This one is a gap in the run for many who have tried to attempt the DPP72, as it has never been re-released in the UK or the US... I'm therefore forgiving myself the late review, instead being great full that there's a review at all, however untimely. I'll give a full (as I can manage) plot summery at the end of the review, because this is a tough one to get hold of, and you may want to read about it, given that its a tough one to get to see.
Apologies for that by the way - I made the mistake of mixing with the revelers at the recent Whitby Gothic weekend, and therefore caught the near-legendary lurgy that is currently running rampant through the UKs darkling community; I did try watching this movie regardless, but it seemed incomprehensible to my virus-riddled brain (you'll probably understand why when I get to the plot). In-Fact, I was ready to write a review criticizing the impenetrable story, when i read some other reviews that seemed to be of a different movie, and figured I'd missed something and had better leave this one well alone until my immune system had gone back onto standby, and stopped using all of the energy that usually goes to the part of my brain that follows movies...
I'm glad I did, because I actually enjoyed this one; despite the fact that the Yeti was almost indistinguishable from the Werewolf, and even though it somehow managed to be slow at times despite a ridiculously over-crowded narrative.
It somehow merges the feel of a hammer movie with a near perfect 'exploitation' plot line... if it had only had Nazis in the mix somewhere (and if the Turkish bandits had been oriental and lead by Fu Manchu, rather than a Khan) it wold have been the quintessential grind-house story.
So yeah, Plenty of cheese, and good 70's drive-in vibe, lousy dubbing and the worst screams you've ever heard; its sexually charged in places, but again, in much the same way the Hammer movies of the period were. There's little here to get worked up over (save an unconvincing skinning that I suspect was responsible for its appearance on the DPP list).
I'm stunned that no one has picked this up and re-submitted it, Because, really, I think it would pas uncut rated 15 no problem and play great to a revival crowd.
If you can track it down without paying a fortune, and IF you enjoy bad 70's werewolf movies, you should try to check thins one out at some point.
Interesting side note: This is the 8th film in which Paul Naschy plays the wolf-man Waldemar Daninsky, although from what I can tell there is no continuity between the films; certainly he does not carry the curse at the start of this one, and there is no mention that he has ever carried it before...
Interesting side note 2: There is a character in this film named "Larry Talbot". If you don't get that little in joke, it's back to
horror-fan school for you!
The Plot (Spoilers ahoy!)
An expedition to find proof of the Yeti's existence is killed (by a Yeti - is that a success?), so a 2nd expedition (to find the first) is launched. This 2nd expedition includes Waldemar Daninsky (Known to Spanish Horror fans as 'The Spanish Wolf-Man, but human here - for now).
Upon arrival at base camp, the weather turns sour, and the planned route is declared impossible. Our heroes soon learn of a guide who is willing to take an alternate route, said to be plagued by "the demons of the blood moon", but only Waldemar is brave / foolhardy enough to go with him, so the 2 set out alone.
Before too long, howling is heard, the guide runs off (and vanishes into thin air - his tracks just stop) leaving Waldemar to take shelter in a cave guarded buy two buxom sisters.
The sisters turn out to be vampires / cannibals and drink from Waldemar, who kills them and escapes.
Meanwhile the guides who were supposed to he helping the rescue expedition have a sudden change of heart, and lead the expedition after all... right into the path of some Turkish bandits.
Waldemar (now a werewolf - presumably due to the vampire attack) shows up in time to kill some of the bandits and save one of the expeditions two female members (Sylvia, daughter of the expedition leader, Prof. Lacombe) from rape at the hands of 3 of the bandits, who he quickly dispatches, but the rest of the expedition are taken by the bandits.
One of the men is tortured, but left alive in order to play exposition keeper to the (human again - the moon is down now) Waldemar, before begging for death, the good professor and the other female member of the group are kept alive because (wait for it) Sekkar Khan (the bandit's leader) has a skin complain, which is currently under treatment from a sorceress by the name of Wandesa.
The Khan wants the professor kept alive in case his knowledge comes in handy for curing the sores on his back, meanwhile Wandesa is treating them by covering them in the skin removed from female prisoners backs.
While all this is going on, Waldemar and Sylvia find a temple where they learn of a cure for were-wolf-ism (Which involves a certain pl;ant and the blood of a woman) and Sylvia is given a special dagger with which to preform the ritual. They are then promptly captured by the bandits.
Sylvia is thrown in with the other female prisoners - those being Princesa Ulka and her handmaidens, for storage until needed to treat Sekkar Khan's dermatological condition. Upon seeing the ceremonial dagger (Which Sylvia still has with her) The princess steals it and organizes a prison-break, killing most of the bandits in the process, before returning the dagger to Sylvia.
Fleeing the Bandits lair, Waldemar and Sylvia are attacked by the Yeti... thankfully the moon rises, giving us the promised fight between the 2 titicular monsters, while Sylvia spots the plant needed for the cure.
The Yeti is killed, but WaldemarWolf is fatally inured - luckily all that the ritual requires is that Sylvia bleed on some petals, and wipe them on WaldemarWolf's teeth, and he is cured and healed!
Now that I come to write all of that down, it's even more insane than I Had released.
Body Count: 24
Boob Count: 1 pair (plus plenty of side-boob)
Animal Body Count: 1 (if a Yeti Counts)
Most Memorable Death: Death by Skinning.
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main post for this movie.
