El Conde (2023, Augusto Pinochet Vampire Flick)

[Small Man Big Horse]

Previously on CookdandBombd:

5. El Conde (Larrain's film portrays Pinochet as an actual vampire. I might be rating it a bit high but there was a stunning sequence of a character flying through the air that I absolutely loved)

27: El Conde (Pablo Larrain; Chile)
Narrated by

Spoiler alert

Margaret Thatcher

[close]

, this tale of Augusto Pinochet – deposed Chilean dictator and secret vampire – is one of the odder flicks this year, but definitely worth seeking out. As Pinochet nears death, his (human) kids arrive, hoping to finally inherit some of his wealth – but an undercover nun has other plans. It's good stuff, and the sequence showing a newly turned vampire wheeling through the sky is probably my favourite of this entire year.

I hadn't heard of this before it was posted in the Best of 2023 lists, and having just finished it feels it deserves its own thread if only as it's such a bizarre oddity, one with a message which isn't exactly subtle, but kept me thoroughly entertained the entire running time, even though given its subject's behaviour in real life perhaps I should have been more horrified.

I hope Mister Six doesn't mind me adding a spoiler tag either, it's just I often wondered why they'd gone for such a distinctive narrator, but surely they wouldn't go there, would they? And they did, which made me like the film even more than I was already doing so. Visually this is pretty stunning throughout as well, and the aforementioned flying scene is something I doubt I'll ever forget.

There's a review here: https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/el-conde-movie-review-2023 which captures what I enjoyed about it, though it contains some spoilers so might be best read after watching the film. Either way I'm very glad I've seen this, and would rate it 8.3/10.

Plus: Peter Bradshaw only gave it 3 stars, so you know it's got to be worth giving it a shot: https://www.theguardian.com/film/2023/aug/31/el-conde-review-pablo-larrain-chile-pinochet

[Egyptian Feast]

You already had me at 'Augusto Pinochet Vampire Flick' and then I clicked on the spoiler tag. Add a lukewarm Bradshaw and you may have just alerted me to my film of the year.

[El Unicornio, mang]

This was worth it for the already mentioned

Spoiler alert

Carmen flying scene. Absolutely beautiful.

[close]

Some of the satire felt a bit too on the nose and not a film I could see myself ever rewatching in full but definitely that one scene

[Claude the Racecar Driving Rockstar Super Sleuth]

kept me thoroughly entertained the entire running time, even though given its subject's behaviour in real life perhaps I should have been more horrified.

I felt a sort of unease about that, as if the film somehow diminishes how truly terrible he was. Then again, I've laughed along at comical depictions of Hitler, so I'm obviously talking rubbish.

[Small Man Big Horse]

I felt a sort of unease about that, as if the film somehow diminishes how truly terrible he was. Then again, I've laughed along at comical depictions of Hitler, so I'm obviously talking rubbish.

I don't think you are, and it's old comedy = tragedy + time situation again, except  I also felt conflicted at times. In scenarios like this I sometimes try to imagine how (if in a possible afterlife) "tragedy" would feel watching this film, would they be glad to see Pinochet portrayed in that light, or the flipside and would Pinochet hate it or be amused by it. That's why I hated Iannucci's Pandemonium, anyhow, as I could imagine Johnson watching it and thinking "Phew, got off pretty lightly there, and yes, there were lots of my colleagues who were far more repugnant than I."