Few viewing experiences have been as fun this year as discovering Álex de la Iglesia with his unhinged crime odyssey Perdita Durango. While that film helped him breakthrough more in the United States, it was his previous film, the Spanish-language The Day Of The Beast, which first made people take notice of his unique, brutal style. The 1995 black comedy was only the filmmaker’s sophomore feature, but it showed a creativity of a seasoned veteran. This supernatural tale takes old concepts such as the ultimate battle between good and evil and recontextualizes it in only the way de la Iglesia can. What if you could only combat evil by doing evil? The audacity to play around with morally valued figures by putting them into outrageous situations is just asking for our mastermind to be have protests against him – which did happen a bit – but he is assured enough in his process not to care. There are some wild narrative detours within this journey, but ultimately the filmmaker is telling his version of a heartwarming tale.
The aptly named Angel (Álex Angulo) is your typical Basque priest and professor of theology until he cracks what he believes to be a secret code. He theorizes that the Antichrist will be born on midnight of Christmas Eve, and in order to get into the birth ceremony to kill said Antichrist he must commit as many sins as he can possibly rack up and sell his soul to Satan. If this premise is not enough to intrigue you, this movie holds no value for you. de la Iglesia commences this journey on the perfect twisted note; Angel initially has a fellow priest agree to help him in his plan until a large cross falls over and crushes him to death. Is this sacrilegious? Who cares if it is? The filmmaker certainly does not, as Angel walks through downtown Madrid telling sick people to go to Hell, stealing money from the poor and committing straight up violence on innocent people who cross his path. You know he does not really mean it, but the dark hearted humor that is derived from this is simply too great to ignore. Angel is a man on a mission, and he is going to carry it out if it kills him and destroys his soul.
The movie does have a bit more structure than just a priest being a hellraiser. Angel gets help in his quest on two fronts; record store employee and self-described Satanist José María (Santiago Segura) gladly helps the priest find the most “evil” band possible along with some lodging; TV show host Professor Cavan (Armando de Razza) is a less willing participant, but his experience with the occult helps the cause in the end. The boarding house arranged by José María is important in bringing a cast of colorful characters who weave in and out of Angel’s quest in unique and occasionally violent ways. A mid-film attempted kidnapping oscillates between discomfort, absurd physical and situational humor and pulse pounding violence all in the span of a few precious minutes. Cavan plays a more thematically relevant position in the film as the line he toes between genuine occult expert and successful charlatan allows for some pointed commentary on the effect media has on our public perception and the ways in which we are so easily manipulated.
For a film teasing the potential apocalypse throughout, you need it to deliver when it counts. Thankfully, the film does not leave you hanging from the first appearance of a menacing goat (this was way before The VVitch) to a finale which goes for broke. The technology used to bring certain elements to life are somewhat dated, but the film has a gritty charm to it that allows you to overlook any limitations on this front. The actions perpetrated by the characters can be quite outlandish, but when committed to try to stop the end of the world you are left feeling conflicted and possibly even understanding. This point is intentionally provoked for humor that lands nearly every time for those on the wavelength of the feature. That the movie leaves you with a parting message that you cannot rely on external validation for any work that is truly selfless feels like the perfect note from de la Iglesia. This is a filmmaker who you would not associate with a hopeful streak, but in its own twisted way this feature leaves you feeling slightly better about the state of the world.
Video Quality
Severin Films presents The Day Of The Beast with a glorious 2160p transfer in its original 1.85:1 aspect ratio sourced from a 4K restoration of the original camera negative. The level of detail and clarity is stunning with a pleasing amount of natural film grain intact. The grain resolves quite well bringing out immense texture in the costumes and within the production design. Even facial details such as blood and sweat present with impressive clarity. This transfer does feature a few stray specks that do not amount to much in the long run. This presentation is true to the original look of the film with the added resolution making elements seem more immediate. There are some rougher moments during the finale due to the optical effects, but this is unavoidable considering the technical limitations. There does not appear to be much in the way of jarring digital anomalies such as compression artifacts, banding or any other such nuisances.
