naschy-163-376497 Reviews

Curse of the Devil (1973)

Somber Spanish horror not suited to American tastes

[8/10 · 6 April 2022]

I love Spanish horror films. Their baroque settings, atmospherics, offbeat takes on established genre characters, ironic endings and frank sexuality and violence distinguish them from more self-conscious British entries and literal American horrors of the period. Paul Naschy during the early 1970s wrote and starred in several prime examples of romantic horror permeated with a sense of gloom and death. This film released in the US under the misleading title Curse of the Devil is a prime example of Naschy's effective use of locations and period setting to tell a tale of accursed lycanthrope Waldemar Daninsky, in this case adding themes of witchcraft and colonialism to add subtext to the more standard tale of Waldemar's need for peace at the hands of a woman who loves him. Peppered with picturesque gore and eroticism, in its original Spanish language the film comes off as one of the more dramatically sound Spanish horrors of the period topped off by a perfect surprise ending manifest in a single freeze frame. Carlos Aured directed two other excellent Naschy films during this period, Horror Rises from the Tomb and The Mummy's Revenge, as beautifully photographed as this but destined to be shunned by those who are either unwilling to read subtitles or ready to reject anything that does not follow prefabbed formulaics.

Count Dracula's Great Love (1973)

Spanish horror and Naschy at their peak

[8/10 · 26 December 2021]

Spanish horror is an acquired taste. Of course, many Americans are conditioned to seeing badly cropped and awkwardly dubbed versions and would cast them aside because of that first impression. Upon seeing Naschy's work in the mid 1970s when many Spanish horror classics were released direct to television as part of Avco Embassy's "Nightmare Theatre" package I knew immediately that these films were very different from the domestic and more mannered Hammer horror output. And Dracula's Great Love is no exception, embracing into its sensual elements with reckless abandon and developing an atmosphere of decadence and rot that was the very opposite of Hammer's pristine Playboy pinup staginess. Of course, because Naschy writes his films he always ends up bedding at least one of his lovely female co-stars, but less transparently he consistently portrays his horror characters as hopeless romantics. In this film that is embodied in the title itself which is reflected favorably as the film reaches a surprisingly Shakesperean end. Dramatic and macabre, Dracula's Great Love is like a trip back in time to the Carpathians laced with heady sexuality and fetishistic violence that could prove too intense for younger and more American viewers. The Vinegar Syndrome Blu Ray release presents the film in a favorable light and showcases Raul Perez Cubero's lovely cinematoraphy and Javier Agguire's brash direction.

Dr. Jekyll vs. The Werewolf (1972)

The epitome of Spanish horror and the madness of Paul Naschy

[8/10 · 25 April 2020]

Let's face it. Horror fans either appreciate Paul Naschy's art or they just comment on the bad dubbing and complain about the pacing. Naschy's films beat with the heart of the Universal horrors that he was weaned upon and that inspired him to write his first screenplay for Mark of the Wolfman (Frankenstein's Bloody Terror in the US). Saddled with budgetary restrictions, political upheaval in Spain and sometimes turbulent relationships with directors, Naschy's best films are a journey to a different time and cinema ethos, conferring a powerful sense of place and atmosphere to stories rich with horror and pathos. This film plays in two parts, the first half focusing on Naschy's reclusive lycanthrope Waldemar Daninsky and the development of his love interest, the second half detailing Dr Jekyll's attempts to have Waldemar's transformation to Mr Hyde overtake his even more intense animal instincts. The scenes of Naschy as Mr Hyde prowling through Soho's seedy district while he offs strippers and prostitutes are among some of the more unsavory ever filmed, to the extent of him drooling and panting while he chokes one of them with their own stocking. Many today will find the somewhat graphic scenes of torture, including Dr Jekyll's jealous assistant garroting Naschy's naked lover, to be excessive in a very different way than the onslaught of graphic special effects offered up by today's horror cinema. The film's conclusion proves that Naschy is a romantic at heart, as in nearly all of his horror films he is misunderstood and the finale is frequently more tragic than frightening. Of course, the film has much better impact in its original language with subtitles, as the American version is awkwardly dubbed conferring an amateurish feel which is not part of the original production. To my knowledge, there is no licensed release of this film available domestically, so cropped and poorly dubbed copies will have to suffice.

