This episode we are joined by Jon Kitley to talk about his love of and history with Paul Naschy! Readers of Horror Hound magazine are aware of his regular column ‘They Came from the Krypt’ but he has also published the book ‘Discover The Horror’ which is part genre exploration and part autobiography. Both Troy and I recommend it.   As you might expect from such a conversation, the three of us range all over the place touching on more topics than we could comfortably list. Suffice to say that we discuss horror conventions (where we all met), non-fiction horror genre books (which we all collect) and our shared fascination with movies and monstrous stories. Of course, we do finally get around to talking about Naschy with Jon falling squarely on my side of the critical Mummy divide! It is about time I had someone to stand with me on that hill!  HORROR RISES FROM THE TOMB was our guest’s introduction to the great man’s work and it becomes a big part of our chat. As a bonus, the l

Marc McCloud drops by the show to discuss Naschy’s tale of the Inquisition in France. Marc is the owner of Orbit DVD and a longtime friend of Troy and I, but this is the first time we’ve ever talked about our mutual love of the films of Paul Naschy. Our guest chose Naschy’s directorial debut as the topic and we were happy to oblige.   Religious hypocrisy is a big part of our conversation and this gets us into the thorny area of what to call the subset of exploitation films of which this is a part. We note the influence of the Catholic Church on the nature of the fears that undergird the horrors of the film and wonder about the connections to the Nunsploitation genre. The villains of the story come under scrutiny with an eye toward how they use their relative places of power to extract their desires from those around them. And we speak a little about the ways that women had to work to accomplish things in the society ruled by male religious leaders. Join us for what I w

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 d

Troy and I bring you a brief email episode to round out October. There are questions to address and opinions to discuss so check it out. We do take some occasional editorial privilege but are happy to pass along information about a subtitled DVD of THE TRANSEXUAL (1977) out there on the world wide web. Some talk of Monster Bash is on tap along with some news about upcoming episodes of Wild, Wild Podcast. And what is this we are told about a film in which Victor Israel plays the lead? This must be found! Also, a listener passes along information about a Laurel and Hardy podcast that has escaped our attention until now.  But luckily, we remain the rumbling tummy ache of podcasting!   If you want to add your voice to the show [email protected] is the place to send all missives. We look forward to your notes and thank you listening to the podcast. Oh – and Happy Halloween!

Troy and I once again welcome Bob Sargent to the Naschycast! This time we discuss one of our favorite Paul Naschy’s horror tales, THE HUNCHBACK OF THE MORGUE (1973). This film’s inspired madness is certainly worth talking about and we find some fresh areas to explore. The relative ease that Naschy’s poor hunchback Gotho has kidnapping women for the mad doctor’s experiments is a topic of some debate. Also, the fact that several characters have some knowledge of what is going on but they never compare notes well enough to raise the necessary alarm is something puzzled over. We notice that it doesn’t help that the local cops can’t seem to find a clue when it’s sitting right in front of them lying straight to their faces! Seriously – how suspicious does Orla have to be before you follow that nutcase around just to check up on things? Bob brings up some interesting questions that we’ve never examined before including the presence of some very odd decorations in a certain ap

Bob Sargent returns to the show to discuss a very early Paul Naschy screen appearance. Rescued from Spanish language-only 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 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

This short show is comprised of two segments of Troy and I reading several emails and answering questions sent to the podcast. Many topics are hashed over.   Originally this was to be an even briefer episode but I waited long enough that more emails came in allowing us to add extra responses. Never say that procrastination doesn’t sometimes have an upside!   If you have any comments, questions or ideas about the show [email protected] is the place to let us know. I think we’ll continue to handle new emails in this way as we go forward. Unless the listeners don’t like the shorter shows. We’ll see. Thanks for listening! 

The NaschyCast returns with a long episode to reward your patience.   Bob Sargent was the man behind the excellent 1990’s cult movie fanzine Videooze. His issue devoted to Paul Naschy was a major contributor to my early knowledge of the man’s filmography and allowed for fans to have a roadmap to his career. Mr. Sargent is a huge fan of Naschy and reached out recently to gab about our shared fascination with the great Spanish Horror icon. Of course, Troy and I couldn’t wait to get him in front of a Zoom mic and pick his brain about Euro-Horror in general and Naschy in specific. He was even kind enough to put together a list of his personal Top Ten favorite films by Senor Molina! This a is a lively conversation and it ranges over the decades and across a dozen different topics. You might even learn a little about how Videooze came about and who Mr. Sargent credits with pushing him into self-publishing.   If you have any comments or questions <a href='mailto

Troy and I (finally) return with a new episode! This time we dive back into the Franco pool of cool and look longingly at the luminous Soledad Miranda. SHE KILLED IN ECSTASY (1971) was the final collaboration between the young actress and Jess Franco before her untimely passing. While it is generally not considered their best film together it contains many scenes that display the brilliance that they could achieve. Soledad’s skills are on full display in her role as a vengeful wife extracting blood from the people who hounded her husband into suicide. As the story plays out, she runs the gamut of human emotions from deep concern and grief-stricken to seductively aloof and finally filled with violent rage. Her performance is mesmerizing and is carried out so well that she could have embodied her character without dialog and still communicated every nuance necessary to engage the viewer. She was a powerhouse screen presence and her loss is only more deeply felt when watching he

