Tag Archives: Paul Naschy

2024 Year in Review: The Highlights Part 1

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This is going to be a tough year to review when, as I’m starting to write this, I’m still dealing with Covid!*** Or maybe this is the perfect time because in the midst of being miserable, it does show me all the positive things that happened this year. That is one thing I’ve definitely learned in my old age, especially in the last few years, that there are great things going on all the time that need to be acknowledged, just as much, if not more, as any negative or problems that arise. Honestly, even just the “good” things need to be acknowledged. Because yes, they are all there. It just depends on what and how much time you want to focus on one and not the other. It might just be the cough medicine talking, but I do think if we all started to focus on the good, as well as spreading that around to others, I do think we can make a difference. I’m not saying ignore the bad things, because they will continue. But don’t forget to realize that is not all that is out there.

Don’t get me wrong, these next few years are going to be tough. But if we give into the negativity, we all lose. Doesn’t mean we sit back and do nothing, but if we are polite and kind to others, even giving a little bit of praise to those that are working hard, little things like could have a huge impact on someone who might be struggling at the moment. And it really doesn’t take much of an effort, does it? Okay, enough preaching.

This year was once again filled with some incredible adventures and plenty of memories. These are the things that make me realize how great it is to be a film fan. 2024 was an incredible year for the horror genre, with a ton of releases coming out, some of them being just amazing.

***Also, as I am now ready to post this, I am thankfully covid free and feeling a hell of a lot better than when I started this!

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Turkey Day 2024 Report

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Another very successful Turkey Day in the books. As usual, we got through 7 features, some hitting the low point, many hitting some high points, and one hitting so far off the grid that it would be tough to explain! But we managed through, because we are, after all, professional lovers of cinema! And if you can’t find enjoyment in some of the strangest films out there, you’re just looking too hard at them. These films are the ones that you just sit back and bask in the wonderment, that someone thought that not only was the story good enough to proceed, but that they actually found backers willing to put up the money!

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Naschy in 3D!!!

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I know, you’re probably amazed that it has taken me this long to post something about this amazing news. But it’s here at last. Over the weekend, Kino Lober had announced that they would be releasing Paul Naschy’s debut Waldemar Daninsky film, Frankenstein’s Bloody Terror (1968) not only a 4K scan of the 35mm composite internegative, but there apparently it will be in 3D! Now there is no details on if there will be 2 separate versions on the release or what, but I would guess that is what they will do.

For those that don’t know the whole story, this film was originally made and released in 1968, under the title La marca del Hombre Lobo, and it was filmed in 3D. Here in the states, producer Sam Sherman needed a Frankenstein picture to fulfill a contract he had, so he acquired this Naschy film, created an animated prologue that told the story of a Wolf-Stein, and called it Frankenstein’s Bloody Terror. Therefore, it could fit in with a Frankenstein release that he had promised. Even though it had 2 vampires, and 2 werewolves, but not 1 Frankenstein creature! But no matter what, it did bring Naschy here to the states. And while Sherman wanted to release it in the 3D format, it was just too costly to try and make it work, so they pulled the 3D print after a few screenings and just distributed the “flat” version.

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Severin Drops Danza Macabra Vol. 3

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Fans of Spanish horror are going to love this latest box set from Severin Films. They still just blow me away with the titles they are releasing. This set has 2 films that I’ve never even heard of, and that is coming from a huge fan of Spanish horror! Not to mention the fact that they’ve never been released over here in the states. In fact, 3 out of the 4 titles have never legitimately been released over here! Plus, as usual with Severin’s releases, these are just packed full of extras, from commentaries to interviews, and much more.

PLUS, 3 of the titles are scanned in 4K from original negatives, while the last one is scanned in 2K from the negative. Keep in mind, the last time I saw Cross of the Devil was from about a 10 generation VHS tape. This was a rare title that was written by Paul Naschy and directed by John Gilling. So going from that to a 4K print!?!?! What a time to be alive!

Here’s a breakdown of the films and what extras each of them has:

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Silvia Tortosa – Rest in Peace

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Spanish actress Silvia Tortosa only made a few titles in her career that featured over 100 TV and movie appearances, but when she did, she always made an impact with the viewer. Her first role was in a on TV in 1964, but horror fans will remember her as the Countess Irina Petrovski in Horror Express (1972), followed by appearing in Amando de Ossorio’s The Loreley’s Grasp (1973). She also appeared in Paul Naschy’s The Frenchman’s Garden (1978).

