Os Olhos da Cidade São Meus

Before the film even begins, a message is displayed on screen warning you about the possibility of hypnosis and dizziness etc. In my opinion, that's a great way to hype someone up. And with hype, disappointment usually follows. But not with Anguish, this was a really cool little flick.

The flick actually is pretty much two movies in one. I'll only describe the first story, since if I tell you about the second, it's kinda ruining it for you. The initial story follows a son who is being hypnotized and forced into murder by his mother, played by Zelda Rubinstein, the tiny lil paranormal investigator in Poltergeist. It's a pretty simple premise at first, but once the other story kicks in, the movie's tension and entertainment value is severely upped.

The direction and atmosphere is all fantastic, the only minor problems is the acting, it's pretty amateur to a degree. But there are also strong performances as well, the son/murderer did a really good job. And it's killing me trying to recall what I remember him from! And at under 90 minutes, the movie doesn't last too long. Poifect!

It's a rare lil horror flick that should definitely have more of a following. With a cool idea leading the way Anguish is one flick any fan of horror or of our beloved lil Zelda should without a doubt check out.

While the movie was a disappointment, I (like many viewers I'm sure) was stunned by the cameo of the young actor, John Shelly, who played Patti's father. While he was only in the film for about 15 seconds, WHAT AN AMAZING 15 SECONDS IT WAS! Mr. Shelly (no relation to me - my name has an e before the y) in his all too brief moments on the screen indeed ran the gamut of emotions, from a deep brooding, DeNiro-like pathos (though DeNiro pales in comparison) at the thought of his daughter's near brush with psychopathic mayhem, to a charming whimsicality (a devilish smile reminiscent of Gable) when he realized she was in safe hands with the doctor, lacklusterly played by a journeyman actor who beat out Mr. Shelley for the part - no doubt due to directorial malfeasance - AND ALL THIS RELAYED TO THE AUDIENCE MERELY BY HIS REPEATED BLINKING. Through research I have discovered, to my endless bewilderment, that Mr. Shelly did not pursue his acting career, this despite a clamor from Hollywood and the repeated pleas of Copolla, Scorcese, Spielburg, and an endless parade of agents and stars (Meryl Streep apparently camped outside his door for a week before he could get a restraining order). Who can fathom what personal demon made him turn his back on this God-given gift, but the movie-going public has been denied a great star, one who could have brought the peoples of the world together in a ringing affirmation of their common humanity. God Bless You, Mr. Shelley, wherever you are!

I was surprised to see some of the reviews of Anguish (Angustia). I had the opportunity of playing an L.A. cop in the film - it must have been 100 years and 25 pounds ago! As the film seems to have elicited some interest, I'll volunteer some background information.

The film was mostly shot in.... Barcelona, on an obviously shoestring budget. I was initially "signed on" as an ambulance attendant, but either my "delivery" or size turned me into a cop with a couple of lines, learned the same day as the shoot.

The exteriors for the "new movie" sequences were shot on a street created in a large parking lot in the "Zona Franca" of Barcelona. Apparently a stock background depicting Culver City Ca. was shipped to Spain, and a good portion of Barcelona's American cars were used to create the traffic background.

Did I mention the shoestring budget? Most of the scenes I participated in were shot at least twice - from different angles - because only one camera was used.

I don't say this as a criticism - if anything it is a tribute to Bigas Luna, who was able to create a piece of America on the Mediterranean, and to make a number of non-actors seem credible even with speaking roles (including yours truly).

This creepy motion picture ingeniously realized exploring the hypnotic effects of cinema talks about a timid eye clinic intern (Michael Lerner, Omen 4) under the sway of his psychic and authoritarian mother (Zelda Rubinstein, Poltergeister). Hypnotized by swirling spirals and screechy bursts of gleaming wails, the ominous son packs up his surgical tool set and goes out a rampage . Our hapless soon-to-be victims arrive for a view a horror flick only to watch the gore unfold in the audience as well as on screen in which are showing the silent film titled ¨The lost world¨ and ¨ The mummy¨ . As a group of viewers are killed in the form of a screening of a horror movie that brings naturalism to life. As the terror picture shown to the audience gets more and more violent. The spectators (Talia Paul, Clara Pastor) see Lerner carving eyes on screen while a psycho-killer (Angel Jove) obsessed with the movie unleashes his own criminal spree on the unsuspecting spectators and he attacks anyone who crosses her way and soon the place is filled with people killed. The survivors trapped in the theater must fend off attacks of the murderers. At the ending the remaining public start the desperate battle for their lives and eventually, the theatre turns a walled-in trap. Soon it becomes clear that the parallel arguments gather together in deadly synchronization.

The picture is full of suspense,thrills, mystery, and lots of blood and gore .This slick gore-feast is a triumph of style over movie logic. It's packed with overwhelming body count, excessive gore, grotesque killing, and rivers of red blood. This is one of the most original utilization of the movie-within-a-movie with terror argument, such as formerly made Lambert Bava in ¨Demons¨(1985). The picture is smartly designed ,stylishly photographed filming in Barcelona by Civit and with a suspenseful musical score by Pagan . Bigas Luna delivers the terror movie goods with sense of style. He's an expert on murky atmosphere such as proved in ¨Caniche¨, ¨Bilbao¨ and ¨Reborn¨. The picture will appeal to horror buffs and Bigas Luna fans.

After seeing Anguish, I know it will stay in the memory a while as it's not quite like anything else I've seen. However, outside of the central gimmick; there is unfortunately not a great deal to recommend it for. Bigas Luna's film is a horror movie within a horror movie, and as you can probably imagine from that description; it's a completely bizarre and surreal film. The title 'Anguish' seems to be a clue to the order of the day as both segments focus on putting the subjects in a state of anguish with a series of gripping occurrences. The film focuses on John Pressman; an optician with an eye problem and a strange mother. After losing his job, he goes out on a killing spree under the direction of his mother who apparently is using some sort of hypnosis. The spree goes on for a short while and then the film takes a turn for the bizarre as the focus pans out and we find ourselves in a movie theatre with a group of people watching the film we've been watching! However, it turns out all is not well there either, as one of the crowd is a maniacal killer.

The main problem I have with this film is simply that while the central idea is very good, the two segments of the story are actually quite mundane. They're both just your average 'serial killer' stories, albeit one featuring a great deal of eyeball violence. The director clearly wanted to excite his audience and get them on the edge of their seats, and while parts of the film are exciting - I didn't find myself in a state of anguish for the duration. I don't often find myself needing a particular point when it comes to serial killer flicks, but this film just feels a bit too intelligent not to have one. I can only assume that the director wanted to portray something along the lines of the idea that a potential killer could be influenced by what they are seeing on screen; although it's never really brought across. Distinctive performers Michael Lerner and Zelda Rubinstein are the pick of the cast and provide memorable leads. The film does deserve a lot of respect for going out and trying to do something a bit different and even though it doesn't come off as well as it might have; Anguish is still well worth seeing.