Amando de Ossorio's "The Loreley's Grasp" is a nice mix of art and exploitation, a flavourful and atmospheric tale of a legend proving to be all too real. In Germany, a horrible reptilian beast is on the loose and tearing out hearts from assorted victims. A girls' school hires rugged hunter Sigurd, played by studly Tony Kendall, to act as security guard and beast slayer. However, the beast also takes on a human form, played by the ravishing Helga Line, and Sigurd finds himself drawn to her, even as he sets off sparks with uptight professor Elke (Silvia Tortosa).
De Ossorio, best known for the "Blind Dead" series, does a bang up job with this entertaining terror tale, which has an old fashioned sort of story but is set in modern times. This blend of old and new is another element that makes this irresistible, and contrasting each other are the variations in the music score; sometimes it's funky psychedelic stuff, sometimes it's ethereal stuff with mournful chanting on the soundtrack. Adding an interesting touch is the presence of a scientist (Angel Menendez) who's determined to put an end to the legend using scientific means.
The cast does good work, especially Line, who would be hard to resist for most any man. The monster itself is especially creepy, and commendably, we never get too good a look at it, but bits and pieces and brief flashes. We also get some juicy bits of gore as the hearts are ripped out, and there is absolutely no shortage of smoking hot young ladies to ogle; the character of Martha is particularly luscious.
One thing that really makes this film work is its aura of sadness as the relationship between Sigurd and Loreley plays out; the ending is quite poetic. This film comes highly recommended to any fan of European genre cinema.
Eight out of 10.
De Ossorio, best known for the "Blind Dead" series, does a bang up job with this entertaining terror tale, which has an old fashioned sort of story but is set in modern times. This blend of old and new is another element that makes this irresistible, and contrasting each other are the variations in the music score; sometimes it's funky psychedelic stuff, sometimes it's ethereal stuff with mournful chanting on the soundtrack. Adding an interesting touch is the presence of a scientist (Angel Menendez) who's determined to put an end to the legend using scientific means.
The cast does good work, especially Line, who would be hard to resist for most any man. The monster itself is especially creepy, and commendably, we never get too good a look at it, but bits and pieces and brief flashes. We also get some juicy bits of gore as the hearts are ripped out, and there is absolutely no shortage of smoking hot young ladies to ogle; the character of Martha is particularly luscious.
One thing that really makes this film work is its aura of sadness as the relationship between Sigurd and Loreley plays out; the ending is quite poetic. This film comes highly recommended to any fan of European genre cinema.
Eight out of 10.