Customer Reviews

The Werewolf Versus Vampire Women [VHS]

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

For those of you who were disappointed with the awful full screen transfer and print available on the Madacy cheapie DVD THE WEREWOLF vs THE VAMPIRE WOMAN, guess what? Anchor Bay has restored this film in widescreen with one of its alternate release titles as WEREWOLF SHADOW! I was elated to FINALLY have a prisitne and UNCUT copy of this film on DVD! Anchor Bay answered my prayers. It is presented for the first time uncut and in sparkling anamorphic widescreen. In fact, if you were unfortunate to own the chopped up and poorly presented verions on Madacy, this will be like watching an entirely new movie! Once again Anchor Bay has delivered the goods to horror fans. The DVD contains the complete film (with the originally cut portions restored with the original subtitles), trailers, TV spots, and a 15 minute interview with star Paul Naschy, who probably goes on record as one of the sexiest Werewolf stars commited to film. WEREWOLF SHADOW was second in a series of very successful werewolf genre pictures to come out of Spain in the late 60s and early 70s. Much of the film's success lies in the performance of Paul Naschy, who portrays the character of Waldemar Daninsky with a tragic irony perhaps unseen in previous werewolf pictures. Naschy is believable as the tortured Daninsky, who is the product of a family curse, centuries in place. The film very much resembles the looks and feel of a Hammer picture, without the budget. The reds are GLOWING red and the blacks are DEEP and eerie. This is also a terrific bargain on DVD. Highly recommended for fans of this genre.

Its good to see the Naschy movies being released here in the states (although at a slow pace). This one was long over due as the butchered version known as Werewolf Vs. The Vampire Woman is such a bad print its hardly worth watching. The DVD treatment of Werewolf Shadow is quite good in its uncut/unedited wide screen glory. While these movies are not for everyone there is a following for them. If you are a Naschy fan you will enjoy this one even though Curse Of The Devil is a bit better in my estimation. A werewolf,vampires and nude cuties. Whats not to love?

In the interview that comes on the DVD, Paul Naschy says that Frankenstein Meets the Wolfman was the movie that made him a horror buff. You can see that inspiration in Werewolf Shadow - right down to recreating the opening sequence. In fact, despite the gore and nudity that punctuates the plot, this film is a lot like those old Universal Horror movies of the forties. Despite some boring stretches (particularly in the restored sequences) and some trite dialogue, the film moves along at a brisk pace and contains some impressive (if not scarey) images - such as the Countess, all dressed in flowing black, fleeing back to her tomb, her mummified undead assistant attacking the heroine in the ruined castle, and a recently vamped girl appearing in a corridor all aswirl with mist. The final fight between the werewolf and the vampire Countess is a bit of a let down, but up til then things haven't been too bad at all.

Paul Naschy has put his heart and soul and imagination into horror movies for decades. Werewolf Shadow is a fine example of what the man is all about. Fun? You bet. Creepy and weird? You got it. Cheesy? Sure is. Passionate? Yep it's that too. Naschy gives another passionate performance here and the tragic and romantic elements of his character make this something special. The quality of the print is damn nice too. The special features help to make this even more of a winner for fans of B-movie horror.

This movie is so far gone, it's not from this planet. A werewolf gets revived at the beginning, he drools like a St. Bernard with rabies, rips pieces of raw meat from his victims, add to that plenty of nudity, blood, a vampire woman, violence, and a cheap production, and dubbed in English-this is one wild movie, and lots of fun.

Elvira and Genevieve are two young luscious women who travel to Hungary to investigate the murders of a medieval "Countess Wendessa" for their thesis, said to be a vampire and "Satan's favorite Mistress", and I can see why - dressed in a black veil and dress with horned hennen and widow's peak, somewhat reminiscent of Mellificent. The legend is obviously based upon the factual Countess Elizabeth Bathory, with some diabolical blood rites thrown in for good measure. During a flashback, a peasant girl is lain upon a stone "altar" / sepulchre, as the Countess partakes from a horn goblet she grasps from a robed figure, probably a portrayal of Bathory's henchman 'Thorko' {her 'Renfield', as it were}. A rendition of The Sabbatic Baphomet is actually displayed upon the wall grasping a pitchfork, and a pentagram is also prominently seen. Here, the cinematic 'devil cults' are linked to vampires who give The Devil His due, as "Damned souls who walk the earth, preying upon the blood of humans".

