This is another Spanish horror film starring Paul Naschy (Jacinto Molina), this time as Waldemar Daninsky, a reclusive author writing a history of gothic churches in northern France and part time werewolf. The film gets down to business in a plot similar to “Manos, the Hands of Fate” when two women researching their thesis on ancient witches stumble upon Naschy’s isolated home lost and afraid of impending nightfall. Naschy invites them to stay, and immediately the creepiness begins.

Naschy’s crazy sister starts the harassment on the first night, but the coeds agree to hang around. Naschy and the girls find the ancient tomb of the vampire witch and foolishly remove the silver crucifix from her heart, which they fully understand will make her return to life. She certainly does, and when she arises she looks something like Gilda Radner in a nun’s habit, only more ridiculous. Unsurprisingly, one of the coeds quickly and predictably becomes a sexy vampire, while Naschy and the remaining girl try to fight her off. Eventually the police arrive, but the policeman is largely ineffective, letting the werewolf and vampire witch fight it out with assistance from the remaining girl with a battle of evil and evil that ends well after an interesting struggle.

I don’t care much for the title as it implies that the plot revolves around the battle between the monsters. As I see it, though, the plot is really about good and evil and the ability of love to overcome all (although in this case in a very surprising manner). Naschy is the best actor in the film, though the others are adequate. I thought the dubbing was substantially better than many of the other Spanish horror films from the 1970s, though the music was completely inappropriate and distracting. The werewolf effects and costume were especially wonderful: both creepy and fun at the same time, and I especially liked the introduction to the werewolf in the autopsy scene at the beginning of the film. Naschy really doesn’t spend much time on camera as the werewolf, which is a bit disappointing as he is definitely the highlight of the film when in his fanged grandeur.

I liked this film more than most of the genre, and particularly liked the scenes with Naschy as a werewolf. A major detractor is the pacing of the film which is sometimes very plodding, especially after the policeman arrives an hour or so into the film: his conversations with townspeople are boring and prolonged and bring the plot to a halt leaving Naschy and company to resurrect it at the same time he is resurrecting the vampire witch. On balance this is a moody, brooding movie that is worth seeing for any fan of horror.
Rating: 3 / 5