Finding an audience for international, high-concept horror can sometimes be a tricky proposition. That is why horror producer and screenwriter Sean Redlitz (The Sacrifice Game) makes a point of converting everyone he can to the church of Spanish filmmaker Adrian Garcia Bogliano. In this episode of Certified Forgotten, Redlitz discusses Black Circle, Bogliano's inventive sci-fi horror film.
Celeste (Felice Jankell) is burnt out. No matter how hard she tries, she can't seem to finish her dissertation, and she is all too aware of how she looks compared to her successful sister, Isa (Erica Midfjäll). So when Isa offers her a self-help record -- one she claims kept her focused in her career -- Celeste reluctantly gives it a shot. But what begins as an exercise in self-discipline soon becomes a metaphysical nightmare, as Celeste and Isa are haunted by shadow versions of themselves. If they are to survive, they will need the help of Lena (Christina Lindberg), a hypnotist with a personal connection to the recording.
In this short excerpt from the episode, Redlitz shares his introduction to the films of Bogliano and why he's become a champion for the Spanish director throughout his career:
I first discovered his films when I saw Cold Sweat at South by Southwest in 2011, which I loved. If you haven't seen Cold Sweat, it features a character who is covered with nitroglycerin, who will explode if they bump into anything too hard. [...] So she's kind of wet and dripping and explosive, and that's just a fun fucking idea. In a house that's basically run by former torturers who were part of the regime, but now it's all locked up. It's like a house of horrors.
It's so good. His films are really great. And I feel like his last few have not gotten the distribution that they should have gotten. I don't know why; his earlier films are hard to come by as well. But if you're a horror fan and you like international horror, everything he does is a lot of fun.
The Black Circle episode of the Certified Forgotten podcast is now available to stream on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or the podcast platform of your choice.
