‘The Werewolf vs. Vampire Woman’ finds Paul Naschy fighting plot holes left and right
The Werewolf vs. Vampire Woman, a Spanish-language horror flick from the early 1970s, is by no means a memorable film. Its plot is laughably stupid. The acting from Paul Naschy (who also co-wrote the screenplay) and Gaby Fuchs is passable at best. There are times when nothing seems to make sense and the characters’ motivations are nonexistent. And yet, when viewed through sepia-toned glasses, the film can be a blast. Go in expecting to laugh (definitely not be scared), and The Werewolf vs. Vampire Woman can delight. I happened to catch the movie in an old movie theater in 35mm — and it felt like a perfect cinematic experience.
The entire storyline behind the movie can be summed up by its title. A werewolf takes on a vampire woman. Now for a little context … The werewolf is some type of baron at a beautifully dark castle in the French countryside. The vampire woman has been laying dormant for years, just waiting for someone to wake her up.
As we come to learn about the characters (and, yes, there are young innocents who stumble upon the werewolf’s castle), we come to learn that there’s actually not much to these characters. Naschy and Hans Munkel’s script is devoid of detail, and when it does try spinning a yarn, the plot can become somewhat confusing. Director León Klimovsky doesn’t help keep everything in order.
There’s so much buildup in the story that the ultimate duel between the werewolf and vampire woman is put off for too long. A cool fight between two monsters could have drawn the audience’s eyes away from the sparse setting and reduced budget value. The only “authentic” feel to the movie is the werewolf’s castle, and it seems like the actors rush through their scenes because the producers could only rent the fancy digs for a day of shooting.
The werewolf’s full-face wig doesn’t exactly fit right, and this can cause chuckles rather than shrieks. Still, The Werewolf vs. Vampire Woman is an example of the dedicated work of Naschy, one of Spanish cinema’s true horror legends. For that alone, the movie is worth a viewing, at least late at night with no reasonable expectation in the air.
By John Soltes / Publisher / John@HollywoodSoapbox.com
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The Werewolf vs. Vampire Woman
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1972
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Directed by León Klimovsky
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Written by Paul Naschy and Hans Munkel
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Starring Naschy and Gaby Fuchs
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Running time: 82 minutes
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Rating:
