Pals (Colegas) - Altered Innocence (Blu-ray)

Theatrical Release Date: Spain, 1982
Director: Eloy de la Iglesia
Writers: Gonzalo Goicoechea, Eloy de la Iglesia
Cast: Antonio González, Rosario González, José Luis Manzano, Quique San Francisco, Queta Ariel, Francisco Casares, Juan Manuel Cervino, José Luis Fernández

Release Date: February 22nd, 2022
Approximate Running Time: 98 Minutes 21 Seconds
Aspect Ratio: 1.66:1 Widescreen / 1080 Progressive / MPEG-4 AVC
Rating: NR
Sound: LPCM Mono Spanish
Subtitles: English
Region Coding: Region Free
Retail Price: $32.98

"Three teenagers living in a Spanish suburb find themselves in a whole world of trouble when one of them, Rosario, gets pregnant and doesn’t have the money for an abortion. Her brother, Antonio and her lover, Jose fail to find legitimate work to raise the cash and turn to petty crime. They find themselves in a series of misadventures and encounters with grimy criminals in their effort. Luckily they’ve got each other!" - synopsis provided by the distributor

Video: 4.5/5

Pals (Colegas) comes on a 25 GB single layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 23 GB

Feature: 22 GB

Though no information is provided about the source of this transfer, it is on par with Severin Films' transfers for their Eloy De La Iglesia Quinqui Collection.

Audio: 4.25/5

This release comes with one audio option, a LPCM mono mix in Spanish and removable English subtitles. The audio sounds clean, clear and balanced.

Extras:

Extras for this release include reversible cover art, U.S. theatrical trailer (3 minutes 26 seconds, LPCM mono Spanish with removable English subtitles) and a spot gloss slipcover limited to 1,100 units.

Other extras include trailers for LA Plays Itself: The Fred Halsted Collection, Arrebato, Wild Tigers I Have Known, and Sound and Fury.

Summary:

Pals (Colegas) is a coming-of-age story about a trio of friends: a brother, his sister, and the brother's friend. Their lives are turned upside down when the sister gets pregnant. At first, they decide that she should have an abortion, then they’re convinced to give up the child for adoption, only to finally decide to keep and raise the child.

Pals (Colegas) is a film that firmly fits into the Quinqui film genre. These were films that revolved around juvenile delinquents whose risky behavior puts them in precarious situations that can be deadly. These films were set in urban landscapes, and most of the cast were not professional actors. Making Quinqui films is a Spanish version of the Italian Neorealism cinema.

That said, what ultimately drives Quinqui Cinema is its untrained actors, who give raw performances that make their plights all the more realistic. And, while the main cast members, Antonio González, Rosario González, and José Luis Manzano, are all excellent in their roles, José Luis Manzano (Navajeros) delivers the strongest performance.

From a production standpoint, there’s no area where Pals (Colegas) comes up short. The well-executed effectively builds tension, and the tragic ending serves as an appropriate coda. Ultimately, Pals (Colegas) is an engrossing melodrama that fans of Quinqui cinema should thoroughly enjoy.

Pals (Colegas) gets a first-rate release from Altered Innocence that comes with a solid audio/video presentation, highly recommended.

Written by Michael Den Boer