Demon Witch Child (1975)

Creepy Spanish Exorcist spinoff is great in its original form

[8/10 · 6 April 2020]

It's a shame that films like this, to quote Rodney Dangerfield, get no respect, partly because they are low-budget and partly because Americans often see them in grainy, cropped, badly dubbed versions. But this disturbing tale of witchcraft and possession, helmed by genre stalwart Armando De Ossorio, is actually quite shocking and carries a heady political context with the demise of dictator Franco greatly influencing artists at the time. This film combines elements of the Exorcist with cultural concerns at the time regarding the increased freedom resulting from Franco's final days negatively affecting youth in Spain. The cornerstone of the film is the old witch played by Kali Hansa, who incredibly is a sexy and beautiful actress and does a remarkable job here. She is forced to kill herself after questioning from a police detective threatens to reveal the source of her magic, so with the help of her younger accomplice she possesses the police detective's 12 year-old daughter. The transformation of the little girl into the old women is suitably shocking, and her behavior is more matter-of-fact than Regan's in The Exorcist, having a conversation with her mother about being a "pig" and just wanting what is is her boyfriends pants. Her logical discourse with a conflicted priest about sexuality is pretty brilliant as well. And unlike most American horror films, Spanish horror films of the period, likely because of Franco's rule, carry a nihilistic tone and their conclusions are rarely happy. Demon Witch Child is no exception. There is a still substandard but at least widescreen version available on Cod Red DVD which is now out of print, but it is still dubbed which to me detracts from the overall impact of the film.

Mystery Science Theater 3000: Devil Doll (1997) Season 9, Episode 18

The Great Vorelli must have hypnotized MSTK film brats

[1/10 · 1 September 2018]

Understanding the disposable nature of entertainment over the past 20 years or so with the advent of DVDs. Blu Rays, streaming and all manner of consuming and discarding movies and television shows, it is inevitable that films that stand well by themselves would be turned into fodder for adolescent-minded film brats who think that anything "old" or "low-budget" is "cheesy". The Devil Doll is a prime example of an effective low-budget horror film, but there is no distinction for the audience that requires yelling stupid things at the screen to maintain interest. While there are certainly films that could likely only be watched with some added attraction, MSTK takes films that are either good like this one, or hilarious on their own like the Gamera series, and makes them cringeworthy. To me the novelty wore off fast, and I;ve been to enough film showings with their disciples in the audience to know that MSTK 3000 is a danger to film audiences everywhere!

King Kong (2005)

For dumbed-down fan-boys of today

[2/10 · 1 January 2015]

Peter Jackson is the director for gamers and fan-boys of today, bottom-feeders who have nothing better to do than watch extras and marvel at massive dinosaurs ping-ponging down a ravine like pachinko balls. Jackson's Kong is the ultimate example of filmmakers with a new toy, who understand the video game mentality of their demographic, so that one brontosaurus will simply not do. Let's have a herd of them stampeding over our intrepid explorers for 10 minutes. And let's have Kong fighting several T Rex dinosaurs, in familiar CGI XBox-looking motion, for 15 minutes, flinging the things around as if they were desert iguanas. And let's take three hours to tell a story that should only take half that time. Cap it off with Kong gliding on the ice on his ass like the worst Coca Cola commercial and you have what today's audience thinks is "awesome" and "riveting". There's a completely different aesthetic working here, as far from the original King Kong (1933) as we are from the shores of Skull Island itself.

The Secret Life of Walter Mitty (2013)

The inward journey Americans are unable to take

[8/10 · 14 July 2014]

This film proved popular with critics and audiences in Europe, who in general are much more well-versed in irony and cinematic craftsmanship than American audiences. If you are unable to comprehend the ironic use of product placement, as in the use of Papa John's Pizza to recall Stiller's dead father, then the rest of the film will have little relevance.

It is certainly a thoughtful and nostalgic piece, reflecting upon the smoldering cynicism of corporate media, and its ultimate inability to stimulate the minds of an increasingly numb citizenry.

Just read the one and two star reviews of this film and Stiller's point becomes painfully evident.

Godzilla (2014)

The perfect film for those who don't want to see a Godzilla film

[1/10 · 18 May 2014]

Let's just start by acknowledging this is not really a Godzilla movie, but an action film that follows the template of every 150 million dollar Hollywood CGI-enhanced action film. It feigns loyalty to its source material then completely rearranges the deck, so that Godzilla is no longer spawned by atomic radiation and the MUTO creatures, which so feed off nuclear energy, are acceptable to today's audiences. They are designed exactly like every other unidentifiable CGI crustacean dripping goo, from After Earth to Starship Troopers to Pacific Rim. The film wreaks of poor continuity, underdeveloped characters and nonsensical military operations, sometimes just for the sake of a camera perspective (like the superfluous air drop). So it is perfect for today's audiences who just want to witness disaster and death in 3D in a vacuum. 160 million dollars and 800 digital artists and here I am watching The Godzilla Power Hour...or maybe I'd rather be.