ed on to her even after they divorced. Antonia married and had children, when Katya raised her daughter Alexandra alone, but longed a relationship. She finds it in a man named Gosha, and falls madly in love with him, but they get into a Fight and for a matter of days Katya is desperate to find him. Antonia's husband finds Gosha, and become the finest of friends, with it ending happily for Katya as her Knight in Shining Armor stays with her forever.
The songs are wonderful and the actresses of Irina Muravyova { who played Lyudmila} and Raisa Rayazanova{ who played Antonia} were amazing. The Film has many scenes of Moskva in many parts of the residential parts of the city, as well as the countryside.
When I think of this Film and as wild as this is, I think of various Bryan Adams songs, for his idea of Songwrighting is romantic and Blues saturated. Russia is a land of Blues through and through, for especially today, Moskva can be as mean as Chicago, and Saint Petersburg is the same, despite their beauty, for Chicago is also beautiful, but cruel; and the trials and tribulations of the three Girls in the story, are a perfect setting for Adams' Songs.