Beyond Naschy #36 - ORLOFF AND THE INVISIBLE MAN (1970)

We return to the Beyond Naschy series with guest Bob Sargent making the choice of film this time out.ORLOFF AND THE INVISIBLE MAN (1970) is not a movie that is often called out as a favorite of even the most hardened Euro-Cult horror fanatics. In the past it has been mistaken as a Jess Franco effort with the director’s name, Pierre Chevalier, suspected of being another of the prolific filmmaker’s many pseudonyms. This appears to not be factual but anyone stumbling across this movie unaware couldn’t be blamed for making that assumption. It shares many of the standard tropes and oddities of one of Franco’s color gothics from the period which makes it a good companion piece of Franco’s EROTIC RITES OF FRANKENSTEIN (1973) and DRACULA, PRISONER OF FRANKENSTEIN (1972). It even sports Franco’s original Orloff actor Howard Vernon as ‘Professor’ Orloff who has somehow created an invisible man for the usual mad scientist reasons. The film’s story is a mish-mash of prematurely buried daughters, accidental murders and greedy servants who are not above a bit of graverobbing. Add to that one of the strangest rape sequences in cinema history and some obviously missing story pieces and you have an entertaining if often confusing 76 minutes. We talk about the cast and crew, including their various Naschy connections. We discuss the missing scenes that can be glimpsed in the French trailer for the film and in the extras included on the old Image DVD. We find some moments of real beauty in the cinematography and some unintentionally funny scenes that just don’t work. The English dialog causes quite a few laughs as we quote some standout circular conversations. Part of our discussion centers on the term ‘guilty pleasure’ and how each of the three of us feel about applying that overused phrase to our love of Euro-Cult cinema. As you might expect, there are more than a few verbal trips down barely connected cinema paths with the final forty-five minute mailbag section becoming a memory lane remembrance of our late friend Craig Ledbetter. If you’d like to add you voice to the show naschycast@gmail.com is the place to send your thoughts and questions. Troy and I are very happy that Bob has joined us again and with a little luck we will have around for the rest of this year’s shows! Thanks for listening.

Naschycast #66 - SHADOWS OF BLOOD (1988)

Years ago I decided that, because I did not want to watch SHADOWS OF BLOOD (1988), we would not cover it on the Naschycast. I could simply see no upside to wallowing in what we knew was commonly considered the star’s worst film. I suspected that it would be a painful and depressing experience so I opted to avoid it and instead seek out less reviled fodder for the show. But then a friend pointed Troy and I toward a humorous Australian podcast called Finding Desperado. In that show the hosts conduct a hunt for a lost film that eventually finds them bemusedly watching SOB as part of their research. After listening to the eight hilarious episodes of this podcast I realized that these two funny men with their puzzled confusion had pointed the way toward covering this movie. So, we decided to finally dive into what I’ll forever refer to as Naschy’s Nadir.

We dig into the genesis of this film starting with some details about the low point that Paul Naschy's career had reached by the mid-1980’s. We doubt that he would have participated in this shot on video ‘production’ if he'd had anything better as an alternative but chance often leads the dance in movie making. We discuss Lord Sidney Ling who is the writer/director responsible for this film including his bizarre history as a fabulist of the highest order. Finding Desperado relates much more detail about this strange man and his self-aggrandizing nature but we concentrate on what might have influenced the poorly thought out ‘story’ he concocted for SHADOWS OF BLOOD. We trudge through the film trying to understand what might have been intended, occasionally getting lost in the dull sameness of the events onscreen. The sloppy narrative follows two escaped lunatics as they walk (and walk) around Amsterdam murdering random people in a competition to see who can kill the most victims. It is a mostly embarrassing exercise in senseless tedium that, even with its short running time, will test the most devoted Naschy fan. I’m just glad we finally have this one behind us!

We have a couple of emails at the end of the show including an amazing tale from listener Kurt that reads like a possible future noir film. His brief life story is well worth knowing. If you want to add your story to the podcast naschycast@gmail.com is the address where we can be reached. Let us know what’s on your mind! And thanks for listening to the show.

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Naschycast #63 - Ellinger and Monell Talk Daninsky!

The year of new guests continues as the 10^th anniversary celebration rolls on!This time we have only two people visiting but we talk to them for quite a long time.

