Wild, a bit trashy and very entertaining slasher horror where Jacinto
Molina/Paul Naschy contemplates his own career of
filmmaking as a film director, screenwriter and as an actor. A sort of
a Meta film where he alludes to himself and maybe shows
some bitterness towards the Spanish film industry and it's mainstream
critics, but maybe also with himself as the harshest judge
and dissing himself, his career. Or not, as Nachy also in this film gives
a homage to the classic monsters of Universal Pictures,
the Werewolf, Frankensteins monster, the hunchback of Notre Dame and Bluebeard
etc. Is everything he accomplished futile ?
I thought this film felt personal and angry (and maybe also a bit misogynist
as all the men are hateful loser bastards).
Naschy plays a very negative role as Hector Doriani, a failed theatre
actor and jealous of his dead brother Alex who was a
famous actor in horror movies and very popular with the masses if not
with the film critics. Hector lives in comfort in his country
mansion with his stepson Adrian (Sergio Molina, the son of Jacinto Molina)
and his butler Eric (Howard Vernon) and probably
the money comes from his dead brother. Hector slaps his stepson when he
catches him watching his father's films, and then
claims that everything his brother made was garbage, trash
and worth nothing, nada.
Hector uses his servant and driver Eric pick up women
(prostitutes) willing to sell themselves to Hector, and he acts like villains
from the theatre and cinema world, scares them and has sex with them.
He's actually not killing them, but someone else The
Slasher killer does instead when they are leaving the mansion or about
to leave.
Caroline Munro plays the maid and Hector lusts after her and offers her
jewels and money to have sex with him, but she refuses
and also the village priest (Fernando Hilbeck) lusts after her, and he
has payed a spy (Chris Huerta) to watch everything that goes
on in the Hector Doriani mansion.
The End of the movie was maybe too unhinged, but in all
a very recommended Naschy film. Not a dull moment (besides maybe
at the start) and it rocked with lots of gory murders and nudity and with
Paul Naschy in an unusual role as a sad sleazy loser.
One girl, the french tourist Bridget (Tamara Greys) actually has sex with
Hector without charging any money.
The film was nicely shot by frequent Paul Naschy collaborator cinematographer
Julio Burgos.
The film is presented in widescreen ratio (not stated
on sleeve) and with a spanish audio with english subtitles 2.0 mono
Extras: an audio commentary by Rod Barnett and Troy Guinn, Adrian Speaks
! Interview with Jacinto Molina's real life son
Sergio Molina (36 minutes, spanish with english subtitles, 2021) : he
was 12 years old when filming and he calls the film "Paul
Naschy's filmic testament" - Hector "Your Father Made Garbage
Films", a great and informative interview - Thanks Sergio !
Making of Featurette (27 minutes from an old VHS), Mondo Macabro trailers
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