Mexican soapy melodrama set wields so-so results
"Well, again VS scores in terms of bringing attention to a film making auteur that I had never heard of. The slipcover looks very nice, there's a booklet and the audiovisual side is, again, very nice considering the obscurity of this stuff. What about the films? Death On The Beach : David is a bit of an odd young man : he's intelligent, handsome yet being domineered by his mother to finally find a young girl to have as a girlfriend while at the same time having somewhat of an attitude and being cruel to his deaf and mute servant. The reason for this behaviour lies in a trauma that happened on school some years ago and which has turned him in the wrong direction of life, even more so when he turns out to be a killer. Just like David the film is odd in its mixing of different elements and styles. There are shots in this film that betray the eye of an auteur filmmaker. Then there are sequences that wouldn't be out of place in a daytime soap opera. It makes the viewer keep on his toes as they don't know how to react on what happens next. The film opens with the most gruesome murder (and a certain detail immediately gives away the crux of the mystery surrounding David's character) yet at the same time also uses beach imagery and music as to feel like a vacation snapshot. The dialogue can be quite direct and frank about David's sexual orientation. There's clearly a heart for LGBTQ here while, again, at the same time exhibiting a view upon those matters that wouldn't fly anymore today. Hell, David admits that a male teacher raped him and that he liked it! The actual assault is shown in a dream sequence that's quite touching and, again, at odds with some of the other tonal moods in the rest of the film. It's clear that David's murderous intent comes from this trauma but it's hard to feel too much sympathy with this cruel character. Also, I have to admit laughing out loud during some of the more unbelievable plot developments. Basically, David murders 2 men (who tried to blackmail him) and 1 girl (who was paid by his mother to deflower him), all by making them fall on the cliffs or out of a window, yet everyone keeps lamenting that those were accidents. The (erotic) imagery of the human form focuses on both female and male bodies, especially the latter. It goes so far as to have a character, for no reason at all, being completely naked while locked up in a cell. Those looking for gore in this slasher/melodrama hybrid can go look elsewhere as the special effects are almost non-existant. It's the context of the film and all the peculiar details (and the sometimes surprisingly visual panache) that make it very interesting to watch. I sure can't see something like this being made in the United States with its overtly LGBTQ-themes at the same time. Savage Summer : When her father marries a younger woman, Cecilia is appalled and she leaves him behind, returning to the house she inherited from her mother. There she intends to marry with her boyfriend but when the latter cheats on her with her best friend, Cecilia decides to dump him and try to lead a life of debauchery by sleeping around with different men, a couple of them being friends from her youth. She finds what she's looking for in Andrés, a doctor, and the rebellious Pepe. Things get complicated when a murder occurs. The second film included in the set released by Vinegar Syndrome of films by director Vadillo, even with a difference of 10 years, there are similarities that could define him as an auteur. Both feature a scene with a naked man, accused of murder, in prison. There are melodramatics and the belief in true love of the director must have had a big hit somewhere down the line. With this film, which looks better than Death On The Beach , I don't know if the director managed to make a somewhat obnoxious film or created a very fine film about obnoxious people. Like a lazy Sunday near the pool on a hot summer day, the imagery of the beaches and clubs and parties support a story that seems about fun and carefree enjoyment. In that sense it's somewhat of an anti-beach film since there's a lot of emotional detachment and emptiness in the interactions between the characters. Cecilia, betrayed, tries to live the kind of life that contradicts the moral superiority she had opposite of her father. Andrés keeps on yapping to Cecilia that he wants to love her yet he cheats on his girlfriend. Pepe is cruel to Kitty, an older woman who seeks love and attention, yet he chides Cecilia for her new style of life. If i'm being honest, for the first hour or so this was quite the annoying film to see. There's no empathy for any of these characters and the story doesn't seem to really go anywhere, yet at the same time one can't fault the acting or the technical side of things. In some ways I can respect to make such a dreary film that is at odds with the sunny imagery and juxtaposes it completely. Then, out of nowhere, Kitty is murdered which leads to a couple of scenes with a high homoerotic energy, with even the sheriff trying to rape the suspected Pepe! There's an undercurrent of cruelty in the film that betrays a nihilistic view on human relationships which one doesn't expect. Maybe a rewatch some years later makes me give this a higher score. Right now, not denying some of the technical merit and the commitment to showcasing the emptiness of these characters, it was somewhat of a slog to get through. Johnny Chicano : How I wish that I could say that the story of Johnny, a Mexican young man who works as a berry picker and is in search of a better future in the US, endeared me to no end. How the plight of Mexican immigrants who cross the border to the US is stressful and fearful (and still quite topical) and brings the viewer to the brink of tension. How exciting the melodrama of Johnny's choice between Raquel, the Mexican woman who carries his child, and Debbie, the daughter of his boss, is the driving force behind the excitement of the story. Unfortunately, this film is, even though it's acted well enough and has its heart in the right place, incredibly boring. The direction by director Vadillo isn't bad but it's flat and misses any kind of spark that could elevate this. Very middle-of-the-road in terms of imagery and cinematic prowess, making it almost like a compilation of telenovella scenes where characters declare their love for each other or get into arguments. Even the music is sad violin-stuff that could almost be called a parody of the genre if there was more life into it. There is a sequence in a bar where the characters start to sing that becomes the soundtrack of said sequence and which made me wake up for a bit. A shame that there is nothing more of that. I had to turn off the film after 30 minutes and then continue a couple of hours later and even then I had to make an effort not to doze off. Last week I saw the 2 other films from the director that were released as a set by Vinegar Syndrome. This feels a lot more 'going through the motions'. Also, some of the subtitle translations seemed quite odd, with a character, for example, saying "I'll order a steak" in the middle of a conversation that made me go 'huh'. So basically a collection where the quality slowly runs out, I'm afraid to say. Based on this, I don't really need to see more of the director."
— Tim V. (3/5)
Nice Set
"Johnny Chicano was my favorite, a melodrama about class, race and forbidden love. With some nice musical performances. Muerte en la playa was also very enjoyable, a melodrama about sexual preference and murder. Both of these have replay value for me. The third title, Verano Salvaje was a solid watch, coming of age melodrama. I thoroughly enjoyed being introduced to another great Mexican filmmaker."
— Zachary P. (5/5)
