La bestia y la espada mágica

Spanish cult figure Paul Naschy reappears as Count Waldemar Daninsky in this desperately poor sortie in Naschy's werewolf series.

For some bizarre reason (actually not so bizarre when you realise it was part Japanese funded), the Spanish legend is transferred to the Land of the Rising Sun. The result pleases no-one, and it is never quite clear what it is trying to achieve except a change of scene.

Daninsky rejects the sushi in favour of attacking a large number of the shocked locals. Inevitable and predictable scenes ensue.

The gore level and head count is less than usual. There is very little nudity in the Spanish cut I saw, being restricted to a couple of topless flashes during fight scenes.

All in all a mongrel take on the previously successful Naschy franchise. For completists only.

A late werewolf film written, directed and starring the irrepressible Paul Naschy. Apparently he had to go to Japan to finance this rather lavish production and that must be why much of the cast is Japanese and much of the filming done on location in that country. Co-stars the eminent Japanese actor Shigeru Amachi who among many films starred in the much earlier Black Line (Kurosen Chitai). Indeed this is one of his last films, dying a couple of years later. So neither he nor Naschy were very young when they did these pretty impressive action sequences. This is a bit slow starting but improves as we move to Kyoto and in the end this turns out to be a very colourful and energetic movie with some great moments and some nudity. A lot of sword fights but a really impressive one with chief villainess who wears a rather fetching red diaphanous costume. There is also a most impressive fight with a tiger. I don't whether this was a stunt man but its certainly a real animal someone in Naschy's costume is fighting (or pretending to). All in all not the director's finest hour but certainly something a bit different.

A joint-venture Spanish-Japanese endeavor over the curse of Waldemar Daninsky since 10th century on 935 A. D. on Spain ruled by the Emperor Otto the Great (Gerárd Tichy) bringing Irineus Daninsky (Paul Naschy) from Polland to fight with Hungarian warrior Vulko (José Luis Chinchilla) a strong man of the evil and powerful witch Amese (Sara Mora) imprisoned on Spain whereof had be killed by a duel only due it vanish the curse over Spanish people that should be carried out of high priestess Amese, however the brave Irineus charge a high price of the Otto the Great, his daughter's hands for a marriage Uswika (Helena Garret) soon she is pregnant when suddenly Amese appears and launch a curse over Daninsky descendants hereinafter each seventh male son will cursed as a werewolf.

Aftermaths many upcoming generations already in 16th century at Toledo Count Waldemar Daninsky seeks a wiser science man on Spain aiming for got a cure of his curse, however the Spanish inquisition killed this old man for witchcraft practices, the dying man advises Waldemar to travel into far off Japan where lives a sorcerer man Kian (Shigero Amachi), he must find out Kian whom by research his weird case to seeking a potion to lead a possible healing, just arriving in Kyoto Waldemar and two Spanish gorgeous women, Kinga (Beatriz Escudero) and the blind girl Esther (Violeta Cela) settle there, soon the Japanese authorities were warned that many corpses were found mangled, main in the neck without any fair reasons, who knows why Waldemar doesn't keep touching with Kian as previously planned, instead he is invited by a might witch Satomi (Junko Asahina) that lives in high mountain on outskirts of Kyoto that promise him a fully cure.

This movie of Waldemar Daninsky's saga probable is the best of the entire franchise, quite sure by a painstaking Japanese high stylized treatment on production, lavish sets, breathtaking landscape, fantastic props, eye candy girls and so for, therefore this gave an enhancement as opposed on previous ones, also they mixing-up two unusual genres together in a movie Terror & Samurai and fantasy on some specific sequences, a must to see for everyone.

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First watch: 2023 / How many: 1 / Source: DVD / Rating: 7.

His family cursed by a witch, Waldemar Daninsky (Paul Naschy) seeks the help of a Jewish doctor to cure him of his annoying habit of turning into a werewolf. The doctor is attacked by some local Christians in hoods and, before he dies, he tells Waldemar to head to Japan to seek out another doctor who can surely help him. So the Daninsky family head to the land of the rising sun to battle his curse of the full moon.

This is a pretty fascinating take on the werewolf myths Naschy had been building for over a decade in his native Spain. Apparently the Waldemar flicks were big in Japan and a company offered to co-produce this movie if he set it in Japan. The end result is really unlike any werewolf movie. Where else can you see a werewolf and ninjas (besides your nightmares)? Naschy directs and always has his eye on exploitation. For example, the werewolf bursts into a home and, when grabbing the women, always rips off their tops. There is also a crazy battle between the wolf man and a tiger (a real tiger is used) and a surreal sequence complete with snow falling where Japanese lead Shigeru Amachi fights off several otherworldly foes in order to gain the mythical sword that can kill the werewolf. The film is a tad overlong (1 hour and 45 minutes) but definitely worth seeing for a werewolf tale off the beaten path.

The 10th in the series of werewolf films written and directed by and starring Paul Naschy as Count Waldemar Daninsky.

The film starts with the curse being placed on Irineus Daninsky's family, and all his descendants, by a sorceress, and then moves to the late 1500s, where the Count is trying to remove it.

He consults suspected witches (Violeta Cela) and warlocks (Conrado San Martín), just one step from the Inquisition, as they are Jews who follow Kaballah. Sadly, certain bigots can't wait and kill Salom Jehuda (San Martin) before he finishes, but he lives long enough to send the Count to Japan.

It is fortunate for us that the Japanese all speak Spanish.

The Count appears as a werewolf in Japan before he finds Kian (Shigeru Amachi) for help. It is Kian that finds him by following his wolfman tracks.

This may not be a Japanese Samurai film in the tradition of Kurosawa and Toshirô Mifune, but there are ninjas and great swordfights and costumes nonetheless. We even get to observe Seppuku.

Kian fails, and they consult Satomi (Junko Asahina), a sorceress. But, Esther (Cela) is suspicious, as she should be.

Science is replaced by magic as Kian goes to kill the werewolf. But it is Akane (Yôko Fuji) that fulfills the ritual.

With the wolfman dead, how will we have three more movies in the series? Most enjoyable of all the films I have seen in this series.