70's Spanish Horror Part One

THE BLOOD SPATTERED BRIDE
(1972)
Dir - Vicente Aranda
Overall:  GOOD

While the word "tasteful" would hardly be accurate in describing Vicente Aranda's The Blood Spattered Bride, (La Novia Ensangrentada lit, The Bloody Bride) is also hardly the exploitative gore-fest it sounds like and is actually more story-centered than anything else.  There are some heavy and in-your face themes being explored here in the very dialog alone, with misogynistic fears morphing into twisted feminist empowerment via lesbian vampirism.  Cleverly still, much is left debatable.  Was there actually a vampire afoot or were the psychiatrist's more rational theories really what was at play?  Normally in about a hundred out of a hundred and one horror movies, the voice of skepticism is the one the audience groans at because we know we are watching a horror movie.  In the case, such things are more debatable than usual for such Euro-horror fare. On that note, typical bizarreness including an excellent scene on the beach and the genre-standard dream sequences are also present.  The pacing is sluggish and only interrupted by by rather brutal violence and nudity.  Script wise, only a few things do not add up, including the ending and the mysterious dagger that for whatever reason no one can figure out can just be driven out of town or thrown into the ocean at any time to be rid of it.  Out of the many horror films inspired by the Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu story Carmilla though, this is easily one of the most unique and in turn better ones.

A BELL FROM HELL
(1973)
Dir - Claudio Guerín
Overall:  GOOD

A Bell From Hell, (La campana del infierno), was tragically director Claudio Guerín's last film as he died on the last day of shooting by falling from the very bell tower featured herein.  It is a very stylized, borderline giallo affair, be it far more ambiguous though.  Renaud Verley is fantastic as our main protagonist Juan.  That is assuming that we the viewer are not meant to know if we are supposed to root for him or not.  Far from conventionally sympathetic even after performing a handful of heroic deeds, he still comes off as the most untrustworthy, conniving, dangerous, and certainly insane inhabitant of this here Spanish village.  He also appears to be the film's hero and is surrounded by no shortage of equally morale-ugly family members and neighbors.  This morally grey area is certainly intentional and makes for an interesting and strange experience to transpire.  Made a few years shy of the end of Francisco Franco's fascist regime, A Bell From Hell therefor still fell under said reigns censorship laws and does not delve into full-on gore or sexual depravity.  Truth be told though, we are given some wincing real-life slaughter house footage to be warned about.  As can often be the case and certainly the case in the hands of a skilled director like Guerín, such limitations on presentable visuals does in fact produce a more clever and intellectually satisfying result of sorts.  The end of Bell may leave one turning their head like a pug when it hears a funny noise, but as elaborate and far reaching as it may seem, it fits the tone and complements the relative dementia of the whole.

SATAN'S BLOOD
(1978)
Dir - Carlos Puerto/Juan Piquer Simón
Overall:  GOOD

Quick, what's the most natural thing in the world to do after being hypnotized into a Satanic orgy in the wee-hours of the night?  If you answered never mention it again and continue pretending that it was a scene from a totally different movie you were just in then, well, congrats.  You would therefor feel right at home in Satan's Blood, (Escalofrío).  This deliciously 70s and deliciously Euro-horror treat about the Horned-One's loyal minions having their way with a susceptible couple in a creepy house in the middle of nowhere, (where of course the car breaks down, it storms outside, and the phone does not work), is goblet-full of all the cliches occult cinema in this decade often has.  There is male and female nudity, hot oil rub-downs, tons of spoken prayers to the Great Deceiver, occult books, an Ouija board, creepy guys in robes, cartoonishly out-of-key organ music, and fuck it, even a creepy doll.  Also, a good deal of nothing at all makes any sense.  Mostly over the top mess, it is also rather a riot because of it.  Writer/director team Carlos Puerto and Juan Piquer Simón, (the latter of which also co-wrote the even more ridiculous Pieces), crafted a film here that just spirals along into evil and naked, popcorn-munching nonsense.  Which in this case, is a fine thing.