Post-apocalyptic stories don’t turn up in the Golden Age of Spanish Horror as frequently as I would like and until a listener asked us about REFUGE OF FEAR (1974) neither of us were aware of it being part of that sub-genre. Of course, once we learned about the cast, we immediately tracked down a copy and here we are!   Also known as CREATION OF THE DAMNED the film tells the story of a small group of survivors of a possible nuclear war. These five people live in a cramped underground complex while trying to wait out the effects of radiation on the world above. The teenage son of one couple is obsessed with trying to stay in contact with the outside by shortwave radio. He lives in the hope that his girlfriend is somehow still alive but is becoming less sure of that possibility while the pair of married couples are having problems of their own. The husbands are ex-military so are using their training to maintain order but as the film begins tensions are in evidence. One wife dr

The Naschycast returns to the films of Amando De Ossorio for a romp through the jungle! THE NIGHT OF THE SORCERERS (1974) a.k.a. The Night of the Witches follows a small group of researchers seeking to document the endangered species of a fictional country in Africa. They make camp near a (miniature) village and then learn from a native about the supernatural history of the area. Of course, we have been made aware of the odd rituals of ‘Bumbasa’ in a prologue showing the kidnapping, rape and beheading of a British lady in 1910 on an altar that seemingly transforms her into a leopard demon! Or, at least, a fanged disembodied head that can turn and snarl at the camera! It’s a wild ride.  Troy and I hack our way through the jungle foliage to get a good look at this strange little film. As he had done with his Blind Dead movies Ossorio is clearly trying to create a new monster of his own design. But the leopard demons offer some technical hurdles that the writer/direct

Re-upload of this episode! Originally released October, 2020.    Filmmaker Jaume Balagueró made the big time when he co-directed 2007’s REC but he is a much more accomplished than a found footage zombie film would imply. His feature film debut THE NAMELESS (1999) managed to both brilliantly adapt a Ramsey Campbell horror novel and find a smart way to darken the wrenching finale of the tale. Over the last twenty years he has become one of Spain’s hidden masters of taut thrillers and smart horror tales. The only complaint I have with his career is that I wish he had more completed films released but I continue to hope for more excellent cinema from him in the future.  SLEEP TIGHT (2011) is both a thriller and a character study of a deeply unhappy man named Cesar. As the concierge of a Barcelona apartment building, he presents a pleasant face to the upper middle-class residents but behind this mask he seethes with rage at their contented lives. Since he is incapa

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 strs 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 o

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 had pointed the way toward covering this movie – puzzled confusion. 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 career point that Naschy had come to by the mid-1980’s.

We begin our eleventh year of the show by having a Satanic discussion!   Author and podcaster Samm Deighan returns to dig into two specific Paul Naschy films. In both EXORCISM (1975) and INQUISITION (1977) Naschy plays a man of God working to help his flock overcome the influence of The Evil One. In one he is a paragon of virtue and in the other he is definitely not. Both films feature women placed in horrible positions by outside forces that seem to be Satanic in origin. But in each case the question of the how or even if these terrible things are happening is central to story. Are these people possessed by the Devil or is there a more human quality to the awful events depicted?  Samm, Troy and I engage in a freewheeling discussion of these movies jumping from topic to topic as one point leads to another. The conversation assumes that you are familiar with both films and spoilers are certainly in the air. Religion is the main part of our talk but we also look at th

As 2020 rolls on we continue to bring new voices onto the show! This time Troy and I sit down with the amazing Samm Deighan to talk about the joys of Spanish horror. Miss Deighan is an associate editor of Diabolique Magazine and co-host of the Daughters of Darkness Podcast. She is also the editor of Lost Girls: The Phantasmagorical Cinema of Jean Rollin and her book on Fritz Lang’s M (1931) is a must read for those interested in movie serial killers. We are very lucky to have her on the show!  While the main subject of this episode is the brilliant and underseen A BELL FROM HELL (1973) there is no way to be a guest on the Naschycast without talking a (long) while about the hirsute icon of the genre – Paul Naschy! That means that at some point chest hair is brought up and hairpieces are discussed. It cannot be avoided.  Samm comes with a list of her favorite Naschy films and manages to gives us a fresh perspective on a couple of them. The repressed Spanish society i

THE BLANCHEVILLE MONSTER (1963) is a gothic horror film set in 1884 which has a small cast of characters wandering around a huge castle-like home searching for different things. At times the castle search is for the origin of a strange nighttime noise (Is that a man moaning in pain?) or for a missing companion (Did they go down to the dungeons for some reason?). Sound familiar? But, in the end, everyone is searching for both romance and the answer to a family mystery. Well, usually that’s what happens in these types of movies. Actually, this film throws us several curveballs by, at first, having a haunting mystery at its center (“Oh, you silly dear. You didn’t really see what you clearly saw.”) and then tossing it out for a darker plot involving disfigurement, madness and murderous intent. It all revolves around family curses so at least that aspect of gothic tales is kept all the way through! Troy and I step carefully through this film’s dark corridors holding our candelabra

Westerns are not the most frequent category of cinema covered on this podcast. In fact, this episode marks only the third one in the ten years we’ve been doing this! That might be considered strange when you know just how many fine examples of the genre were made in Spain employing Spanish actors and technicians. Because of the low costs of production many westerns were shot in the Spanish countryside and on the standing sets built for countless Italian movies including some American productions. The cleverest of filmmakers found ways to make those places look fresh and interesting. Such is true of THE MAN CALLED NOON (1973). We discovered this film while digging into the credit listings of one of Paul Naschy’s most impressive female co-stars. The sight of Patty Shepard aiming a six-gun while dressed in an all black cowboy ensemble encouraged our curiosity and the online plot synopsis grabbed our attention. Based on a Louis L’amour novel? Directed by the guy who made THE ITAL

