La bestia y la espada mágica

This was Paul Naschy's ninth outing as tragic werewolf Waldemar Daninsky and the eighth I have watched; I'm pretty much fifty-fifty on them, as four proved quite worthwhile but just as many came off as dismal disappointments. This falls in the former category and is probably the one to give the character biggest scope, being mostly set in feudal Japan and running a hefty 110 minutes; that said, at such length, the film eventually outstays its welcome (especially given the frequent concessions to irrelevant swordfights). I have always admired the fact that Naschy would change his werewolf make-up from one film to the next: here, perhaps in keeping with the Oriental theme, its forehead unaccountably sports prominent wrinkles (for lack of a better word) but is otherwise as vicious as ever (incidentally, the first attack is even presented saturated from the monster's P.O.V. – possibly as a nod to WOLFEN [1981]). The film (bolstered by an appropriately rousing score) starts off in medieval times – as was the case with the previous Daninsky entry, THE CRAVING (1980) – with the hero's ancestor defeating a feared invader but, as a result, his lineage is cursed by the warrior's witch acolyte. In the 16th century, Waldemar is forced to flee his country when the sorcerer he consults for a cure is turned upon by the townsfolk but, before expiring, the old man tells him to seek a Japanese practitioner of magic and also to take along and protect his blind female charge. With no fixed address to go to, many a full moon comes along and with it bloody murders by the lycanthrope which strikes terror in the populace; unaware of Naschy's odyssey, the Oriental mystic becomes interested in the case – even coming face to face with the monster outside a brothel – and follows his tracks to our hero's shack; though under obligation to report him (especially since his General uncle has staked his honor on the fiend's capture), he commits himself to help Daninsky…but the eventual concoction, made from extracts of a Tibetan plant, fails to provide the requisite remedy. Meanwhile, Waldemar's other companion is approached by a sorceress claiming she can release him – but, when they go to her (against the extra-sensitive blind girl's better judgment), soon reveals her evil designs and enslaves our hirsute hero!; she even brandishes the titular weapon (molded from silver, naturally) and wounds the werewolf. Anyway, after much activity – including the magician helping out at his uncle's hara kiri ritual! – we reach the climactic showdown between monster and mystic; however, it is the latter's sister (who has conveniently fallen for Naschy) who deals him the coup-de-grace. All in all, an interesting change of pace for both Naschy and Daninsky; actually the samurai/werewolf concept would resurface – indeed be fused – in KIBAKICHI (2004; itself followed by a sequel) which I watched fairly recently

This time Naschy is turned into a werewolf when annoyed witch cursed his ancestors. Middle Age, a magician (Sara Mora) pronounces a curse against heirs of Irineus Daninsky . XVI Century, Toledo , Spain, Waldemar Danisky looks desperately for a cure . He travels to Japan along with his lover (Beatriz Escudero) and a blind girl (Violeta Cela). There Waldemar goes on a murderous rampage every time the moon is full. At Japan contacts a Samurai (Amachi) who tries to cure his Lycanthropy with a potion of drugs and the flower of Tibet.

Unknown Werewolf movie with the unforgettable Waldemar Daninsky-Jacinto Monlina ,under pseudonym Paul Naschy. Continental Europe's biggest horror star again with his classic character and frightening to viewer. He returns as El Hombre Lobo for the umpteenth time and once again battles enemies. Jacinto Molina Aka Paul Naschy ,who recently passed away, was actor,screenwriter and director of various film about the personage based on fictitious character, the Polish count Waldemar Daninsky. The first film about Waldemar was ¨The mark of the Wolfman (1967)¨ by Enrique Eguiluz , after that ¨Night of Walpurgis¨, ¨Fury of the Wolfman¨ , ¨Doctor Jekill and the Wolfman¨ ,¨The return of the Walpurgis¨, ¨Howl of the devil¨, ¨The beast and the magic sword(1982)¨ that is filmed in Japan and finally ¨Licantropo(1998).

After ¨The craving¨ it was such a box office disaster that Jacinto was bankrupt. He was forced to turn to Japan for making artist documentaries, as he filmed ' Madrid Royal Palace and Museum of Prado' and he gets financing from Japanese producers for ¨The human beasts¨, the first co-production Spanish-Japan and followed ¨The beast and the magic sword¨. Lavishly produced for the Paul Naschy standards. As the Atrezzo and gowns were expressly made for XVI Century , the Katana is actually manufactured in silver, and the white horse is a precious race champion. Spectacular and very well made combat between a tiger and Wolfman. As Jacinta Molina tells for these scenes, there were brought 4 tigers (one of them is the Sandokan TV's tiger) dominated by a dog. Filmed in Japan and castle of Chinchon (where was shot El Cid) in which took place the tournament that appears Paul Naschy's family.

It's a B series entertainment with abundant sensationalistic scenes and a Naif style.The movie has a bit of ridiculous gore with loads of blood similar to tomato and is occasionally an engaging horror movie full of sword and witchery, beheading, Hara-Kiri and several other things. This time Paul Nashy/Jacinto Molina exhibits little breast but he was a weightlifting champion. Here Waldemar takes on wizards and Samurais in some unforgettable fighting scenes.Pretty slow going, but hang in there for the Werewolf versus witches , Samurais and spirits. Good cinematography by Julio Burgos is accompanied by a correct remastering. Eerie and atmospheric musical score by Angel Arteaga .The motion picture is professionally directed and played by Jacinto Molina , a slick craftsman and mediocre actor.The flick will appeal to Paul Naschy fans and terror genre enthusiastic. Rating : 6, Acceptable and entertaining.

