The Day of the Beast

Two hundred and eighty-one days to a new century, and things are starting to get weird. Ask the Israeli government, which recently deported members of a Christian cult looking to welcome the apocalypse with open arms.

The crazies are gathering in modern-day Madrid, too, according to this slice of comic blasphemy from the young Spanish director Alex de la Iglesia. Drab businessmen attend lectures on Nostradamus. Housewives put down their dishrags to watch The Dark Zone, a reality-TV show on the occult hosted by the shady Professor Cavan. And a hulking death-metal fan can team with a deranged priest on a mission to save the world.

It's Christmas Eve, and the priest (Alex Angulo) is convinced that the Antichrist is due to be born by morning. So he sets out to summon the Devil himself for a showdown by committing as many evil acts as possible, whether pickpocketing an accident victim or assaulting a mime.

If this sounds like territory usually worked over by Pedro Almodóvar, it is, and Iglesia has plenty of the bad-boy director's flair for layering television footage, ironic music, and funky sets into an eye-popping mix. The difference is that he was raised on comic books instead of soap operas,so he spices the brew with ultraviolence and special effects. What he's missing is the right cast of outrageous performers who can draw laughs by playing the ridiculous story straight. The Day of the Beast shows off Iglesia's twisted talents, and it prophesies better things to come. At the Avon Friday and Saturday at midnight.
-- Scott Heller