The Priest – Severin Films (Blu-ray)

Theatrical Release Date: Spain, 1978
Director: Eloy de la Iglesia
Writer: Enrique Barreiro
Cast: Simón Andreu, Emilio Gutiérrez Caba, José Franco, Ramón Repáraz, Ramón Pons, Queta Claver, África Pratt, Esperanza Roy

Release Date: February 3rd, 2026
Approximate Running Time: 100 Minutes 6 Seconds
Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1 Widescreen / 1080 Progressive / MPEG-4 AVC
Rating: NR
Sound: DTS-HD Mono Spanish
Subtitles: English
Region Coding: Region Free
Retail Price: $219.95 (Exorcismo: Defying A Dictator & Raising Hell In Post-Franco Spain)

Video: 4.5/5

Here’s the information provided about this release's transfer, “HD master provided by Grupa W. Associates.”

The Priest comes on a 50 GB dual layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 45.9 GB

Feature: 20.5 GB

The source looks excellent; flesh tones look healthy, colors are nicely saturated, image clarity and black levels are solid, there are no issues with compression, and the image retains an organic look.

Audio: 4.25/5

This release comes with one audio option, a DTS-HD mono mix in Spanish with removable English subtitles. The audio sounds clear and balanced, and ambient sounds and the score are well represented.

Extras:

Extras for this release include an interview with actor Emilio Gutiérrez Caba titled The Socialist Priest (14 minutes 31 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo Spanish with removable English subtitles), an interview with actor Martín Garrido Ramis titled A Provocative Filmmaker (8 minutes 30 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo Spanish with removable English subtitles), and a short film directed by Alejo Loren titled El otro Luis (21 minutes 24 seconds, 1.66:1 aspect ratio, Dolby Digital mono Spanish with removable English subtitles).

El otro Luis: A young straight man hides his secret life of having sex with men for money from his family.

Alejo Loren was a friend and collaborator of Eloy de la Iglesia, who would use cues from the score of El otro Luis for his film Confessions of a Congressman. Thematically, El otro Luis has themes that Eloy de la Iglesia's Quinqui films would explore.

The Priest is currently only available as part of a collection of films titled Exorcismo: Defying A Dictator & Raising Hell In Post-Franco Spain. That release comes with 17 additional films, a documentary about Spanish cinema titled Exorcismo: The Transgressive Legacy of Clasificada "S," and a 168-page book.

Summary:

Eloy de la Iglesia directed The Priest. He's known for The Glass Ceiling, The Cannibal Man, No One Heard the Scream, Murder in a Blue World, The Creature, and El pico.

A priest overwhelmed by his sexual desires goes to his fellow priests for help. When they are unable to offer him solutions, he takes drastic measures to curb his libido.

Eloy de la Iglesia was a filmmaker who always pushed boundaries, even when faced with strict censorship laws. After the passing of Francisco Franco, censorship of cinema would cease to exist and for the decade that followed, cinema in Spanish would have an anything-goes approach to it. While other filmmakers might exploit the premise of a film like The Priest, Eloy de la Iglesia offers a nuanced exploration of a man torn between his commitment to God and his sexual desires.

The narrative excels at developing the protagonist's character. It is propelled by two main factors: his struggle to resolve his inner conflicts and the absence of empathy from those around him. The narrative effectively builds momentum by introducing a series of temptations for the protagonist, which build to a point that pushes him over the edge. That said, when the moment of truth finally arrives, the protagonist has finally become comfortable with who he is and moved on from temptation.

While there is no doubt that Eloy de la Iglesia was an extraordinary filmmaker known for his exploration of the human condition, it is important to acknowledge the contributions of his collaborators. Simón Andreu (The Blood Spattered Bride) is cast in the role of Padre Miguel, a priest unable to control his sexual desires. Over the course of his career, he would work with Eloy de la Iglesia six times. While he delivers a remarkable performance that stands out from the rest of the cast, Esperanza Roy (Battered Flesh) delivers another performance of note in the role of a housewife who becomes emotionally attached to Padre Miguel.

Although Eloy de la Iglesia lets the performance take center stage, there is an ample number of visually arresting moments. The visuals are rich with symbolism, featuring striking moments such as a flashback that reveals why Padre Miguel chose the priesthood, scenes depicting his sexual fantasies, and instances where he self-mutilates to suppress his desires. Another area where The Priest excels is its score, which is mostly made up of classical music. Ultimately, The Priest is an extraordinary exploration of the conflict that arises from earthly desires and spirituality.

