Naschycast #69 - AGONIZANDO EN EL CRIMEN (1968)

Bob Sargent returns to the show to discuss a very early Paul Naschy screen appearance. Rescued from relative obscurity by the online fan-subbing community AGONIZANDO EN EL CRIMEN (1968) is a strange crime story centered on a serial killer obsessed with medical professionals - and their hands! This one is not easy to see but is it worth seeking out? Boy, do we have a lot to say.

 

Troy, Bob and I dig into the production of the film and how Naschy’s original job on this project was behind the camera. We spot a few interesting locations including a very familiar set of steps that are a big part of Naschy’s cinematic legacy. The film’s writer/star comes under scrutiny with Naschy’s pointed comments about the fellow leaving no doubt about why these two men never worked together again. On the other hand, this movie’s director, Enrique López Eguiluz, played a major role in making Jacinto Molina into the horror movie star we know and love to this day.

We take our time and really pull this one apart with occasional sideroads into the Hammer Dracula films and the on-set shenanigans of Klaus Kinski. It can’t be helped! We have a lot to say about Juan Logar’s wide-eyed, maniacal but still somehow detached performance. We chuckle over the casual 1960’s style of misogyny and the silly idea that a woman might become a surgeon. Madness! And it all circles round to an embarrassing discussion of how best to hide a murder boner. We are a strange trio.

  

We end the episode with a few new pieces of mail sent to naschycast@gmail.com and if you have anything you’d like to tell us, that is the place. Thank you for listening to the show and we’ll be back soon. 

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Naschycast #67 - TODOS LOS GRITOS DEL SILENCIO (1975)

The busiest years of Paul Naschy’s career were the early 1970’s. Moving from one project to the next at incredible speed he often finished one film while still writing the final draft of another and negotiating a deal for a third. During this period, he produced some of his best work including a large percentage of the movies that still define his image as a Spanish horror icon. But a few of his films from the 1970’s were thrillers that, for various reasons, were rarely distributed outside of Spain or even dubbed into English. This has made it very difficult to see these movies and for non-Spanish speakers to comprehend them in the rare instances of locating a copy to watch. Thank the stars for the fun-subbing community out there on the internet! 

Troy and I finally get a chance to see TODOS LOS GRITOS DEL SILENCIO (1975) and we are so happy that not even the crappy VHS sourced print can dull our enthusiasm. Yes, there are a few scenes that are a little too dark to be sure of what we’re supposed to be seeing but the fact that solid subtitles are onscreen means that we can follow the story anyway. And that turns out to be very important with this film because it is a twisty murder mystery that falls easily within the giallo genre even if it doesn’t have a few of the usual elements you might expect. ALL THE SCREAMS OF SILENCE has very little blood since the killer’s preferred method of dealing death is a silenced gun (hence the title) and the amount of flesh on display is low which might factor into this thriller being so underseen for the past forty plus years. No gore or nudity? What were they thinking? But the film does have a great performance from Naschy as a journalist chasing the bullet-slinging murderer while at the same time trying to locate his missing girlfriend. Are the two mysteries connected? With a script by Jacinto Molina you can bet some surprises are coming in the third act. 

We begin the episode with some news about the upcoming Blu-Ray release of TOMBS OF THE BLIND DEAD and hint at a few more commentary tracks from the Naschycast down the road. Also, we mention a new podcast project coming soon from our buddy Adrian Smith that will be of interest to fans of European Cult cinema. And we end the show with several letters from listeners that put some fresh ideas in our head for possible YouTube projects too. If you have any comments on the podcast naschycast@gmail.com is the address and we’d love to hear from you. Thanks for listening to the show! 

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NaschyCast #54 - MORTAL SIN (1977)

We are back again to talk about another Naschy film. Of course, this one has very little Naschy in it, but at this point we'll take what we can get! MORTAL SIN is a pastoral drama set in a Spanish country in the 1940's with the ghosts of the previous decades civil war hanging over everything. The story plays out as a study of several characters attempting to find their place in the war changed world with particular focus on the three female members of the family - two sisters and the widowed matriarch - as they react to the presence of a young man of marriageable age who moves into the house. The three servants also factor into the proceedings as the relationships become more complicated and the expected romantic entanglements begin to take shape. You might think this is very different from the films we have covered here before but, as we point out, there are many similarities to past subjects of this podcast than you might think.

One note- both Troy and I refer to this as episode #55 at the beginning of the show and we are mistaken. I don't know how we screwed that up but we did. I guess jumping back and forth between this and The Bloody Pit is making us lose track of numbers in general! Sorry! This is #54.

