El pico 2 (1984) Poster

(1984)

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5/10
Following with the same ingredients as drug addiction , thrills , eroticism and lots of violence
ma-cortes6 May 2012
Inferior follow-up dealing equally with delinquency , terrorism , dirty war and other dramatic events about heroin addiction . Violent and thought-provoking look about youthful delinquency , generational problems , drugging in Spain from the 80s , adding continuous flashbacks taken from the first installment . Intelligent film about juvenile delinquency and upon prison life where the starring is harassed and humiliated until that fury and revenge emerge . It deals with the delinquent junkie named Paco who along with his stiff dad , the Guardia Civil commandant (Fernando Guillen) go to Madrid . There they live at a familiar ( with the queens of Spanish comedy as Rafaela Aparicio and Gracita Morales) home . But Paco is locked-up accused for killing a couple . It's an interesting film developed in two parts : in and out prison . The best part is narrated into prison because of it reflects the astonishing existence of the inmates , with fights , threats ,murders and where rules the strongest's law . Later on , he is freed and forced into street hustling and ever-expanding life of crime . Paco again hag out with Betty (Lali Espinet or Andrea Albani for the 'S' movies) , an Argentinian whore who deliver him heroin . Paco also hags out with a broken-out convict nicknamed Leendakari (Jaume Valls) . Both of them scheme and carry out robberies to earn money in and around Madrid . As the trio attacks an armored van but the events get worse .

¨El Pico 2¨ is one of several movies dealing with youth delinquency in Spain during the 70s and early 80s along with ¨Perros Callejeros I and II¨, ¨ Los Ultimos Golpes Del Torete¨, ¨Yo el Vaquilla¨, mostly realized by Jose Antonio De La Loma , ¨Navajeros , "Colegas", "El Pico " and especially ¨Deprisa , Deprisa¨ by Carlos Saura and later on , ¨La Estanquera De Vallecas ¨ , among others . Most films mixed exploitation , nudity , violence , with asocial commentary . Seen today, his films are unique documents on how life was lived and perceived during that period . These films were notorious in the years of the Spanish transition to democracy including provoking and polemic issues and played by unknown young people . His style is pretty much urban and realistic as well in the atmosphere as in the fresh dialog and attempted to take a position in favor of outcast people . Drugs , delinquency , and generational problems are the habitual subjects in these films and specially dedicated to the underworld of heroin and a very realistic look at drug addiction . We see their troubles growing in such streets , neighborhoods and some fine locations . These flicks show the ugliness of those "barrios" , toughness and cold existence of people , including great looks at young life and friendship in the margined side ,letting the stories flow efficiently and being realized in realistic style . Passing of time hasn't had mercy with most of those movies , but they represented a time and a way of life in the history of Spain ; and now they may seem a little bit naive . Eloy De La Iglesia with his ¨El pico I and II¨ we watch the day-by-day of delinquents committing violent crimes , however De La Iglesia got to make a both lyric and documentary-style flick . The director creates a sort of Spanish Neo-Realism by tackling the juvenile delinquency in the prison and streets from a sociological point of view . The screenplay by Gonzalo Goicoechea is such strong with disagreeable events , though also with some ingenuousness , but in 1980, a few years after General Franco died it wasn't naive at all . Eloy De La Iglesia chose young and natural actors who play their part to the hilt , unafraid of filmmaker's unsympathetic camera and the particularity of the characters . Atmospheric photography with juicy atmosphere by Javier Aguirresarrobe , deemed one of the best international cameramen . Many years later , Aguirresarrobe would become the best Spanish photographer and even working in Hollywood : ¨Twilight saga¨ , ¨The road¨ and ¨Fright night¨ .

