Pepi,Luci, Bom... (1980)

Apart from his most recent release "Volver", I can now say I have seen all of Pedro Almodovar's films, having gone to the National Film Theatre to see his freshman effort above.  OK, that makes me a completist and while not sorry to have made the trip, it was juvenilia and far from the work of the accomplished filmmaker he has become.  In many ways it reminded me of early John Waters in its low-budget and out-to-shock approach; it was obviously made on a shoestring and with little idea of technique, but I can understand its being viewed as a breath of fresh air in Franco's Spain.  In its eighty minutes running time we have rape, lesbianism, masochism, transvestites, trans-sexuals, gay culture and even an outrageous penis-size contest, mercifully shot from the rear.  Almodovar has continued with all of these subjects (bar the last thankfully),  but he has found more professional ways of dealing with them without alienating his audience as this film must have on its first, very limited, release.  Still it was good to see some of his stock company like Carmen Maura and Cecilia Roth in early roles.