NaschyCast

Beyond Naschy #22 - THE GHOST GALLEON (1974)

The new year starts with a shiny new episode of Beyond Naschy! Finally returning to the cinema of Amando De Ossorio the NaschyCast dives into the waters of the North Sea and are surprised to find that the Blind Dead lurk there waiting for fresh victims. The third of this classic Spanish Horror series is called THE GHOST GALLEON or HORROR OF THE ZOMBIES or THE CURSED SHIP but under any title it is a problematic film. Seeking to add new ideas to his signature creation Ossorio puts his Undead Knight Templar on an 18th century galleon that seems adrift in both the oceans and time itself. Only occasionally visible in our world this ship encounters unlucky sailors or tourists and, in this case, it happens to bump into a pair of bikini clad young ladies looking to set a ridiculous publicity stunt in motion. As you might expect, things do not go well for them or their intended rescuers. The satanic living dead rarely seem to take pity on people no matter how cute they may be. 

Troy and I deep dive into this one with the hopes of changing our original poor impressions of it. Do we come to love this film now or has age still not scraped the barnacles off this dark hulk? Listen in and see! We talk about the film's rushed production and it's multiple titles while also letting listeners chime in with their thoughts as well. We discuss the possible symbolism present in the movie and spend some time picking over the film's troubling attitude toward women. The wacky professor character shows us how to be a very strange fellow but somehow also the most useful member of the crew. Who knew that a flaming crucifix would help hold off the Blind Dead? The show can be reached by email at naschycast@gmail.com or on the FaceBook page. We plan to ask for more input in the future over on FB so join us there for more information. Thank you for downloading and listening!

NaschyCast #15 - EL CAMINATE (1979)

Maybe the last thing we expected when we watched EL CAMINANTE (a.k.a. THE TRAVELLER) was that we would discover one of Naschy’s best movies. That it is also an incredibly funny, bawdy, cynical and darkly incisive view of how the world works was a revelation. The last time we strayed away from his horror output we were cursed by CRIMSON but this time we struck blessed gold! Naschy described EL CAMINANTE as the most personal and sensitive of all his films and it was also one of his most critically lauded works. Looked at as a morality play it is brilliant and as a sharp critique of the ethical deficiencies of mankind it is excellent. As writer, director and star Naschy uses the classic tale of the Devil travelling the world to explore his own philosophy of life while never losing sight of the need to make an entertaining story. Even as the fable becomes more disturbing, reflecting his unfortunate disillusionment with people, the film retains its engaging spirit. The story’s episodic nature keeps it unpredictable and fun with one adventure leading to the next as each of the seven deadly sins gets its moment on stage. It may just be that my own view of life lines up pretty closely with Naschy’s but I found a lot with which to identify in this film and I feel that it is easily one of his finest works. Graced with fantastic dialog, fine performances, a good score and a creator in full flower EL CAMINANTE is a true classic that should be seen by anyone with an interest in quality cinema. This is our most surprising discovery from Naschy’s filmography yet and I recommend that everyone seek it out.

NaschyCast #14.5 - Beyond Naschy - STRANGE LOVES OF THE VAMPIRE (1975)

We’re back with our second Beyond Naschy mini-episode in which we talk about…well… a lot of things actually, but we try to stay on topic. The IMDb lists THE STRANGE LOVES OF THE VAMPIRE as a 1977 release but it turns out that Phil Hardy’s guide to horror films claims it as a 1975 film so your guess is as good as ours. I think it is likely that the film debuted in the US in 1977 and Europe two years earlier making both dates accurate depending on your location. Further complicating things is that in the US the film was given the misleading title of NIGHT OF THE WALKING DEAD! I suspect that drive-in patrons in ’77 expecting a zombie movie, maybe even a sequel to NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD, had to feel disappointment but I can’t imagine the sight of the frequently nude Emma Cohen made the men in the audience unhappy. Wowsa!

