El Diablo

Starring:Anthony Edwards, Louis Gossett Jr., John Glover, Joe Pantoliano, Robert Beltran, M.C. Gainey, Miguel Sandoval, Sarah Trigger, Branscombe Richmond, Jim Beaver, Geno Silva, David Dunard, Don Collier, Luis Contreras, Jesse Doran, Kathleen Erickson, Todd Fitzpatrick, Jean Fowler, Wilfredo HernÃ¡ndez, Michael Francis Kelly
Director: Peter Markle
Studio: Hbo Home Video
Product Type: DVD

Amazon.com

When a teenage schoolgirl is kidnapped by Mexican bandit El Diablo (Star Trek: Voyager's Robert Beltran), her clumsy, awkward schoolteacher Billy Ray Smith (Anthony Edwards) sets out to save her. The would-be hero in this offbeat Western teams up with crotchety veteran gunslinger Van Leek (Louis Gossett Jr.), who helps him form an unlikely posse to rescue Smith's damsel in distress. What sets this low-key, made-for-cable production apart from numerous other Westerns is its humorously skewed take on the myths and legends of the Old West, as it not only deconstructs Hollywood's romanticized view of the genre but Billy Ray's veneration of a mythical gunfighter named Kid Durango, whose literary adventures he regularly reads to his students. Gossett is wonderfully droll as unscrupulous six slinger Van Leek, whose motives are always suspect; Edwards is charming as the bumbling teacher; and the supporting cast--which includes Branscombe Richmond (Renegade), Miguel Sandoval (Get Shorty), and John Glover (Brimstone)--imbue life into their quirky gun-for-hire roles. Indeed the best aspect of El Diablo is the way in which many of its characters' façades are gradually revealed. The very tongue-in-cheek screenplay was coauthored by Halloween director John Carpenter. --Bryan Reeseman

Customer Reviews:

El Diablo: Pixellation Hell in the Old West..........2007-05-26

This movie features a fine cast, an intriguing story with likable characters, and a very authentic "look." You get to liking Edwards' ungainly school teacher right off the bat, and when Gossett's grizzled bounty hunter makes his appearance, you are certain that the movie will deliver big entertainment...

And then the pixellation issues begin. Depending on which copy of the DVD you get; the screen image will begin to pixellate as early as chapter 2 or as late as chapter 4, finally locking up completely no later than early in chapter 4 (and I have yet to make it further than halfway into chapter 4). Of the three copies of this HBO original movie I have attempted to watch -- two copies from Amazon, and one purchased from Tower Records -- all have exhibited the exact same defect regardless of whether they are played on a DVD machine, PC/Mac, or PS2.

I'd love to watch this movie, but I am afraid that the disc-manufacturer's quality control (or lack thereof), is prepared to foil me at every turn. If you can acquire a copy free of manufacturer defects, you'll be guaranteed some fine entertainment...good luck!

El Diablo.......2007-01-03

El diablo is a funny western about a young school teacher who decides to rescue one of his students kidnapped by a natorious bad man. Knowing nothing of gun play he teams up with an old gunfighter who tries to teach him the skillful art before rescuing the girl. The adventures they have while chasing the gang down and teaching lessons is funny and entertaining. It is well worth the time.

Great movie - bad reproduction.......2004-03-22

This is one of my favorite movies ... I love it! BUT, I returned the DVD after finding out that it is not made in Widescreen or Dolby Digital. I know .. I should have looked first, but I assumed.:( Why does anyone even bother to make a DVD in Full Screen - HiFi? A tape is almost as good. This movie, and dozens more that I know of, deserve much more.

Thoroughly Enjoyable Fun.......2003-04-06

I began watching this movie because there was simply nothing else on, and I like Lou Gossett Jr & Anthony Edwards. About 15 minutes into the film, I was hooked and really enjoying the ride. This is a very clever, witty, and funny screenplay, full of jokes both subtle and not, and it has a score that is nearly flawless, accentuating both action and comedy. There are a lot of laugh-out-loud moments, and some truly unique comedic situations. In many respects, the whole film reminded me of "The Frisco Kid" with Harrison Ford and Gene Wilder, another of my favorite Western comedies.

Anthony Edwards (Billy Ray Smith) plays a tenderfoot schoolteacher prone to falling off and accidentally shooting horses. One of his students is kidnapped by the stunningly attractive El Diablo ("Star Trek: Voyager's" Robert Beltran,) and Edwards sets out to find the girl and bring her home. His misadventures with a band of misfit outlaws brings a lot of laughs and even some tender moments.

With only minor bad language and some blood here and there, this is a movie the whole family can enjoy. I highly recommend it, and plan to watch it again and again.

