4/10
Below average spoof about Juana La Loca , Isabel and Fernando starred by all-Spanish-star cast but really wasted
12 August 2016
This ironic film is an "alternative " vision of ¨Juana La Loca¨ history and it displays a good cast , such as : Lola Flores as Reina Isabel I 'La Católica' , Beatriz Elorrieta as Infanta Doña Juana De Castilla , Jaime Morey as Felipe 'El Hermoso' , Manolo Gómez Bur as Cardenal Cisneros and Quique Camoiras as Fray Tomás de Torquemada . This is a spoof concerning the known history of the deep love transformed Juana , the nutty Queen of Spain , (Beatriz Elorrieta) into Juana "The mad" . The film is freely based on the notorious novel by Manuel Tamayo Y Baus in which Juana is married off by her pious parents , the two famous Catholic kings : Fernando of Aragon (Jose Luis López Vázquez) and Isabella of Castille (Lola Flores) , to ally Spain , united by their marriage , to the Burgundian and other Habsburg heritage of archduke Maximilian and Maria's son Philip (Jaime Morey) . As in 1496, Juana De Castilla , daughter of the Catholic Kings, travels to Flandes to marry the Archduke Felipe De Austria , known as 'El Hermoso' or The Handsome . When they meet, it's love at first sight, for her all-consuming, for him one of many happy bed partnerships as she later figures out . Deaths in her family soon make Juana Isabella's heir , but Ferdinand suggests she inherited her grandmother's craziness and supports Philip's ambition to govern instead , which becomes the stakes of political maneuvering in the Cortes and then multiple drama is inevitable . Combined with Philip's relentless infidelity , which includes a Moorish whore-princess Zoraida (Adriana Vega) , and other lovers as the things go awry when Juana uncovers his treason . As mental health Juana starts getting worse and Felipe makes the Burgos Court , nobility-dominated parliament , declare the incurable insanity of Juana and confines her in the monastery of Las Huelgas, proclaiming himself as the king . But Felipe dies and happenings go wrong .

In this ridiculous tale there are anachronisms , goofs , abstract incidents , musical numbers , songs and amusement . The parody is continuous , hilarious , surrealist , absurd and sometimes is gross-out , but in some moments here and there is also bold and risible . This Juana "The mad" concerns an insane story of love , lies and jealousy with silly political confrontation behind , including crazy characters as the torturer Torquemada - Quique Camoiras- , the amnesic Cardenal Cisneros -Manolo Gómez Bur- , discoverer Cristóbal Colón -Juanito Navarro- , and the Infants : Don Juan -Guillermo Montesinos- and Isabel - Paloma Hurtado- , among others . This picture contains acid political remarks with inclusion some embarrassing re-enacting of historical deeds as the capitulations of Santa Fé between Colón and Catholic Kings . Adding several observations to political aspects of Spain of the eighties , as the Regional Autonomias ; including the past-present politicians , such as : Manuel Fraga , Adolfo Suarez , Alfonso Guerra , Felipe Gónzalez , and several others . The flick belongs to a trio mostly written by Juan José Alonso Millán and produced by Jose Frade , in which there are deep satires to historic events mingled with actual political events , such as ¨Cristóbal Colón , Oficio Descubridor¨ by Mariano Ozores with Andrés Pajáres , Fiorella Faltoyano , Angel De Andrés , María Kosty , Rafaela Aparicio and ¨¨El Cid Cabreador¨ by Angelino Fons with Angel Cristo , Carmen Maura , Manolo Gómez Bur , Paquita Rico , Pepe Da Rosa , Adriana Vega . In similar style was made ¨La Loca Historia de Los Tres Mosqueteros¨ (1983) by Mariano Ozores with Martes Y Trece , Antonio Ozores and Paloma Hurtado . The flick will appeal to Lola Flores fans and lunatic humor lovers .

The motion picture produced by the notorious producer Jose Frade was lousily directed by Jose Ramon Larraz . Here he makes other genre spoof with great loads of gags , slapdash and slapstick ; as Larraz also directed other spoofs , such as ¨La Momia Nacional¨ and ¨Polvos Mágicos¨ that had enough success . The recently deceased (2013) Larraz started in cinema world by casual way when he meets the famous director Josef Von Stenberg running a cinematographic course in Brussels . Larraz was a director of horror and erotic films and former comic book illustrator and fashion photographer. Worked in England as Joseph Larraz, and in Spain, using the pseudonym Joseph Braunstein . As he shot his first movies in England, plenty of horror , suspense and sex , such as ¨Whirlpool¨ (1970) , ¨Deviation¨(1971) , ¨La Muerte Incierta¨(1972) , ¨Scream or die¨(1973) and ¨Symptoms¨ with Angela Pleasence and Peter Vaughan . He also shot soft-cores and then Jose Ramon returns Spain filming horror and semi-exploitative movies such as ¨Estigma¨, ¨Ritos Sexuales Del Diablo¨, ¨Al Filo del Hacha¨ and ¨Descanse en Piezas¨ , imitating the American Slahers of the 70s and 80s . His most successful film was ¨Vampyres¨, played by Playboy young models , blending arty house , horror and erotic situations ; dealing with alluring females vampires coerce unsuspecting motorists to their castle for a good time .

Other retellings about this known story based on the play by Manuel Tamayo Y Baus are the followings : A silent version (1909) by Ricardo Baños ; the Spanish classic ¨Locura De Amor¨(1948) by Juan De Orduña with Aurora Bautista as Doña Juana , Fernando Rey as Felipe El Hermoso , Sara Montiel as Aldara , Jorge Mistral as Capitán Don Alvar and , of course, the prestigious version (2001) realized by Vicente Aranda with Pilar López De Ayala , Daniel Liotti , Susi Sánchez , Rosana Pastor , Giuliano Gemma , Roberto Álvarez , Eloy Azorín , Guillermo Toledo . And recently ¨Isabel¨ TV series with Michelle Jenner , Rodolfo Sancho and Irene Escolar as Juana and finally ¨La Corona Partida¨ .
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