The year of new guests continues as the 10th anniversary year 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 Diabolique Magazine 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

With this episode we cross the one decade mark! Neither Troy or I thought we’d still be making this podcast ten years after we began, but here we are! We realized that, although our enthusiasm for Paul Naschy’s work has only grown, it was time to actively seek out more new voices to include on the show. So, our goal for 2020 is to speak to a host of people who have never been on the podcast to get their perspectives on his movies. A diversity of opinion is always food for thought and we think this will be the perfect way to start new discussions about the long legacy of Jacinto Molina. These are great days for Senor Naschy as more and more of his films are available on Blu-Ray bringing a whole new generation of fans to his mad world of monsters and horror. That means people are discovering El Hombre Lobo and his other creations every day so its time to kick open the doors and see what his influence is a full decade after his passing. This giant-sized episode includes f

The Naschycast returns for October! Barely. And we work diligently to NOT spoil this film for newcomers!  THE CORRUPTION OF CHRIS MILLER (1973) is one of the most overlooked and least talked about of the Spanish horror films of the 1970’s. In a way this is good because its rarity leaves its many secrets and revelations unknown to modern viewers. There’s a good debate to be had about how the film should be labeled. Is it a thriller or a horror film? Often the line between those two symbiotic genres can be teased apart but I think this film straddles the fence right up until the mid-point farmhouse set-piece. That is a sequence that is sure to impress even the most jaded of horror fans! Mark this film down as another precursor of the slasher genre.    We start off this show with some news and a sad goodbye to a good friend and contributor to the podcast. As stated, Troy and I do our best to not spoil the many third act disclosures that twist this amazingly well written t

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 are movies that 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 Bar

It’s not often we get the opportunity to meet any of the friends we’ve made over the course of making the Naschycast. When we do (and I have enough lead-time) I try to record these fellow fans’ thoughts on our favorite Spanish Horror star. Such is the case with this mini-episode interview with longtime fan of the show and major fan of Paul Naschy – Mike Tutino! Mike has been a generous contributor to the podcast over the years with several letters of comment and observation as we’ve gone along. It was a joy to finally meet him at this summer’s Monster Bash in Pittsburgh and he is more than willing to give us a list of his favorite Naschy movies. There are a few surprises in our discussion with some affection lavished on films that Troy and I have possibly given less attention than we should. Food for further thought……..  Also, we mention the details of the upcoming releases of the new Naschy Blu-Rays coming out this year but – when talking about the exciting release of THE MU

Leon Klimovsky directed dozens of films of all genres but will forever be remembered for his substantial contributions to Spanish Horror. In collaboration with Paul Naschy he made some of the most successful and effective monster movies to come out of Europe in the 1970's. The horror tales he made without Naschy are often overlooked with THE DRACULA SAGA (1973) being a perfect example. Graced with a literate, intelligent script and the music of Bach, Klimovsky brings all of his impressive skill to making a smart and, in the end, surprising take on classic vampire mythology. This one doesn't end the way you might think it will!    Troy and I are clearly thrilled to be back in the Golden Age of Spanish Horror again. We marvel over the very strong cast that includes an actor who played Dracula multiple times over the years but is rarely talked about when discussing screen vampires. Working with the director again is the always wonderful Helga Liné as the matriarch of the cursed fam

Our latest episode has us finally covering an under seen and not often spoken about horror classic. A BELL FROM HELL (1973) straddles the fence between the worlds of Art-House and Exploitation cinema taking elements from both to create an impressive fusion. It's easy to imagine this film playing to highbrow crowds seeking an intellectual vision of the fate of aristocratic families in rural Spain under the Franco regime. But it's even easier to think of it playing in grindhouse theaters for people looking for cheap horror thrills from a film about a well planned, well deserved revenge. Luckily, these dissimilar audiences get what they want here with enough intelligence and excitement for both types to feel satisfied with this darkly comic tale. It's a creepy tale of hate, greed and lust couched in clearly symbolic terms to make comment on life under a repressive government. It'll keep you guessing right up until the end credits!   Troy and I try not to spoil too much of

The Naschycast returns with our ninth anniversary episode! We dive back into the films of beloved Spanish filmmaker Jess Franco with THE DIABOLICAL DR. Z (1966). This is one of the director's final black & white movies and is considered by many to be his most accomplished work. I'm not sure where I would rank it on Franco's long list of credits but it is certainly a fantastic and beautiful horror film that features several amazing performances. It also has one of the best revenge seeking female mad scientist characters in cinema history. The lovely and deadly Doctor Zimmer is not someone you want to antagonize! Especially not when she can bend to her will the incredible nightclub dancer Nadia (a.k.a. Miss Death) whose long fingernails are laced with poison! And did I mention the murderous, mind-controlled escaped convict willing to strangle anyone blocking the destructive path of this mad woman? Strap in or, more likely, be held down by scary robotic arms for this amazing film!

