Anguish (film)

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Anguish

Anguish's DVD cover
Directed by Bigas Luna
Produced by Pepón Coromina
Written by Bigas Luna
Starring Zelda Rubinstein
Michael Lerner
Paul Talia
Angel Jove and
Clara Pastor
Music by José Manuel Pagán
Cinematography Josep M. Civit
Editing by Tom Sabin
Distributed by Luna Films
Release date(s) January 8, 1988 (U.S. release)
Running time 86 min
Language English
Allmovie profile
IMDb profile

Anguish (Spanish: Angustia) is a 1987 Spanish produced horror film starring Zelda Rubinstein, Michael Lerner, Paul Talia, Angel Jove and Clara Pastor.

Tagline:

The eyes of the city are mine.

Contents

[edit] Plot

In Anguish's complex and intertwined plot, viewers watch an audience watching a movie nested inside Anguish called "The Mommy," in which much of the story takes place in yet another theater auditorium, where that audience watches yet another movie (the silent classic, The Lost World).

Anguish's main story concerns Alice Pressman (Zelda Rubinstein), a grasping, overprotective and psychotic woman, and her crazed son, Michael (Michael Lerner) who Alice controls through hypnosis and some never quite explicated paranormal domination. Her son is extremely myopic and progressing toward blindness. Alice believes that collecting eyes will mend her son's vision, and believes her own fantasy that he is a well respected ophthalmologist (he is actually an orderly employed at an ophthalmologist's office). She sends him to collect eyes from living victims, which he does at a local theater showing The Lost World.

When the camera pulls back, a second story is revealed. Alice and Michael are the stars of The Mommy being watched by two teenage girls in a movie theater. In that theater, there is a man watching The Mommy with crazed intent.

Although the main focus of Anguish is the story of The Mommy, all the stories eventually intersect to gruesome effect.

[edit] Cast

  • Zelda Rubinstein .... Alice Pressman, the Mother
  • Michael Lerner .... John Pressman
  • Talia Paul .... Patty
  • Ángel Jovè .... The Killer
  • Clara Pastor .... Linda
  • Isabel García Lorca .... Caroline
  • Nat Baker .... Teaching Doctor
  • Edward Ledden .... Doctor
  • Gustavo Gili .... Student #1
  • Antonio Regueiro .... Student #2
  • Joaquín Ribas .... Student #3
  • Janet Porter .... Laboratory Nurse
  • Patricia Manget .... Nurse at Clinic #1
  • Merche Gascón .... Nurse at Clinic #2
  • Jose M. Chucarro .... Caroline's Boyfriend
  • Antonella Murgia .... Ticket Girl
  • Josephine Borchaca .... Concession Girl
  • Georgie Pinkley .... Laura
  • Francesco Rabella .... Don
  • Diane Pinkley .... Popcorn Woman
  • Benito Pocino .... Popcorn Man
  • Víctor Guillén .... Sleepy
  • Evelyn Rosemika .... Bathroom Woman
  • Michael Chandler .... Projectionist
  • Vicente Gil .... Taxi Driver
  • Michael Heat .... Inspector
  • Pedro Vidal .... Police Officer
  • Robert Long .... Police Officer
  • Jaime Ros .... Police Officer (as Juame Ros)
  • Miguel Montfort .... Police Officer
  • Jordi Estivill .... Police Officer
  • Alberto Merelles .... Police Officer
  • Javier Moya .... Police Officer
  • John Garcia .... Police Officer
  • Kit Kincannon .... Salesman
  • Tatiana Thauven .... Ticket Girl
  • Joy Blackburn .... Concession Girl
  • Marc Maloney .... Elderly Man
  • Jasmine Parker .... Elderly Woman
  • Jean Paul Soto .... Manny
  • Javier Durán .... Moe
  • Marc Auba .... Jack
  • Randall Stewart .... First Murder
  • Eva Heald .... Granny
  • Rose Sherpac .... Granny's Friend
  • Emy Matías .... Hairy Woman
  • Elisa Crehvet .... Ann
  • Mingo Ràfols .... Chicano
  • Maribel Martínez .... Hysterical Woman
  • Gustavo Guarino .... Hysterical Husband
  • Frank Craven .... Sleepy
  • Mário Fernández .... Black Boy
  • May Vives .... Blond Girl
  • Craig Hill .... Doctor at Hospital
  • Anita Shemanski .... Nurse at Hospital
  • Fiacre O'Rafferty .... Projectionist
  • Maria Ricard .... Patty's Mother
  • John Shelly .... Patty's Father
  • Ricardo Azulay .... Police Commander
  • Joe Wolberg .... SWAT Commander
  • Steven Brown .... SWAT Man
  • Fabia Matas .... SWAT Man
  • Mark Parker .... SWAT Man
  • Philip Rodgers .... Medic
  • Joan Lloveras .... Medic
  • Ignacio García .... Medic
  • Jose Luise Amposte .... Police Officer
  • Eric Pier .... Police Officer
  • Clause Braum .... Police Officer
  • Jorge Ferrer .... Police Officer
  • Jorge Torras .... Police Officer
  • Pep Cukart .... Police Officer
  • Tito Álvarez .... Police Officer
  • John Heald .... Police Officer
  • Angelika Thiblant .... Nurse in Street
  • Elvira Salles .... Nurse in Street
  • Tatiana Gari .... Nurse in Street
  • Margarita Borchaca.... Nurse in Street
  • Julia Carrasco .... Nurse in Street
  • María Guerín .... Nurse in Street

[edit] References

[edit] External links

  • The Internet Movie Database (2006). Angustia (1987). Retrieved February 15, 2006.
  • Amazon.com (2006). Anguish (1988). Retrieved February 15, 2006.