Santa Sangre (Part 1 of 2)

Thanks to the fine folks at Severin Films (http://www.severin-films.com/), today marks the long-awaited (proper) release on DVD and blu-ray of Alejandro Jodorowsky's 1989 cult classic, SANTA SANGRE. Last night I had the pleasure of attending a screening of this new blu-ray at the funky reRun theater in Brooklyn (http://www.reruntheater.com/) on their 12-foot screen. The first time I saw this was around 1990 on VHS, and about a year ago, convinced the film would never come to DVD (especially after it was absent from Anchor Bay's fine Jodorowsky boxed set), I had ordered a double DVD from amazon that turned out to be little more than a well-packaged bootleg with a crappy VHS-to-DVD transfer, along with extras taken from the aforementioned boxed set.
For those yet to see it, SANTA SANGRE is (arguably) Jodorowsky's easiest-to-follow film. While it doesn't have the surreal nature of EL TOPO or THE HOLY MOUNTAIN, it still maintains a bizarre feel throughout, with sections looking like a cross between Fellini and a 70s slasher film. The director's staples (religious cults, father/son generational legacies, etc.) are all present, albeit in a different tone than his previous efforts.
SANGRE tells the story of a young circus performer named Fenix who goes mad after witnessing the murder/suicide of his parents (his dad, Orgo, the circus' ring leader, and his mom, Concha, the head of a heretical Catholic sect). The film begins with Fenix as an adult, living in a strange room at an insane asylum. The story is told through his flashbacks, and from an early sequence of his chest-tattoo "turning" into a bird and flying over a Mexican city, the stage is set for this beautifully-shot film that defies genre. Without giving too much away, Fenix's mother--whose church worships a saint who had her arms cut off during a rape--has her own arms cut off when she tries to kill her husband and the woman he's having an affair with. Fenix eventually uses his arms to do his mother's bidding, and the conclusion is a sort-of bizarre take on Hitchcock's PSYCHO.
With several unforgettable scenes (especially the funeral of a beloved circus elephant) and a score that's a true treat for the ears, SANTA SANGRE is a must see for any lover of original films.
(In Part 2 of this blog, I'll be taking a look at the DVD and it's 5+ hours of extras.)
Young Fenix with his deaf mute companion, Alma
Fenix in a nightmare sequence, recalling the death of his beloved elephant
The Temple of the Holy Blood (Santa Sangre)

Young Fenix and his dwarf assistant
Fenix's hands helping his armless mother
Now with his own theater, Fenix's mother continues to control his hands
Fenix's potential girlfriend falls victim to a jealous mother
Simple but attractive DVD/blu-ray cover from Severin Films