Latidos de pánico

This entertaining effort from 1983 has everything you would expect from a Spanish horror movie: a) Paul Naschy, b) a low budget, c) a curse from the past and d) gratuitous gore to satisfy splatter freaks.

Even though the production values are rather low key, the film is always entertaining and keeps you interested from beginning to end. There are enough twists to develop a decent plot filled with surprises. And, as mentioned before, there are also a handful of gory moments that are well crafted and really nasty (but don't expect a movie focused on blood and guts).

The most remarkable aspect of the plot is its mix of crime thriller and ghost story elements, which fit together surprisingly well. And this is one of those movies, where Paul Naschy's character is NOT the ill-fated Valdemar Daninsky!

Recommended for all friends of European horror.

"Panic Beats" or "Latidos de pánico" is a movie made just well enough to be an OK watch. However, storywise, it's more reminiscent of an episode of soap opera than a horror movie, which isn't necessarily bad, but it's surely not an achievement. Horror parts of the movie are nothing special and rely on gore to be shocking. There are no tense moments and there are no cool chase scenes and the opening and ending music theme of the movie absolutely doesn't fit into a horror movie. However, the movie looks and feels OK, there is some decent nudity thrown in the mix and, all in all, there are far worse movies for a horror movie genre fan to spend time on. I give it 6/10, but I recommend it only to the most hardcore genre and Naschy fans, because the rest won't find anything worth their trouble here.

Jacinto Molina or Paul Naschy is actor, screenwriter and director of this film about his popular role ¨Alaric De Marnais¨ based on a real character , Gilles De Rais , a knight of the Dark age during XV century , under command of Charles VII of France in times of Joan of Arc and as well as a murderer of hundreds of children . The first film he appeared was ¨El Espanto Surge de la Tumba¨ (Horror rises from the tomb 1972) directed by Carlos Aured and where Alaric is beheaded in public execution , then he swears revenge facing the executioner and his descendants . Now is a ghostly presence that heckle his eternal rest for executing a merciless vengeance in a script plenty of gaslight , murders and adulteries at a countryside mansion .

It's a B series entertainment with abundant sensationalistic scenes and a ¨Naif¨ style . The movie has a bit of ridiculous gore with loads of blood similar to tomato . Revolting , horrible scenes and nasty images take place as slashing , decapitation , and bloody murders with axes and other tools . As usual , Paul Nashy exhibits breast , as he was a weightlifting champion . Julia Saly interprets as the suffered wife and Lola Gaos as the old servant . Abundant nudism in charge of gorgeous Pat Ondiviela . It's a sequel to ¨Devil's possessed¨ or ¨Mariscal del Infierno¨ based on the historic character Gilles De Rais . Gilles was a devoutly religious follower of Joan of Arc who fought valiantly on her side and was later trialed and executed by the Catholic Church for heresy and sexual crimes committed against children . As Rais served as a commander in the Royal Army , distinguishing himself by displaying reckless bravery on the battlefield during the renewal of the Hundred Years War . Rais's prosecution would be on charges which included murder , sodomy , and heresy. The precise number of Gilles' victims is not known, as most of the bodies were burned or buried. The number of murders is generally placed between 80 and 200 ; a few have conjectured numbers upwards of 600 . The victims ranged in age from six to eighteen and included both sexes.

The motion picture was regularly directed by Jacinto Molina , being produced , wrote and shot in his peculiar style . The late Naschy was a good professional , writing, filmmaking and acting about hundred titles , mainly in terror genre . ¨Marshall of Hell¨ is written by Molina along with 21 screenplays as ¨Mark of Wolfman¨, ¨Night of Walpurgis¨, ¨Vengeance of the mummy¨, ¨Licantropo¨, among them . The flick will appeal to Paul Naschy fans and horror genre enthusiasts . Rating : mediocre but entertaining .

Panic Beats (1982)

** 1/2 (out of 4)

Paul Naschy plays a man trying to care for his ill wife while carrying on affairs with two other women. All three women are causing him problems but thankfully there's a family curse that has a Knight return from the grave a kill anyone who dares harm him. Naschy also wrote and directed this film that has a very nice premise that goes back to his Horror Rises From the Tomb film. As usual, there are plenty of beautiful naked women but Naschy also adds some nice atmosphere, gory death scenes and some tense moments. However, like many other Naschy films, this one here eventually drags in a few spots but it's still well worth watching especially for a couple nice twists in the story.

"Latidos De Pánico" aka "Panic Beats" of 1983 is a neat little Horror film that mainly profits from a load of sleaze and Spanish Horror/Exploitation-icon Paul Naschy, who serves as leading man, writer and director. Paul Naschy enjoys a cult-status among my fellow fans of European Exploitation cinema, and, as far as I am concerned, his reputation is more than deserved. While the films he was involved in (as actor, writer, and sometimes, such as in this one, as director) may not qualify as being masterpieces or milestones, all Naschy films I've seen so far are highly entertaining, sleazy and violent little films that any fan of trashy low-budget Eurohorror should enjoy. What is most important, however, is that all of the man's films have a certain inimitable charm to them that can not be found anywhere but in a Naschy film. Naschy is probably best known for his role as Werewolf Waldemar Daninsky, whom he played in thirteen films so far, most famously in "La Noche De Walpurgis" of 1971. The character of the blood-thirsty knight Alaric De Marnac, whom Naschy plays here, is more sardonic than the Werewolf character, and, once again, the film has to do with a family curse. Naschy had already played Alaric De Marnac once, ten years earlier, in "El Esperanto Surge De La Tumba" ("Horror Rises From The Tomb", 1973). In addition to a creepy atmosphere and the usual Naschy-esquire charm, this sequel has a wonderful sense of black humor.

In the 16th century, the insane knight Alaric De Marnac (Naschy) terrorizes rural France with his blood-lust, using mainly his favorite weapon, the flail. Centuries later, his ancestor Paul Marnac (also Naschy) comes to his family's old castle with his wife, who needs the rural air in order to cure her heart disease... The film may not have the most logical storyline ever, but it delivers more than just diverting sleaze and gore. Naschy the director delivers a wonderful atmosphere, and Naschy the actor delivers an awesome lead. Sexy Paquita Ondiviela gets naked at every occasion and she also fits very well in the female lead. Paul Naschy plays his two roles with his usual greatness. Some may disagree, but I am personally a massive Naschy-fan, as he makes every film worthwhile, and his status as a Eurohorror-icon is more than justified. And while "Latidos De Panico" is maybe no milestone, I highly recommend it to my fellow fans of Eurohorror. Even if cheesy, this is great fun and a film that Exploitation lovers should enjoy. Not to be missed by my fellow Naschy-fans!