Product Details

• Actors: Lina Canalejas, Mary Carrillo, Laura Cepeda, Concha Grégori, Chus Lampreave
• Format: Color, NTSC
• Language: Spanish
• Subtitles: English
• Rated: NR (Not Rated)
• Number of tapes: 1
• Studio: Cinevista Inc.
• VHS Release Date: July 14, 1989
• Run Time: 114 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
• ASIN: 6301424611
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #273,772 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

Who but Pedro Almodóvar would make a movie in which a nightclub singer named Yolanda, whose boyfriend has died from a heroin overdose, hides from the police in a nunnery--only to discover that the nuns have more perverse lifestyles than her own? The nuns of Dark Habits use drugs, write lurid pulp novels, design high-fashion habits, and keep a tiger in their courtyard. Yolanda (Cristina Sanchez Pascual) gets caught up in the head nun's scheme to regain the patronage of a wealthy noblewoman, but betrayal, illicit love, and a campy musical number are waiting in the wings. Dark Habits features Almodóvar regulars Carmen Maura and Marisa Paredes, as well as a bit part by Cecelia Roth of All About My Mother. Fans of Almodóvar's magnificent later films (like Habla Con Ella (Talk to Her)) may find Dark Habits a bit thin, but it offers its own charms and comic delights. --Bret Fetzer

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

41 of 41 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars BEWARE!! THIS IS AN EDITED VERSION!!, December 7, 2003

By 

Rob Ez (Chicago) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Dark Habits (DVD)

I must foremost thank Wellspring, the distributor of this film, for releasing this Almodóvar masterpiece on DVD..however..I am not sure who was behind this release..but, being familiar with the original release of this film..I was shocked and perplexed for the fact that this DVD issue is an EDITED version, cutting off approx. 15 mins of this film. I dont know WHy they did this, or what...I felt they cut off some important scenes..

#1..Yolana Bell's opening number, where we first see her performing..she did a song called "Dime" (which is in fact, a Spanish version of Morris Albert's "Feelings")

#2. a conversation among the Redeeming sisters and a redeemed girl from the past, where they run into each other on the Sister's outdoor stand, where they sell cakes, flowers and peppers.

#3. The Sisters' explaining to nuns from their mother chapter, that they had been robbed, talking it over the punch bowl. Also cutting off a funny line, where the sisters gossip over a younger nun, saying that "she's far to pretty for this vocation, but time will take care of that"

#4. A small bit of Sister Rat From Sewer's opening speech before Yolanda's performance for the Mother Superior's birthday party. in this DVD issue, they go straight to Sister Rat talking on stage, completely taking out her peeking out from the curtain and quieting down the crowd.

but ultimately, I am happy that this movie saw the light of day AGAIN, it had been out of print on video for years..so, its a great buy, but be bewared that it's edited. If u have never seen this movie before, then it wont be a problem. Hardcore fans like myself might have a problem.

14 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Sad Release, March 4, 2004

By 

A. Dragonne (MEXICO, D.F. Mexico) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Dark Habits (DVD)

It is amazing that after all these years wating for such a great movie on DVD it finallly comes out with some scenes deleted... plus the DVD transfer is not so great... avoid this and go for the VHS, it contains the complete movie and quality is about the same...

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Old School Almodovar, May 6, 2004

By 

S. Sommerville "Author of A Russian Prostitut... (Raleigh, NC) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Dark Habits (DVD)

Seeing that Almodovar's new movie (La Mala Educacion) has to do with the catholic church, I felt it appropriate to go back and see this old one. Glad I did. Very funny film.
Though the dvd quality is not that great (and several scenes have been deleted), the film still stands up to the test of time. A drugged out singer takes refuge in a convent run by nuns with serious issues. These nuns do heroin, drop acid, read trashy novels, and even have lesbian tendencies.
The acting is great, the women (most of whom you are familiar with if you've seen other Almodovar films, Carmen Maura, Marisa Paredes, etc)do a fine job, they created a very charming and entertaining group of "sisters."
While this is not the best Almodovar film, it is still a funny ditty that is better than 95% of the films that come out these days.