twist of fait accomplis

Anguish, 1986 (aka Anguista)
Director: Bigas Luna
Availability: Medium (on DVD (review contains spoilers you may not want to read until after you see the movie) from Anchor Bay Entertainment)

Like the first link above says, this is one of those movies that's better the less you know about it. So I'm going to try and convince you to watch it without giving away plot points.

When this movie was originally released, it came with warnings about subliminal messages, probably from the early scenes with Zelda Rubenstein (Poltergeist, Skittles commercials) and Michael Lerner. But it's not the subliminal messages that screw with your head: it's the filmmaking. The twists and turns throughout the film will keep you guessing and recounting previous scenes. It's like a Spanish (though shot in English) verison of Demons, but with less gore and more psychological horror.

From the first moment I saw this movie as a teenager on late night Cinemax, I knew it was one of those quality horror films that even most hardcore horror fans were unaware of. In that sense, I've always felt like Anguish was my find. I even had the movie store at the Pennsauken Mart (who always had the coolest horror movies) order a special copy for me on VHS back in the day.

And, yes, I had a crush on Talia Paul, the young lead actress whose only other roles were bit parts in the 1995 Born to be Wild and the 1996 AIDS drama It's My Party. But wait just a minute! Through the magic of the web, I see she's now a songstress! Kick ass.

Anguish is a solid horror film from an established Spanish arthouse director that's well worth checking out for its unique, er, look at life.