In general, our shows focus on the Golden Age period of Spanish horror but the genre continues to flourish in Spain. Throughout the 90's and on up to today there have been some extraordinary horror movies produced in Naschy's home country including some efforts that were actually copied/remade here in the States. One of those genre films that we've been planning to view for a few years now finally gets our attention in this episode. You would think that a Spanish made werewolf film would be a natural given the Waldemar Daninsky series being such an iconic pert of horror cinema history. But the number of 21st century lycanthrope tales produced there - or, in Europe actually - can be counted on one hand. Luckily LOBOS DE ARGA (2012) found its way through the hell of modern film financing to the big screen. It must have been a hard sell because not only is it a werewolf story but it's also one of the most difficult genre combinations to attempt - a horror/comedy! That doesn't us

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 Olin 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 Zuzelco! 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 br

While most films made in Spain during The Golden Age of Spanish Horror could be seen as comments about the repressive fascist government of that countrY, few films so blatantly addressed the clash of conservative ideas with modernity as A CANDLE FOR THE DEVIL. Set in a small country town outside of Madrid, the film casts two middle aged spinsters as hypocritical defenders of the old ways. These sisters make their living running an inn that seems to mostly attract young, sexually liberated women. When an accidental death is interpreted to have been divinely intended, the ladies dispose of the body and pretend nothing happened. Their rationalization is that if God wishes them punished, it is his will. But crime often has unexpected consequences so soon the duo's lies are piling up as well as more young corpses. Is there any horrible act for which these two deluded women can't find a religious justification? Time and the symbolic secrets in the cellar will eventually tell all.      </p

I thought it might be fun to make a list of favorite non-Naschy Spanish Horror films and also get Troy to make one of his own so we could argue the various qualities of the films we love. Then I realized how much fun it might be to get others to play along! So, Cort Psyops joins us again this time out to indulge in one of fandom's great games - the making and comparing of lists of favorites! No conversation about shared passions can go on for too long before people are arguing their favorites and explaining the reasons for rating one beloved thing over another. It is in these discussions that fans come to know each other. The communal exploration of Spanish Horror is something that we've tried to foster with the Naschycast and shows like this might be one of the best ways to bring more people to the party. I know we had a blast trying to name our three favorite of this very thin slice of the genre! Of course, only one of us was able stick the limit of three so the conversatio

Sorry for the break! We're back with a Mini-Episode - we'll not call it a .5 episode, I guess. This time out we bring a new voice to the show. Author Troy Howarth has just published a new book about Jacinto Molina entitled Human Beasts: The Films of Paul Naschy. He debuted this look at the career of our favorite Hombre Lobo at this year's Monster Bash in Pittsburgh, PA. I took the opportunity to sit down and ask Mr. Howarth about the book, his first encounter with these films and even his three favorite Naschy movies. We even make time to badmouth cover artist Mark Maddox just because we can!   So check out this brief conversation focused on a few aspects of Naschy's career and then pick up a copy of Troy's book and let us know what you think. With a little luck this will be the start of a wave of books published on the subject to match the flood of Blu-Rays we've been seeing lately. I could do with an entire shelf in my house dedicated to just this field of study! The

This month marks the 8th anniversary of the Naschycast! To celebrate we tackle a Paul Naschy film that neither of us have ever seen before. Many things have made SECQUESTRO a difficult film to view, not the least of which is that there has never been an English language version available. Luckily, just a few months ago, some clever, talented people translated the Spanish dialog and created subtitles for fans curious to see this hard to find mid-70's effort. So - is it any good? Listen in! We go through the entire film. This turns out to be one of Naschy's many crime films, very much in the vein of HUMAN BEASTS, DEATH OF A PRESIDENT or THE SNIPER but, this time, focused on non-professional criminals. The story is a combination of the 'ripped-from-the-headlines' idea about a kidnapping for profit and Naschy's go-to vision of himself as a cursed man trying to just survive in a world in which circumstances are always against him. The film reunites him with director Leon Klimovsky

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 a

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 n

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

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!

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

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

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 [email protected] and let us know if you'd rather not have your words read out on the show. Thanks! 

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, w

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.

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 a

It’s an October surprise you can be happy about! Troy and I return briefly to let you in on some Naschy news and to expand on our ideas about COUNT DRACULA’S GREAT LOVE. That’s right! You only thought we’d talked enough about that film but after we recorded episode 8 new information came to light that clarifies some of the problems of its production. Its fascinating stuff and we’ve added a couple of other good things to make this .5 show a fun listen. We can be reached for comment at [email protected] and the first five minutes of the forthcoming documentary called THE MAN WHO SAW FRANKENSTEIN CRY can be seen around the web. 

As HOWL OF THE DEVIL is a hard to find title we’ve decided to be as careful as we could in our discussion so others can discover the many surprises it holds. This is a film with a lot to say even if sometimes what it says might not be pleasant or kind. Adding to the discussion we have a surprise guest! A spoiler free Naschycast? How is that even possible? Well…...it’s complicated. October brings podcast number nine (number nine) focusing on our first 80s film from Mr. Molina. Described by Nashcy as “a howl of anguish, a painful catharsis which finally liberated me from long repressed phobias and obsessions” HOWL OF THE DEVIL is a harsh stab of cinema violence directed at his critics and his own alleged failings and comes on like the meanest version of horror that he could muster. A fascinating film, full blooded in its depiction of human cruelty it serves as a fascinating look back at Naschy’s career up to that point and a dark goodbye to that fertile period as well. An essential fi

