|
|
|
Alex de la Iglesia on the set of Perdita Durango.
Alex de la Iglesia at the 7th Viva! Spanish Film Festival in Manchester.
Alex de la Iglesia and his good friend Santiago Segura- director & star of Torrente-el brazo tonto de la ley.
Alex de la Iglesia was born in Bilbao in 1965. He got a degree in Philosophy whilst devouring hundreds of comics and organising complex role playing game adventures.
At only 35, the Basque director Alex de la Iglesia has achieved a success rarely equaled in a filmmaker of his age. From university days he was developing his distinctive hybrid of dark humour and gleeful, graphic horror through work in underground comics, happenings, and short films, all bubbling from the creative cauldron of the ‘Bilbao Movida’.
His short Mirindas Asesinas brought recognition from Almodovar’s El Deseo Productions, who along with his brother produced Accion Mutante, his first feature. Working with producer Andrés Vicente Gómez on his next four features, he has become one of the most popular Spanish directors.
De la Iglesia has become an archetype of a new generation of Spanish film-makers of the nineties- Julio Médem, Urbizu, Juanma Bajo Ulloa.
After the shooting of Perdita Durango, de la Iglesia got married in Las Vegas. He was dressed as Elvis and she was dressed as a Mexican Charro.
In 1997 wrote his a novel: "Payasos en la Lavadora" (Clowns in the Washing Machine), which was edited by Planeta Editions.
Pretty soon he will start a TV series where Alex Angulo and Santiago Segura will star. The series will be called: "Hospital Psiquiátrico" (Psychiatric Hospital).
Alex de La Iglesia quotes: "That thing about cinema with a message is stupid. I'm sorry that El Dia de la Bestia (The Day of the Beast) has a possible antifascist meaning, that means that I still cannot make good movies. Santiago (Segura) and I pretend to get to perfect stupidity, pure enjoyment, where there is no message whatsoever".
Visit Alex de la Iglesia's official website here
Ibercine met Alex de la Iglesia at the 7th Viva! Spanish Film Festival in Manchester this past March 2000 and were able to ask him a few questions about his latest fim and upcoming projects. Read all about it here.
1991- Mirindas Asesinas
In his first short, Alex de la Iglesia showed his sarcastic nature and special ability to create outrageous characters, like the main character who enters in that "special bar"...
1993- Accion Mutante (Mutant Action)
Apocalyptic story about some mutants who want to conquer the Earth. Alex puts enough excesses and caricatures to show that even being a rookie he was to be taken seriously.
1995- El Dia de la Bestia (The Day of the Beast)
First real success from the critics and public which won several awards. A priest looks for the antichrist, who is to be born in Madrid on Christmas Day. He finds two odd sidekicks- a heavy metal follower and a psychic- on the way to saving the world from evil.
Buy the film
|
|
|
1997- Perdita Durango (Dance with the Devil- in USA)
Alex de la Iglesia comments: "Imagine what would happen if Hannibal Lecter and Cruella de Ville took the kids from Beverly Hills 90210 on a filed trip". Need we say more?
Read Ibercine's review of the film.
Buy the film
1999-Muertos de Risa (Dying of Laughter)
Alex gets Santiago Segura and El Gran Wyoming together to portray the disparate story of "Nino and Bruno", a couple of comedians in the 80s.
2000- La Comunidad (Common Wealth)
Julia, a forty-something woman, works selling flats for a state agent. After finding 300 million pesetas hidden in a flat where a dead man lies, she has to face the selfish neighbours who want a share of the money.
In Production- 800 Balas (800 Bullets)
Alex de la Iglesia brings back the Spagetti Westerns. Shot entirely on location in the old Spaghetti Western sets in Almeria, Spain. Coming soon(ish) to a screen near you. Read Ibercine's Preview of the film.
1996- Best Director Goya Award
1996- Best Film Silver Fotogramas Award