Codex Atanicus

CODEX ATANICUS
File:Codex atanicus.jpg
Directed by	Carlos Atanes
Written by	Carlos Atanes
Produced by	Kalashnifilms + Atanes / Dogma Final
Starring	Arantxa Peña, Manuel Solàs, Antonio Vladimir, and many others
Distributed by	CreateSpace
Release dates	January, 2008
Running time	81 min.
Languages	Spanish English

CODEX ATANICUS is a undeground film anthology (three shortfilms between 1995-1999), written and directed by Carlos Atanes and released in 2008.

Plot

After a brief introduction by Arantxa Peña (usual actress in "atanic" films who locates us into the "atanic" universe), we can see three stories: Metaminds & Metabodes (1995), a crazy and very violent tale about how a sick drunkard meets a lascivious succubus into a hideous tavern's mirror; Morfing (1996), an Atanes' grotesque trip through independent cinema's sewers; and Welcome to Spain (1999), a bloody and lustful nightmare where some people fight for an absurdity: to go up the stairs.

Notes

Before feature films FAQ: Frequently Asked Questions and PROXIMA Carlos Atanes filmed a group of strange, unclassifiable shortfilms. Those earlier works were a concentrate of surrealism, rareness, anger and lust, in short: of thrilling creative freedom. And they show his author's astonishing visual talent. In spite of festivals, TV and distribution contempt, they achieved marginal acknowledgement in Spanish underground circles (and intense dislike: some screenings ended in violent quarrel). The most outstanding ones those which are part of the CODEX ATANICUS. Thanks to new digital channels of distribution, the CODEX has been dug up, so the audience can access to it. The critics have recognized it as a future cult film, comparing Atanes with so significant authors as David Lynch, Luis Buñuel, David Cronenberg, John Waters, Fernando Arrabal or Kenneth Anger.

Notable details

• The idea of drinking a great glass of milk in the Introduction is an Arantxa Peña's nod, because in almost all Atanes' movies there are actresses drinking great glasses of milk.

• Most of the shots in Metaminds & Metabodies were filmed reflected in a mirror and in a mirror reflected in a mirror itself.

• Morfing end sequence is probably the first facial scene ever filmed for a non-pornographic film. And it is the first bukkake in the Spanish cinema.

• Horror filmmakers Jaume Balagueró and Nacho Cerdà (nowadays outstanding but at that time almost unknown) did a brief cameo appearance in Morfing.

• During the shooting of the scene of the arch, Carlos Atanes was within an inch of killing the cameraman with an arrow, because he worked the arch trigger too son. The arrow scratched the camera, ricocheted off the wall and hit the dartboard (the cameraman survived by the skin of one's teeth because he was crouching down).

• All the actors who took part at Welcome to Spain's staircase uproar scene were injured during the filming.

Cast and roles include

• Arantxa Peña
• Manuel Solàs
• Antonio Vladimir
• Carlos Atanes

See also

• Cult film
• Underground film

External links

• CODEX ATANICUS at IMDb
• Carlos Atanes official website
• Bad Lit review
• Gorehounds Unite! review
• Horror Fanatics review
• DVD Holocaust review
• Blairwitch.de review (German)