Proving that there are no obstacles that we won’t overcome to bring you Naschy film discussion here is number Ocho. One of the most talked about of his non-Daninsky films COUNT DRACULA’S GREAT LOVE is an amazing mix of the clunky and the sublime. In a way, this film is a succinct summation of all that is usually praised in a Naschy film and all that is usually criticized. A mangled mess of a story with elements that don’t come together it still shines as an atmospheric horror piece with some truly brilliant moments that often distract you from a script that seems to be running in two directions at once. This film might be the perfect Rorschach test for fans- What do you remember from the film when it’s over?  We discuss vampire tears, non-existent sequels, the variable speed of vampirism, mad voice-overs, active vs. passive film viewing and the relative merits of a script with too many contributors.  You will find the sound quite variable as I had to cull the entire show from

Here’s an unexpected surprise! Let’s call this the first ‘extra’ show for the NaschyCast with no promises that we’ll do this kind of thing often. We decided to record this brief episode to answer a few questions, ask for listener input on a few topics and tell everyone about a friend of the show’s new Spanish horror internet radio program. But the biggest reason for this bonus bit of audio babble is to let everyone know that the uncut version of NIGHT OF THE HOWLING BEAST is out there! It may be available only on the bootleg market but, as we relate, it contains far more than you might have guessed. We were just thrilled to be able to see it. Listen closely and you’ll hear Troy’s cat Flex enter the room and make his presence known.  Drop us a line at [email protected] to let us know what you think. 

This time out we venture back to the 16th century for a dose of religious persecution during one of history’s nastier periods of paranoia. Who’s a witch, there’s a witch, everywhere a witch witch!  Taking his place in the director’s chair for the first time Paul Naschy serves up a harsh look at human nature by way of fear, torture and hatred. Putting his well researched stamp on a sub-genre made financially viable by Vincent Price in WITCHFINDER GENERAL and made gorily disturbing by THE MARK OF THE DEVIL this film serves up a complex look at what might drive someone to embrace darkness. Based on an actual historical event, Naschy spends a lot of time getting the details right and this realism pays off.  The film boasts an excellent cast able to bring both the over the top elements and the more subtle shades of character to play. INQUISITION is one of the most authentic looking of Naschy's films and the script shows that when working without the usual supernatural elements his

It's that time once again my friends, so gather around! The moon is rising and so is our favorite hairy beast. This time out Naschy indulges his love for the Monster Mash and combines two unlikely members of the classic horror gallery for a romp through swinging London. Knowing that putting these two together requires some work Naschy first takes us to the rural villages of the Carpathian Mountains for a gothic tinged introduction to our old friend Waldemar Daninksy before his trip to England in search of a cure for his unfortunate problem. The grandson of the infamous Dr. Jekyll agrees to try an unorthodox (and completely nutty) method of dealing with lycanthropy, but, as is usual in a Paul Naschy script, things don’t go quite as well as our poor cursed man might hope.  This was the sixth Waldemar Daninsky adventure and it’s a good one. Once again rebooting the character from scratch we have the tortured soul hoping for deliverance from a hellish life and given some small measur

First a disclaimer: I regret that the audio on this episode is not as good as it could be. This podcast has been an ongoing learning lab for me in how to record the two of us with some form of sound quality. I finally got pretty happy with the way the show sounds with episode #4 but then, as we sat down to record this one I promptly forgot one simple lesson of microphone operation. Because of that Troy often sounds as if he’s in a pit or roughly a mile away from me. For this I apologize and you can rest assured the people responsible have been sacked. And I promise it won’t happen again. The good news is that Troy did a little audio tweaking to improve some of the worst spots so hopefully it won’t be too bad. Let us know if we suck. [email protected] For the fifth show we decided to step outside the horror genre and for our deviation from the norm we paid a heavy price. CRIMSON is not a good film. It is at best a passable time wast

In the 4th episode of NaschyCast we unravel THE VENGEANCE OF THE MUMMY a.k.a. THE MUMMY'S REVENGE. Occasionally slow but packed with Egyptian lore and mystery this film is one of my favorite mummy movies and Troy (despite a lack of mummy movie love) actually feels the same way. Of course, calling it the second best mummy movie of all time is like claiming to be the leper with the most fingers but it’s still one Hell of a fun movie. Bloody, sexy and filled with murder set pieces that rival what was being done in gore films of the same vintage it’s a fun, furious ride with a few surprises along the way. Crushed heads for everyone! Back from HORROR RISES FROM THE TOMB is director Carlos Aured, lovely co-star Helga Line and Naschy his own bad self is again playing two separate roles. Hey! When you can play both the villain and his main henchman why not do it? I wonder if he got two paychecks? Anyway- this is a great Naschy horror film and we have a lot of fun with it so enjoy!

In the third episode of NaschyCast Troy and  I delve into the 8th Waldemar Daninsky werewolf film NIGHT OF THE HOWLING BEAST. Afflicted with at least a half dozen alternate titles the film is a fun adventure film crossed with Naschy’s usual lycanthropic madness and some unexpectedly acrobatic fight scenes. The movie has more than a few surprises including disproving one of my earlier statements about Mr. Molina’s tendency to write only two types of female characters. Also note that with this episode we add sound clips from the movie for your entertainment and edification. Some of the lines in this one are just too good to miss.

