Muertos de risa (1999)

User Rating:

6.6/10   

Director:

Álex de la Iglesia

Writers:

Jorge Guerricaechevarría (writer)
Álex de la Iglesia (writer)

Release Date:

12 March 1999 (Spain)

Genre:

Comedy

Plot:

Nino and Bruno are two comedians who reach the heights of success with their duo act, turning them into huge TV celebrities...

Plot Keywords:

Fame | Male Rear Nudity | Animal Death | Breasts | Rivalry

Awards:

2 wins & 1 nomination

Cast

Santiago Segura	...	Nino
El Gran Wyoming	...	Bruno
Álex Angulo	...	Julián
Carla Hidalgo	...	Laura
Eduardo Gómez	...	El Pobre Tino
José María Íñigo	...	Himself
Uri Geller	...	Himself
Manuel Tallafé	...	El Mago Silber
Jesús Bonilla	...	Sargento '23 F'
Alfonso Lussón	...	Berasategui, el productor
Ramón Barea	...	Realizador '23 F'
Rafael Luna	...	Ricky, el peluquero
Sancho Gracia	...	Legionario brutal
Ramón Txurruca	...	Legionario brutal
Sergio Pazos	...	Legionario brutal
Rodolfo Sancho	...	Técnico '23 F'
José María Sacristán	...	Guardia Civil impresentable (as José Sacristán)
Gorka Aguinagalde	...	Objetor de SAMUR (as Gorka Aginagalde)
David Pinilla	...	Vecino indignado
Silvia Casanova	...	Vecina desdentada
César Vea	...	Policía sensible
Gonzalo Durán	...	Policía sensible
Javier Mirantes	...	Guardia Jurado
Pedro Casado	...	Guardia Jurado
Sixto Cid	...	Fakir SIXTO 'piti' (as Cid)
Carlos Lucas	...	Regidor
Alfonso del Real	...	Don Antonio
Ricardo Inglés	...	Médico Severo
María Asquerino	...	Madre Radical
Alfonso Lara	...	Regidor 'Un, dos, tres'
Lourdes Bartolomé	...	Folklórica despedida
Bruto Pomeroy	...	Folklórico despedido (as Bruto Pomeroi)
José Alias	...	Folklórico despedido
Vicky Bodega	...	Gemela terminal
Luisi Bodega	...	Gemela terminal
Paloma Arimón	...	Azafata 'Un, dos, tres'
Athenea Mata	...	Ligue de discoteca
Aurora Carbonell	...	Ligue de discoteca
Javier Jurdao	...	Borracho freak
Otilia Laiz	...	La chica del 'Directísimo'
Romy	...	Chica Fiesta
María Dos Santos	...	Chica 'Freakxenet'
Ion Gabella	...	Soldado '23 F'
Víctor Rivas	...	Soldado '23 F'
Javierín Amancio	...	Cámara de Galdákano
Ahileen González	...	Fan de Nino
Veronica Roman	...	Fan de Nino
Florentino Soria	...	El anciano del premio
Antonio de la Torre	...	Policía Cárcel
Fede Celada	...	Castrin Tinos (as Federico Celada)
Pietro Olivera	...	Castrin Tinos
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Bigote Arrocet	...	Himself (uncredited)
Jimmy Barnatán	...	Niño anuncio 'Pastelitos' (uncredited)
Moncho Borrajo	...	Himself (uncredited)
Beatriz Carvajal	...	Herself (uncredited)
Manolo Codeso	...	Himself (uncredited)
Alvaro de la Torre	...	Freaky (uncredited)
Narciso Ibáñez Serrador	...	Himself (voice) (uncredited)
Víctor Manuel	...	Himself (uncredited)
Massiel	...	Herself (uncredited)
Jemi Paretas	...	(uncredited)
Antonio Resines	...	Himself (uncredited)
Rosanna Walls	...	Showgirl (uncredited)
Josema Yuste	...	Himself (uncredited)

Directed by
Álex de la Iglesia

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Jorge Guerricaechevarría		writer
Álex de la Iglesia		writer

Produced by
Andrés Vicente Gómez	....	producer
Marco Gómez	....	associate producer
Aldo Spagnoli	....	associate producer

Original Music by
Roque Baños

Cinematography by
Flavio Martínez Labiano

Film Editing by
Teresa Font

Production Design by
José Luis Arrizabalaga
Biaffra

Costume Design by
Lala Huete

Production Management
Luis Gutiérrez	....	production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Miguel Alcantud	....	third assistant director
José Ángel Cabañas	....	second assistant director

Sound Department
Ray Gillon	....	sound re-recording mixer
Santiago Thévenet	....	sound editor
José Vinader	....	sound

