Review of Rojo sangre

When I started to watch "Rojo Sangre", Jacinto Molina's aka Paul Naschy ("The Spanish Horror Legend") last movie, on a beautiful Spanish DVD transfer, I didn't know I was in for a big and pleasant surprise. I just got "burned" by "Tomb of the Werewolf" (2003), which I couldn't bear for more then 10 minutes and ended up straight into the trash-can. I wasn't sure I should give Jacinto a second chance during the same evening... I'm glad I did! If not his best movie, this is certainly one of his most important works and, for sure, his most personal in many ways. He gets involved here as the leading actor, scriptwriter and I suspect, he also exercised some influence on young and talented Director Christian Molina (no relation to Jacinto), at his first and, so far, only directing experience (lets keep an eye on this fellow). The main character: Pablo Thevenet, an aging and struggling actor, who is not getting jobs anymore, has no money left, is turned down by friends, directors and his own agent, tries to convince an arrogant casting director what a good film and stage actor he was and still is. He starts mentioning movie titles which, in reality, belong to Naschy's own filmography. A part from that, Jacinto Molina is also an "aging actor" in real life. It may break your heart to see, what has become of the guy which, in his prime-time, was an athletic and handsome typical "Macho Latino", as he appeared, for instance, in "Blue eyes of the broken doll". Now he is almost bald, wrinkled and walks with the help of a cane... but, as an actor, believe me, he is alive and kicking big time! Surely he can fully relate to the Thevenet character and understand, better then anybody else, what it would mean, for a once famous actor, loosing his audience and being forced to go from one humiliating and hopeless casting-call to the other, just to survive. This knowledge helped him to craft this complex and powerful character. There is no intention from my side to spoil your pleasure, if you decide to watch this movie, by giving you in advance the whole plot or too many details. I will only say that he keeps sinking towards his final humiliation, until he finally snaps and the inside growing rage pushes him to kill all the scumbags in the entertainment industry, he considers responsible, in one way or the other, for his misery. As a skilled actor, he does it however in a stylish manner, impersonating, one after the other, a gallery of infamous madmen, like Ivan the Terrible, Jack the Ripper, Rasputin and others. He "gets busy", using mainly a precious collection of assorted Japanese sharp blades, just perfect for the gory slashing, but a handgun comes also handy at times. The killings are bloody and brutal but, cinematographically, exceptionally well crafted. Gore-hounds will love them and love this movie. In his descent to the lowest level of dignity, he gets also involved in the production of a "snuff-film". I consider this horrifying and savage sequence being, cinematographically, one of the best of the whole movie. Earlier in the movie, he signed a "Contract" with a bizarre character named Mr. Reficul (read it backwards...does a bell ring?), who offered him a humiliating but well rewarded job. This will be the starting point of his brutal career as a deadly agent of the Dark Side. A part of Naschy's acting performance (which I consider superb), it is worth to mention a young fellow named Miguel del Arco, who delivers a remarkable mean-spirited performance as Mr. Reficul. The dialogs are clever and, sometimes, very amusing. Right in the opening scene, Thevenet gives to a friend a detailed description of an odd sexual-aid technique he finds quite effective..... His friend is embarrassed to death and his face shows it all. This monologue is absurd but Naschy is capable to make it sound almost logical and perfectly acceptable. The scene is a blast! Beware, unless your copy has subtitles (avoid dubs at all costs), you need to be in full control of the Spanish language, to completely appreciate the dialogs and the movie in his entirety. The cinematography and the visuals are awesome. Director and cinematographer have probably seen Argento's "Suspiria" and Bava's "Kill, Baby Kill" and have learned the lesson. They successfully apply all the technical marvels available from today's technology, to create a kaleidoscope of dizzying chromatic visuals, in which "reds" and "yellows" provide an extra kick, during the most atmospheric and dramatic sequences. The camera moves rapidly, morphing from one sequence to the next, the accurate and swift editing ads tension, all this supported by an appropriate and atmospheric original soundtrack. To me this is a highly recommendable stylish and gorgeous "fantastic-horror" movie. So please, grab your pop-corn (or cup of Spanish Brandy if you prefer), sit back, relax and go for the ride but please, don't forget Thevenet's words, concluding his "El Murillo Movie Award" acceptance speech:"...be very careful with what you sign...!!!" I give it a 9 out of 10.