''Spanish Movie'' is a 2009 Spanish

parody film A parody film or spoof film is a subgenre of comedy film that lampoons other film genres or films as pastiches, works created by imitation of the style of many different films reassembled together. Although the subgenre is often overlooked by cri ...

directed by Javier Ruiz Caldera and written by Paco Cabezas. The film was conceived as a Spanish version of the spoof films that were appearing at the time, continuing the trend begun by the ''Scary Movie'' franchise. The production parodies several successful Spanish horror/drama films including: '' The Others'', '' The Orphanage'', '' Alatriste'', '' Open Your Eyes'', ''

Mondays in the Sun ''Mondays in the Sun'' () is a 2002 drama film directed by Fernando León de Aranoa, starring Javier Bardem, Luis Tosar and José Ángel Egido. The film depicts the degrading effects of unemployment on a group of men left jobless by the closure ...

'', ''

Volver ''Volver'' (, meaning "to return") is a 2006 Spanish comedy-drama film written and directed by Pedro Almodóvar. The film features an ensemble cast that includes Penélope Cruz, Carmen Maura, Lola Dueñas, Blanca Portillo, Yohana Cobo, and ...

'', ''

The Sea Inside ''The Sea Inside'' () is a 2004 psychological drama film co-written and directed by Alejandro Amenábar, who also co-produced, scored and edited. It is based on the real-life story of Ramón Sampedro (played by Javier Bardem), who was left quadr ...

'', ''

Pan's Labyrinth ''Pan's Labyrinth'' () is a 2006 dark fantasy film written, directed and co-produced by Guillermo del Toro. The film stars Ivana Baquero, Sergi López, Maribel Verdú, Doug Jones, and Ariadna Gil. The story takes place in Spain in the summe ...

'' and '' REC''. It features a cameo by

Leslie Nielsen Leslie William Nielsen (February 11, 1926November 28, 2010) was a Canadian actor and comedian. With a career spanning 60 years, he appeared in more than 100 films and 150 television programs, portraying more than 220 characters. He made his a ...

in his last film appearance. Production started on 23 February 2009 in

Barcelona Barcelona ( ; ; ) is a city on the northeastern coast of Spain. It is the capital and largest city of the autonomous community of Catalonia, as well as the second-most populous municipality of Spain. With a population of 1.6 million within c ...

and the film was released in cinemas on 4 December of that year.

Plot

Ramira (''

Alexandra Jiménez Alexandra Jiménez Arrechea (born 4 January 1980) is a Spanish actress. She became popular for her role as África Sanz in the sitcom ''Los Serrano''. She starred in the TV series ''La pecera de Eva'', broadcast between 2010 and 2011. Between 201 ...

'') works as

maid A maid, housemaid, or maidservant is a female domestic worker. In the Victorian era, domestic service was the second-largest category of employment in England and Wales, after agricultural work. In developed Western nations, full-time maids a ...

and

nanny A nanny is a person who provides child care. Typically, this care is given within the children's family setting. Throughout history, nannies were usually servants in large households and reported directly to the lady of the house. Today, modern ...

to Laura ('' Silvia Abril'') and her children: Simeón and Ofendia ('' Óscar Lara'' and '' Laia Alda''). Unfortunately, Ramira kills the boy, who suffers from

photodermatitis Photodermatitis, sometimes referred to as sun poisoning or photoallergy, is a form of allergic contact dermatitis in which the allergen must be activated by light to sensitize the allergic response, and to cause a rash or other systemic effects ...

, within minutes of meeting him, when she insists he goes out and gets some sun. Ramira tries to hide her crime and lies to Laura about Simeón's death. She then meets Laura's brother Pedro San Antón, who is paraplegic like

Ramón Sampedro Ramón Sampedro Cameán (5 January 1943 – 12 January 1998) was a Spanish seaman and writer. Sampedro became a quadriplegic at the age of 25 (on 23 August 1968), following a diving accident, and fought for his right to assisted dying for the fo ...

(or at least claims to be). The house is full of supernatural visitors, including a Fairy (Michelle Jenner) and a Faun (Joaquín Reyes), most of which fall foul of the psychotic Ofendia. One who escapes Ofendia's attentions is Maligna Escobero, a terrifying woman who suggests Laura should make Simeón wear a sack mask to protect himself from the sun. Ramira enlists the help of Jose (Joselito), who convinces Laura that he is Simeón, despite the disadvantage of being a middle-aged man. She inadvertently kills her alcoholic unemployed husband Antonio and declares her love for Pedro. Laura becomes suspicious that something is wrong when Simeón does not appear even on his birthday, and pursues a figure wearing a sack mask through the house. When she hears the figures tell-tale

party horn A party horn (also known as a party blower or noisemaker) is a horn (instrument), horn formed from a paper tube, often flattened and rolled into a coil, which unrolls when blown into, producing a horn-like noise. It is not consistently known b ...

, she runs out to find him in the woods outside her house, only to find her long-lost husband Diego (Eduardo Gómez). After a brief but sexually active reunion, Diego leaves her again. Pedro insists that he cannot leave his sister until he knows the truth about Simeón. Ramira returns to her village to seek the help of a local mystic. They arrive just in time to see Maligna Escobero die in a fatal accident, as not even Doctor Nielsen (Leslie Nielsen) is able to save her. With local medium Gerarda unable to help them, the gang return home. Pedro opts to end his life, but the process is complicated by the difficult director he finds to make his goodbye video. Ramira rushes to Pedro's bedside after learning he has taken cyanide, and is joined by the Fairy and the Faun. The Faun explains the convoluted reality: Pedro exists in the year 3028 and his current reality is all a dream. He has to choose between staying with Ramira, or throwing himself from the top of a building in order to wake up in the future. He opts to stay with Ramira. When the Faun turns violent, Ramira mesmerises him with a song and pushes him off the building. She runs to embrace him, only to accidentally release the brake on his hospital bed, sending him careering off the building. Pedro, falling through infinity, manages to concentrate and control his dream world. He flies to the top of the building and embraces Ramira. Meanwhile, Laura is still convinced Simeón is around her, as she finds a trail of phallic toys left around the house. She is eventually visited by the boy in the sack mask, who directs her to a hole in the wall. It turns out to be Ofendia, who leads her to Simeón's mutilated remains. Laura, disconsolate, takes a large handful of pills, only to realise that they are laxatives. She is visited by Pedro, who tells her that if she concentrates, she can make Simeón return. Simeón is revived, and Laura opens the doors of the house, telling him he has nothing to fear. With his mother otherwise engaged in the bathroom, Simeón goes to leave the house with Ramira and Pedro, although not all of him makes it out.

Cast

External links

* * * {{Javier Ruiz Caldera 2009 films Films set in Spain Films shot in Barcelona Spanish comedy films 2000s parody films 20th Century Fox films Films scored by Fernando Velázquez 2009 comedy films 2000s Spanish films

Plot

Cast

See also

External links