Welcome back to my Dark Corner of this Sick World.
‘These people aren’t exactly my friends’
I guess we’re calling today’s movie Frankenstein’s Bloody Terror because that was its US release title,
and that’s the version we’re looking at, but it should be noted that despite this opening...
‘Now the most frightening Frankenstein story of them all’
Frankenstein is nowhere to be seen.
The original title was Mark of the Werewolf and it’s a film that we’ve been wanting to look at for a while.
‘Countess, this is Waldemar Daninsky’
In 1968, struggling actor Jacinto Molina Alvarez attempted to kickstart his film career
by writing a werewolf movie in which he hoped Lon Chaney jr. might star as Waldemar Daninsky.
‘I have heard of this Daninsky person. He is strange but very well-respected’
When Chaney declined on the grounds of health, Alvarez took the role himself under the screen name Paul Naschy
and a horror icon was born.
Naschy would eventually play Daninsky in 12 films and this one, filmed in chill-o-rama,
is possibly the best.
In fact we might not have bothered if we didn’t have a vague plan to work our way through the franchise.
‘Of course they’re talking about us, take a look’
Countess Janice von Aarenberg and Rudolph Weissmann are engaged to be married.
‘Rudolph, you don’t know how happy this makes me’
But that’s before she meets Waldemar Daninsky.
‘Drink?’
'Thanks.'
'May I?'
He’s good at this…
'We better go Janice, it's getting very late.'
He stalks her for a while and seriously creeps her out,
which she apparently finds irresistible.
Meanwhile, a pair of gypsies shelter in a ruined castle and decide, as long they’re here, to steal some booze.
'Ooooooh'
and loot some graves.
Bad idea.
Waldemar assists in hunting down the werewolf, who is his ancestor, and…
fortunately he is helped out… by Rudolph.
‘You’re the only one who knows what’s happened Rudolph, you’ve got to help me’
Now Daninsky did save his life but I still think Rudolph’s being a bloody good sport about all this.
‘Rudolph, why can’t I see Waldemar?’
Are you seriously complaining to your ex-fiancee that the man you cheated on him with won’t see you?
‘You say that because you’re jealous’
I think he’s got a right to be, never the less, Rudolph continues to help the couple.
Well, I’ll just leave you guys to it.
‘Janice, you’re marvellous’
Is she?
‘Have I done anything wrong?’
The only cure for Waldemar is a terminal one.
'According to this the only way to kill a werewolf is for a silver bullet to piece his heart.'
'Yes, but it has to be done by someone who is actually in love with him.'
The killed by someone you love thing became a feature in Naschy’s horror films but it does raise questions here.
‘You’ve got to shoot me’
He’s been incredibly understanding but I don’t think he loves you.
‘Load your gun with those. They’re your only protection’
nor do Rudolph and Janice’s fathers.
‘It’s a hopeless task’
Rudolph contacts a doctor who thinks he can cure Waldemar, and he and his wife arrive by night.
Nothing suspicious here.
‘The nature of our work requires us to be awake at night and sleep during the day’
but we’re definitely not vampires.
Is he surprised not to see her in the mirror? because she’s at the wrong angle and I can see her hand.
But still,
and Janice is swift to follow.
What these vampires want is hard to say.
Seems like some sort of supernatural turf war and the lead vampire just gets off on stealing a werewolf’s girl.
How do you like me now?
'Return to death.'
Seems pretty obvious that this is building to a werewolf versus vampire showdown,
and sure enough, as the count wakes up, Waldemar starts to change.
What the hell is that noise outside my coffin?
Now, there are some dodgy moments, like this candle lighting.
It’s that last candle that really does the trick.
But there’s also some nice atmosphere.
If you’ve seen other Naschy films it’s all a bit familiar but this is where it started and there is a clarity of storytelling here absent from later films.
‘Talk about silly.’
Yeah, that too, but in the best way possible.
It’s by far the most entertaining Naschy film I’ve seen and warrants a more positive conclusion than we usually give.
'Pray for me.'
Thanks for watching. For more werewolf reviews click here.
Naschy played Waldemar Daninsky 12 times, who are your favourite horror actors who will forever be associated with one role?
Let us know in the comments below.
'Come back here! Who taught you how to drive.'
'The curse of hell on you.'