El retorno del Hombre Lobo

I liked this movie, although I enjoy most of Paul Nashys movies anyway I found this one special. I starts at the beginning when Countess Bathory and Nashy who is accused as a warewolf are being executed only to be brought back to life 400 years later. I liked the switch with the vampire going after the warewolf and each being enemies instead of alies with eachother. I could do without the terrible love scenes of Nashy and his lady who falls in love with him only to be bitten by the vampire and bitten by Nashy. It's worth a look, but it's not a classic.

In the Sixteenth Century, in Hungary, Waldemar Daninsky (Paul Naschy), Countess Elisabeth Bathory (Jully Saly) and her worshippers are executed by a court. In the Twentieth Century, the researchers Erika (Silvia Aguilar), Karen (Azucena Hernandez) and Barbara find the location of Bathory´s grave and Erika is possessed and decides to reanimate the evil being.

"El retorno del Hombre Lobo" is a flawed movie with a beautiful cinematography. The plot is a mess but entertains fans of European horror films from the middle of the Twentieth Century. My vote is five.

Title (Brazil): "A Noite do Lobisomem" ("The Night of the Werewolf")

In "El Retorno del Hombre-Lobo" (called "The Craving" in English), Paul Naschy returns as his most famous character, werewolf Waldemar Daninsky. This time, he gets executed along with alleged vampire Countess Elizabeth Bathory (Julia Saly). But, as always seems to happen in horror flicks, they both get resurrected and go on a rampage. Specifically, they get resurrected by hot students Erika, Karen and Barbara. In fact, Daninsky turns against Bathory. You can probably guess what happens from there.

If you watch any of the DVDs of Paul Naschy's movies, the special features include an interview with him about his life. He talks some about growing up under Franco. One gets the feeling that he knew first-hand about horror, far more than a werewolf movie could portray. But no matter; this movie will surely please Naschy's fans.

I love Paul Naschy's movies. At least his catalog of horror films. In these gems he has portrayed every classic monster (including Dracula), and never cheapened or belittled their impact on our culture. Because all of his films are Spanish productions, they all do suffer one common problem: They have to be dubbed into English to be distributed here. What's interesting is that most do translate well, and the onscreen action lends itself to understanding. Most of the time.

I first caught "El Retorno del Hombre-Lobo" late one summer evening after a trip to the video store. I was in search of B-movie excitement, and found it. The American title was "The Craving" and the box art and plot desription were amateurish at best. The movie teetered on the brink of being equally thin, but redeemed itself somewhat with the lead performances.

Naschy once again portrays Waldemar Daninski, Polish nobleman who, in this this universe, was consort to Countess Elizabeth Bathory (yes, that Countess Elizabeth Bathory). The Countess , Daninski and their followers are dragged before the local Federales and charged with the usual "unspeakable acts of depravity and witchcraft." Waldemar wimps out and accepts the judgement of the court, while the Countess hurls curses before they are all executed.

The slow pace doesn't let up. Waldemar's resurrection and subsequent full moon forays put a dent in the population and add some zest to the stagnant feel. Elizabeth's return is also a highlight, with old-school style thunder and lightning and appropriate symphonic music. Unfortunately, the excitement soon bogs down in tepid melodrama and acting class homework. The plot falls into way too familiar territory. Lead vamp resurrected; collects band of followers; menaces hero and his sweetie; comes close to actually taking sweetie away; is vanquished in knock down-drag out with hero. Slightly misogynistic overtones crop up throughout the movie: the women are evil, and that evil is the source of their power. Erica, one of the trio of hotties who come looking for Bathory's grave, is a devoted follower bent on bringing her back, while Karen, Daninski's love interest, is an ineffective crybaby. The other two women, Barbara and Mikaiya, are there for vampire fodder,and of course, end up assisting the evil. Although he nightly pillages the countryside, in gory Italian-Zombie-Flick fashion, Waldemar's affliction ain't his fault. Getting involved with the wrong woman led to his downfall. And when Karen is visited in the wee hours by Elizabeth, she gives in quite easily to the darkside (granted, this was probably an attempt by the creators to pay homage (read: rip off) Hammer's lesbian vamp movies).

This particular entry into the Daninski saga suffers from two very big problems: continuity and lighting. There were several scenes that left me going "Huh?", like the delivery of coffins in the dead of night by curious villagers. What? They just up and deliver to anybody, anytime? It was also curious that the werewolf's attacks caused so little concern, while the vampires feastings were worthy of a town elders powwow with Waldemar. The lighting was atrocious. Granted, electricity isn't too readily available in most of your Balkan countries, but still, eyestrain is not something you want viewers to leave your films with. That is, if you expect them to come back. The dubbing surprisingly didn't detract from the film; some of the translation actually fit in with the onscreen stuff.

