A few years ago I watched my first Paul Naschy film, a regrettable little turd entitled "Crimson". After several attempts to purge my memory of it, I swore to never watch another Naschy film again (it was my first), just recently I ran across Rojo Sangre, and it intrigued me enough to break my promise.
Rojo Sangre is one of the very few horror films in recent memory that didn't end up as a crushing disappointment for me, in fact it is the *only* horror film in recent memory that actually disturbed me.
The story, such as it is, revolves around aging actor Pablo Thevenet (Naschy) a man mourning a dead daughter, and nursing his wounds after increasingly pitiful attempts to recsuscitate a flaccid career blow up in his face in various humiliating ways. His agent is hardly concerned with Pablo's plight, nor are the youthful and snobbish upstart filmmakers that constantly insult him with the "don't bite the hand that feeds you" routine.
Intro: Mr. Reficul and his Pandora Club. A place where the beautiful people can watch an amalgamation of a BDSM sex show, and Off-Broadway Historical Performance art. Mr. Reficul and his strangely alluring (IMO) transsexual lover, Dora Grizzel, played by Pedro Almodóvar regular, Bibiana Fernández, offer Pablo a job at the Pandora, portraying various infamous figures from the past such as Jack the Ripper, Rasputin, and Gilles de Rais. He chokes back his pride, puts on a happy face, and accepts the job.
Of course the good times don't last long, as Pablo, believing that he is a man of great dignity and integrity (though it is shown right off the bat that he is a bit touched in the head) finds himself increasingly repulsed by his duties as an employee of the Pandora Club and shows his disdain by going on a highly theatrical murder spree!
I'll stop here because while it is completely nonsensical, there is a vaguely original surprise that is churning behind the scenes of Rojo Sangre, and I promise it will catch you off guard to say the least.
This is the first effort by director Christian Molina, and it's something to be proud of. The guy directs with aplomb and the film is simply gorgeous. When the nastiness comes, it comes hard, and Molina provides a "Jack the Ripper" scene that totally upstages anything in the disappointing Alan Moore adaptation "From Hell". For me, the cherry on top is an almost unbearable "snuff sequence" that employs a bloodied, bound girl and a meat tenderizer. Again, Molina directs without pulling back, and thusly pushes your face right into it.
Naschy turns in an affecting, believable, and maybe even personal performance as Pablo Thevenet, creating a simultaneously piteous and creepy individual that you'll be hard pressed to take your eyes off of. It is worth noting that Naschy provided the script for this venture, and in doing so has given me cause to lift my ban on all things Naschy.
All in all, Rojo Sangre is a beautiful horror film with a shaky, rocambolesque third act, that is in the interim, hugely satisfying.
Rojo Sangre is one of the very few horror films in recent memory that didn't end up as a crushing disappointment for me, in fact it is the *only* horror film in recent memory that actually disturbed me.
The story, such as it is, revolves around aging actor Pablo Thevenet (Naschy) a man mourning a dead daughter, and nursing his wounds after increasingly pitiful attempts to recsuscitate a flaccid career blow up in his face in various humiliating ways. His agent is hardly concerned with Pablo's plight, nor are the youthful and snobbish upstart filmmakers that constantly insult him with the "don't bite the hand that feeds you" routine.
Intro: Mr. Reficul and his Pandora Club. A place where the beautiful people can watch an amalgamation of a BDSM sex show, and Off-Broadway Historical Performance art. Mr. Reficul and his strangely alluring (IMO) transsexual lover, Dora Grizzel, played by Pedro Almodóvar regular, Bibiana Fernández, offer Pablo a job at the Pandora, portraying various infamous figures from the past such as Jack the Ripper, Rasputin, and Gilles de Rais. He chokes back his pride, puts on a happy face, and accepts the job.
Of course the good times don't last long, as Pablo, believing that he is a man of great dignity and integrity (though it is shown right off the bat that he is a bit touched in the head) finds himself increasingly repulsed by his duties as an employee of the Pandora Club and shows his disdain by going on a highly theatrical murder spree!
I'll stop here because while it is completely nonsensical, there is a vaguely original surprise that is churning behind the scenes of Rojo Sangre, and I promise it will catch you off guard to say the least.
This is the first effort by director Christian Molina, and it's something to be proud of. The guy directs with aplomb and the film is simply gorgeous. When the nastiness comes, it comes hard, and Molina provides a "Jack the Ripper" scene that totally upstages anything in the disappointing Alan Moore adaptation "From Hell". For me, the cherry on top is an almost unbearable "snuff sequence" that employs a bloodied, bound girl and a meat tenderizer. Again, Molina directs without pulling back, and thusly pushes your face right into it.
Naschy turns in an affecting, believable, and maybe even personal performance as Pablo Thevenet, creating a simultaneously piteous and creepy individual that you'll be hard pressed to take your eyes off of. It is worth noting that Naschy provided the script for this venture, and in doing so has given me cause to lift my ban on all things Naschy.
All in all, Rojo Sangre is a beautiful horror film with a shaky, rocambolesque third act, that is in the interim, hugely satisfying.
