The Man Who Saw Frankenstein Cry

I have to admit, I had no idea what the movie (documentary) was about when I went to see it. It was part of the Frightfest line-up in 2011 and the title did sound very intriguing. Plus a friend told me, if he'd only watch one movie from the whole Festival, it would be this one. I guess you can say he is a Naschy fan.

While I have seen him (and the recent Valdemar Legacy does not do him justice), I'm not a scholar of his work, nor could I tell you many things about his movies. But this documentary is able to fill in some blanks, even for those who haven't heard of the guy. A bit of reading prior to watching this might come a long way, but this is still a very compassionate portray of a man, who lived his dream.

This documentary almost made me regret that I already am an avid admirer and collector of Paul Naschy's work for nearly twenty years! Why? Because, if I hadn't yet known him or his work, I could immediately start searching for all the great horror & exploitation film titles that are covered in "The Man who Saw Frankenstein Cry".

Still, even with 80-85% of Naschy's film titles seen and often proudly standing in my DVD-collection, this remains a fascinating documentary and a must-see for everyone with a big heart for the horror and euro-exploitation genre. It may sound like a giant cliché, but Paul Naschy (real name: Jacinto Molino) was one of the most devoted and hard-working men in the industry, and he deserves a spot in the Horror Hall of Fame and Legends; right next to Boris Karloff, Peter Cushing, Lon Chaney, and a few notable others.

It unfolds like a normal and adequately structured documentary, first covering Naschy's difficult childhood years during the Spanish Civil War, then narrating how a mere poster of "Frankenstein meets the Wolf Man" lit an eternally burning horror-flame inside his heart, and then swiftly moving towards how he put himself on the map with his creation of Waldemar Daninsky; - the werewolf of Polish descent because apparently Spanish citizens cannot turn into hairy creatures of the night. Strangely enough, Naschy faced his biggest career challenge after the dictatorship of Franco, because his movies are most effective as clandestine and rebellious film-projects. This led to two difficult decades, the 80s and 90s, but I'm so very happy that Naschy was able to make a glorious comeback in the new Millenium and - as one of few, sadly - just lived long enough to enjoy the respect and idolization he deserved.

I met Paul Naschy once, when he was the guest of honor with "Rojo Sangre" at the Brussels International Fantastic Film Festival, and my memories of him exactly correspond with how he's depicted here in the documentary. He truly was a humble and emotional man, with a big passion for horror movies but an even bigger passion for his fans. I have never witnessed a more genuine and from-the-heart standing ovation, honestly. In case you're a fan of horror and Naschy's work, you should watch "The Man who Saw Frankenstein Cry". In case you're a fan of horror, but you are not particularly familiar with Naschy's work, you should definitely watch "The Man who Saw Frankenstein Cry"!

PS: should you wonder what the beautiful but mysterious title of this documentary refers to, make sure to stay seated until the end and witness a lovely little anecdote...

"The Man Who Saw Frankenstein Cry" is a 74 minute documentary covering the life and best known films of Spain's 'King of Horror' Paul Naschy, who wrote, produced and directed under his real name, Jacinto Molina. His early life during the Spanish Civil War, cinematic yearnings, and weightlifting years set up his fascinating, extremely prolific film career, encompassing over 100 titles in 42 years. Most amazing of all, he scripted 44 of them as well, utilizing locations convenient for his low budgets, especially the ancestral home best remembered from "Horror Rises from the Tomb." At 74 minutes, there really isn't enough time to cover all the movies, but his best known all get a mention, from his starring debut in "Frankenstein's Bloody Terror," to "Count Dracula's Great Love" and "The Mummy's Revenge." The only difficulty I encountered were that the subtitles were occasionally difficult to read against certain backgrounds, but it was a brilliant idea to feature English captions when Spanish was being spoken, and vice versa. We hear from Naschy's devoted wife and both of his sons, plus we see his joy at meeting his fans in America, overwhelmed at the warm response, and refusing to charge a cent for his autograph. The story behind its title is saved for the very end, as Naschy witnessed a tearful Boris Karloff, during filming of an episode of I SPY, waiting for the car that would return him to his hotel. Mick Garris hosts in English, supported by actors Jack Taylor, Caroline Munro, and Maria Jose Cantudo, and filmmakers Joe Dante, John Landis, Donald F. Glut, and Javier Aguirre. A loving and deserved tribute to a fitting subject, hopefully just the first of many.