I'm a
softie. I feel, when watching any random movie with Paul Naschy, that he was
something special. One of the few really passionate geeks out there, on the
same level of geekiness as Luigi Cozzi and Mario Bava. Fans of all thing genre,
especially the non-realistic, fantasy-injected genre cinema with more heart
than money. Frankenstein's Bloody Terror isn't a Frankenstein-movie. The
American distributors added a very, very, very silly pre-credit which explains
that the Frankenstein family evolved into the Wolfstein family and that's it -
the monster of a mad scientist suddenly becomes a supernatural wolfman.
The story
is simple. Two gypsies accidentally awakens a werewolf, who - after killing
them - goes after the villagers and infects Naschy, doing his old Waldemar
Daninsky part, and makes him the new wolf in town. He seeks help from a famous
doctor, who turns out to be a vampire and the battle beings. There's also
something with a young loving couple and some old farts (their fathers)
rambling stiff lines to each other.
Yeah, it's
a bit of a mess - but it's also Naschy's first foray into werewolf-cinema (I
just don't count that other "lost" movie, I seriously doubt it got
made) and he sprinkles the story with the soul of American horror comic books
rather than the old Universal monsters. It's basically lit like a story right
out from EC Comics and with a story so wild it could be one of those poverty
row monster flicks, but with more colour and very fake RED blood. I love it.
It's god damn hard to NOT love, because there's so much fun stuff going on.
Naschy
himself is big and bold and takes a big bite from every scene he's in. When
he's a werewolf he's just furious and aggressive and just a marvellous fucking
monster. One of the best. Maybe THE best werewolf ever existed (yeah, even
better than Lon Chaney Jr). I think it's because Naschy goes so far down in the
animalistic rage, the sexual tension between him and all the victims. Naschy
just doesn't bit people, he almost rapes them - men and women - with his whole
body and bodily fluids spurting in every direction. Naschy IS Waldermar
Daninsky, he owned that part.
What I miss
with this crazy production is - actually - the more straight forward storylines
that he used in later movies. Daninsky is such a good and interesting character
that he deserves something more than just chaos. Frankenstein's Bloody Terror
is a fine movie, fun and silly and filled with love and coolness, but it's
still the first trembling step of a master.
Give it a
go. But remember that there's a lot of other adventures with Daninsky that's
better and bloodier.
1 comment:
"It's basically lit like a story right out from EC Comics and with a story so wild it could be one of those poverty row monster flicks, but with more colour and very fake RED blood."
Yeah and the funny thing these kind of films still gets made....just look at Van Helsing (2004) for example.
Although, older films had nudity and gore which is rare thing these days.
"I think it's because Naschy goes so far down in the animalistic rage, the sexual tension between him and all the victims."
Sounds like he was a method actor....
"Give it a go. But remember that there's a lot of other adventures with Daninsky that's better and bloodier."
I might. ninja, sounds fun, good review and thanks.
Megatron
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