Severin Films gives The Priest an exceptional release that comes with a solid audio/video presentation and insightful extras; highly recommended.

 

Written by Michael Den Boer

Forbidden Game of Love – Mondo Macabro (Blu-ray)

Theatrical Release Date: Spain, 1975
Director: Eloy de la Iglesia
Writers: Eloy de la Iglesia, Juan Antonio Porto, Antonio Corencia
Cast: Javier Escrivá, John Moulder-Brown, Inma de Santis, Simón Andreu

Release Date: February 3rd, 2026
Approximate Running Time: 93 Minutes 29 Seconds
Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1 Widescreen / 1080 Progressive / MPEG-4 AVC
Rating: NR
Sound: DTS-HD Mono Spanish
Subtitles: English
Region Coding: Region Free
Retail Price: $29.99

"Breaking up for the summer vacation, popular literature teacher Don Luis wishes his students well and sets them a holiday project on the myth of “delayed revenge”. Later, driving away from the city, Don Luis sees two of his students, Miguel and Julia, hitch hiking. He offers them a ride and they eventually agree to spend the night at Don Luis’s isolated house in the country, which they soon discover is a palatial mansion with extensive private grounds.

The young lovers get to spend their first night in bed together and discuss the possibility of staying on in the large house, its only other inhabitant being Jaime (Simon Andreu), a man in his 30s, who seems to be some sort of servant to Don Luis. The next day they decide to go for a walk, only to discover that the tall iron gates of the house are firmly chained shut. They challenge Don Luis, who then produces a pistol and they realize that they are now prisoners, along with Jaime.

What then follows is a series of bizarre and highly charged “games” which seem designed to break down their spirit of resistance and force them to accept Don Luis as their superior and mentor. However, when Don Luis finally returns to his teaching duties, Miguel, Julia and Jaime begin to see a way to reverse the power balance. As things change in the house, the forbidden game becomes one of life and death." - synopsis provided by the distributor

Video: 4.5/5

Here’s the information provided about this release's transfer, "Brand new 4k restoration from negative."

Forbidden Game of Love comes on a 50 GB dual layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 37.5 GB

Feature: 25.2 GB

The source looks excellent; flesh tones look healthy, colors are nicely saturated, image clarity and black levels are solid, there are no issues with compression, and the image retains an organic look.

Audio: 4/5

This release comes with one audio option, a DTS-HD mono mix in Spanish with removable English subtitles. Although there are some minor instances of background crackle and hiss, the bulk of the audio track sounds clean. That said, dialogue comes through clearly, everything sounds balanced, and ambient sounds and the score are well-represented.

Extras:

Extras for this release are limited to an interview with film historian Angel Sala, who discusses director Eloy de la Iglesia (18 minutes 35 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo Spanish with removable English subtitles).

Summary:

Eloy de la Iglesia directed Forbidden Game of Love. He's known for The Glass Ceiling, The Cannibal Man, No One Heard the Scream, Murder in a Blue World, The Creature, and El pico.

A teacher picks up two students trying to hitchhike while on holiday from school and invites them to stay with him.

Although the narrative begins in the classroom, most of the events take place in the isolated mansion of the teacher, Don Luis. The opening sequence in the classroom foreshadows where the narrative is going; the assignment given to the students before the holiday break is Delayed Revenge. The narrative effectively builds tension and momentum, culminating in a powerful finale. In this climax, Don Luis's worldview wins as the two students and another man who has been staying with him fully embrace the lessons he taught them.

What starts off as an innocent invitation quickly takes a dark turn when the two students find themselves prisoners. Instead of embracing Don Luis’ ideology, the two students are defiant, and no matter how much he pushes them, they remain steadfast and refuse to bend to his will. Throughout his career Eloy de la Iglesia often injected social commentary into his films, and a familiar target was fascism. That said, Don Luis’ worldview and actions can be viewed as an allegory about fascism.

The four leads deliver exemplary performances: Javier Escrivá (Tormento) as Don Luis, John Moulder-Brown (Ludwig), Inma de Santis (The Killer of Dolls) as two runaway students, and Simón Andreu (The Blood Spattered Bride) as Jaime, a man who assists Don Luis in his acts of cruelty. Don Luis is an affluent man who inherited his fortune at the age of 25, and he only sees teaching as a hobby to fill his time.

