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.

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!

Happy Birthday Paul Naschy!!!

Today would have been Jacinto Molina’s 87th birthday. But even though we lost him over a decade ago, I still think he is more alive with us than ever. When you think how many of his movies have been released in amazing looking Blu-rays, some titles seeing releases in any format for the first time, and even a few that were thought lost, but now are available for everyone to see. To me, that shows that the last impact of his work still is as powerful, if not more, than before.

Naschy’s Werewolf Lineage

Naschy fans take note! There is a new illustrated book out that tells the story of Naschy’s The Beast and the Magic Sword (1983), which has our favorite werewolf, Waldemar Daninsky back in feudal Japan!

The book is 40 pages of full color illustrations, under the title The Lineage of the Werewolf. It almost sounds like this could be a series of books, which would be fantastic! I’ve seen other illustrations by artist Javier Trujillo and they look incredible. Just look him up on Facebook to see his work. Even his non-Naschy work is top-notch.

If you’re interested in this book though, you can order it directly from Amazon. Just click HERE.

Naschy’s Frankenstein’s Bloody Terror in 3D!!!

Folks in the New York city area, tomorrow you have the chance to see a rare screening of Naschy’s debut of his Waldemar Daninsky character, in the 1968 film Frankenstein’s Bloody Terror (or at least the version that was later released here in the states) in 3D, thanks to the wonderful people at Garagehouse Pictures.

At the Quad Cinema tomorrow at 3:05pm, in part of their special 3-D festival, you’ll get to see this amazing film like very few people have had the opportunity. Sam Sherman, the man really responsible for bringing Naschy’s name to the states when he bought this film for distribution here, will be there for the screening.

Sure, this is a little short notice, but if you’re in that area, I wouldn’t pass up this chance. I mean, Naschy in 3-D??? I’m still hopeful that this print will make it’s way out to the Midwest at some point. But in the meantime, you East-coasters better take advantage of it!

For more information about the screening, just click HERE.

Naschy Figures!!!

While I might dabble occasionally in horror figures here and there, I was smart enough to stay away from that part of horror collecting. Mainly because there are so freaking many different ones out there, had I started, I would have gone broke by now! Sure, they are very cool and usually well done. But I just personally have a problem paying $80 to $120 for a 8″ or 12″ figure. Trust me, I understand they are handmade and only a limited number made. Just hard for me to part with that kind of cash for one.

I will say that I’m thrilled to see Paul Naschy represented in these character figures. Not just once…not twice…but now a third figure has been announced. The first two were from Werewolf vs the Vampire Woman (1971), one an 8″ figure and the other a 12″ figure. This newest one is another 8″ but is from Naschy’s Night of the Werewolf (1981), my personal favorites of his Daninsky films. I believe the 8″ figures were created by Distinctive Dummies, but not sure about the 12″ one. Although, finding information about them and browsing their website isn’t the easies.

Either way, kudos to them for helping keep Naschy’s spirit and films alive with these great figures. Who knows…maybe one of these days I’ll break down and get one. Or two. Or all three….stranger things have happened.

Human Beasts: The Films of Paul Naschy

Okay folks, I know I mentioned this a little while ago here but now that it is available, it needs its own special post. Human Beasts: The Films of Paul Naschy, the latest book by Troy Howarth is now available for purchase through Amazon. Now why is this that important? Well, the obvious reason is because it is a book about Paul Naschy!!! Okay, okay… you might have noticed that I’m kind of a fan of Naschy and his work if you’re a regular to the Krypt, so you’ll have to excuse the excitement I have for this release. In all honesty, this is the first book to really dig into the films of this amazing writer/director/actor and all around filmmaker, and not to mention horror fan. Besides his own autobiography, and the amazing photo book Muchas Gracias Senor Lobo by Thorsten Benzel, there hasn’t been a book here in the US that covers all his movies, or at least none that I know of. Until now.

For newer fans that might not be that familiar with Naschy’s work, this is going to be a great place to start, where you can use it as a checklist as you read about and then seek out the films that peeks your interests. Others can go through and learn more about the films, as well as reading about some you’ve might not seen yet. No matter how big of a fan you are, you are bound to learn more about Naschy and his films within these pages. This is a great way to help continuing the celebration of this incredibly talented filmmaker, and keep the memory of him his work alive and well.

Gone…But Never Forgotten

I’ve been seeing posts all day on social media about today being the anniversary of the death of one of the greatest horror icons to work in the genre, Jacinto Molina. Or as most of us knew him as, Paul Naschy. I can still remember being at work when my friend Aaron called to tell me that he had passed away. Following genre for so long, it wasn’t an uncommon thing when a horror celebrity passes away, but this one stung.

Happy Birthday Paul Naschy!

How fitting to see this in the night sky on the birthday of Paul Naschy. Then again, I’m really not surprised. In fact, every month when I see a full moon, I know that somewhere, our tragic friend Waldemar is going through the change and terrorizing the countryside. And his fans are rejoicing.

While is this is a sad day because the lost his friends, family, and his fans, as well as the genre as a whole, felt when he left us, I am so happy in knowing that his legacy will clearly live on. With all the special edition Blu-rays that have been coming out this year alone, it really shows the love and respect he so rightly deserves. And even better, that it will continue to do so. Younger fans will find it so much easier to discover and enjoy the work of Paul Naschy, though the grumpy old man inside me is more than a little jealous since we had to really work at finding his films! But none the less, him and his films are now a permanent chapter in the horror history books and will never be forgotten, and will live on for future generations to come.

Our thoughts are with you, Jacinto Molina Álvarez.

Long Live Waldemar. Love Live Paul Naschy.