NaschyCast #42 - THE LAST KAMIKAZE (1984)

It is that time once again! After two months of talking about Jess Franco and Amando de Ossorio your humble podcasters return to the film of Paul Naschy with a vengeance. THE LAST KAMIKAZE was the last of the Japanese co-productions our Spanish cinema hero directed and, although we were upset that that it isn't a horror film, we are happy to take whatever Senor Molina offers. The 1980's was a period in which he stretched his creative muscles in new directions and he seems to have succeeded more times that not. Let's just say that because of this movie I am willing to forgive the scandal that was OPERATION MANTIS. This film may have some problems but it does not make the viewer cringe in embarrassment- well- maybe only in one scene involving dressing in drag.

I must apologize for the nearly three hour running time of this episode. Part of the reason for this excessive length can be put down to both Troy and I being so thrilled to talk about Naschy again that we went a bit too in depth. But, in truth, we also ramble off topic on several occasions with discussions of Wonder Woman and Earth 2 comic books being completely my fault. Sorry about that! But the real off topic rambling comes in the mailbag section when a couple of longtime listeners raise very interesting ideas and ask our opinions on a wide range of things. We talk about the early films of Lucio Fulci; give our opinions on the Friday the 13th series of movies; talk over Christmas wish lists; get excited about the impending Blu-Ray release of DEMONS and DEMONS 2 and we even spew forth a rant or two. That's right- both Troy and I have a bone to pick with certain people and it comes out in the mailbag discussions. I may have cursed a bit too much in this one. Whew!

So join us for an entertaining film as we deal with some great dummy destruction, contrasting murder methods and ponder the possibility that Naschy is actually Batman in #42 of the NaschyCast. The show can be downloaded at the link below or subscribed to in the iTunes store. And if you get the show from there please take the time to rate and review it - it helps make other fans aware of what we're doing here. We can be contacted at naschycast@gmail.com or through the Facebook page. Thanks!

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Beyond Naschy #9 - RETURN OF THE BLIND DEAD (1973)

Has it really been two years since we covered TOMBS OF THE BLIND DEAD? That is far too long! It is with great pleasure that we return to the land of the living dead Templar Knights! For the second of Ossorio's fantastic Blind Dead films we examine the two different cuts available on Region 1 DVD and then ponder the deeper social commentary buried within the story. Really? Only for a little while. We mostly chat about the casting choices, the relative beauty of the female actors, the story's odd love rectangle, the mechanics of the creeping living dead and the number of homages to (or steals from) other movies that Ossorio weaves into the story. I wish we had spent more time on how difficult it is to destroy these walking corpses but some things get lost in the stumble/shuffle.

Of course, this being the NaschyCast the show starts with some unrelated discussion of several monster related topics. I wax enthusiastic about Universal Horror novels and we discuss the joys of Shaun Hutson's horror epic 'Slugs', which leads us to the question of why we have yet to cover any examples of the cinema of Spain's Juan Piquer Simon. He certainly fits our criteria as he is Spanish and has directed plenty of Horror, so maybe a show on PIECES is in our future. That one won't be for the faint of heart! We also have an impromptu discussion of Lucio Fulci's tetralogy of gore films and - just for fun - rank them from best to worst. In the mailbag section we commiserate with a listener fresh from a viewing of FURY OF THE WOLFMAN and talk briefly about several worthy Jess Franco titles. How long before we just dive headlong into Uncle Jess' catalog and never look back?

We can be contacted at naschycast@gmail.com and the show can be downloaded at the link below, on the right side of the blog page or subscribed to in the iTunes store. Let us know what you think and if you want your comments to be a part of the podcast. Thanks for listening!

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Beyond Naschy #8 - THE AWFUL DOCTOR ORLOFF (1962)

The sharp eyed listener will notice an odd numbering on this episode so I must explain things. As we move through our fourth year of the Naschycast we are going to be occasionally spreading our wings wider to embrace more Spanish Horror than ever before. We started doing shows we called Beyond Naschy episodes a couple of years ago to cover some of the great films of the genre from Spain - TOMBS OF THE BLIND DEAD, HORROR EXPRESS, etc.- as well as lesser know examples - I HATE MY BODY, CUT THROATS NINE. We did seven previous of these shows and have been hoping to return to talking about non-Naschy movies sooner than now but time is a precious commodity. Now we have decided to fold the Beyond shows into our regular schedule to supplement our Naschy coverage and to talk about the less well known corners of Spanish Horror. Of course, THE AWFUL DOCTOR ORLOFF is far from obscure in Euro-Horror circles but its new Blu-Ray release is cause enough for discussion. So- Beyond Naschy #8! 

Troy and I delve into this beautiful, haunting black & white film with real joy. We find much to chew on from implied incest to dull protagonists to colorful secondary characters to mysterious motivations. We don't spoil the ending but we do talk about most of the characters in depth with our thoughts on their desires and competence.  Many questions are asked such as- Is this film one of the great links connecting the classic Universal Monster films to later splashes of the grotesque that Euro-Sleaze would bring to screen around the world? Is Howard Vernon one of the coolest mo-fos of all time? Does Franco know how to photograph beautiful women? I think you know the answers! Join us for a creepy night of horror, blood and a bit of nudity.

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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 #40 - THE NIGHT OF THE EXECUTIONER (1993)

THE NIGHT OF THE EXECUTIONER was the last film Paul Naschy directed before his decision to helm EMPUSA in 2010. By the 1990s he knew the most fruitful days of his career were behind him and I'm sure the opportunity to be back in the writer/director/star position was exciting.  He explains the dual genesis of this tale of vigilante justice in this autobiography so its clear that he felt inspired to create the film even if, in the end, it is a bit too much like other movies in the genre.

Troy and I discuss this low budget excursion into the dark heart of Spanish criminal life while touching on the justifications a victim has to exact vengeance. We even attempt to wrestle with the moral complications that come with living in a society where justice is handled by the government and the liberal vs. conservative arguments on the subject. But not to worry- we spend much more time talking about DEATH WISH, DIRTY HARRY and our mutual love of 1970s Charles Bronson movies. Somehow we are also prompted by this movie to talk about the gender structure of criminal gangs in SUDDEN IMPACT and CLASS OF 1984! Don't ask why- just listen and all will be made clear. And for those interested, my cat Katie makes her presence known multiple times throughout the show as she tries to distract us from our podcasting and/or influence our opinions. She's a good cat but a bit of an attention hog.

The mailbag section is great this month with a few good points made by listeners and a much deserved correction made on my sad mispronunciation of the lovely Nadiuska's name in last month's show. I can only throw myself on the mercy of the Naschy fans and promise to do better next time. As always the show is available from the link below or through the iTunes store or streaming from Stitcher Radio. We do prattle on! You can drop us a line at naschycast@gmail.com or join us over on the Facebook page and leave us a review in the iTunes store. Thanks!

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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 #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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