Troy and I are proud to present the second episode of The NaschyCast! This time we run through HORROR RISES FROM THE TOMB and discover even more madness than we had thought might be there. How did we manage to link THE EXORCIST, NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD and DIRTY HARRY to this film? Were we able to pronounce the actor’s names any better this time out? Did we get distracted by the copious nudity on display? How much does religion play a part in the symbolism used in the film? Were we able to make sense out of the jumble of crazed ideas tossed around in this Euro-horror classic? All of these questions and more will be answered (or at least mentioned and picked at) in this show! Truly, HORROR RISES FROM THE TOMB is one of the most enjoyable of Paul Naschy’s movies and was part of an amazing string of entertaining pictures that showed him and his collaborators working at the top of their game. In the end I have to agree with Troy that this may be one of the best to introduce newcome

I've been a big fan of the films of Paul Naschy for about 20 years. I read about him and his work for years before I finally got to see any of it but, unlike many things longed for or anticipated, these movies were well worth seeking out and rewarded the attention paid to them. For the last few years my friend Troy and I have gotten together a few times a year for Naschy Nights during which we check out a couple of these cinematic efforts and, afterward, discuss them. With the recent passing of the great man we’ve decided to make a record of these little talks and let anyone who might be interested listen in as we ramble on. We’ll present these as audio PodCasts in MP3 format downloadable from right here. Our plan is to focus on a single film once a month and discuss it from stem to stern hopefully bringing some more attention to these often overlooked and still (in some cases) hard to find horror classics. With any luck we’ll be able to stick to our proposed schedule and in one yea

After a Summer hiatus The Naschycast is back with a new episode! This time out we have invited fellow podcaster and author Nic Brown to stop by for a discussion of a couple of Paul Naschy's finest werewolf movies - THE MARK OF THE WOLF MAN (1968) and DR. JEKYLL AND THE WEREWOLF (1972). Nic is one of the co-hosts of the legendary B-Movie Cast and, although they have occasionally covered wolfman films over there, this is the first time he has been able to dig into a Waldemar Daninsky double feature. Of course, the fact that Nic has famously written a couple of novels centered on a lycanthrope (The Werewolf For Hire series) just adds to the fun and explains why we wanted him to talk about our favorite Spanish Hombre Lobo. Needless to say, he finds the Naschy version of werewolfery to be very different from the cinematic standard we all know and love. Although the three of us do occasionally get off topic we do dig into things pretty well. We discuss Nic's favorite werewolf films; dig i

With this episode of the show we open things up in a new way! Although Troy and I have had the occasional guest on the NaschyCast they have been rare occurrences. Generally this was because we wanted to keep the show as focused on the films of Paul Naschy as we could. We felt that we should deviate as little as possible from covering the movies in depth so keeping the visits infrequent allowed us to drill down and (most importantly) stay on task. Longtime listeners will know that it doesn't take much to get us sidetracked and having someone else present would make the show a meandering monster! So, with this episode we take the Naschycast into new territory and talk to Cort Psyops for about two hours about his love of Naschy. We quiz him on his first exposure to the Spanish Horror icon, learn what his favorite Naschy films are and dig into the various werewolf movies in search of the best and worst. Cort describes his discovery of this strange strain of Euro-Horror and, in the proce

Jess Franco's long list of credits is a nearly never ending fountain of delirious delights. Even for a dedicated fan there always seems to be a new experience just around the corner waiting to be discovered. And if those new experiences are sometimes strongly reminiscent of other Franco work, that is just part of the fun. Finding common themes, similar characters and shared motivations are part of the fascination of a Franco film with each element something to be studied and contemplated like a well cut gemstone. What is 'Irina' up to in this story? Is there a Dr. Orloff lurking behind an almost closed door, listening to secrets and making plans? Is the lovely Lorna helpful or harmful in this incarnation? Is that look from the mysterious stranger one of love, lust or disgust? Only time and Uncle Jess will tell. If we're lucky! After far too long a break Troy and I slip back into our comfortable contemplative clothing and check out a bright, colorful descent into sex, murder and emot

Writer/director Narciso Ibáñez Serrador only made two feature films and in this episode we cover the first. THE HOUSE THAT SCREAMED is a carefully paced tale of sexual repression and murder in an all girls school and if that makes you think of a much more famous European genre film from a few years later you might be onto something. As we go through this film we point out some of the movies that seem to have been influenced by THE HOUSE THE SCREAMED as well as a couple of movies that might have served as influences for this under known classic. Set in France in the late 19th century it shows a depth of period detail both in the house itself and in the authoritarian culture it is commenting upon. Often seen as a proto-slasher, the film was known as LA RESIDENCIA in it's home country and under some truly bizarre titles in other places around the world. The film is elevated by a talented cast lead by the legendary Lilli Palmer as the strict headmistress in charge of a few dozen 'troubl

In 1968 westerns were being churned out by the dozens in Europe. The huge success of Sergio Leone's Dollar films had stoked a fire for the genre that had been little more than cooling embers. When those Clint Eastwood star making movies helped turn a samurai film into Italian gold every European producer with access to horses saw a fortune in them thar oats. Just sign up an American (or Canadian) star (or two, if cheap enough), build some clapboard shacks, strap on six-guns and ride, baby! Enter William Shatner. On a break from shooting Star Trek he travels to Spain to make WHITE COMANCHE and, from his own accounts, is miserable the entire time. But did great art come from his suffering? We shall see! Of course, the reason we are covering this odd Euro-Western is because it is a Spanish production and it stars several actors we have seen before in the films of Paul Naschy. The lovely Rosanna Yanni, the saucy Perla Cristal, the deadly Victor Israel as well as the amazing Barta Barri