Kat Ellinger has made a name for herself in film fanatic circles over the last several years as the editor-in-chief of DiaboliqueMagazine as well as writing for both that site and the British Film Institute among others. She is a prolific commentary track creator contributing to dozens of Blu-Rays ranging from classic Hollywood to arthouse cinema to Euro-Trash of the filthiest type! She’s even a podcaster, teaming with up with fellow female film fans to discuss cult movies in Daughters of Darkness and Helles Belles. And did I mention her book about the great Sergio Martino? Kat was nice enough to add her voice to this show and chose DOCTOR JEKYLL AND THE WEREWOLF (1972) to dig into. I had a blast talking with her and can’t wait to do it again!

Robert Monell has been a guest on The Bloody Pit but never before on this show. His is the writer behind the amazing blog “I’m In a Jess FrancoState of Mind” where he has reviewed and dissected the work of that Spanish filmmaker since 2006. He has since branched out into creating extras for various Franco Blu-Ray releases and moved into commentating on movies as well. He also runs the Cinemadrome film forum which hosts some of the most interesting discussions of cult cinema you’ll find on the web. For his visit to this show Mr. Monell chose one of the most problematic of Naschy’s werewolf films, FURY OF THE WOLFMAN (1970). He has some interesting things to say about it starting with digging into the probable origins of its basic plot. It is quite an interesting find!

Troy and I end the show with an extended dive into the mailbag to finally catch up on our backlog. We answer a lot of questions and take notes on possible future episode subjects. We can be reached at naschycast@gmail.com or over on the FaceBook page for the show. Let us know what you think and we’ll be back soon with more Spanish Horror!

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Naschycast #61 - LOS PASAJEROS (1975)

After nearly ten years of covering Paul Naschy films it is no secret that we have reached the final few movies that are available for us to see. Sure, we’ve stayed away from some later efforts with very small roles for our hero that might be worthy of attention. But, of the movies made during his most productive years, there are not many left to dig into and most of those were never released in the United States or, in some cases, outside of Spain. Luckily, the fan-subbing community once again comes to the rescue allowing us to finally check another rare one off our Naschy bucket list. The film’s cast also includes the excellent Aurora Bautista in a significant role as well as Eva León and Loreta Tovar so there are some familiar faces for Spanish Horror fans.

LOS PASAJEROS (1975) is a hard to find film for many reasons. It seems to have been barely released even in Spain and to have been the first of only two feature films directed by José Antonio Barrero. Mr. Barrero contributed the screen story for this effort as well so it seems logical to attribute the film’s quirks to his sensibilities. He appears to have been aiming this movie at the arthouse crowd couching his (supposedly) big statements in arch symbolic actions that often leave viewers scratching their heads. It may be that a Spanish filmgoer in the mid-1970’s would have been able to puzzle out the meaning of what happens onscreen but we might never know. Still, there are points of interest for the hardcore Naschy fan since Mr. Molina has a substantial role as the rich patron presiding over a house filled with subservient people. Naschy commands these visitors to his isolated home to act out scenes from plays while he watches. It’s all pretty weird!

At the end of the show we reply to a pair of recent emails to the podcast. If you have comments or questions the address is naschycast@gmail.com where we’ll be glad to hear from you. If you don’t want us to use your full name on the show let us know. Thank you for listening to this episode and we’ll be back soon with another Beyond Naschy show!

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Naschycast #60 - THE UNLIVING (2004)

Sharp-eyed or eared (?) listeners to the Naschycast will recognize THE UNLIVING as an alternate title for a film we've already covered on the show. Troy and I took a look at this Fred Olen Ray joint a few years ago under it's more evocative name TOMB OF THE WEREWOLF and you can still check out episode #30 for our original assessment. This time out we revisit this problematic entry on Paul Naschy's credits at the request of our new guest - David Zuzelo! David is an old friend from the early days of Euro-Trash horror online fandom and someone I should have included in the show much sooner than now. He's a horror comic writer and expert on the trashier side of cinema making him the perfect man to talk about this uncut sex-filled werewolf romp.

The three of us spend a lot of time on this film discussing it's flaws, it's points of interest and David brings some fascinating behind the scenes information to the table. Of course, as you might expect with Euro-Horror fans, we also branch off onto related subjects with a lengthy musing on Jess Franco and the more obscure films of Amando De Ossorio. David and I reminisce a bit about our first podcast experience together on Horror Rise From Spain and his upcoming work in horror comics. Troy and I wrap the show with a brief email from Our Man In The Field before we let you go.He sent along a link to a Powerwolf song that explains one of our questions about the burning crosses in THE GHOST GALLEON. 

