Acción mutante (1993)

Country of Origin: Spain/France
Year of Production:
Running Times: 95 mins
Format: colour 35mm
Ratio: 2.35:1
Sound: Dolby SR

PRODUCTION
Production Companies: CiBy 2000/El Deseo S.A.
Producers: Agustín Almodóvar, Pedro Almodóvar
Associate Producer: Esther García
Unit Production Manager: Juan Carlos Rodríguez
Production Managers: Esther García, Lola García, Tino Pont
Assistant Production Manager: Clarissa Couassi, Toni Novella
Assistant Production Manager Trainee: Pablo de Vicente
Production Supervisors (France): Yves Attal, Aude Girard, Aude Girard, Yves Attal

SCRIPT
Script: Jorge Guerricaechevarría, Álex de la Iglesia

DIRECTION
Director: Álex de la Iglesia
Trainee Assistant Director: Inés Bustelo
Assistant Directors: Jorge Guerricaechevarría, Pep Nadal, Pilar Thomas

PHOTOGRAPHY
Director of Photography: Carles Gusi
Camera Operator: Joaquín Manchado
2nd Unit Camera Operator: Joaquín Manchado
Steadicam Operator: Joaquín Manchado
1st Assistant Camera: Teresa Burgos
2nd Assistant Camera: Elisenda Cardona
2nd Unit Assistant Camera: Ángel Yebra, Juan Masides
Focus Puller: Joaquín Manchado
Gaffer: Félix Guede
Electricians: Andrés Camaño, Iñigo Bach, José María Escobar
Key Grip: Gorka Esquizabel
2nd Unit Grips: Alfonso Robles, Alfredo Díaz
Stills: Peter Kernot
Video Technician: Gorka Rotaeche

EDITING AND POST-PRODUCTION
Editor: Pablo Blanco
1st Assistant Editor: Fidel Collados
2nd Assistant Editor: David Collados

MUSIC
Music: Def Con Dos
Conductor: Tomás Garrido
Orchestrator: Juan Carlos Cuello
Music Arranger: Juan Carlos Cuello
Music Producer: Juanjo Valmorisco
Music Mixers: Ventura Rico, Javier Vacas, José Vinader
Music Editor: Antonio Morales
Assistant Music Editor: Luis Rico

SOUND
Sound Coordinators: Daniel Goldstein, Ricardo Steimberg
Sound: José Vinader
Sound Recordist: Charly Sound
Direct Sound: Juan Carlos Cid
Sound Mixers: Manuel Cora, Alberto Herena, Javier Vacas, José Vinader
Dubbing Sound: Alfonso Pino
Sound Effects: Alfonso Pino, Jorge Rodríguez Inclán
Sound Effects Editors: Daniel Goldstein, Mariano Lozano, Jesús Peña, Ricardo Steimberg

MAKE UP AND COSTUMES
Make Up: Paca Almenara
2nd Unit Assistant Make Up: Eva Alfonso
Make Up Trainees: Jerónimo Cantero, Pau Costa, Susana Sánchez
Hair: Elisabeth Adánez, Paca Almenara
2nd Unit Hair: Catalina
2nd Unit Assistant Hair: Eva Aguirre
Costume Designers: Estíbaliz Markiegi, Lena Mossum
Assistant Costume Designers: Ángela Gago, Maria Colvee
Costume Collaborators: Nano de la Peña, Pam Hogg, Sara Navarro, Thierry Mugler, Alexandra Bellinger, Helen Storey, Julio Martino, Val Piriou
Wardrobe: Desviación Korte, Peris

SPECIAL MAKE UP EFFECTS
Special Make Up Effects: Hipólito Cantero
Assistant Special Make Up Effects: Irene Eriz, Javier González

SPECIAL EFFECTS
Special Effects: Jean-Baptiste Bonetto, Yves Domenjoud, Oliver Gleyze, Bernard André Le Boett
Special Effects Assistants: Gumi, Juan Antonio Ramírez, Raúl Romanillos

VISUAL EFFECTS
Foreground Modeller: Emilio G. Ruiz
Opticals: Carlos J. Santos

DESIGN AND SET CONSTRUCTION
Production Designers: José Luis Arrizabalaga, Biaffra
Art Director: José Luis Arrizabalaga
Property Masters: Federico García-Cambero, Antonio Lemos, Juan Ignacio Viñuales
Props: Jorge Tinto del Val
Assistant Set Decorator: Ion Arretxe
Set Decorator Trainee: Lierni Izaguirre
Carpenter: Ángel Arriola, Manuel Chamorro
Painter: Vicente Jesús
Tapestry: Emilio Ardura
Title Designer: Carlos J. Santos