Perhaps being one of the more unsung examples of Spanish Horror master Paul Naschy's bravura filmmaking genius, the masterfully genre-bending cult classic takes Waldemar Daninsky's tragic Lycanthrope to the far-flung exotic locales of feudal Japan since the maniacal ministrations of the inquisition force him and his nubile entourage to seek the aid of Japanese healer Kian (Sigheru Amachi) but it is not long before Waldemar's gruesome Lunar-inspired rampages draws the unwelcome attentions of a master Samurai Swordsman, night-swarming Ninja Assassins, and then being lured to the diabolical castle domain of powerful sorceress Satomi (Junko Asahina) whose zealous claim of being able to cure him of his ancient malediction might disguise an altogether malevolent agenda!

Writer/director/actor Paul Naschy is on especially inspired form with his exciting, phantasmagorical masterpiece 'The Beast & The Magic Sword' one of his more audacious and delightfully unconventional Daninsky chapters that gorily fuses doomy European Gothic with beautifully ornate, stylishly atmospheric Japanese mythology, many of the striking sequences where the bellicose werewolf must do battle with these uncommonly eerie-looking spectres are tremendously evocative, the bold use of colour redolent of maestro Mario Bava's masterpiece 'Black Sabbath', thereby giving Naschy's exceptionally vivid fantasy an otherworldly, exquisitely ethereal sense of having just visited a diabolically dark magical realm of illimitable madness!

A joint-venture Spanish-Japanese endeavor over the curse of Waldemar Daninsky since 10th century on 935 A. D. on Spain ruled by the Emperor Otto the Great (Gerárd Tichy) bringing Irineus Daninsky (Paul Naschy) from Polland to fight with Hungarian warrior Vulko (José Luis Chinchilla) a strong man of the evil and powerful witch Amese (Sara Mora) imprisoned on Spain whereof had be killed by a duel only due it vanish the curse over Spanish people that should be carried out of high priestess Amese, however the brave Irineus charge a high price of the Otto the Great, his daughter's hands for a marriage Uswika (Helena Garret) soon she is pregnant when suddenly Amese appears and launch a curse over Daninsky descendants hereinafter each seventh male son will cursed as a werewolf.

Aftermaths many upcoming generations already in 16th century at Toledo Count Waldemar Daninsky seeks a wiser science man on Spain aiming for got a cure of his curse, however the Spanish inquisition killed this old man for witchcraft practices, the dying man advises Waldemar to travel into far off Japan where lives a sorcerer man Kian (Shigero Amachi), he must find out Kian whom by research his weird case to seeking a potion to lead a possible healing, just arriving in Kyoto Waldemar and two Spanish gorgeous women, Kinga (Beatriz Escudero) and the blind girl Esther (Violeta Cela) settle there, soon the Japanese authorities were warned that many corpses were found mangled, main in the neck without any fair reasons, who knows why Waldemar doesn't keep touching with Kian as previously planned, instead he is invited by a might witch Satomi (Junko Asahina) that lives in high mountain on outskirts of Kyoto that promise him a fully cure.

This movie of Waldemar Daninsky's saga probable is the best of the entire franchise, quite sure by a painstaking Japanese high stylized treatment on production, lavish sets, breathtaking landscape, fantastic props, eye candy girls and so for, therefore this gave an enhancement as opposed on previous ones, also they mixing-up two unusual genres together in a movie Terror & Samurai and fantasy on some specific sequences, a must to see for everyone.

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First watch: 2023 / How many: 1 / Source: DVD / Rating: 7.

Beast and the Magic Sword, The (1983)

** 1/2 (out of 4)

Paul Naschy had to travel to Japan to get financing for this film as well as Human Beast but where that film was downright horrid, this one here at least gives the star his tenth stint as werewolf Waldemar Daninsky. The movie starts off in medieval Spain where an ancestor of Waldemar's kills an evil warrior but a witch then puts a curse on him. Flashforward seven generations and Waldemar is cursed by being a werewolf but he travels to Japan to try and find a man that can cure him. This was my eleventh film seeing Naschy play a werewolf and I'm pretty glad that I held off on this one for so long because it's certainly a very strange movie that tries to mix the Spanish horror film with Japanese culture. The film clocks in at 106-minutes, the longest in the series, and this is certainly a negative thing but for the most part the film works very well. Seeing a werewolf battle various samurai soldiers was a nice twist from what we had seen in previous films and this brings the movie a fresh sense of purpose. The werewolf make up is another negative as it is pretty weak and in certain scenes it appears that Naschy just has his face painted black with minimum hair around it. I had put down previous films in the series for not having enough scenes with the werewolf and that's somewhat true here but the difference is that when the werewolf does attack, they are very good scenes. Instead of just attacking one or two people, here he attacks large groups of people including an early scene where he breaks into a brothel and goes to town. Naschy's screenplay is also pretty good as is his direction. The print I watched was in Spanish with (bad) English subtitles but the print was very dark so a better transfer might do the film even more justice. I doubt newbies will want to start with this film but when you start going through the series this one here will come off very refreshing even though it's strange. AKA: Bestia y la espanda magica, La and Werewolf and the Magic Sword, The.