 PowerWolf! 

If you have any comments or questions the address is naschycast@gmail.com or you can join us on the Facebook page. Thanks for downloading and listening!

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Naschycast #56 - Revisiting HORROR RISES FROM THE TOMB (1972)

In this episode we change the script a bit. There have been some great new Blu-Ray releases of Paul Naschy films and we wanted to give each of them a look to see what new information about the great man might be gleaned from them. So, in the first segment of the show we discuss the CRIMSON and COUNT DRACULA'S GREAT LOVE discs at length giving our opinions of these fresh presentations. No one will be surprised that this leads to discussion of the merits of the two films as well so be prepared. This is the Naschycast after all.

Then we turn to the main topic of the evening - a look back at HORROR RISES FROM THE TOMB (1972). We originally podcasted about this classic over six years ago in episode #2 and for an in depth scene-by-scene dissection I will point everyone to that show. Here we speak more broadly about the movie and the elements that we still find impressive and of value. To add to the discussion this time we convinced fellow podcaster an all around good guy Christopher Page to send in his thoughts on the film. He has only recently begun to discover Naschy's work and his point of view informs how your longtime co-hosts dig into the beating, bloody heart of HRFTT. With a little luck we'll be incorporating other fan's thoughts on the classic films of Naschy in the future.

We end this episode with what turns into a rant. The topic is one that hadn't been on our minds until recently but once broached we felt it should be talked about. Thanks to longtime listener Villa Wolf for sparking this discussion and helping both co-hosts come clean about our past fanboy tactlessness. Down with the gate-keepers!

If you would like to contact us the email address is naschycast@gmail.com and if you listen to the show through iTunes please rate and review us over there - It gets more eyes on the podcast. Also, if you'd like to help us pay the hosting fees for the show there is a Donate button on the right side of the blog page - every little bit you send our way puts more lead in our pencils! Thanks for downloading and listening. 

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Naschycast #55 - MUCHA SANGRE (2002)

2016 brings us back to the much feared (by Troy and I, anyway) genre of Spanish comedy. Followers of this podcast will know that we've had little to no luck with our exploration of the various comedy/horror movies Naschy made over the years and MUCHA SANGRE features examples of each reason why we struggle to understand and enjoy them. That's not to say that we didn't have fun with the film but, as we discuss, we don't have the cultural references to get some jokes and often that kind of context matters. Truly, with any comedy your mileage will vary and with one like this that fancies itself a kind of Rock 'n' Roll movie warnings are appropriate for newbies. Luckily we have a friend in Madrid to help us out with some questions about the movie's odder moments! Yes, Elena of Horror Rises From Spain and Spanishfear.com comes to our rescue yet again! It's always good to get a lady's perspective on Naschy. Oh, and we spoil the hell out of the film's story, so be aware! Sorry.

Of course, we also touch on a few other subjects as the show progresses including our recently seen films, a brief discussion of 50's sci-fi movies, Kurt Russell westerns and the current spate of depressing celebrity deaths that have hit both of us so hard. Also in this show we announce some news about the podcast's future that will be of interest to fans and lay out the next few months schedule of films to be covered for those who wish to play along. Long story short- expect more Toho film talk over on the Bloody Pit podcast and the return of Amando de Ossorio here!

The mailbag section allows us to catch up on our correspondence, answer a few questions and, as you will hear, take a few suggestions for shows down the road. I can't wait to one day podcast about the films of Bruno Mattei! We can be reached at naschycast@gmail.com with any an all comments and we thank you for downloading the show. Please let us know what you think and what movies you'd like us to cover in the new year. 

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Naschycast #46 - KILMA, QUEEN OF THE JUNGLE (1974)

It is the summer and once again the NaschyCast hears the call of the wild....jungle wild, that is! Yes- it's time for a Jungle Girl romp through the foliage and the stock footage as we ogle untamed women in fur bikinis and indulge in adolescent fantasies about the fairer sex. Will we ever grow up? Probably not. But while we stumble through the faux African landscape we do talk about this odd but oddly entertaining Naschy effort that marks his first collaboration with the director of THE NIGHT OF THE HOWLING BEAST a.k.a. THE WEREWOLF AND THE YETI. I have to admit that when we covered that film back in episode three I was unaware of this movie so this show serves as proof that Troy and I are still learning about our favorite Spanish Wolfman even now. Think of these podcasts as the strangest series of film history classes of all time! Now I just need to watch the Kilma sequel and see what director Miguel Iglesias brought to the table for a second Jungle Girl film with Blanca Estrada.

