Pablo (Emilio Gutierrez Caba) is in love with Dominique (Dyanik Zurakowska) , who he wishes to marry. The girl leads him to a graveyard, where she convinces Pablo that should either of them die , then she will return and will help him to prepare for the afterlife . She leaves Madrid on a vacation in Bretagna , but there things go wrong . Pablo receives a call the next day. It is Dominique.
This is a gothic horror in Italian style more than Hammer-British films . An enjoyable and interesting story of ¨Amor Fou¨ developing itself little by little until a creepy and astonishing finale . An unfairly unknown and undervalued film, "La Llamada" is one of the best horror productions that Spanish cinema has been able to give , thanks to its excellent direction , an outstanding performance by both actors , as their chemistry and complicity is really palpable, all seasoned with an excellent script that fits perfectly in the winter Madrid at the time. Concerning a supernatural story in which young man and his sweetheart
who promise should either of them die, the other will return and help them prepare for the eternity , but then things get awry . Special mention for the successful photography in black and white by cameraman Francisco Sánchez and the perfect atmosphere, which manages to turn such a bustling and booming city into an apparently dead and ghostly one , adding an evocative and intriguing musical score by Anton Garcia Abril . The story rests on the shoulders of a very young Emilio Gutiérrez Caba as the good-looking youngster who is visited by his late girlfriend's ghost and initially pleased by her return, he soon realizes she's trying to lure him again , being one of his first jobs of his long career that continues nowadays , and the gorgeous Dyanik Zurakowska as the attractive girlfriend who dies en route , she's frankly sensational, however she had a short career . Both of whom perfectly represent young people with their whole lives ahead of them, until death leads them down dangerous paths . While secondary Carlos Lemos plays the mature and Víctor Israel plays, as always , a strange guy . Adding other support cast such as Paco Morán and Tota Alba who are magnificent in their brief interpretations as well . To comment that the film had two versions , the Spanish version of 88 minutes that was unfairly treated at the Sitges Festival in 1968, and the one that premiered in the United States with 76 minutes that eliminates the epilogue that gives another twist to the astonishing story .¨The Call¨or
This underrated film competently written/directed by Javier Setó should be a must-see for all those who defend Hispanic fantaterror. Filmmaker Javier Setó was a craftsman who wrote/produced/directed a lot of films in all kinds of genres , such as : ¨Abuelita charlestón¨, ¨Pelusa ,¨Pan, amor y Andalucía¨, ¨Maravilla¨,¨Saeta rubia¨, Ha pasado un hombre¨ ,¨El puente del diablo¨ , ¨Mañana cuando amanezca¨, ¨Duelo de pasiones¨ , ¨Pasaporte para un ángel¨ , ¨Fantasía española¨ , ¨Flor salvaje¨ , ¨Las otoñales¨ , ¨El escándalo¨, ¨Han robado una estrella¨ , ¨El globo azul¨ , ¨El valle de las espadas¨ , ¨Bronce y luna¨ , ¨Mercado prohibido¨, ¨Viaje al vacío¨, ¨Long-Play¨ , ¨Querido profesor¨ , ¨Tabú¨, ¨¡Viva América!¨ , until his early death at 43 .¨La llamada¨(1965) is an offbeat and unusual movie , full of discoveries that one must see twice to appreciate how the supernatural is devouring reality. Rating : 7.5/10 , above average . Essential and indispensable watching for Spanish Gothic fans.
