accattone74 Review of Night of the Howling Beast

Night of the Howling Beast (1975)

Seemingly LSD-infused After Party for Franco's Funeral

[10/10 · 21 July 2015]

Just when you thought you couldn't see a wackier film than Assignment Terror, along comes this little gem. Having taken two years off from portraying Waldemar Daninsky (last been seen in 1973's slick snooze-fest El Retorno de Warpugis / The Curse of the Devil), Naschy is back – wilder and woollier than ever. The plot is one of those day-dream plots of Naschy's, utilizing almost every possible archetype and genre cliché possible, combining them in a way that seems ludicrous but ultimately pays off through sheer audacity. La Maldicion is devoid of the romanticism and lyricism of some of the previous Waldemar outings, this time being all about sleaze, exploitation, garish lighting, outrageously ridiculous costumes, and budget- constrained effects. The plot concerns are nothing to take lightly, as Waldemar must battle not only his long-time nemesis Wandessa (yes, the bitch is back… again), but also a murderous Mongol chief, a pair of cannibalistic sorceresses, and a rampaging yeti. Shot by the more-than-capable Tomàs Pladevall, La Maldicion could be, arguably, the last, great gasp of campy Spanish horror. If true camp is accidental, achieved only through failure or lack of intent, then La Maldicion is camp in the truest sense of the word. Once again Naschy attempts to make his ultimate adult monster movie—and fails. Full of nudity, sex, graphic violence, and unpredictable plot twists, La Malaicion features Naschy's favorite gimmick – to put heretofore uncombined classic heroes and villains all in one script. The werewolf, the vampire, the adventurer, the witch, the monk, the Hun, and the yeti all conspire to make this one lively film, as preposterous as it is full of plot holes. Of course! Its very preposterousness proves Naschy's magic – no one else has ever made the ludicrous so watchable.