The girls arrive at the abandoned Wendessa castle where they are met by Waldemar Daninsky, a writer working on his next book, who holds his own secrets - it just so happens that he is a werewolf, thus 'accidentally' awakened from his deathly slumber when a silver bullet is removed from the carcass by two curious disbelieving coroners, who become his first victims. He struggles with his condition by isolating himself, even being chained down in the castle dungeon at one point. Asked to stay for a few nights, He and Elvira eventually fall in lust, where she and Genevieve also meet his mentally-disturbed sister who skulks about in the shadows, at one point partially-disrobing and strangling Elvira.

They eventually hike out to the Countess' tomb where almost predictably, during the exhumation, one of them cuts herself, whose blood falls upon the corpse, and thus, Wendessa lives again! Hunting with another lovely vampiress cohort, and just in time for Walpurgisnacht, with slow-motion movements accompanied by eerie musick, her veils blown by phantom winds, she returns to her "ritual crypt" to summon her Lord Satan to rule the world together. Another memorable scene includes the two of them partaking of a goblet filled with Elvira's blood, which was interestingly drawn with a ritual 'sacrificial' blade, instead of directly from the neck - once satisfied, they happily dance in the moonlight hand in hand.

Also encountered was the Contessa's henchman, now a zombie resembling a Templar from Tombs of The Blind Dead, run through with a cross. Elvira is also desired by a local peasant who is eventually torn apart by Daninsky. When Elvira's paramour arrives from the states, he is chained in the crypt, destined to be food for the immortals. Everyone seems to want Elvira! Finally, Vampire Wendessa meets Werewolf Daninsky...

This film exudes a pleasantly eerie atmosphere throughout, with some delightful nudity alluding to Le Fanu's Carmilla novel, during one vamperotic scene combined with feeding upon the nubile Elvira. The Werewolf Vs. Vampire Woman was released in Year V in Spain, dubbed in English for American audiences the following year. Similar to Hammer presentations, but with a uniquely haunting ambiance combined with alluring sexuality.

Werewolf Shadow (A.K.A: The Werewolf v.s. Vampire Woman) is another true classic of Paul Naschy. Decent story line, decent acting and again with the crazy werewolf of Paul Naschy this movie is very good for any horror fan. Again, if you like cheese in your horror, this one is a keeper. Recommended!

Just a disclaimer...the version I viewed, from the Mill Creek Drive In Classics package, is the cut 82 minute version...here we go...

Paul Naschy stars as tormented lycanthrope Waldamer, who lives in a cottage in the French countryside. Seems the only thing that can give ol Waldy the death he desires is a silver cross used centuries before to vanquish a devil-worshipping vampire Countess. Along come some young Spanish girls who know where her tomb is, and wah-la, Naschy has the cross and the girl who loves him that must deliver the blow. One problem. Seems removing this silver cross raises the Countess from the, uh, undead, and she proceeds to start raising a vampire army and trying to summon Mr. Scratch himself (who appears in a small shadowy cameo late in the picture). These would be bad things. Anyway, the girl who falls for him has another boyfriend, a policeman, who comes calling for her. They get captured by the Countess and all types of heck break loose. Can Waldemar stop her? Will he finally get his eternal rest? Will we get to see some real vampire on werewolf goodness? To the last point, at least in this print, alas, no. But it's still a good film with clunky dubbing. Hope to see the uncut version at some point, and some more Naschy films too. This cat's pretty cool.

Long. Drawn out. Boring. Barely any nudity. A complete waste of time for a 70's horror flick.