As mentioned before, the narrative does an excellent job building momentum by building tension and throwing in a few well-timed twists, notably one that reshapes everything with 30 minutes to go. The visuals effectively highlight the performances, making them the main focus. Additionally, the diverse range of musical styles featured is noteworthy, especially the incorporation of classical music by Richard Wagner. Ultimately, Forbidden Game of Love is a well-crafted psychological drama that leaves a lasting impression with its moment of truth.

Forbidden Game of Love gets a first-rate release from Mondo Macabro that comes with a strong audio/video presentation and an insightful extra. Recommended.

Written by Michael Den Boer

The Glass Ceiling – Severin Films (Blu-ray)

Theatrical Release Date: Spain, 1971
Director: Eloy de la Iglesia
Writers: Antonio Fos, Eloy de la Iglesia
Cast: Carmen Sevilla, Dean Selmier, Patty Shepard, Emma Cohen, Fernando Cebrián, Encarna Paso, Rafael Hernández

Release Date: May 27th, 2025
Approximate Running Time: 95 Minutes 23 Seconds
Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1 Widescreen / 1080 Progressive / MPEG-4 AVC
Rating: NR
Sound: DTS-HD Mono Spanish, DTS-HD Mono English
Subtitles: English, English SDH
Region Coding: Region Free
Retail Price: $99.95 (only available as part of House of Psychotic Women: Rarities Collection Volume 2)

"When her husband leaves on a business trip, a frustrated housewife begins to obsess over unfamiliar noises in their apartment building and suspects that an upstairs neighbor has committed murder." - synopsis provided by the distributor

Video: 4.5/5

Here’s the information provided about this release's transfer, "now scanned in 4K from the original camera negative."

The Glass Ceiling comes on a 50 GB dual layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 37.8 GB

Feature: 28.1 GB

The majority of the source appears to be in excellent condition, except for a noticeable instance of damage occurring at 76 minutes and 32 seconds. Flesh tones look healthy, colors are nicely saturated, image clarity and contrast are solid, black levels are strong, there are no issues with compression, and the image retains an organic look.

Audio: 4.25/5 (DTS-HD Mono Spanish), 4/5 (DTS-HD Mono English)

This release comes with two audio options, a DTS-HD mono mix in Spanish and a DTS-HD mono mix in English. Although both tracks sound clean, clear, and balanced, the Spanish language track sounds more robust. Included are removable English subtitles for the Spanish-language track and removable English SDH for the English-language track.

Extras:

Extras for this release include a theatrical trailer (2 minutes 31 seconds, Dolby Digital mono English, no subtitles), alternate scenes from the TV version (1 minute 1 second, Dolby Digital mono English, no subtitles), an interview with actress Judith Chapman titled Connected at the Soul—Patty Shepard as Remembered by Her Sister (16 minutes 50 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), an introduction by Kier-La Janisse, author of House of Psychotic Women (6 minutes 19 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), an audio commentary with Shelagh Rowan-Legg, author of a forthcoming monograph on director Eloy De La Iglesia, and Faculty of Horror's Alexandra West, and a short film directed by Agustí Villaronga titled Anta mujer (26 minutes 26 seconds, 1.37:1 aspect ratio, Dolby Digital mono Spanish with removable English subtitles).

Anta mujer: A voice guides a woman seeking sanctuary, and if she achieves five portents, a secret will be revealed to her.

Summary:

Eloy de la Iglesia directed The Glass Ceiling. He's known for The Cannibal Man, No One Heard the Scream, Murder in a Blue World, The Creature, and El pico.

A woman whose husband is often away on long trips hears footsteps that sound like her upstairs neighbor's husband. When she inquires about what she’s heard, her neighbor insists that she was all alone and no one visited her. She is not satisfied with what she’s been told, and when things do not add up, she digs deeper into what’s going on, suspecting her neighbor murdered her husband.

The Glass Ceiling is the first of three successive psychological thrillers directed by Eloy de la Iglesia; the other films are The Cannibal Man and No One Heard the Scream. The protagonist is in a central location where they are mostly isolated from others and their state of mind gradually deteriorates in all of these films. Two films that might have influenced Eloy de la Iglesia’s The Glass Ceiling are Alfred Hitchcock’s Rear Window and George Cukor's Gaslight.