Visual Effects by
Jerôme Debève	....	computer animator
Úrsula García	....	visual effects producer

Stunts
Jorge Huergo	....	stunts
Ángel Plana	....	stunt coordinator

Camera and Electrical Department
Juan Miguel Azpiroz	....	first assistant camera

Editorial Department
Irene Blecua	....	first assistant editor
Alejandro Lázaro	....	assistant editor
Ximo Michavila	....	video colorist

Other crew
Soledad Martínez	....	production assistant trainee

Thanks
Bigote Arrocet	....	thanks
Moncho Borrajo	....	thanks
Beatriz Carvajal	....	thanks
Georgina Cisquella	....	thanks
Manolo Codeso	....	thanks
Susana Egea	....	thanks
Narciso Ibáñez Serrador	....	thanks (as Chicho Ibáñez Serrador)
Víctor Manuel	....	thanks
Massiel	....	thanks
Antonio Mercero	....	thanks
Joan Potau	....	thanks
Matías Prats	....	thanks
Antonio Resines	....	thanks
Millán Salcedo	....	thanks
Hugo Stuven	....	thanks
Guillermo Summers	....	thanks
Olga Viza	....	thanks
Josema Yuste	....	thanks

Production Companies

• Lolafilms

Distributors

• XIII Bis Records (2006) (France) (DVD)
• Artist Films Co. Ltd. (????) (Japan) (theatrical)
• Lolafilms Distribución (????) (Spain) (theatrical)
• Primer Plano Film Group (????) (Argentina) (theatrical)
• Lolafilms Home Entertainment (2004) (Spain) (DVD)
• Ventura Distribution (????) (USA) (DVD)

Also Known As:

Dying of Laughter (Canada: English title)

MPAA:

Rated R for language and some nudity.

Runtime:

113 min | Japan:111 min

Country:

Spain

Language:

Spanish

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Certification:

Iceland:L | Argentina:13 | Chile:14 | Spain:T | USA:R

Filming Locations:

Barcelona, Cataluña, Spain

Company:

Lolafilms

Trivia:

Director Álex de la Iglesia considered casting Fernando Esteso as Nino and Andrés Pajares as Bruno.

Movie Connections:

References "Un, dos, tres... responda otra vez" (1972)

Soundtrack:

Libre

The short fat one gets slapped. That's it.

"Muertos De Risa" had such a lot going for it, it's hard to see exactly how director, cast and crew could make such a stupendously stupid film. Yet somehow, through colossal ignorance of what makes a decent movie, sheer bad luck or a complete lack of talent, Alex De Iglesia's supposed laughfest offers little more than a bewildered titter at the point of the thing.

The thing was, I went in with such high hopes. The poster looks good, I was in the mood for a knockabout screwball comedy, and I had been busy defending this type of movie to my Spanish friends (who clearly aren't too impressed with this genre - see "El Milagro De P.Tinto"), and I was looking forward to a nice seventies kitsch affair. But it just failed to deliver. The comedy was dire (alright, I might have missed a few Spanish language one-liners, but judging by the noises the Spanish audience were making, I doubt it). But really, what's going on? How on earth did this make it past greenlighting? It can't be entertainment, surely.

Nevertheless, before sitting down to write this review, I endeavoured to find some positive aspects of the film. And, to my surprise, there were one or two diamonds in the very, very rough. Firstly: the title sequence - lovely, stylised animation, nice attention to seventies detail. Secondly, the goat gave a sterling performance - I can honestly say I have never seen a goat play dead quite as realistically - fantastic! (In comparison). Finally, the comedy old mother is alright, I suppose. But animation, goats and mothers aside, there isn't a lot to look forward too, I'm afraid.

The thing is - it's all so bloomin' unnecessary. There is no need for all the naked women (no there isn't, to all those lecherous readers out there), there is no need to push the jokes quite as far as they try, because the jokes don't work on their own. There was just no point in making the film: a brief comedy sketch on "Saturday Night Live", fine - but a feature-length movie? Never. "Muertos De Risa" is crass, stupid, unnecessary and irritating (like most of the actors). I don't think I've ever hated a movie quite as much: which is good, I'm glad it's got my passion up. I might try to watch it with subtitles, just to see if I did miss something stupendous - and you will be the first to know if I did. But I really don't hold out much hope.

Alright - this is a personal opinion; you, of course, might love it. But my advice is this: if you're after screwball Spanish comedy, watch "El Milagro De P.Tinto", if you're after soft porn, watch anything by Russ Meyer, and if you're after an example of the best Spanish cinema has to offer, then try "Todo Sobre Mi Madre". If, however, you're after something to irritate the hell out of your friends and family, maybe this is the film for you. It certainly isn't for me.