The film regularly directed by Eloy De La Iglesia though with some flaws and gaps . De La Iglesia is a talented Spanish movies director , he began working in cinema in 1966, though he became notorious in the years of the Spanish transition to democracy with shocking and polemic films as ¨El Pico 1 and 2¨ , ¨El Diputado¨, ¨The priest , ¨Clockwork terror¨ , ¨La Otra Alcoba¨ , ¨El Techo De Cristal¨, ¨La Semana Del Asesino¨ , and after that , ¨Bulgarian lovers¨ and many others . Drugs , delinquency, terrorism and generational problems are the habitual subjects in his films , and specially dedicated to the underworld of heroin ; as well as the gay world . Seen today , his films are unique documents on how life was lived and perceived during that period . And unlike other filmmakers from the period , De La Iglesia is a pretty good filmmaker . The eye De La Iglesia had for social commentary as the attitudes of police and delinquents in realistic manner , sometimes mixed together quite badly with comedy . At his best , his films still had the gritty edge , the naturalistic approach and the poignancy that made them successful at the time . At his works , they show how thin is the line between contention and excess , between drama and exploitation . As Eloy De La Iglesia chose young and natural actors Jose Luis Manzano , Pirri, or Antonio Flores were the usual ones . All of them early deceased by drugging , including the filmmaker . Rating : acceptable and passable.
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Powerful,shocking and Dramatic,A very realistic look at drug addiction and life behind bars in!
kd4kn15 May 2003
One of the most powerful films ever made, together with the first part. El Pico 2,is about a murder investigation,police corruption,heroin addiction,drug dealing,life in prison,sex,homosexuality,friendship,and survival,together with a great sound track that explains it all....

Warning, contains explicit images!
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8/10
Powerful Drug Movie Lost To the Language Barrier...
Falconeer30 January 2020
"El Pico 2," the sensational follow up to director Eloy De La Iglesia's cult hit of the previous year, we get to see what happens to Paco after his best friend Urko dies of a heroin overdose in the first film. The story follows him through a brutal prison term, through many scams and violent confrontations both inside prison and in the outside world, as Paco goes to exhaustive means to stay alive, while attempting to control his always escalating drug habit. The second installment is, in some ways, superior to the first film, which dealt with other challenges besides drug addiction, such as Paco's difficult relationship with his overbearing father, and his mother who is dying of cancer, as well as his intense friendship with his drug buddy, Urko. "El Pico 2" is all about the heroin, Paco's main struggle that outshines everything else in his life. As his friends die, and his father becomes more distant, and Paco's freedom is robbed from him, the struggle to obtain heroin inside prison while constantly fending off rape and robbery attempts from fellow inmates, becomes his entire world. The way this film details how addiction affects an addict both physically and psychologically, is brilliantly handled. Paco starts to look like a walking zombie with dark rimmed eyes and starving body, and actor Jose Luis Manzano finally gets the opportunity to show some true acting skills here, as he is required to show intense emotions, such as extreme fear and anger, and hopelessness. " El Pico 2" features Manzano's finest performance of his short career, (an actor whose life was similar to those of the characters he played in his films,). Manzano died at the age of 28. The title of this review refers to the fact that there are currently no subtitles for this movie in existence. And this is ridiculous and completely unacceptable, because the lack of subtitles is preventing the entire Anglo-speaking World from seeing this excellent movie, a film that would definitely gain a huge cult following if the distributors would simply create a subtitled translation. It's unbelievable that even the new bluray is without subtitles, which leads me to suspect that it's some copyright issue, as nobody could be this clueless in 2020. Thankfully subtitles can be found for the first movie, for those willing to invest the time, but that only makes the fact there is nothing for the second movie, even stranger. This genre, known as "JD" movies, (Juvenile Delinquent films) is a very popular genre, internationally, and during the late 70's into the early 80's, a number of these movies came out of Spain, during the Franco Era, which gives the films historical value as well as immense entertainment value, Movies such as "Colegas" and "Navajeros," and "Perros callejeros" actually starred real life juvenile criminals, instead of fake, pretty actors, and this practice resulted in the extreme glorification of crime, turning teenage bank robbers and drug pushers and killers such as Angel Fernandez, into celebrities. Fernandez especially, known as "El Torete," was idolized by the younger generation, and they became pin-up models for kids who were attracted to their strength and rebel image. Who wants actors when they can have the real thing? These are certainly iconic films and deserve more recognition today.
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3/10
Don't waste Your time
urkus15 February 2023
Be careful, this movie is a piece of crap. It is a sequel, due to the good reception of the first one. This time the only thing that brings Eloy de la Iglesia to make it was the money. So the artistic interest of the first one is completely lost in this one.

The story is practically the same: young people really using heroin in front of a camera, but there is something new, the principal character goes to jail.

Appart from that nothing interesting. Drugs, more drugs, sex in between, political issues with Guardia Civil fascists.

Eloy de La Iglesia losses completely his film directing freshness of the first one .

If you are a fan of the first movie "El Pico", don't waste your time with that one. I warn you!

3 stars out of 10.
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