There is no mail in the bag this time around but that doesn't stop us from veering far from our stated purpose in this one. The first half hour we discuss the KickStarter campaign to bring back Mystery Science Theater 3000; the Daniel Craig Bond films and how the new one measures up (spoiler free!); the difficulty of actresses being nominated for genre work and our respective horror Halloween viewings before we segue into going all moist over Paul Naschy. After the discussion and 'Our Man in the Field' Dan's new horror host segment we then talk at length about the SAW movies and the various long running horror film series. Has anyone out there ever watched all the Children of the Corn films? Really?

You can reach us at naschycast@gmail.com or over on the FaceBook page. Don't let us ramble free-range like this again folks! We'll get even further off into the weeds next time without leading questions. 

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Beyond Naschy #13 - MURDER MANSION (1972)

After several attempts, Troy and I have finally braved the hellish ice storm weather of February and now bring you a new Beyond Naschy episode! It wasn't easy. After years of speaking about MURDER MANSION in passing, we at long last discuss the film at length even if we may set a new NaschyCast record for conversational tangents. Seriously- we talk a bit about the HIGHLANDER film series as well as the TERMINATOR movies and Joe Lansdale stories before we launch into a navel gazing meditation on the permanence of podcasts as a form. Whew! We need to podcast more often, I think.

If you've never seen MURDER MANSION you really should catch it as soon as possible. This one is fairly easy to come by on DVD and even on several streaming services so, unlike some of the movies we cover, the special antenna isn't necessary. We don't spoil the ending of the movie in this episode but you might want to avoid online reviews of the film if you want to reach the final act with the mystery still intact. The movie is a great combination of several horror themes including the Old Dark House setting, the Agatha Christie Ten Little Indians plot, lurking ghosts, tales of vampires and even a touch of giallo stalker flair to spice up the stew. In incompetent hands this mélange could have been a disaster, but the magic of that amazing year of 1972 seems to have made blending them somehow achievable. All we can do is be happy they once made movies like this!

The mailbag over-floweth this month as several fine folks write in to congratulate us for five years of podcasting. With any luck we'll  If you have any comments or questions please write us at naschycast@gmail.com or visit us over on the NaschyCast FaceBook page. 

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NaschyCast #47 - THE KILLER IS AMONG THE 13 (1976)

Thirteen suspects trapped in an isolated country house over a long weekend! One of them committed murder! Can you figure out whodunit?

Probably not, but that really is beside the point. This month’s film has a very tiny sprinkling of Naschy but a heaping helping of old style murder mystery a la Agatha Christie and just a soupçon of giallo for flavor.  That’s right- there IS a black-glover killer but don’t expect the typical Euro-Trash blood soaked tale or there will be some sad Pandas out there. The story takes place in the English countryside (don’t let the Spanish speaking cast fool ya!) with all the trappings you would expect from a classic mystery film of the type that used to star William Powell. One can merely wish that Naschy had a larger role in the proceedings but he only interacts with three of the cast which means this is one of the least Naschy NaschyCasts we’ve ever done. Still, there is fun to be had as veteran director Javier Aguirre runs his eclectic group of victims … errr….suspects through their paces. Secrets are revealed, love affairs are uncovered, maids are seduced, jealousies kindled and heads are hatched as we narrow down the character list to discover the identity of the perpetrator. Also, there are many familiar faces onscreen including Patty Shepard, Eduardo Calvo and Dyanik Zurakowska to make the 'Spot the Actor' game interesting.

This month's mailbag was overflowing and we even throw in a bonus bit of praise for the Bloody Pit episode covering NIGHTMARE CITY so things get entertaining as we stumble through the letters we received in July. If you would like to tell us what you think please write us at naschycast@gmail.com or join us over on the Book of Faces NaschyCast page. Thanks for downloading and listening. Oh- and I end the show with a an old Hoodoo Guru's tune inspired by a chance comment during the podcast. Enjoy!

