Since Halloween falls on a Thursday this year, a number may be going for a silver screen #ThrowBackThursday look. We say forego the witch in tattered fabric and zombie makeup, the
Braveheart farmer-look, the endless channeling of Catwoman, the iconic costume Julia Roberts wore in
Pretty Woman,
The Addams Family Uncle Fester, or the monstrous Cruella De Vil… we’ve seen them all before.
On the one day of the year when it’s okay to reveal that wicked, alter-ego, usually kept under wraps, jump ahead of the curve and grab a few ideas by taking a sneak peek at this outrageous trailer by Spain’s most prominent black comedy director Álex de la Iglesia.
De la Iglesia’s latest film,
Witching & Bitching (Las brujas de Zugarramurdi) — slated to hit U.S. theaters in 2014 — centers on a band of thieves trying to flee to France after pinching 25,000 gold rings from a Spanish city. A curse is placed on them, and they fall into the clutches of the witches of the Navarrese town of Zugarramurdi.
Heading up the cast are some of Spain’s biggest film and TV stars, including Mario Casas (I Want You), Hugo Silva (star of MIFF 2012 hit The Opposite of Love) and Carmen Maura (best known for her work in Almodovar’s 80s films such as Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown) and Carolina Bang (The Last Circus).
Most of de la Iglesia’s films have reached cult status due to their undeniably dark and outrageous sense of humor, including
Ferpect Crime (Crimen ferpecto) which screened at MIFF 2005 and
The Last Circus (Balada triste de trompeta) which screened at MIFF 2011.
It’s tough to do justice to the brilliant comedic horror of Álex de la Iglesia’s films in mere words, though one could easily say he’s been instrumental in changing the face of Spanish filmmaking. For those with a taste for truly outrageous dark comedy, his films are just the ticket. Trick or Treat?! — Tatyana Chiocchetti