The Glass Ceiling relies not so much on what you see but on what you hear. While there are occasional visual clues that connect with the sounds profoundly impacting the protagonist, they do not clearly indicate whether she is losing her mind or if someone is attempting to drive her to the brink. That said, The Glass Ceiling’s greatest power is putting you into its protagonist’s state of mind.

All around, the cast are excellent in their roles, especially Carmen Sevilla (Beatriz) in the role of Marta, a housewife on the verge of a nervous breakdown. Marta, like her character Elisa from No One Heard the Scream, suffers through a similar crisis. Patty Shepard (The Werewolf Versus Vampire Woman) portrays Marta’s upstairs neighbor, Julia. Emma Cohen (The Cannibal Man) portrays Rosa, a flirtatious farmer’s daughter who delivers milk to the residents of Marta’s building. Both performances are noteworthy and contribute significantly to the film.

The Glass Ceiling is not a film that relies on shocks as much as it does on atmosphere. The premise, a bored housewife with too much time on her hands, is perfectly executed, and the narrative does a superb job building momentum to its exemplary finale that puts everything into focus. While the visuals mostly let the character be the focal point, throughout there is an ample amount of symbolism, notably when it comes to moments that are internal thoughts. An area where the visuals are striking is its use of juxtaposing images and sounds for a desired effect. Ultimately, The Glass Ceiling is an extraordinary psychological thriller, making it a must-see for fans of Spanish gialli.

Severin Films gives The Glass Ceiling an exceptional release that comes with a solid audio/video presentation and insightful extras; highly recommended.

Written by Michael Den Boer

The Creature – Severin Films (Blu-ray)

Theatrical Release Date: Spain, 1977
Director: Eloy De La Iglesia
Writer: Enrique Barreiro
Cast: Ana Belén, Juan Diego, Claudia Gravy, Ramón Repáraz, Manuel Pereiro, Bárbara Lys, Francisco Melgares, Luis Ciges, Antonio Gamero

Release Date: July 16th, 2024
Approximate Running Time: 101 Minutes 6 Seconds
Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1 Widescreen / 1080 Progressive / MPEG-4 AVCC
Rating: NR
Sound: DTS-HD Mono Spanish
Subtitles: English
Region Coding: Region Free
Retail Price: $29.95

"After a heartbreaking miscarriage, a couple (Goya Award winners Ana Belén and Juan Diego) adopts a stray male dog in hopes of saving their rocky marriage. But as the wife develops an obsessive bond with her new companion, it will trigger jealousies and rivalries that may lead to the most inconceivable act of all."- synopsis provided by the distributor

Video: 4.5/5

Here’s the information provided about this release's transfer, "now scanned in 2K from the negative."

The Creature comes on a 50 GB dual layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 34.9 GB

Feature: 29 GB

The source looks excellent; flesh tones look healthy, colors are nicely saturated, image clarity and black levels are solid, compression is very good, and the image retains an organic look.

Audio: 4.5/5

This release comes with one audio option, a DTS-HD mono mix in Spanish with removable English subtitles. The audio is in great shape; dialog comes through clearly, everything sounds balanced, and the score sounds appropriately robust.

Extras:

Extras for this release include an introduction by Gaspar Noé at Cinémathèque Française (4 minutes 29 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo French with removable English subtitles), an interview with filmmaker Gaspar Noé titled Gaspar / Eloy (14 minutes 4 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), and an interview with assistant director Alejo Loren titled A Strange Movie (22 minutes 41 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo Spanish with removable English subtitles).

Summary:

Eloy de la Iglesia directed The Creature. He is also known for making The Glass Ceiling, The Cannibal Man, No One Heard the Scream, Murder in a Blue World, and El pico.

The narrative revolves around a woman who has a miscarriage after a frightening encounter with a dog. Though at first afraid of dogs, one day she encounters a friendly black German Shepherd that resembles the dog that traumatized her. From there, she becomes increasingly close to the dog, putting a strain on her already troubled marriage.

Though the premise delves into the taboo subject matter of zoophilia, the result is a film that never resigns itself to being an exploitation film. The Creature is best described as a melodrama. Outside of a brief inappropriate moment between the wife and her dog, there really is not any salacious content. That said, like most of the films of Eloy de la Iglesia, The Creature is filled with subtext that goes a lot further than any explicit in-your-face moment ever could.

When the narrative begins, the wife and the husband are not in a good place with their relationship; he’s involved with one of his co-workers, and rarely does he show his wife affection. And though things change, when he learns his wife is pregnant, her miscarriage reignites old wounds. Not deterred, he still tries to make their relationship work, and when she becomes too attached to the dog, he becomes jealous.