Only available as a bootleg sourced from a Dutch VHS tape (I mistakenly say Turkish in the show!) with subtitles hardcoded onto the screen this turns out to still be a film well worth hunting down. Although we complain a lot about the crappy print quality the film’s strengths win us over and it joins my long list of movies that need a good DVD release. Settle in and listen as we try not to spoil the movie while praising its finer points, and we don’t mean just the several sets of impressive nipples on display. Write us at naschycast@gmail.com and let us know what you think of our efforts. 

NaschyCast #14 - HUNCHBACK OF THE MORGUE (1973)

The good, the bad and the primordial! Naschy called HUNCHBACK ‘one of the best Spanish Fantastic Films of all time’ and who are we to argue? Among the many awards heaped on this standout film was Naschy’s first acting prize- the George Melies Award for best actor and his beautiful, sensitive performance is only one of many reasons to see this classic. Of course, this being a horror film, Naschy’s sad character Gotho is more than able to dish out the violence when pushed. This leads to some of the strongest gore of any of his movies with heads flying from shoulders, intestines spilling across floors and medieval torture implements doing what they were designed to do. And did I mention the unrequited love and unexpected romance angle? Ah, yes! This one has something for everyone so gather the family around the screen and lets enjoy this tale of sad outcasts, mad scientists, ineffectual cops and Lovecraftian monsters. It’s one of the best tasting stews that Spain will ever cook up!

The show can be grabbed at the link below or subscribed to over at the iTunes store. Drop us a note at naschycast@gmail.com and give us your rankings of the the films we've covered so far. The mailbag segment is really turning out to be one of the most fun sections of the show! And thanks to Dan for the cool image below. If only we looked that good while recording the show.

NaschyCast #13.5 - Beyond Naschy - I HATE MY BODY (1974)

In our first ‘Beyond Naschy’ episode we take a look at Leon Klimovosky’s bizarre gender switch film I HATE MY BODY (1974). To call this a strange film is to undervalue the concept of weird cinema. I have no idea how folks who might have seen this movie at a drive-in theater in the 1970s actually reacted but I can guess that stunned shock would be at least a fairly common response. Until I can dig up a detailed interview with director Klimovsky we will just have to speculate on the reasons for choosing such an outlandish story but that doesn’t stop us from enjoying ourselves and it shouldn’t stop you either. We make sure to not spoil too much of this hard-to-find bit of sleazy Euro-trash even as our discussion rambles all over the place. We talk about the use and misuse of voiceovers, the definition of lesbian sex and the choice of pet names in a relationship. Please forgive my occasional cough as I work my way through a headcold and be glad that, unlike Troy, you weren’t in the room when I had to blow my nose. We can be reached at naschycast@gmail.com and the podcast can be found on iTunes. We look forward to your thoughts. 

NaschyCast #13 - FURY OF THE WOLFMAN (1970)

Rarely have we been as confused, flabbergasted and frustrated as we were by FURY OF THE WOLFMAN even though we went into this one with our eyes wide open, knowing full well that Naschy himself hated the film and decried what was done to his script. We weren’t completely surprised but it is still a kick in the head to watch the film ramble itself apart. Trying to figure out what might have been intended is kind of fascinating which probably explains why we babbled for over two hours about what has to be labeled the weakest of the Waldemar Daninksy films.

We attempt to understand what the hell is happening as ideas are brought up and dropped, characters slip in and out of the film randomly and crypt orgies are popped indiscriminately throughout the second half. Plant monsters, werewolf sex, Nazi scientists and the question of crazy love possibly being ‘true love’ are all topics that we discuss as we navigate this muddled misadventure.

You'll hear the film start to take its toll on us near the end as our stated goal of mentioning the good things in the movie begins to wear us down. But there is a female werewolf! Strap in and join us if you dare! The email address is naschycast@gmail.com and we'd love to hear from you. 

NaschyCast #12.5 - Looking Back & Forward

For the first time in a while we give you a bonus episode! Now that we've completed a full year of podcasts Troy and I take a breath, relax and look back at the dozen Naschy films we've covered so far. We rank them from worst to best and debate the relative merits of each film once again in relation to Naschy's career and our own reactions to them. Troy's hatred for mummies still shines as his largest film-lover's failure but I have assurances that if I keep forcing him to rewatch VENGEANCE OF THE MUMMY he will eventually relent. The hardest part is propping open his eyes with the little toothpicks. 

