Asian Cult Cinema: Worldwide Exploitation Films and DVDs

THE GREENHOUSE [Invernadero] (1983) Carla Dey & Victor Israel

4957DVD

original Spanish title: EL INVERNADERO [The Greenhouse]

director: Santiago Lapeira
starring: Ovidi Montllor · Berta Cabre · Carla Dey (Carmen Serret) · Victor Israel · Alfred Lucchetti · Sara Mart

This one was originally planned as a sequel to MORBUS (made earlier in the year) with much of the same cast [including Carla Dey, Victor Israel]. Actor Mon Ferre - who played Juan in that movie - was set to be Carlos Jiménez in this one; however, his imposing build simply was not right for the nerdy character. The director replaced him with Ovidi Montllor and a slew of script rewrites began. Mon Ferre moved to a behind-the-scenes position [electrician/technical director] where he would remain for the rest of career. Interestingly, he eventually found himself in Hong Kong working as a technician for Jackie Chan on movies like Meals of Wheels.

The movie has earned a reputation for its quirkiness. But it's also jaw-droppingly bad cinema. The story deals with a nerd named Carlos who spends most of his time obsessing over his neighbor Berta. She lives directly across from his apartment building and he's got a direct view into her place. Carlos secretly snaps pictures of her in various stages of undress. One evening, on his way home, Carlos sees Berta in the middle of a fight on the sidewalk with her brute-of-a-boyfriend. Carlos attempts to 'save' her without realizing it's all a cruel joke that will end badly. Carlos and Berta start a strange masochistic relationship that oddly culminates with a deadly prank played in a neighborhood greenhouse. [spoiler alert:] Carlos and Berta are killed inside the greenhouse and they both turn into plants... talking plants... and begin bickering like George and Martha in Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf. He then threatens to lure someone else to the greenhouse so he can have a new female companion; she retaliates by attempting to snag her ex-boyfriend through telepathy. And no. This is NOT a comedy.

A Spanish film with English subtitles; fullscreen format, uncut 76 minutes,
DVD encoded for ALL REGION NTSC WORLD FORMAT. Extras include selected theatrical trailers.

Nudity/Violence/Sexual Brutality
for Mature Audiences

$19.95