In this episode we do 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 Pa

This episode of Beyond Naschy has us coloring outside the lines in a couple of different ways. We are covering a Mexican wrestling film starring the magnificent El Santo which puts us well outside of our usual area of expertise. So, to add some well needed context and background, we called up our buddy Juan from the Creepy Swamps to help us understand the world of Santo and his amazing career. If you have ever listened to the excellent B-Moviecast show you will be aware of Juan and his deep knowledge of cinema. His lifelong fascination with horror and science fiction movies has made him a great resource for information on classic (and not so classic) b-flicks and we are thrilled he agreed to join us for this discussion. We talk about SANTO VS DOCTOR DEATH as well as El Santo comic books and I even get him to list his favorite movies from the great masked wrestler's career. Then. of course, Troy and I put the film under the microscope and marvel at its high quality. Filmed mostly in

This year marks the 40th anniversary of one of the best Spanish Horror films of the 1970's but it's one that gets less attention than it deserves. There are several reasons that WHO CAN KILL A CHILD is less well known than other genre movies of the period - there is no overt supernatural element, there is no monster in the traditional sense and the story is unnerving no matter how you choose to view it. Director Narciso Ibáñez Serrador is best known for his two feature films but has had a much more prolific career as a creator and director for television. Interestingly, his theatrical films are considered two of the best and most influential of the Spanish Horror boom leaving fans to lament that he never made more features. I guess we just have to be glad he made the classics we have instead of wishing for more. Beautifully shot, well acted, smartly paced and very tense WHO CAN KILL A CHILD brings much to the table for discussion. Besides the obvious central question of an adult's r

This month we bring you a special episode of the show. If you've listened to many of our shows you will have heard us mention the magazine Video Watchdog in reference to something or some movie. Both Troy and I have been readers of the 'Perfectionist's Guide to Fantastic Video' for decades now and each issue brings new delights. The depth and breadth of the coverage in the pages of this digest sized joy is incredible. Several years ago we met duo behind the magazine and became great friends with them resulting in many fun evenings of movie (and music) discussion that often saw the sun rise before we called things to a halt. Call them publishers, editors, writers, film historians or just great folks Tim and Donna Lucas are two of the nicest people in the world and we're proud to bring you a chance to sit in on a conversation with each of them. First up, Donna takes the opportunity to explain the details of Video Watchdog's move to the digital world. Luckily this does not mean the end

Amando de Ossorio is the man best known for his quartet of Blind Dead films but he made quite a few other worthy movies as well. This horror fantasy combines a couple of European myths with elements from Stoker's Dracula story to create a creepy and unique monster tale. And, being a man with an eye for beauty, Ossorio populates his scary movie with about a dozen completely gorgeous ladies and the supremely hunky Tony Kendal to keep everyone distracted. Of course, any film featuring the amazing Helga Liné has my attention from the beginning!  THE LORELEY'S GRASP also features some surprisingly gory violence with no regard for keeping the carnage confined to the bikini clad young ladies. In fact, the victim choice seems to be entirely unpredictable adding to the shock value of the monster's various stalking scenes. This film's nasty reptilian beast is not just after female hearts to eat - even bearded hippies are on the menu! Since this is our fi

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, w

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 #

You don't need to go to Texas to have a chainsaw massacre! Finally bowing to listener pressure Troy and I are covering our first Juan Piquer Simón movie. To say that PIECES (1982) is a unique film is to undersell it's many odd qualities and the strange pleasures that can be derived from this incredible horror effort. Simón is infamous for directing several terrible movies in the 1980's that are usually hidden behind his Anglicized pseudonym J. P. Simon. Besides this film he is responsible for the movie at the heart of the classic Mystery Science Theater 3000 episode 'Pod People' as well as SLUGS (1988). Simon's films often got distribution outside of Spain because of his insistence on filming in English knowing that America was the biggest market for genre pictures - don't ever sell the man short when it comes to business! Simon's original title for his script was 'Mil gritos tiene la noche' which translates to 'A Thousand Screams in the Night' and while that might be an interesting

Episode 53 puts us back in 2004 to discuss a film that features Naschy in a small but impressive role as - wait for it - the bad guy! ROTTWEILER is an English language film made in Spain by American director Brian Yuzna during his short lived Fantastic Factory production company's existence. We start the conversation talking about the various film directed by Yuzna and segue into the other movies made by Fantastic Factory. There are some good films and some bad films on that list! ROTTWEILER was based on a novel by Spanish author Alberto Vázquez Figueroa also wrote the script. In cases like this I love to read the source work but I haven't been able to locate an English translation so if anyone out there has any information on such a thing please let me know at [email protected]. I'm very curious about the novel's structure in comparison to the film and how close the story stay to the book. As usual Troy and I stray from our assigned path a few times to talk about other possibly

The NaschyCast returns with a French produced gem from the 1970's. Paul Naschy's role in this action adventure is pretty small but the film is well worth seeing for the rest of the cat and the fun story. DOCTOR JUSTICE is based on a series of French comic books that were very popular at the time. Dr. Benjamin Justice is an humanitarian doctor and works for the WHO (World Health Organization) tackling medical problems all over the globe. He is an expert of judo (6th dan), ju-jitsu and karaté. In the film he is played by John Phillip Law as an incredibly optimistic force for all that is right and good (justice, no?) with a will to put every bit of his abilities in the service of bringing criminals to heel. In this case the (very) good Doctor is up against some very clever oil thieves who have found a way to highjack an entire tanker of the black gold while the ship is still in transit - and without the crew even knowing the oil is gone! These criminals are lead by Gert Fröbe who will

