For the reputation it has, Viva La Muerte is a terrific disappointment and a muddled mess that really does not in any way expose the horrors of Franco's Spain but rather exposes Arrabal's juvenile and pretentious preoccupation with perversity and cruelty. The story goes absolutely nowhere, and the characters have all the depth of cardboard. Even fellow "panic" artist Alejandro Jodorowsky (whose first release "Fando Y Lis" is based on an Arrabal play) had a notion of plot and was able to breathe life into the most bizarre characters and shocking situations. For my part I consider this a waste of perfectly good film stock.
Review of Long Live Death