One of the more impressive aspect of the disc is the application of HDR for increased color output that is more subtle in application than Perdita Durango but equally as effective. This is not a film that is replete with sumptuous colors as the director’s follow-up, but there are moments that really stand out such as the dark reds in the opening church scene. The new master features some bold colors in the production design and costumes such as a memorable red dress that pop off the screen with a vibrant intensity. Where the HDR really shines is with the incredibly deep black levels with nothing in the way of crush present, and white levels are also solid as a rock with no evidence of blooming. This presentation is a stellar effort from the fine people at Severin Films.
Audio Quality
The 4K UHD Blu-Ray disc comes with lovely DTS-HD 2.0 and 5.1 Master Audio tracks in the original Spanish, as well as an English dub in DTS-HD 2.0 Master Audio. The 5.1 track provides an expansive soundscape that aims to flesh out the world a little further while honoring the original intention of the filmmaker. The track does not feature constant activity in the side and rear channels, but they come alive when it makes sense. The metal musical choices and score from Battista Lena is used well to establish the mood of the story, and this track handles it perfectly throughout the duration of the film. There is never a moment where it threatens to overwhelm competing sounds, and it maintains a good balance so that dialogue comes through clearly. The environmental sounds such as the chatter of crowds and creature sounds are rendered well alongside everything else. There does not seem to be any majorly noticeable instances of age-related wear and tear. Severin Films has given this film a perfectly preserved audio presentation that brings the movie to life in a way that should please fans.
Special Features
- Heirs Of The Beast: A substantial 81-minute documentary from Diego Lopez and David Pizarro in which participants discuss the place of this film in Spanish cinema, the development and production of the project, the legacy of the feature and more. This gives a great amount of context to the sociopolitical climate of the country at the time and how that impacted what was deemed a “lesser” fantasy film. Highly recommended for anyone interested in film history.
- Antichrist Superstar – Interview with Director Álex de la Iglesia: A new 28-minute interview in which the filmmaker discusses the impact role playing games had on the narrative, the casting of the project, music that he could not afford to have in the film, the intricacies of shooting a large crowd shot and much more.
- The Man Who Saved The World – Interview with Actor Armando de Razza: A new 20-minute interview in which the actor discusses where his career was at this point, the journey of his character, interesting people he met shooting on location, what it was like working with the goat, his admiration for his colleagues, the unpleasantness of some of the stunts he had to perform and more.
- Beauty and The Beast – Interview with Actress Maria Grazia Cucinotta: A new 17-minute interview with the actress in which she discusses what drew her to the project, what it was like collaborating with her director, forgetting she was covered in fake blood walking around her hotel, her thoughts on her character, the surreality felt on set, how she feels about the film now and more.
- Shooting The Beast – Interview with Director of Photography Flavio Martinez Labiano: A nearly three-minute interview in which he recalls what it was like shooting The Day Of The Beast and the challenges of representing Madrid on screen as it was in reality.
- Mirindas Asesinas: A 12-minute short film from 1990 by Álex de la Iglesia which features a violent event at a bar that leads to even more unbearable tension.
- Trailers: Two trailers totaling four-and-a-half minutes are provided here.
Final Thoughts
The Day Of The Beast is a deliriously fun ride which finds director Álex de la Iglesia establishing himself as a filmmaker to never underestimate. The film has outrageous moments, but nothing is ever pushed to the extreme in a way that feels exploitative. The filmmaker brings humanity to this story of good versus evil in a way that greatly enriches his characters. Severin Films has released a 4K UHD Blu-Ray featuring an outstanding A/V presentation and an excellent assortment of special features. If you want a film with some hilariously dark humor and some thrilling horror elements, this should be a fun journey for you. Recommended
The Day Of The Beast is currently available to purchase on 4K UHD Blu-Ray, Blu-Ray and DVD.
Note: Images presented in this review are not reflective of the image quality of the 4K UHD Blu-Ray.
Disclaimer: Severin Films has supplied a copy of this set free of charge for review purposes. All opinions in this review are the honest reactions of the author.
Dillon is most comfortable sitting around in a theatre all day watching both big budget and independent movies.
