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Cast: Paul Naschy (Hector Doriani, Alex Doriani,
Rasputin, Quasimodo, Bluebeard, the Frankenstein Monster, Fu Manchu, the
Phantom of the Opera, Mr. Hyde, the Devil, Waldemar Daninsky), Caroline
Munro (Carmen), Howard Vernon (Eric), Sergio Mills/Sergio Molina (Adrian),
Fernando Hilbeck (Priest), Crisanto Huerta (Vagabond), Isabel Prinz,
Carmen Plate, Mabel Ondonez
Director: Paul Naschy
Screenplay:
Paul Naschy
Photography: Julio Burgos
Music: Fernando Garcia
Morcillo
Production Company: Augusto Boue & Paul Naschy
for Freemont-Nasch International (Madrid)
Running time:
97
min.
Fujicolor
U.S.
theatrical release: None
Video:
Various
bootlegs released |
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| Review:
"Someday my reign will end and you
will rule, you, the anti-Christ."
The above quote is the very last line of dialogue in Paul Naschy's most
personal and self-reflexive horror film. Personal in the sense that his
own son, Sergio Molina, appears in a key role and the project appears to
be Naschy's review (with commentary) on his own career as writer, actor
and director. It is the first of his horror films signed with his screen,
Paul Naschy, rather than his real name, Jacinto Molina. It's as if he is
acknowledging his unique place in the history of Spanish horror even in
the film's credits. Immediately following the main credits is a telling
dedication to Boris Karloff, Bela Lugosi, Lon Chaney and Jack Pierce (the
creator of the make-up of so many of the classic Universal monsters). The
fact that the legendary make-up artist's name is placed alongside such
more familiar horror legends as Karloff and Lugosi is especially
interesting in this context. HOWL OF THE DEVIL is, if anything, a kind of
cinematic equivalent to "Famous Monsters of Filmland," and
Naschy appears as the Frankenstein monster, Quasimodo, the Hunchback of
Notre Dame, Fu Manchu, just to name a few.
The film is set in modern, post General Franco Spain. In a way, it could
be read as an allegory of a new era haunted by old mythologies. A parallel
can be found to Luis Bunuel's VIRIDIANA, made during the repressive Franco
regime, where the estate itself could be Spain straining under the burden
of neglect and fear. Hector Doriani (Paul Naschy) is a disturbed ex-actor,
who despite a respectable career, remains bitter that his late brother,
Alex, was more famous for his many horror roles. Alex is also played by
Naschy (in a flashback) and a clip from PANIC BEATS, watched by young
Sergio on video, defines the late 1980s as an era which saw the start of
an interest in European horror by fans all over the world. Sergio is
representative of that generation, and the ultimate fate of his character
is made all the more disturbing by that connection.
This is the new Spain where XXX films are allowed and hookers can
hitckhike in open only to get picked up by the awful Dr Orloff himself,
Howard Vernon. They are then delivered to the actor's villa for well paid,
perverted sex games after which they are graphically disemboweled by a
killer wearing black gloves (perhaps a reference to the gialli of Dario
Argento?). Vernon tells a victim that Time has stopped in this household
and indeed it has. All the famous monsters are trotted out for the
edification of our (and Paul Naschy's) fandom. But an even more sinister
force than the twisted Doriani watches from concealed areas. Is it the
vengeful spirit of Alex Doriani, or Satan himself?
Spanish Catholicism is given a workover through Fernando Hilbeck's
hypocritical priest, who rapes a guilt ridden servant (Caroline Munro)
after she refuses to resume an affair. Naschy pans up to Christ on the
cross, reminding us of the crucifixion of the title character in his 1979
masterwork, EL CAMINANTE. This is Spanish horror, after all, and Naschy
delivers throat cuttings, guttings, ax murders, torture, sexual mutilation
and more. It's all to a purpose, though. He makes us question our
expectations of horror cinema while going over the top of our wildest
dreams. It's all bound together by the great Fernando Garcia Morcillo's
oppressive score.
With such icons as Vernon and Munro in the cast, Naschy playing a double
role, and the superb supporting cast of Spanish horror vets, we are
treated to an acting workshop which demonstrates how to intelligently cast
a horror film. It's obvious, as a writer, Naschy put a lot of thought into
the scenario, and the layered references to Hollywood and Euro
cinefantastique are numerous and awesome to behold. Needless to say,
multiple viewings are absolutely essential. Rich in metaphor and dazzling
in its detailed gallery of creatures, HOWL OF THE DEVIL is the Euro cult
film to end all Euro cult films. Going back to our opening quotation, the
end promises an evil era. The world dominated by the Anti-Christ. Could it
already be upon us?
Reviewed by Robert Monell 2002
Notes: So far, EL AULLIDO DEL DIABLO is the last
significant horror film made by Paul Naschy. Unlike the more recent
LICANTROPO, Naschy had a certain amount of control, as co-producer and
director, in DIABLO. The film was meant to be more accessible to
English-speaking audiences and possibly re-introduce Naschy to British and
American movie-goers, this time heralding his first major appearance in an
"English-language" film. Filming began in English, and Naschy used a known
English cast, Caroline Munro and Howard Vernon, to supplement the Anglo
effect he was going for. Reportedly, the English-language script was an
awkward word for word translation of the Spanish original, and Caroline
Munro had to smooth it out to make it sound right. In a "making of"
featurette, one can see how Spanish cast members were prompted/aided by
off-camera line readings in English. Apparently all this effort was for
naught, as an English language version of this film has never shown up
(nor has the film ever had a theatrical showing in England or the United
States). There is an indication that shooting in English was eventually
dispensed with as being more trouble than it was worth, but work may have
been possibly left over for post-dubbing. Whatever the case,
post-production difficulties, including the death of a producer, relegated
the film to an unfortunate limbo, with only later Spanish television
showings giving it an "official" light of day.
For Naschy, this film was a
personal statement on the horror genre and the cruel response of critics
to his art. As an actor, he had a field day paying homage to a legendary
cast of horror characters, from the Phantom of the Opera to Fu Manchu. The
film is indispensible viewing for any fan of Paul Naschy and for the
general afficiando or student of horror cinema.
[By the way, the "poster" above is
a mock-up. There is no known poster to this film.]
Some of the
"monsters" played by Naschy in THE HOWL OF THE DEVIL:
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Waldemar
Daninsky
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Fu Manchu
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Quasimodo
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| Spanish lobby cards
contained the same corner artwork by Jano, who decided to pay his
own homage to classic horror figures by depicting Frederick March as
Mr. Hyde, German Robles as Count Karol de Lavud (used though
there is no vampire in EL AULLIDO DEL DIABLO!), Karloff as the
Monster, and what looks like the Cryptkeeper himself, though
probably meant to represent the skeletal appearance of Alex Doriani
in the film's finale. |
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