Though there are secondary characters who play a small role in the story that unfolds, there are only three performances of substance: Ana Belén (Tormento) in the role of the wife, Juan Diego (The Holy Innocents) in the role of the husband, and the dog named Bruno, the name that was going to be their baby's name. Though Ana Belén’s performance is the heart and soul of The Creature, one must overlook the dog. That said, the moments with the dog are executed perfectly despite the challenges of working with animals.

Spain was going through political upheaval when The Creature was being made. Two years before Francisco Franco, a dictator who ruled Spain for 39 years, passed away, creating a vacuum for change. It should not come as a surprise that a film like The Creature would have content related to the changes going on in Spain at that time since the cinema of Eloy de la Iglesia is filled with social commentary. Under Francisco Franco's conservative and traditionally valued rule in Spain, Eloy De La Iglesia, an openly gay man, created a film, The Creature, which can be interpreted as a metaphor against traditional relationships.

From a production standpoint, there is no area where The Creature does not excel. The narrative effectively builds momentum, and pacing is never an issue, giving ample time to key moments to resonate. When it comes to the visuals, there are many arresting moments, some that are filled with symbolism. The most striking moment is the scene where the wife puts on her wedding dress for the dog. Ultimately, The Creature is another exemplary film from Eloy de la Iglesia, a filmmaker whose films delve deep beyond the surfaces and are overflowing with subtext.

The Creature gets an exceptional release from Cauldron Films that comes with a solid audio/video presentation and a wealth of insightful extras. Highly recommended.

Written by Michael Den Boer

Uranian Dreams: Two Homosexual Films by Eloy de la Iglesia - Altered Innocence (Blu-ray)

Theatrical Release Dates: Spain, 1977 (Hidden Pleasures), Spain, 1978 (Confessions of a Congressman)
Director: Eloy de la Iglesia (Both Films)
Cast: Simón Andreu, Tony Fuentes, Beatriz Rossat, Germán Cobos, Antonio Corencia, Ángel Pardo, Charo López (Hidden Pleasures), José Sacristán, María Luisa San José, José Luis Alonso, Enrique Vivó, Agustín González, Queta Claver, Ángel Pardo, Juan Antonio Bardem (Confessions of a Congressman)

Release Date: July 25th, 2023
Approximate Running Times: 93 Minutes 50 Seconds (Hidden Pleasures), 106 Minutes 33 Seconds (Confessions of a Congressman)
Aspect Ratio: 1.66:1 Widescreen / 1080 Progressive / MPEG-4 AVC (Hidden Pleasures), 1.66:1 Widescreen / 1080 Progressive / MPEG-4 AVC (Confessions of a Congressman)
Rating: NR
Sound: DTS-HD Mono Spanish (Both Films)
Subtitles: English (Both Films)
Region Coding: Region Free
Retail Price: $39.98

"A highly controversial film upon its release in Spain as the first feature narrative with homosexuality openly discussed, Hidden Pleasures follows Eduardo, a wealthy banker who has a pastime of hiring young street hustlers to keep his bed warm yet ignores requests from a friend to join the social gay movements. One day while cruising around town, he spots Miguel, an extremely handsome teen who has a penchant for women and motorcycles. Eduardo offers Miguel a job and eventually gets closer and closer with him. Eduardo’s building lust and the jealousy of others in their lives create havoc for all.

Fighting for liberty, love, and your secret teenage lover are the themes of Confessions of a Congressman, and our protagonist Roberto Orbea is a leader and follower of the ideals of his radical leftist opposition party, but he’s hiding a secret from the party and his wife Carmen: he can’t resist the cheap beautiful street teenagers that bad-boy Nes throws his way for various pleasures. Eventually the fascists find out about his proclivities and hire the blonde and angelic-looking Juanito to infiltrate Roberto’s life. But after a while Juanito starts to find his place with Roberto, with politics, and even with Carmen. With the elections fast approaching, all three members of this strange throuple will have to decide how much they’re willing to lose to avoid revealing the truth." - synopsis provided by the distributor

Video: 3.75/5 (Hidden Pleasures), 3.5/5 (Confessions of a Congressman)

Hidden Pleasures and Confessions of a Congressman comes on a 50 GB dual layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 45.8 GB

Feature: 19.8 GB (Hidden Pleasures), 22.5 GB (Confessions of a Congressman)

No information is provided about the sources used for these two film transfers. That said, the source is in good shape, and any source imperfections are minimal. The source used for Hidden Pleasures is the stronger of the two transfers; flesh tones and colors look correct, the image looks crisp, black levels are serviceable, and compression is very good. Though the source used for Confessions of a Congressman has many of the same qualities that Hidden Pleasures Transfer has, there are a few moments where the quality noticeably drops. Also, there appears to be some digital filtering of the image.