We start the show with a few announcements of interest to fans of Spanish Horror and are only interrupted once by a vicious catfight - I guess that is progress, of a sort. The mailbag segment has us being questioned by a female listener who has finally chimed in and wants info on the TV horror host of our youth. If you have questions for us the email address is naschycast@gmail.com or you can join us over on the Facebook page. Thanks downloading the show and listening to the show. Come on back now- ya hear? 

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NaschyCast #43 - EMPUSA (2010)

In this episode we venture once again into the twenty first century to witness Paul Naschy's final directorial effort - EMPUSA. Unlike his earlier work this is a film we know little about with next to nothing being stated by our hero before his untimely passing. We do know that this project started as a final collaboration with director Carlos Aured (HORROR RISES FROM THE TOMB, CURSE OF THE DEVIL) but it appears Naschy completed the film when his friend's health wouldn't allow him to work.  From what we can learn, the bulk of the movie was shot in 2007 or 2008 but it went unreleased until 2010.  There might be a good reason for that! We suspect that additional footage was shot after the fact and damn- do the seams show. It is pretty great to see Naschy teamed with old buddy Antonio Mayans, though. 

Join Troy and I as we chop this horror/comedy (or is it a comedy?) down to size and attempt to understand just what the hell is going on. I think you'll be able to hear the pain! As usual, the conversation darts all over the place with zombie novels getting some love from me but things really go off track in the mailbag section. Questions are asked and answered with some great thoughts and ideas coming from our loyal listeners. If you have any questions or comments you can drop us a line at naschycast@gmail.com or join us over on the NaschyCast Facebook page on the book of faces. Oh- and feel free to donate to the podcast if you think the show is worth a few shekels by using the Donation Button on the left side of the NaschyCast Blog page. Thanks to Mike for reminding us that its there! 

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NaschyCast # 41- THE TRANSSEXUAL (1977)

In my opinion, unusual is an overused word when discussing Cult Cinema. It is often employed to describe films of any type with little regard for just how far outside the lines the filmmakers tried to color. I don't consider most movies very unusual because is have bathed in every kind of cinema I can find for so long that for me (and I suspect for most Cult Film Fans) unusual is the norm in our regular viewing. Is  CHAINED HEAT (1983) more or less unusual than THE ADVENTURES OF TINTIN (2011)? Is a horror film that surprises you with its twist ending stranger than A BULLET FOR THE GENERAL (1966)? All of these are interesting movies but are they 'unusual?

I submit to you a truly unusual movie! THE TRANSSEXUAL (1977) is part investigative mystery, part documentary and part cabaret act. Naschy wrote and stared in this film and although its short it packs a number of very strange sights into its 76 minutes. It showcases many odd thing but the best sight is Naschy displaying his understanding and empathic heart as he talks about subjects society (especially at the time) considers taboo. This is worth your time Cult Film Fans - you haven't seen a movie quite like this.

If you wish to unburden yourself in our direction please write the show at naschycast@gmail.com or join us over on the Facebook group. As always the show is available from the link below or through the iTunes store or streaming from Stitcher Radio. If you subscribe in iTunes please consider giving us a review in the iTunes' Store. It gets us noticed in new places by new people. Thanks for listening!

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NaschyCast #39- TARZAN IN KING SOLOMON'S MINES (1974)

When we started this podcast centered on the works of Paul Naschy I had no idea it would take us to some of the places we have gone. I never expected to delve into an acidic view of religion and human nature filtered through a Medieval tale of ribald wickedness (EL CAMINANTE); a dark but funny look at modern Spanish society (NAKED MADRID);  or a sympathetic look at a real life killer (THE FRENCHMAN'S GARDEN). None of those subjects were on my radar but even they seem like a natural extension of Naschy's career compared to the thought of our favorite Spanish werewolf running around in a Tarzan movie. WTF? How did this happen?