We also take a look into our mailbag and read out a few recent missives. It's a lot of fun to hear from our fellow Naschy fans and we learn some amazing things from this batch of emails. Keep'em coming to naschycast@gmail.com and let us know if you'd rather not have your words read out on the show. Thanks! 

NaschyCast #12 - PANIC BEATS (1983)

For episode #12 we lurch back into the 1980s for Naschy’s horrific variation on a couple of classic old stories. Of course, since it’s filtered through Spanish Horror the nastiness is severe, the relationships complicated and the violence bloody. With PANIC BEATS we see that Naschy’s love for classic stories ranges wider than just monster films or stereotypical horror fiction. His openness to different styles of imaginative tales is one of the things that made him so versatile a filmmaker able to make several different kinds of films. This movie shows him moving from the creature features of his 1970s period into a more a intricate form of thriller he may have hoped his career would gravitate toward as he aged. This, of course, was not to be, but this film shows that he had the capacity to craft such tales and it is disheartening that he rarely got the chance to make more with this kind of creative control.

In a nice change and for the first time Naschy plays a man called Paul, which allows Troy and I to talk about him as director, actor, writer and icon without flipping between different names and confusing each other. This episode is looser than our usual show. We range a little wider than normal and don’t stop ourselves from traveling down some tangential paths when they pop up. I had no idea I would include a mini-review of CANNIBAL TERROR in an episode of NaschyCast but Troy brought it up and I just had to unload. I suspect this might make things more fun but if not I’m sure listeners will let us know.

Employing his usual modus operandi the mighty Naschy beds multiple women and plays more than one role which gives his fans even more to love. As with so many of his scripts it’s the female characters that get the most to do. We see nearly every type of emotion from four actresses as they cope with medical problems, plot evil acts, grieve, bemoan their dire fates, demand what’s coming to them and suffer the consequences of their actions. From Naschy we see the evil that men do and the harsh retribution they that deserve and dish out. Strap on your armor- its gonna be a bloody knight! Drop us a line at naschycast@gmail.com to set us straight or defend your love of CANNIBAL TERROR. 

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 big house 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 and 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. You can also contact us at naschycast@gmail.com and subscribe through iTunes. Thanks! 

NaschyCast #10 - WEREWOLF SHADOW (1971)

After putting it off for months we finally take aim at one of Naschy’s best known and most beloved Waldemar Daninsky tales. Mostly seen in the US on television under its alternate title of THE WEREWOLF VS THE VAMPIRE WOMEN it’s a film near and dear to fans for its sexy bloodsuckers as well as its monster battle. It sports the usual mix of romantic angst, tragic fate, and gory throat ripping violence all whipped together into a heady, unique creature feature that could only have been produced in the swinging 70s. While far from perfect it has more than enough horror entertainment value to keep most anyone staring at the screen – often in amazement and sometimes in complete confusion. But as with most Naschy scripts the story does eventually make a sort of mad sense and this scary suspense tale finds multiple ways to satisfy its audience. 

This was the first time Naschy worked with director Leon Klimovsky and his skill makes WEREWOLF SHADOW a truly mesmerizing visual effort. He’s able to craft a fantastic dreamlike/nightmarish feel to many sequences that give the entire film a haunting quality. The cast is strong and the lovely ladies are very good but I’m really surprised old Waldemar only manages to sleep with one of them. It’s like he wasn’t even trying! The same can’t be said of his acting performance, though. Naschy is very good throughout with his ability to emote getting better and better as he learned his craft on the job. His earnest work here points toward the great work he would do over the course of the next few years. 

Among the astonishing things we learn in this episode is that there is more than one way to kill a vampire; that neck meat is the tastiest kind of meat; that mini-skirted women roam the French woodlands at all hours of the night; that full moons don’t necessarily come in threes and for some reason Satan fears werewolves. 

Please drop us a line at nashcycast@gmail.com and tell us how we're doing.