Naschy’s Night of the Executioner

While this isn’t technically a horror film, it is Paul Naschy so of course I have to mention this. Any time one of his movies that had never been released here in the states (aside from a Spanish language version that was released) gets a release, it is something to be celebrated! And Mondo Macabro have continued to wave the Naschy flag in releasing a lot of his titles, that now American audiences are going to see Night of the Executioner (1992) for the first time.

Naschy plays a family man whose life is forever changed after his wife and daughter are both raped and murdered, and he has his tongue cut out. He then goes out on a killing spree avenging his family. This is a brand new 4K restoration from the original negative, in Spanish language track with optional English subtitles. It also has an audio commentary by Rod Barnett and Troy Guinn from the Naschycast podcast. Plus, there are interviews with Naschy son, Sergio Molina, and with actors Pepe Ruiz, Manuel Zarzo.

Right now, you can order the special “Red Case” edition, which comes with a full color booklet with a brand new essay by Troy Howarth, author of Human Beasts: The Films of Paul Naschy. This edition is limited to 1500 copies and can be ordered by clicking HERE.

Euro Horror Shock Show!

I know we posted about this back in January, but with the show only 2 weeks away, we wanted to put this little reminder out in case you forgot. But in two weeks from tomorrow, thanks to the wonderful House of Monsters, you’ll have the chance to see TWO Paul Naschy flicks on the big screen, as well as two other great Euro horror titles. Just think about that for a minute . . . when was the last time you had a chance to see the Spanish horror icon Paul Naschy in a theater, filled with other like-minded horror fans?

Wait . . . not too familiar with Naschy? Then now is your chance to see two of his best films, The Hunchback of the Morgue (1973) and Mummy’s Revenge (1975).

Kryptic World Tour Starts Next Weekend!

That’s right kiddies, next weekend we’ll be heading to Cincinnati for the HorrorHound Weekend, which officially starts our 2023 convention tour. It seems like it has been forever since our last show, so we are very excited to have another great weekend. Looking forward to seeing our friends there, getting to hang out and talk about movies, and just having a great time.

The following weekend, while we’re not vending, we’ll still be at Cinema Wasteland in Strongsville, Ohio, and is one that we’re really looking forward to. Not only do they have the last remaining cast members of Texas Chain Saw Massacre, but they also have writer Kim Henkel and cinematographer Daniel Pearl on the guest list. That show is always a great time and so much fun.

In April, we’re staying local and doing our second appearance at the Windy City Pulp and Paper show, which is more of a literary show, but if you’re a book lover, this is one to come to! Plus, that same Saturday, we’ll be leaving the show a little early to head to the Davis Theatre in Chicago for the Euro Horror Shock Show, put on by the House of Monsters, which will be screening 4 amazing films, including two featuring Paul Naschy!!! How can you pass that up!

You can see the rest of our shows that we have lined up this year at the top of our main page. Hope to see you at some of them!

Discover the Horror Episode 38: Italian Horror with Troy Howarth

There are plenty of ways to help you on your way to discovering more about the films you love, as well as ones you might not know too much about. There’s always books on different filmmakers, or sort of the audio form of that, the audio commentaries that are usually found on most of our favorite films. The more insight you have, the more you will know, and maybe even enjoy it more. One of those that is helping fans learn just that is Troy Howarth. He’s written over a dozen books on a variety of subjects, usually in the Italian film genre, covering directors like Argento, Bava, Fulci, and more recently, Umberto Lenzi. He’s also published a 3-volume set on the giallo film. Plus, he has done a ton of different commentaries, giving fans even more info!

Films mentioned in this episode:

House of Monsters Presents Euro-Horror Shock Show

Chicago fans are in for a real treat this April. House of Monsters is presenting a night of Euro Horror, some of which has probably never been screened in Chicago! Taking place on Saturday, April 22nd, at The Davis Theatre, they will be screening 4 different titles, two from Italy and two from Spain, but all giving fans a nice taste of Euro-Horror!

You’ll get to see Joe D’Amato’s first official directorial debut, Death Smiles on a Murderer (1973), starring the one and only Klaus Kinski. Then there is Lucio Fulci’s Don’t Torture a Duckling (1972), a dark and sweaty giallo about someone murdering the local children.