Major spoiler warning! We talk about the entire film this time out, all the way through to the ending image - I just had to! And man - this episode sprawled out of control! With great joy, Troy and I cover the Spanish Horror gem THE VAMPIRES' NIGHT ORGY but the verbal side trips stretch the show to a length I am slightly sheepish to see. But maybe the long running time is a good thing? Maybe providing a nearly three hour long podcast is appreciated! I hope. At any rate, we start out talking about a couple of recent horror films (IT FOLLOWS, THE LAZARUS EFFECT) and in an amusing (and accidental) way this discussion informs our analysis of the film we focus on here you never know what connection exist, huh? The is the eighth Leon Klimovsky feature film we have covered which puts him at the top of the list of directors we have examined. This gives us a chance to talk about the very good qualities he brings to the table as well as the less than admirable choices that seem to consistentl

After a couple of non - Paul Naschy months we come back with a posthumous Naschy film released just last year. Although this may be the Naschy movie with the least amount of Naschy in it, we are thrilled that the legacy of his career is still inspiring young Spanish filmmakers. WAX is a variation on the old 'wax museum' classics of old with a heaping helping of modern sensibilities thrown in for good measure as a young television journalist is locked in a supposedly haunted building for the night. He films his experiences and we also witness the night's events through the museum's security cameras. The biggest draw for fans of Euro-Cult films of the Golden Era of the 1960's and 70's is the star turn by Jack Taylor. Taylor is an amazing actor who has worked with nearly all the big names of that period from Franco, Naschy, de Ossorio, Larraz and even Simon in the incredible PIECES (1982). There are lots of knowing nods to Spanish Horror of the past and Naschy's career gets singled out

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 inta

With this episode we reach a true milestone -we have now covered fifty of Paul Naschy's films over the past five years! It hasn't been easy and it hasn't been perfect but we are proud of this accomplishment and we hope everyone sticks around for year six. When we started this show we knew this film would mark the end of an era as it is the best of the movies Naschy made in the new millennium. It is a well made, slick and sharp horror film that brings all of his genre story obsessions to the 21st century brilliantly. One of the most interesting elements of the film is how closely its details mirror its lead actor's life and career. Naschy stars as the aging out-of-work actor named Pablo Thevenet an who endures humiliating casting sessions and the disrespect and insults of young directors and producers. Nearly broke and completely desperate he agrees to accept an offer to be a doorman-entertainer for the upscale Pandora Club run by the bizarre and very wealthy Mr. Reficul. But from th

It's December and its time for a new NaschyCast! For years we've thought it would be interesting to have a Christmas themed show for this month. Sadly, we've never been able to arrange it but this Holiday season has us finally deliver such an episode and it's an accident! That's right- Mi Amigo el Vagabundo turns out to be a kind of Christmas film. Yes! Synchronicity exists. Or at least blind luck. Anyway, we talk about this soft-hearted family drama written and directed by Paul Naschy and starring excellent Spanish actor José Luis López Vázquez, Julia Saly and Naschy's son Sergio Molina as the 7 (or 8) year old object of this movie's story. Naschy had a good bit to say about this film in his autobiography and, as an added bonus, I talked with Sergio about his work in this one as well. So, sit back and be prepared for a strangely cuddly Naschy film experience - Well- there is a kidnapping so its only cuddly up to a point. The mailbag is full to bursting this month so we talk about l

It's October again and time for us to cover a horror film with Spanish connections. This time we tackle one of the best zombie films of all time - that's right - I said it! LIVING DEAD AT MANCHESTER MORGUE was conceived as a way to cash in on the popularity of NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD but it goes in its own direction to great effect. Indeed, it is such a creative and intriguing variation on the cannibalistic walking dead that both Troy and I mark it as a favorite of the subgenre. It plays with lots of ideas that can tickle the intellect but never skimps on the atmosphere or scares. One of the themes of the movie seems to be man's breach of trust in our dealings with nature with the film wasting no time showing us images of our ecological crimes to drive this thought home. As George leaves London director Jorge Grau focuses his camera on car tailpipes, smoke stacks, piles of garbage and venting sewer grates forcing us to look at our daily polluting of the earth. These things are not

Sometimes it’s the Principal of Moments that rules the day. This episode marks the first Docu-Drama we’ve covered and since I can’t imagine a reason we’d ever cover another one it is also probably the last. I mean, do we need to cover ALL THE PRESIDENT’S MEN or SWORD OF GIDEON? Then again – what other podcast is covering those movies? That's food for thought. Anyway! Back on point! This time we cover a crime film that plays as close to a documentary as the filmmakers could get. COMANDO TXIKIA relates the year long story of the ETA terrorist team that carried out the 1973 assassination of Spain’s president Luis Carrero Blanco. The film strives to stick rigorously close to the known facts and presents its tale with interesting detail. Perhaps too much detail at times? Well- we will discuss that. This was Naschy’s third collaboration with the film’s director and we get another good performance from actor Tony Isbert who we praised in CROSS OF THE DEVIL last month. The lovely Julia Saly

CROSS OF THE DEVIL is one of the more controversial entries in Paul Naschy's credits. He has co-writing credit but has no onscreen role or any other behind the scenes position either. As we talk about this interesting Spanish gothic we detail the he said/she said aspect of how, at the height of his popularity and box office appeal, Naschy ended up on the outside of this project looking in - and throwing stones! Director John Gilling has a history of making fine horror films for Hammer and other British studios but this was to be his only Spanish production and the behind the scenes shenanigans might have been the reason why. This was a dream project for Naschy as he desired to make a film from some of the stories of Spanish poet and writer Gustavo Adolfo B

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