First it must be made clear that Naschy does NOT play Tarzan. There have been dozens of screen Jungle Lords but I'm not sure anyone would have been able to suspend their disbelief enough to accept that peculiar casting. No- in TARZAN IN KING SOLOMON'S MINES Naschy plays the part of the Great White Hunter with criminal intent. He sports a mustache, a rifle, canned meat and the coolest Safari hat in Africa. The movie also stars the dark eyed German beauty Nadiuska in the role of the love interest. She is returning to the podcast for her second appearance in a Naschy film after her work in THE PEOPLE WHO OWN THE DARK.

We doubt much, if any, of this movie was shot in Africa (other than the stock footage!) but its still a jungle adventure so surely it will be fun. Right? We'll see. Troy and I discuss our first encounters with the greatest of Edgar Rice Burroughs' creations; good and bad Tarzan actors; favorite versions of the character in film; jungle movies as a genre; etc. We try to stay on track but this subject is fertile ground and there are just too many vines to choose from. Please write and let us know what you think of the show. The email address is naschycast@gmail.com and the Facebook group is in full swing. If you get the show through iTunes please take the time to rate and review us. And thanks for listening!

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NaschyCast #36 - A WEREWOLF IN THE AMAZON (2005)

With this film Paul Naschy added H. G. Wells' classic character Dr. Moreau to his list of onscreen portrayals and he does a fine job. The movie is from 2005 and was made in Brazil so both Spanish and Portuguese languages are spoken which only adds confusion for someone just trying to read the subtitles! I'm not going to lie- A WEREWOLF IN THE AMAZON is an odd one folks- even for us. Among other strange things this film sports a pretty good werewolf; multiple gory corpses; naked lesbians; naked Amazons; age inappropriate sexual encounters; broad humor; confusing back stories; contradictory character motivations; a bizarre musical number; death by sex; ridiculous sets and a mercifully short running time. Sadly, only those with access to the 'Special Antenna'  will be able to check out this late career entry in Naschy's resume but the curious will always seek these things out.

Troy and I want to thank our Man In the Field for help with this episode as well as Mistress Elena of the fine podcast Horror Rises From Spain for her invaluable help in answering several questions we posed in our show on THE SNIPER. Sometimes the things you learn about Spanish culture can really open your eyes! And a big shout out to Jeff Nelson for his amazing artwork for this episode as well. He really out did himself this time. Wow!

Your humble hosts prattle on about comic books, music and a host of other topics as well as the film we're supposed to be discussing. You have been warned! We get off topic early and often. Please drop us a line at naschycast@gmail.com or come see us over on the NaschyCast Facebook page. And if you get the show through iTunes (and I know you do) please consider leaving us a written review over there. That would help us out a lot.

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NaschyCast #19 - EXORCISM (1975)

I almost feel that we should apologize for the length of this episode- it comes very close to the three hour mark even though I made a real effort to keep our discussion tight. Clearly it’s just not meant to be. Still- no one has yet complained about the longer shows so maybe the fact that we don’t put out an episode a week allows us to get away with it. If you think we’re getting a bit too long winded please let us know. I can promise that the Beyond Naschy shows will stay much shorter. Really!

We start our dissection of EXORCISM by addressing the elephant in the room- THE EXORCIST. We both greatly admire the Friedkin film and share a brief list of our favorite 1970s horror movies. From there we talk about this rare heroic role for Naschy, the significance of his beard and I tearfully lament the unwanted knowledge of his receding hairline. There are a lot of interesting elements in this movie and I think we manage to hit on most of them although we both stumble when we try to remember the correct word when discussing diegetic music. You’d think two movie geeks such as we would have been able to pull that one up out of our memories with ease! Not even great musical skill can make the old brain function some days. One major area that Troy and I feel a little uncertain about is the details of the Anglican denomination and its rituals and ceremonies. It appears to be very similar to Catholicism but that could just reflect Naschy’s own religious background rather than anything else. Anyone with direct knowledge is welcome to educate us poor, backwoods boys.


Once again our favorite Spanish Horror star is surrounded by beautiful females including Maria Perschy, Grace Mills, Maria Kosty and that bitch Bork the dog. All of them do a fine job but only a couple of them model two piece swimwear. I guess you can’t have everything. Please write to us at naschycast@gmail.com to let us know how we’re doing or if you have any suggestions for keeping the show shorter. We read all our mail and check in on the Facebook page regularly. Thanks!




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