Paul Naschy loves monsters--lots of monsters, and the more the merrier! That love is vividly apparent in Leon Klimovsky's seminal Spanish horror film, Werewolf Shadow. Werewolf vs. the Vampire Woman is an alternate title which perfectly captures the essence of Naschy's fascination with nocturnal battles between ferocious supernatural creatures. Naschy wrote the screenplay and acted the role of doomed werewolf Waldemar Daninsky. In Blue Underground's "Interview with the Werewolf," he expresses qualified praise for the movie. Apparently, to that point, he hadn't been pleased with the way his scripts were being shot, so he began to write in specific directorial instructions. "The results," he says, "were that Klimovsky shot it and he got a magical climax as very few movies achieved in Spanish horror. Or even in international horror."
Still, when Naschy himself began directing, he undertook a remake of Werewolf Shadow called Night of the Werewolf (for brevity I'll refer to it by the better-known alternate title of The Craving). Not only is Craving a more perfect realization of Naschy's vision, but the story also benefits from tweaking based on wisdom and maturity he'd acquired in the meantime. It really is an amazing film. The performers are more beautiful than ever. The sets and locations are gorgeous (comparable to some of Hammer's best). The effects are superb. Naschy's skillful direction casts his dream up on the screen, transforming it into a gateway that beckons viewers into a "magic world of vampires."
Werewolf Shadow isn't entirely eclipsed. It is more apparently a product of its time--but considering that the time was the early seventies, that's a good thing! Also, I just dig Shadow's vampire women more. They're more beautiful, mysterious, and unearthly.
Both movies are absolute must-haves for any werewolf fan. Hell, all of Naschy's werewolf movies are! Check out Mirek's Mark of Naschy for more on Naschy and his films.
I think the beastly makeup of The Craving (below) represents quite an improvement over Werewolf Shadow (above).
THE BEAUTIFUL DEAD: The vampire women of Werewolf Shadow have an otherworldly pallor that I miss in The Craving. Every vampire woman should have it!
A hauntingly lovely moment in Werewolf Shadow.
BOOGIE NIGHTS: The Craving is less time-bound, to its credit, but I also love the grooviness of Werewolf Shadow.
THE MARK OF GROOVY: J&B in Werewolf Shadow
In Werewolf Shadow, this zombie-like creature just wanders onscreen like a Blind Dead actor who's mistakenly strolled onto the wrong set.
By contrast, in The Craving, the creature is dramatically summoned from his crypt.
This vampire woman makes quite an entrance in The Craving.
Naschy the director makes great use of this location's grandeur for a touching and well-acted scene.
Colorful bit characters like the grave robbers and the professor give The Craving that little something extra.
0 comments:
Post a Comment