A word about the actors. Paul Naschy/Jacinto Molina is very much Lon Chaney with a matinee idol's looks. He scripted most of these movies (and rewrote others during filming), but never cut out the other actors around him. His Waldemar Daninski is a real tragic hero, despising his condition, but so in love with life he can't put himself down. In all of the "Hombre-Lobo" flicks, no matter how he became a werewolf, he had to find and lose true love to stop the beast within. Julie Saly, who starred with Naschy in several other films, gets kudos for gracing Elizabeth with viciousness and charm. My one complaint is that she only turned up in scenes involving blood. That aside, another excellent performance. Silvia Aguilar is the real star as the conniving Erica, intent on reviving Elizabeth, and, even after being vampirized and ordered about by the Countess, taking control of several situations. The other ladies provide decoration, especially Azuncen Hernandez as the brainless Karen.

"The Craving" is an unbelievable mishmash of folklore, black magic and melodrama. But that's the beauty of these movies, I guess. Not only is belief suspended, but all forms of natural and unnatural law as well. Like the Hammer films of the 70's, each Daninski film was released in America with more and more gratuitous nudity. Most were, of course, filmed with nude scenes, and those were excised for distribution. Pretty much all retailers now offer "original and uncut" versions. I need to snag the uncut version of this one. If only to figure out why Bathory resurrected some moldy guardian that was so easily dispatched. Jeez! Why didn't you just get a dog?

Again Waldemar stricken by ancient curse that turn into Werewolf at the full moon. Middle Age, Waldemar Daninsky (Paul Naschy or Jacinto Molina) and a sorceress , the infamous Countess Elisabeth Bathory (Julia Saly ,usual producer of Molina films) are executed by the authorities for murdering young girls . At the Dark Age she pronounces a curse against their future heirs . Modern time , several hundred later , Daninsky is relived by two gravediggers (Rafael Hernandez , Ricardo Palacios). Then Waldemar continues a murderous rampage every time the moon is full . An evil young (Silvia Aguilar) brings back to life Elizabeth Bathory and going on bathing in young women's blood . Daninsky contacts a student (Azucena Hernandez) who falls in love with him and she tries to cure his Lycanthropy with love .

Acceptable Werewolf movie with the unforgettable Waldemar Daninsky-Jacinto Molina ,under pseudonym Paul Naschy . Continental Europe's biggest horror star again with his classic character and frightening to viewer . He returns as El Hombre Lobo for the umpteenth time and once again battles enemies . Jacinto Molina Aka Paul Naschy ,who recently passed away, was actor, screenwriter and director of various films about the personage based on fictitious character, the Polish count Waldemar Daninsky. The first film about Waldemar was ¨The mark of the Wolfman (1967)¨ by Enrique Eguiluz , after that , went on the successful ¨Night of Walpurgis¨ by Leon Klimovsky , ¨Fury of the Wolfman¨ , ¨Doctor Jekill and the Wolfman¨ ,¨The return of the Walpurgis¨, ¨Howl of the devil¨, ¨The beast and the magic sword(1982)¨ that was filmed in Japan and finally ¨Licantropo(1998).

After ¨The craving¨ it was such a box office disaster that Jacinto was bankrupt . He was forced to turn to Japan for making artist documentaries, as he filmed ¨ Madrid Royal Palace and Museum of Prado¨ and he gets financing from Japanese producers for ¨The human beasts¨, the first co-production Spanish-Japan and followed ¨The beast and the magic sword¨ that was lavishly produced for the Paul Naschy standards.

¨The night of the werewolf¨ or ¨ El Retorno del Hombre-Lobo¨ is 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 and is occasionally an engaging horror movie full of slow-moving fights, witchery , beheading , and several other things . This time Paul Nashy/Jacinto Molina exhibits little breast but he was a weightlifting champion . Here Waldemar takes on vampires in some unforgettable fighting scenes . Pretty slow going, but hang in there for the Werewolf versus witches , vampires and spirits. In the film appears numerous secondary cast who starred innumerable films of Spaghetti and horror genres during the 60s and 70 as Ricardo Palacios, Tito Garcia ,Rafael Hernandez, Charly Bravo , Luis Barboo and another terror icon named Narciso Ibañez Menta ( Chicho Ibañez Serrador's father). Good cinematography by Alejandro Ulloa (Horror Express) is accompanied by a correct remastering. Eerie and atmospheric musical score with some sound ripped from ¨Ennio Morricone's One upon the time in the West¨ .The motion picture is professionally directed and played by Jacinto Molina , a slick craftsman and average actor . The flick will appeal to Paul Naschy fans and terror genre enthusiast. Rating : 6, passable and entertaining.