OTHER CREW
Script Supervisor: Cesc Mulet
Cashier: Óscar Valero
Administration Staff: Ana Sanz, Ana Vidal, Ramón Saralegui, Susana Gordo
Production Assistant: Pilar Pérez
Assistant To Director: Jorge Guerricaechevarría
Gunsmith: Hipólito Cantero
Press Attache: Paz Sufrategui
Press Promotion: Paz Sufrategui
Stage Manager: Juan Carlos Rodríguez
Transportation Coordinator: Ángel Megino
Wrangler: Paco Ardura

LOCATIONS
Locations: Las Bárdenas Reales, Navarra, Spain
Studio: Estudios Los Angeles, Madrid, Spain

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
Thanks To: Benito Abetxuko, Asier Habea, Carmen Pena, Charo, Chiqui, Enrique Urbizu, Fermín, Fernando Sito de la Fuente, Frank Miller, Iñigo Rotaetxe, Isabel, Juan Ortuoste, Katharina Ritter, Luis Lajusticia, Matilde Mendoza, Menchu, Michel Ruben, Pedro, Rebollo, Ricardo, Rosa María Mateo, Santos, Tomás

CASTING
Casting: Amaya Díez, Ortega Ortun

CAST
Antonio Resines (Ramón Yarritu)
Álex Angulo (Alex Abadie)
Frédérique Feder (Patricia Orujo)
Juan Viadas (Juan Abadie)
Karra Elejalde (José Óscar 'Manitas' Tellería)
Saturnino García (César 'Quimicefa' Ravenstein)
Fernando Guillén Cuervo (the ominous orujo)
Jaime Blanch (mad newscaster)
Ion Gavella (Jose 'Chepa' Montero)
Bibí Andersen, Rossy de Palma (deluxe guests)
Enrique San Francisco (Luis María de Ostalaza)
Féodor Atkine (Kaufmann)
Felipe Vélez (García)
Francisco Maestre (the Grandfather)
Ramón Barea (the old blind man)
Alfonso Martínez (Amancio 'M.A.' González)
Santiago Segura (Ezequiel)
David Gil (Abraham)
Carlos López Perea (Zacarías)
Pedro Luis Lavilla, Kino Puello, Pololo (crazy miners)
Miguel A. Chacón (Matías Pons)
Esther García (female newscaster)
Santiago Lajusticia (party guest)

In a future where physical perfection is highly prized, a group of mutant terrorists abduct the newly married daughter of businessman Orujo, snatching her from her wedding reception. They plan to issue their demands for better rights for ugly people, but relations within the gang break down and they are soon stranded on the remote planet Axturiax, populated by sex-crazed miners who haven't seen a woman in years...

After a great start, the deranged but engaging Acción mutante tends to tail off somewhat and the manic verve of the first half seems to evaporate. It has an important message to impart (about the way that society views and treats those who are physically different) which comes across well but which is also lost in the latter stages as the film loses focus. Fun and unreservedly worth a look but it could have been so much more.

Argentina
Rating: 16

France
Rating: -12

UK
Rating: 18

1993
Avoriaz Fantastic Film Festival
Grand Prize (Álex de la Iglesia) - nominated

Bogota Film Festival, Colombia
Golden Precolumbian Circle Best Film (Álex de la Iglesia) - nominated

Goya Awards, Spain
Mejor Maquillaje y/o Peluquería (Paca Almenara) - winner
Mejor Dirección de Producción (Esther García) - winner
Mejores Efectos Especiales (Olivier Gleyze, Yves Domenjoud, Jean-Baptiste Bonetto, Bernard André Le Boette, Emilio G. Ruiz, Hipólito Cantero) - winner
Mejor Montaje (Pablo Blanco) - nominated
Mejor Director Novel (Álex de la Iglesia) - nominated
Mejor Dirección Artística (José Luis Arrizabalaga) - nominated

1993
February
3: Spain - theatrical release

December
1: France - theatrical release

Action mutante - French title
Mutant Action
Akcija mutant - Slovenian title
Aktion Mutante - German title
Azione mutante - Italian title

MAGAZINES

Première December 1993 p.26 (France)
review (by Eric Libiot)

brides, businessmen, the future, kidnappings, miners, mutants, other planets, space travel, spaceships, terrorists, weddings

Last Updated: 15 October, 2008