Buckle up, gentle viewers, because this installment of World of Death is going to take you on a little joyride, courtesy of writer/director Juancho Otalvaro’s short, “Viejas Mañas”. Meet three sweet little old ladies, out for a simple Sunday drive when these innocents find themselves in a situation spiraling out of their control…
Your humble reviewer just lied through his teeth. “La Pesimista,” “La Metalera,” and “La Popof,” (The pessimist, metalhead and dandyess) may be ladies of “a certain age,” and they may be out on the road, but these latinas are anything but sweet and innocent. This buddy heist movie feels a lot like something one would get from Robert Rodriguez, working off a Quentin Tarantino script given a polish by a Troma-era James Gunn–which is intended as a compliment. This trio of fatale femmes (which is different from femme fatales, mind you), may have an item to obtain and deliver, but the task at hand almost takes a backseat to more pressing and immediate matters–such as lunch, flirting with handsome men, running gun battles, and watering the bushes.
The leads are likable, the camerawork and editing snappy, the dialog flowing, and the characters are nicely quirky, with each given a chance to drop hints as to what’s under the surface story making them tick. It’s an enjoyable romp, but this being “World of Death”, the chances are at some point there will be magic, the supernatural, insanity or revenge, and Viejas Mañas doesn’t disappoint in this respect. Right when the viewer has fully settled into the buddy-heist/road trip vibe in the narrative, there’s a left turn into something darker and more primal. We shan’t spoil the surprises here, except to note to not close your window once the credits start–for the final twists in the tale don’t stand revealed until the tag scene.
– Michael M. Miller
World of Death is the web series that fans of independent horror have been waiting for. Featuring short horror films from all over the globe created by the largest variety of talent that a collection has ever been able to boast, WOD provides plenty of blood, guts, screams and laughs for all fans of the macabre. And with episodes averaging around eight minutes in length, WOD is the perfect entertainment for a fan base constantly on the go. Watch it anywhere, at any time, for FREE! New episodes premiere every Monday and Thursday at 10am CST.
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