Review: ‘Para Elisa’ is an unsettling freak show.

Para-Elisa-Movie-Poster-Juanra-Fernandez_3 I’ve been a nanny and a teacher. We all know, even working outside early childhood education that some parents ans children are just plain weird. Yup. I said it. Weird. In Juanra Fernandez‘s new Spanish horror creation PARA ELISA, weird takes on a whole new meaning. PARA ELISA_web_res_still7 In need of some quick and easy cash, Ana arrives for a job interview as a nanny. The mother of the house is an eccentric musician with a screw loose. One giant dilemma stands in Ana’s way; Mom is not only certifiably insane but her daughter, Elisa, is even more disturbed. Her sense of reality has been twisted by years of abuse combined with what seems like mental illness. Ana is made into a living doll for Elisa to “toy” with. PARA ELISA_web_res_still6Our heroine is played in realistic fashion by Ona Casamiquela. I do not know what I would do faced with this scenario but she fights her ass off. Scary mommy Diamantina is played brilliantly by Luisa Gavasa. Think Sunset Boulevard lost her mind. I would watch an entire film about her back story in a heart beat. Elisa is portrayed by Ana Turpin. She skillfully created a character you find yourself caring for and fearing. This is a fearless performance. I would seek out more work from her. Someone get Guillermo Del Toro in touch with Turpin, please? PARA ELISA_web_res_still1Not since Grand Piano have I been this unsettled by the sights and sounds of a piano in an opening credits sequence. This sets the stage for the entire rest of Para Elisa. Taking  a page right out if Stephen King‘s Misery, add in a dash of People Under The Stairs parenting style and you’ve got yourself a rousing good time. The violence ramps up and up as the story progresses, all action occurring within one night, and at a tight 71 minute run time, Para Elisa is one satisfying nightmare.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=loRGGlgrGPc

PARA ELISA come to DVD and VOD , Tuesday, September 1st.

50 Snowy Movies for a Cold Weekend – The Reel Big Show

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It’s hard to keep track of all the movies we talked about in this episode. It was so much fun to think of them! Below you’ll find them all. Please let us know in the comments what your favorite snow movie is!
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Jeremy’s Review: Stephen King Adapts His Own Novella in ‘A Good Marriage’

StephenKing'sAGoodMarriage_PosterWhen you hear that Stephen King, the master of modern horror, is finally adapting one of his own works for the big screen, it’s easy to take notice. When you look at the principal two cast members of A Good Marriage in Joan Allen (who I adored in Searching for Bobby Fischer and The Ice Storm) and Anthony Lapaglia there something more to get excited about. Even though the last piece of fiction I read by King was Bag of Bones which was released in 1998, I still had high hopes for this project which is directed by Peter Askin whose documentary Trumbo was stunningly good. Does it lives up to its pedigree? Let’s take a look. Read More →

Michael’s Undeniable, Unequivocally Awesome and Undisputed Top 40 Movies of the 90’s!!!

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People…there is a list!…there is ALWAYS a list!

People have been fighting for centuries over each other opinions on “which (fill in your subject matter here) is best” or what is the “top 10 (fill in your subject matter here) of all time” Read More →