Lengua asesina, La (1996)

Director:

Alberto Sciamma

Writer:

Alberto Sciamma (writer)

Release Date:

15 November 1996 (Spain)

Genre:

Comedy | Sci-Fi | Horror

Plot:

This horror story involves a woman hiding out with four pastel colored poodles in a desert gas station...

Plot Keywords:

Tongue | Alien | Desert | Drag Queen | Meteor

Awards:

3 wins & 3 nominations

Cast

Alicia Borrachero	...	Reporter
Doug Bradley	...	Headwig
Melinda Clarke	...	Candy
Michael Cule	...	Frank
David Dale	...	Heidi
Jason Durr	...	Johnny
Danny Edwards	...	Loca
Robert Englund	...	Chief Screw
Terry Forestal	...	Postman (as Terry Forrestal)
Ricardo Fraguas	...	Photographer
Mapi Galán	...	Rita
Alicia Garrigues	...	Cooker Nun
John Hampden	...	TV Host
Mabel Karr	...	Elder Nun
Kimberly	...	Mimi

Also Known As:

The Killer Tongue

MPAA:

Rated R for strong bizarre sexuality and violence, and for pervasive language.

Runtime:

Norway:100 min | UK:95 min | USA:98 min

Country:

UK | Spain

Language:

English

Colour:

Colour

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Certification:

Australia:MA | Germany:18 | Spain:18 | UK:18 | USA:R

Company:

Lolafilms

Quotes:

Candy: My tongue is everything you never were!

Soundtrack:

¿Cuándo, por qué, cómo y con quién?

Wildly uneven attempt at a tailor-made cult film

Here's a horror version of PRISCILLA: QUEEN OF THE DESERT (they wish!) starring Melinda/Mindy (RETURN OF THE LIVING DEAD 3) Clarke as Candy, a desert dweller who pulls off a bank heist with boyfriend Johnny (Jason Durr). He ends up in a South-of-the-border prison run by the sadistic Chief Screw (an overacting Robert Englund in a toupee). She and her beloved pet poodles end up in hiding at a gas station convent until they're transformed by a newly fallen meteor. The dogs turn into obnoxious drag queen "bitches" and Candy develops a VERY long, talking, killing forked tongue she can't control. Thugs looking for the stolen loot and other assorted numbskulls add extra complications.

First off, Clarke is fantastic and makes what there is to make of this movie. You watch her and see someone very funny during the slapstick scenes, very convincing during the horror scenes and VERY sexy in various wigs and disguises, including an eye-popping, skin tight latex bodysuit...and wonder how come this actress isn't a huge star. It's too bad the rest of this cult attempt doesn't live up to her promise.

Blame director/scripter Sciamma, who thinks the outlandish premise alone is enough to sustain laughs...but his vulgar gags, annoying supporting characters and stupid dialogue are no substitute for a real sense of humor. Another nail in the coffin; the film looks cheap, lots of garish colors and sets are strangely muted by muddy photography and the dusty desert locales. Luckily for Sciamma that Clarke is in his film, because she alone keeps you watching.