She passed away on March 23rd, at the age of 77. She may be gone, but I know horror fans will always remember her for her work in these highly memorable films. Our thoughts go out to her friends and family during this difficult time.

Sergio Martino at the Music Box

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This year’s January Giallo at the Music Box Theatre started off when a bang! I mean, having the chance to see any Paul Naschy film on the big screen is a rarity as it is, but then to have a screening of Blue Eyes of the Broken Doll (1974) made it even better. What a way to not only start the year off by seeing this Naschy flick on January 1st, but a great way to start off the January Giallo festival as well! I was a little worried being that it was screening on New Year’s Day that the crowd might not come out for it, but I was pleasantly surprised to see a very crowded theater that evening. A very cool evening, indeed.

I was out there for the second screening, the 1978 made-for-TV movie called Closed Circuit, that I’m still on the fence about! Really enjoyed the film but that ending . . . But once again, there was a really good turnout for it. I had planned to hit the next screening, the French film The Strangler (1970), but it was just way too cold to be heading anywhere outside, let alone an hour drive into Chicago.

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Do We Need Another Naschy T-Shirt?

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Of course, that answer is a big YES! Not only is it another Naschy shirt, but it is from my very first and still my favorite of Naschy’s work, Horror Rises from the Tomb (1973)!

Taken from an ad sheet for the film, Silk Screams have used that to create a brilliant looking shirt that really is a must for any fans of Paul Naschy. They are taking pre-orders now so if you’re interested, just click on the link HERE and get your own Horror Rises from the Tomb shirt! You can never have too many Naschy shirts. Trust me on this one! You can check out the rest of their stuff HERE!

Euro Horror from We Belong Dead

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The fine folks from We Belong Dead magazine have their latest massive book coming out, this time covering Euro Horror! In the ad on the page for the book, it has NASCHY! FRANCO! ARGENTO! BAVA! ROLLIN! Now if that isn’t a good way to make me order the damn thing, I don’t know what would! I have several of these massive books that We Belong Dead have been putting out over the last few years and they are all a work of art. Brimming with exceptional essays on the movies we all love, it is just so much fun to wander through them and read someone else’s thoughts on a variety of films. This one looks to be no different.

Edited by Eric McNaughton & Darrell Buxton, with foreword by Lone Fleming, with “350 pages in glorious full color, large format”, and illustrated with hundreds of stills, lobby cards, and poster art. For the softcover edition, the price is £35 ($44.45), and for the hardcover edition, the price is £45 ($57.15), which is limited. And of course, the postage to ship from the UK isn’t cheap either, with £15 ($19.05) and £20 ($25.40) for the hardcover. So, you’re looking at about $70 for a hardcover edition with shipping. Yes, a bit pricy. But, as I mentioned above, going by their previous books, I do think it is a great investment. And since a lot of them go out-of-print, the value will go up.

And if you need a little more pushing, my Discover the Horror co-host, Aaron AuBuchon has 4 different essays within the covers, from The Devil’s Nightmare, to Fulci’s The Beyond, to Argento’s Inferno. In fact, if memory serves, I even have an essay in there!

If you are interested, they are taking pre-orders now. Just click HERE to get to the page to place your order. I think you’ll thank me.

January Giallo 2024 at the Music Box

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Chicago’s own Music Box Theatre has announced the titles for this year’s celebration of the giallo, and there is a lot to be excited about!!! Not only are they starting off this year’s series with a Paul Naschy film, but they are also ending it with one of the ultimate in the giallo sub-genre, with the director in attendance for a post film Q&A! Just look below to see what films are playing and when:

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More Naschy Blu-Ray!

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What could make the month of October even better? The announcement from Mondo Macabro that they are releasing another Naschy film in 4K & Blu-Ray! Going on sale tomorrow as part of their Flash Pre-Sale, you’ll be able to order the 2-disc special edition of Dr. Jekyll and the Werewolf!

Now just so everyone knows up front, there were several of Naschy films (and Spanish horror films in general) where they would film one scene with nudity, then film it again with them clothed. This title is one of those, and as hard as they tried, after searching for close to a year, they could not locate the film material for the export version, which has the nudity. They only had the Spanish “clothed” cut of the film. So, they were able to add the inserts to it to create the uncut version, but this will only be on the Blu-ray disc of the film, where the UHD disc will have the Spanish “clothed” version.

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