Mar,

Thanks for that bit of advice. I will check that movie out. Like I said CRIMEN FERPECTO was funny and you could really see and enjot the Spanish humor there. After living in Madrid for 3 years ansd 4 months, it was like being home again watching the movie and the people interact.

Let's see how many Oscar nods VOLVER gets. It was a great movie to me.

Shawn

I will second mar_arteaga and say that "El Día de la Bestia" is hysterical and just plain goofy. I saw it last year, and since then I have been looking forward to seeing "El Crimen Ferpecto" which is in my Netflix queue right now. (Maybe I should move it up the list!)

Mar,I saw "Lucia y El Sexo" when it came out about 5 years ago but can only recall a few vague details.I remember that Paz's boyfriend was a writer who was working on a book at the time and he kept working on his typewriter at home throughout the entire film.Also it looked like they shot the film in the Baleares Isles(Ibiza or Formentera not sure).The plot was a bit strange but there was mucho sex.

Have not been to the cinema lately but I have been able to catch a few flicks from Spain on TV from time to time.Down here we get a TV channel called Cine Latino(out of Mexico City)on digital cable.This channel broadcasts films from Spain and also from Mexico,Argentina and other Latin American countries.

Hopefully,I'll be able to catch "Volver" before it leaves town

rey-
yes I've seen that Cine Latino channel, which makes me wonder if you have a dish or how you get it? My sister gets that and TVE from her dish, although i like Cine better that TVE.

And yes, there is mucho sexo in "Sex and Lucia" but I thought it was well deserved for the story line. I never thought it was some sorry excuse for some male writer/director to throw alot of sex in the movie for the hell of it, although I have heard comments that it went overboard. The Seattle film fest even banned it. Some people just can't get beyond the sex though, not saying you are one of those people, but I have some friends who thought it was a little too crude. oh well

I still love Medem and my all time favorite movie, which he directed, has got to be LOS AMANTES DEL CIRCULO POLAR...to me that's the best spanish movie ever made and ABRE LOS OJOS soon follows!

Anyone care to share their all time favorites?????

And yes you should see VOLVER!!!

mar
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SPANISH movies that I have seen and loved. I do not know who wrote and directed the movies, so here goes (not in any particular order). I won't go into plots, so as not to ruin the story for anyone interested in seeng these films.

1. El juego de la verdad

2. Nadie conce a nadie

3. El bola

4. Crimen Ferpecto

5. Rencor

6. En la ciudad sin límites

7. Gente pez

8. Volver

9. Atame

10. La mala educación

11. Roma

12. El habitante incierto

13. Cachorro

14. Te doy mis ojos

(I have to admit that I am surprised at the number of SPANISH films that I am seeing on HBO Latino. Glad to know that my link to Spain continues.)

LATIN AMERICAN films thaty I have seen and loved and once again, not in any particular order.

1. Como agua para chocolate

2. Amoresperros

3. La increíble y triste historia de la Cándida Eréndira y de su abuela Desalmada (Short film)

4. Buenos Aires 100K (About young kids coming into their sexuality)

Let's see what other people have to say, and please let's not limit this to just Spanish movies. Any good movie that you have seen either from Spain or Latin America? Let's share.

Saludos,

Shawn

shawn where are you writing from??? if in the US, how are you viewing spanish shorts???

Mar,

I saw the short film while I was studying at the Universidad de Costa Rica. I am quite sure that these films can all be purchased on Amazon or some website for a decent price.

If I am not mistakened, I think the film (Cándida Eréndira) was less than an hour long.

LINK OF SHORT FILMS IN SPANISH

Saludos,

Shawn

I finally got to see the film and I certainly enjoyed it.I thought Penelope performed and looked superbly,she had me mesmerized.

There were a lot of funny moments too and I loved it when Penelope sang "Volver",an oldie tango classic by Carlitos Gardel.For those of you who don't know about him,he was a great tango singer from Argentina who died tragically in a plane crash in the 1930's while in the midts of a brilliant career.He is considered by many as the greatest tango singer of all time.

All the other ladies performed very well also and it was good to see some parts of Toledo and Madrid where the film was made.

From a male point of view,just looking at Penelope was worth the price of admission.Ay mami!

There was a review of VOLVER in the Richmond Times-Dispatch and it was just average. They said that those who like Almodóvar wouldn't like this movie as much, but that it would be a great introduction to his movies. the person who worte the review showed that she has no contact with Spanish culture at all.

It's hard to describe the movie to anyone who hasn't been to Spain and what it's like. The person also said that the movie was about Penelope Cruz's breasts, to which I disagree.

Shawn

My Mom just told me that she'd gone to see "Volver" yesterday in central Ohio. She went to the first Saturday show at 1pm and said:

So, at least SOME midwesterners have been "exposed" to Almodóvar's movies. And tonight's (Sunday) "The Goya Awards". Can't wait to watch.

I was in VIPS on Thursday just DVD shopping and saw "Volver" marked down from 19.99 to 14.99 Euros. I was tempted to buy it and still might someday soon.

Saludos, MadridMan