Angustia (Anguish)

John, who lives with his overbearing mother (the incomparable Zelda Rubinstein), goes around killing people and cutting their eyes out (yes, we see that part). Apparently, his mother is the one sending him out to do so. She has some telekinetic connection with him. I think. Or maybe he is under hypnosis. In any case, nasty things are happening as a consequence.

But wait!

This is not actually the film we are watching. This is the film The Mommy, currently showing at the Rex. What we are actually watching is the people watching The Mommy.

And if that weren't meta enough (and, mind you, Anguish was made during a time when meta wasn't a thing yet), John is going to a movie theater to watch The Lost World and cut out a few eyes while he's there.

So there are shots from the back of the movie theater showing a shot of the back of a movie theater showing The Lost World. In the movie theater (the Rex. Do try to keep up.) a mad man is in attendance. He has watched The Mommy so many times, he knows the entire dialogue. Also, he is armed and shoots everyone in the lobby and the bathroom, before tying the doors to the theater shut and going back in, taking a girl hostage.

While he is doing that, John is doing the same thing. And panic breaks out in that theater at the same time as dinosaurs cause people to panic onscreen in The Lost World. And this is mirrored by people running to-and-fro in the Rex.

And of course, John will eventually end up in the film we are really watching.

Sounds confusing? It is.

4/10