Audio: 4/5 (DTS-HD Mono Spanish - Hidden Pleasures, DTS-HD Mono Spanish - Confessions of a Congressman)

Hidden Pleasures comes with one audio option, a DTS-HD mono mix in Spanish and removable English subtitles. Confessions of a Congressman comes with one audio option, a DTS-HD mono mix in Spanish and removable English subtitles. Both audio tracks sound clean, clear, and balanced. Range-wise, they do a great job with ambient sounds, and scores are well-represented.

Extras:

Extras for this release include a theatrical trailer for Confessions of a Congressman (3 minutes 34 seconds, Dolby Digital mono Spanish with removable English subtitles), a video essay by Alexandra Heller-Nicholas titled Smiling at the Door: Eloy de la Iglesia's Hidden Pleasures (14 minutes 35 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English with non-removable English subtitles for Spanish language film clips), a video essay by Lee Gambin titled Sex Post-Franco: The Queer Sensibility of Eloy de la Iglesia (11 minutes 34 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English with non-removable English subtitles for Spanish language film clips),  and a slipcover limited to 1,000 units.

Other extras are trailers for Pals (Colegas), Altered Innocence Volume 2, Dressed in Blue, and The Hole in the Fence.

Summary:

Hidden Pleasures and Confessions of a Congressman were both directed by Eloy de la Iglesia, whose other notable films are The Glass Ceiling, The Cannibal Man, No One Heard the Scream, and Murder in a Blue World. He is also known for his work in the Quinqui film genre.

Hidden Pleasures: An affluent bank manager attempts to seduce a straight teenage boy, and he fears that his secret sexual life will be exposed when things go awry.

Confessions of a Congressman: A closeted gay congressman who is married to a woman is targeted by fascists who threaten to expose his secret affair and derail his political ambitions.

It is not surprising that Altered Innocence paired these two films; they both share the main theme of a homosexual man whose fear of his sexual life will be made public. Also, both protagonists are older men who seek out sexual encounters with much younger boys. And both protagonists have a strong female influence in their lives: Hidden Pleasures’ protagonist Eduardo’s ultra-religious Catholic mother and Confessions of a Congressman’s protagonist Roberto Orbea’s wife, who is aware of his secret life and even at one point embraces it.

Hidden Pleasures and Confessions of a Congressman are obviously personal films about director Eloy de la Iglesia, a gay man who most likely faced some of the things that happened to the protagonists in these two films. Though some of his earlier films, notably The Cannibal Man, have a hint of homosexuality in them, it was not until the passing of dictator Francisco Franco that Spanish cinema was very conservative, and topics like those explored in Hidden Pleasures and Confessions of a Congressman would have been forbidden.

From a production standpoint, Hidden Pleasures and Confessions of a Congressman are both well-made films. Their premises are superbly realized, and well-executed narratives do a great job building momentum. Also, both films feature unforgettable endings that linger in your mind. In the case of The Hidden Pleasures’ ending, a freeze-frame finale sees a protagonist overcome with joy, while Confessions of a Congressman’s bittersweet finale is on the other end of the spectrum.

The most surprising aspects of Hidden Pleasures and Confessions of a Congressman are the performances, especially from the actors who portray the protagonist in each film. Hidden Pleasures’ protagonist Eduardo is portrayed by Simón Andreu (The Blood Spattered Bride), and Confessions of a Congressman’s protagonist Roberto Orbea is portrayed by José Sacristán (Navajeros).

Great cinema is about films that hold your attention and make you want to return to them again and again. With Hidden Pleasures and Confessions of a Congressman, Eloy de la Iglesia has made two phenomenal films whose powerful stories transcend any audience boundaries.

Uranian Dreams: Two Homosexual Films is a first-rate release from Altered Innocence that comes with strong audio/video presentations and a pair of insightful extras. Highly recommended.

Written by Michael Den Boer