Surprises and scares at every turn of this fun Western........1999-08-07

The unlikely pairing of Louis Gosset Jr. and Anthony Edwards makes this movie intensly engaging. These actors and their supporting cast take the viewer on a wild ride through the old west as a mild mannered school teacher "beats the devil". The rescuing of a lovely young school girl from the hands of a very sexy Mexican bad guy, is done with humor through the awkwardness of the rescuer Billy Ray, and lots of help from savy gun slinger Louis Gosset Jr.and his wonder horse Rio. Though this movie was made for cable TV it sacrificed nothing in quality. El Diablo is well cast, funny, sweet, action packed, and very worthwhile.

Average customer rating:

Un Dia Con El Diablo
Starring: Miguel Arenas
Director: Miguel M. Delgado
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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Product Features:

*SALE
*Slim Case
*NO Subtitles

ASIN: B000KGIKU6

Product Description

Cuando Cantinflas aparece en el campo de batalla, hasta el diablo se echa a correr!

L'Echine du Diable (Original Spanish Version with English Subtitles)

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STYLISH SPANISH GOTHIC...

L'Echine du Diable (Original Spanish Version with English Subtitles)

ProductGroup: DVD
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ASIN: B000BTLPRW

Product Description

It is 1939, the end of three years of bloody civil war in Spain, and General Franco's right-wing Nationalists are poised to defeat the left-wing Republican forces. A ten-year-old boy named Carlos (Fernando Tielve), the son of a fallen Republican war hero, is left by his tutor in an orphanage in the middle of nowhere. The orphanage is run by a curt but considerate headmistress named Carmen (Marisa Paredes) and a kindly Professor Casares, both of whom are sympathetic to the doomed Republican cause. Despite their concern for him, and his gradual triumph over the usual schoolhouse bully, Carlos never feels completely comfortable in his new environment. First of all, there was that initial encounter with the orphanage's nasty caretaker, Jacinto, who reacts even more violently when anyone is caught looking around a particular storage room the one with the deep well. Second, and more inexplicable, is the presence of a ghost, one of the former occupants of the orphanage named Santi. Not long after Carlos' arrival, Santi latches onto Carlos, badgering him incessantly at night and gloomily intoning, "Many of you will die." As if that wasn't enough to keep the orphanage's occupants in an unrelenting state of terror, there's the un-exploded bomb that dominates the orphanage's courtyard, still ticking away; With the orphanage left defenseless by its isolation, and the swift progression of Franco's troops, the ghost's prediction seems depressingly accurate. Nevertheless, with every step of the plot, it becomes apparent that the ghost's predictions as to who (or what) will die, the real source of danger and even the definition of death itself may be more ambiguous than first thought.

Customer Reviews:

STYLISH SPANISH GOTHIC..........2006-12-23

Well directed by Guillermo Del Toro, this is a stylish, Spanish gothic film with remarkable performances by the entire cast. The entire film takes place during the Spanish Civil War of the 1930s in a remote, ramshackle school in the middle of nowhere that houses boys who have been displaced by the war. Many of them are orphans. An unexploded bomb, courtesy of the fascists, lies half buried in the courtyard of the school, a stark reminder of what is happening beyond the boundaries of this isolated spot.

One such boy, Carlos (Fernando Tielve), who is unaware that his father was killed in the war, is brought to the school by his tutor and left in the care and custody of its one legged headmistress, Carmen (Marisa Paredes). A Leftist, she is a passionate woman who has been funding the Left in its losing battle against the fascists. Cesares (Federico Luppi), one of the professors at the school, is a kindly, older man who befriends the bereft and bewildered Carlos. He is also an incurable romantic, in love with and devoted to Carmen, yet too much of a gentleman to consummate his passion for her. She. too, however, has a secret passion, and it is not him.

As the new kid on the block, Carlos attracts the attention of the school bully, Jaime (Inigo Garces), but manages to hold his own against the bigger and older boy. It is just as well, as there is something else going on at the school that demands both their attention. It seems that Santi (Junio Valverde), a boy who has been classified as missing, is eerily making his presence felt. Moreover, the school handyman, Jacinto (Eduardo Noriega), the handsome "prince without a kingdom", much like the devil himself, appears to be up to no good, while Conchita (Irene Visedo), the school's young housekeeper, has set her cap for him.

Amidst the war, the haunting, and the destructive violence of Jacinto, Carlos unexpectedly comes of age. Jaime, who is part of Carlos' rite of passage, matures into a natural leader. What they must face together will ultimately bind them in friendship. This is a complex, multi-layered film, dealing with themes of anger, betrayal, greed, love, and hate, all of which are played out and lead to the stunning climactic ending.

