After six months away from this style of episode, we’re finally back — and we’ve returned with a filmmaker who makes “easing in gently” completely impossible.
This week, Álex de la Iglesia takes centre stage, Rob is joined by Graham and Aidan, as we dive into the wild, maximalist world of a director who might genuinely be the smartest man making the stupidest movies. If you’ve never seen Witching & Bitching, The Day of the Beast or Mutant Action, don’t worry — this episode is built for newcomers as much as long‑time fans, and it’s the perfect gateway into Spanish genre cinema at its most chaotic and inventive.
For listeners who love discovering new filmmakers, exploring cult cinema, or falling down rabbit holes of international genre film, this conversation opens the door to a director whose work feels seconds away from exploding at any moment. We talk about why de la Iglesia’s films operate on the edge of hysteria, how he blends satire, horror, slapstick and social commentary, and why a death scene involving full SpongeBob SquarePants cosplay somehow makes perfect sense in his universe. Along the way we draw unexpected lines between his work and the traditions of Polish satirists, Terry Gilliam, Takashi Miike, Dick Maas and other filmmakers who treat cinema as a playground for excess.
It’s not a serious podcast, but it’s not a joke either — just a lively, affectionate, occasionally bewildered look at a filmmaker who refuses to be normal. Whether you’ve never heard of Álex de la Iglesia or you’ve seen everything he’s ever made, this episode pulls you into his world: the spectacle, the satire, the chaos, the craft, and the strange brilliance of a director who might be too smart for the films he chooses to make. And honestly, that’s exactly what makes him great.