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NaschyCast #38 - A DRAGONFLY FOR EACH CORPSE (1974)

We are back and episode 38 brings us back to the roots of our fascination with Naschy's work - the 1970s! Yes! We cover A DRAGONFLY FOR EACH CORPSE (1974) with all the joy of old friends reuniting after a long separation. Naschy plays a tough Italian cop ruthless in his devotion to his job and lucky enough to be backed up by a smart, resourceful wife played by the fantastic Erika Blanc. This is the only film the two made together and considering how well their scenes play its a damned shame. In a better world they would have starred in a series of thrillers like this one throughout the next decade. But, to focus on the positives, we have Leon Klimovsky back in the director's chair, a script co-written by Naschy and a host of returning faces in the cast. It may be a sign of just how far we have come in our love of Spanish Horror but the sight of names such as Eduardo Calvo, Maria Kosty and Ramon Centenero in the cast list is an electrifying thrill. Having these actors pop up in our discussions again is a chance to note how much they add to the film overall and we take our time to marvel over the range they were afforded in their career's prime. In this film Kosty especially is asked to play a wide range of emotions an is a joy to watch.

This movie is generally referred to as a giallo and, although it certainly displays many of the hallmarks of that genre, Troy and I talk about its points of divergence as well. Is a mystery a giallo if the main character is a police officer? Do such distinctions matter? We touch on this and a host of other ideas as we walk through this well paced and exciting thriller. I, of course, get caught up in some of the bizarre elements like Naschy's tie collection and his amazing mustache while Troy seems to be more intrigued by the various ways Erika Blanc can seem both beautiful and scary depending on the camera angle.

We hope you enjoy this one folks. We are happy to back to talking about Paul Naschy! Please drop us a line at naschycast@gmail.com or join us over on the Facebook page. If you subscribe through iTunes please rate and/or review us over in the iTunes Store. It would really help us out. Thanks for listening!

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NaschyCast #26 - SEVEN MURDERS FOR SCOTLAND YARD (1970)

Naschycast brings you SEVEN MURDERS FOR SCOTLAND YARD or WHY ARE THOSE DROPS OF BLOOD ON MY NEW COUCH? For the twenty sixth episode we tackle another Spanish made murder mystery very much in the 'giallo' vein. Since we haven't touched on Naschy's contributions to the genre in a long time we first talk about the standard definition of a giallo, what elements make up one and discuss the question of country of origin as a qualification for inclusion in the official listings. Regardless of dissenting opinions we come down on the side of SEVEN MURDERS FOR SCOTLAND YARD being an example of the black-gloved killer thriller and let our enjoyment of the of the short lived genre show. As for the question of this film representing the best of its type we'll leave that up to you to discover. We know how to tease!

We break into the spoiler area of discussion at about the one hour and twenty minute mark and then dive into the Mail Bag as the clock strikes the two hour bell. In this section listener Mark takes me to task for putting Reggie Nalder in the wrong Argento film, is stunned by the fact that a place called Lookout Mountain exists and gives us his favorite and least favorite Naschy films covered in Year Two of the podcast. Then Troy and I get into a strange dissertation on the definition of 'lick'. Just listen and it'll make a kind of sense. If you would like to give us your 'Best of' list or just mouth off about either of us screwing up information please drop us a note at naschycast@gmail.com or join us over on the NaschyCast Facebook page. You'll be glad you did! Or at least we will. The download link is below and if you get the show through iTunes please review us there in the store. Thanks!

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NaschyCast #11 - BLUE EYES OF THE BROKEN DOLL (1973)

Oh my goodness! Naschy tries his hand at the giallo genre and hits one out of the park. In this episode we celebrate and analyze this thriller with more twists and turns than a mountain road. BLUE EYES OF THE BROKEN DOLL is a stylish but sleazy murder mystery sure to keep you guessing up until the final scene. Naschy places his character Gilles in a bad spot as a man with personal demons of the mind and a nasty past and in a good place surrounded by a group of beautiful sisters. But is it a good place or a dangerous spot? When the cast features four of the most beautiful ladies working in Euro-Trash film in the early 1970s it’s a good place for us at least! Naschy squeezes udders, chops wood, rakes yards and does other things that might be considered sexual metaphors while the color red dances through his life. How many of the siblings will Gilles seduce? How many times will he be threatened with violence? How often will he have to take off his shirt to get his hard work done? Oh my!

Troy & I sing the praises of the high quality work involved and lament (repeatedly) the execrable score that attempts to undermine nearly every one of the story's emotional highlights. If a film can be said to be deeply flawed but still brilliant then BLUE EYES OF THE BROKEN DOLL fits that description. As we dissect the film the attentive listener might ask many questions, such as - How many times will I mispronounce Gilles’ name? How often will the Blind Dead movies be mentioned? When will we break down and do a podcast on I HATE MY BODY? What is the connection this film has to both Hitchcock and the Coen Brothers? The answers to some of these are waiting within. I won't tell you which ones but you can download the show from HERE . You can also contact us at naschycast@gmail.com and subscribe through iTunes. Thanks!



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