Marisa Paredes gives a rich, three dimensional performance, as Carmen, a woman who is tired by the ongoing civil war and who finds herself questioning the leftist cause, the very cause that she financially supports, while harboring a secret passion. Federico Luppi imbues his character, Cesares, with a depth of emotion that simmers just below the surface, as well as with an old-fashioned grace that is touching. Eduardo Noriego, as Jacinto, gives an emotional portrayal of evil, yet manages to infuse a certain poignancy in his character. The children all give very good performances. This deftly directed, well acted film is worth watching.

The DVD offers a widescreen version of the film with first rate audio and visuals. Along with a commentary by the director and the cinematographer, it offers an interesting featurette on the making of the film from the point of view of the director, Guillermo Del Toro. This is a DVD well worth having.

Average customer rating:

Borrowing from David Niven

Entre Ficheras Anda el Diablo
Starring: Angélica Chaín , Luis de Alba , Rafael Inclán , Christina Molina , and Sasha Montenegro
Director: Miguel M. Delgado
Manufacturer: Laguna Films
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B000AJJN3Q
Release Date: 2005-04-19

Customer Reviews:

Borrowing from David Niven.......2007-05-14

This movie is in Spanish with no subtitles.
This movie is almost a remake of a 1970 David Niven movie titled "THE STATUE" but it contains additional sub plots as well. In this one the focal point is a painting instead of a statue. A female artist (Sasha Montenegro) talks her husband (Jorge Rivero) into modeling for her wearing only a Speedo swimsuit so she can paint a portrait of a nude male figure. When he sees the completed painting days later, it is minus the Speedo and he spends the rest of the movie trying to discover who posed for the "lower" part of the painting.
In a parallel story, Rafael Inclan inadvertently conjures up a very funny devil (Alfonso Zayas) with hilarious results.
The movie has several cabaret scenes which give it an excuse to show more female nudity.
Another story line has a veterinarian falling for a blond cabaret dancer (Angelica Chain).
As usual, Sasha Montenegro and the other females in the cast "show it all" and then some which was quite common for Mexican comedies of this period. And why not? All of these women are gorgeous.
No extras on the DVD but the print is excellent.

Average customer rating:

Un Hombre Llamado El Diablo
Starring: Antonio De Hud , Vicente Fernandez , Estela Inda , Enrique Lucero , and Manuel Ojeda
Manufacturer: Laguna Films
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B000F3AAHU
Release Date: 2006-03-21

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El Diablo, el Santo y el Tonto
Starring: Felipe Arriaga , Vicente Fernandez , Lalo "Piporro" Gonzalez , Carmelita Gonzalez , and Sasha Montenegro
Director: Rafael Villasenor Kuri
Manufacturer: Laguna Films
ProductGroup: DVD
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ASIN: B00065GWLU
Release Date: 2004-12-16

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El Hijo del Diablo
Starring: Jose Baviera , Joaquin Cordero , Alma Delia Fuentes , Jorge Russek , and Irma Serrano
Director: Zacarías Gómez Urquiza
Manufacturer: Studio Latino
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B000A1IMWW
Release Date: 2005-12-13

Description

Victór Rincón y José Mancilla son dos bandoleros que se han adueñado de la región, robando ranchos y animales y matando a quien se oponga a sus planes. Un día aparece un hombre enmascarado que mata con un solo tiro en la frente a todo bandolero que se le pone enfrente. Como nadie ha podido herirlo, lo consideran un ser extraordinario y lo bautizan con el nombre de "EL HIJO DEL DIABLO". El ranchero Don Alejandro se niega a someterse a Víctor y sus secuaces y su hija Isabel rechaza a Víctor, que está enamorado de ella. Un día, Isabel se encuentra sola en la playa y Víctor ve la ocasión de aprovecharse de ella, pero la salva "El Hijo del Diablo". Víctor and José are bandits who have taken over the region, holding up ranches, stealing cattle and killing anyone who gets in their way. One day, a masked man appears who kills bandits with a single shot between the eyes. Since no one is able to even wound him, the locals consider him a charmed being and call him the Son of the Devil. Don Alejandro is a rancher who will not submit to Víctor and his gang and his daughter Isabel rejects the advances of Víctor, who is attracted to her. One day, Isabel is alone at the beach and Víctor seeks to have his way with her, but the Son of the Devil arrives just in time.

Average customer rating:

Entre Monjas Anda el Diablo
Starring: Vicente Fernández (II) , Angélica María , Sara García , Alma Rosa Aguirre , and Ahui Camacho
Director: René Cardona
Manufacturer: Laguna Films
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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