UW Cinematheque | LACIS Presents “Arrebato”

Spain | 1979 | 35mm | 115 min. | Spanish with English subtitles
Director: Ivan Zulueta
Cast: Eusebio Poncela, Cecila Roth, Will More

Horror movie director José (Poncela) is adrift in a sea of doubt and drugs. As his belated second feature nears completion, his reclusive bubble is popped by two events: a sudden reappearance from an ex-girlfriend (Roth) and a package from past acquaintance Pedro (More). In the package: a reel of Super-8 film, an audiotape, and a door key. From there, the boundaries of time, space, and sexuality are erased as José is once more sucked into Pedro’s vampiric orbit. Together, they attempt the ultimate hallucinogenic catharsis through filming and being filmed. The dimension-shattering blend of madness and cinema in Arrebato (rapture) has earned it comparisons to Zulawski’s Possession. This mindbending piece of Post-Franco counterculture was the final feature of cult filmmaker and movie poster designer Zulueta. Pedro Almodóvar’ has declared it his favorite horror film!