For the last two films, we travel over to Spain for a double dose of one of the most iconic figures in the horror genre, Paul Naschy! That comment won’t be a surprise to any regulars to this site. But now is your chance to see two of Naschy’s finest: Hunchback of the Morgue (1973) and then The Mummy’s Revenge (1975).

The doors open at 3pm and the features start at 4pm. There will be vendors, trailers, and free stuff! So, mark your calendars because this is an event that you will not want to miss. Presale tickets are available now and I wouldn’t wait too long because this just might sell out!

For all the latest information, check out the Facebook event page HERE.

I Do NOT Collect Toys! Well . . .

I made a choice years ago, right before Sideshow decided to make the horror toy market explode. I realized that if they started to bust out a ton of different figures, if I started collecting them, I’d have to get them all. I decided that, for the most part, I was not going to collect horror toys. They are cool and would be great to have, but that is not where I want to put my money. No judging, just a personal choice.

Granted, I have taken the plunge every now and then and picked up one or two, such as the Waldemar Daninsky figure from Night of the Werewolf from Distinctive Dummies, since, I mean, it is Paul Naschy, after all. And then there is the Emily & Dickie figure from The Beyond that Pallbearer Press & Distinctive Dummies put out, and then all those Hammer Horror figures from Mego, and a few Funko Pop figures, but that’s it!

What amazes me is the custom figure market that has developed over the last few years and has seemed to explode. These amazing and creative creations, as well as the obscure characters they decide to produce is just stunning. Which brings me to one figure I recently came across that almost had me busting into my wallet.

More Naschy on Blu-ray and UHD!

I’ve been wanting to post something about this earlier but have been too busy or maybe just too giddy to type comprehensive sentences! But last weekend, Vinegar Syndrome announced that they would be releasing Paul Naschy’s 1971 film The Werewolf vs the Vampire Woman. Anchor Bay had originally released on DVD back in 2002 under the title Werewolf Shadow, followed by another release by BCI in 2008 under the same title. But it had never been released on Blu-ray here in the states, let alone in 4K UHD! This Vinegar Syndrome release will have 3 different cuts of the film: the international export version (which has the nudity) that runs 87 min, the Spanish clothed version, which runs 94 min, and an integral “nude” version. that runs 95″ min.

Naschy Blu-Ray Sets On-Sale!

For those out there that either haven’t delved into the world of Paul Naschy, or even those that might have dipped their toes into the water but still haven’t dived in, now is your chance. Shout Factory is having a sale on their Box Sets, at 40% off retail price until this Tuesday the 19th, and both the Naschy Collections are included in there. Both are priced at $35.99, which includes 5 movies in each set. That’s like $7 a title!!!

Discover the Horror Podcast Episode 21 – Paul Naschy as Waldemar Daninsky

Night of the Howling Beast (1975), Night of the Werewolf (1981), and The Beast and the Magic Sword (1983). In the annals of the Spanish horror genre, you can’t go far without running into the name Paul Naschy, especially the werewolf films that he made, numbering over a dozen! In his 40+ year career, Naschy made over 100 films, many in the horror genre, even directing almost two dozen of them, and writing over fifty of them!

In this episode, we cover 3 of Naschy’s werewolf film, where he always re-invented the character of Waldemar Daninsky character, who always seems to be cursed to turn into a snarling beast. Tune in and take notes!

Movie Review: Panic Beats

(1983)
Directed by Jacinto Molina
Starring Paul Naschy, Julia Saly, Lola Gaos, Manuel Zarzo, Jose Vivo.

My first experience with Latidos de pánico, aka Panic Beats, was a terribly looking bootleg VHS, which at the time, was the only way to be able to see this title. It was said to be a sequel to Horror Rises from the Tomb (1972), a personal favorite of mine, so I knew I had to see it, no matter what the quality of the print was. Through the grainy print, with the blacks being so black you couldn’t see anything, to just the almost blurry quality, it was difficult to watch. But because this was a Naschy film, and this was the only way to see it, it didn’t matter. Now, decades later, thanks to Mondo Macabro, we have a nice, beautiful looking Blu-ray to enjoy!