The Werewolf and The Yeti - Will's Review

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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Evilspeak - Lisa's Review

***SPOILERS***

Bit of a wierd one this in some respects... in that although there were monumentally crap parts to this movie, I quite enjoyed it. For some reason, it reminded me of a male Carrie (obviously nowhere near as good, but the idea was there).

I thought we had a movie set in olden times when this one started and subtitled... I thought this is going to be a challenge with a screaming baby to contend with, but thankfully after an initial 5 minutes or so to set the scene, we switch to what would have been the present day when this movie was made.


We start with what looks like a monk/priest (very bad man!! you just know by looking at them don't you? The menacing glare usually gives it away) being banished by what must be the top dog amongst the holy men. He is accused of satanism and refuses to renounce his worship. This scene ends with possibly the worst beheading (as in crap) I have yet to see in any movie. It was rather satisying that it was the young woman with the impossibly high breasts! *snigger*.

The background set, we head to military school and meet our 'hero' if you will. - Coopersmith (I thought he was called Cooper Smith, but a check online told me otherwise). His parents have been killed in a car accident and he's been placed in this school that he otherwise would never have got into, as he's a bit slow it seems. He (like Carrie) is the misfit, the nerd, the one no-one likes. He is bullied, picked on and ridiculed by other boys and even it seems by a rather cruel minister. One thing which I found it really hard to shake through the whole film is that this is the little kid from 'Gentle Ben'... I so wish they had named a character Ben, just so he could lose him and run around shouting his name... just for the nostalgia.

Getting on to the story, while on a punishment cleaning duty of the cellar, he comes across a rather cool looking book of Black Magic with a jewelled pentagram on the front. This is obviously from our original banished priest. Coopersmith sets to translating the book and for some reason that was completely lost on me through the entire movie, he decides to follow the commands within it to worship satan (and he seems such a nice boy) and bring our nasty man back to life.

One thing I found really irritating about the movie is that the computer he uses to translate the book somehow seems to become possessed and throughout the movie, it throws up all kinds of crap statements and images. I would have much preferred the movie, had he done it the old fashioned way and went to the library and translated it.

We kick off proceedings with a drunken caretaker who wakes up and gets into a tussle with Coopersmith. This culminates inCoopersmith crying out for help and the caretaker meeting a nasty end where his head twists completely around to face the wrong direction. The special effects here are laughable btw.

Later on Coopermith leaves his book on a desk with the school secretary when he is in seeing the head teacher and she develops an obssession with the jewels on the Pentagram... consequentally we need to see her have a shower with the obligatory boob scene, then she is inexplicably attacked and eaten by wild boars. This scene is quite funny as we alternate between a vicious puppet of a boar and some very contented boars wandering about the bathroom.
We go on to a beauty contest (for whatever reason) at the school and lots of girls walking about in bikinis. I didn't really see the point of this section of the movie, but hey ho.

We go on to have Coopersmiths little pet doggie (given to him by a staff member and rare friend) killed by the bullies who are trying to give this 'computer' what it wants - blood. He however demands HUMAN blood. Hmmmmm. That fecking computer!

Meanwhile, there is a service going on upstairs where a Jesus on a crucifix seems to come to life. The veins on his wrist start to pllsate and a nail flies out of his bleeding stoney hand and lodges itself in the miniters forehead... most amusing!

You don't wanna mess with Coopersmith! He becomes possessed by our scary evil priest man and goes on a rampage. This is where the movie went all Carrie for me. Lots of people die nastilly. Very amusingly Coopersmith starts to hover above everyone with his hoisty thing, very clear to be seen underneath his very oddly shaped clothing.

He wields a very lovely sword and the best kill of the movie is a head splitting scene. There are also some awfully bad decapitations and some more hog eating to be done.

We end the movie weirdly with the caretaker who died earlier with the reverse head spin coming back to life and pulling one of the bullies still beating heart out of his chest.... getting bored of that effect now....

In conclusion, we are treated to the news via that update text you sometimes get at the end of movies (I hate that!) that Coopersmith is now in an asylum recovering from everything that happened but the computer with his crap graphics, informs us that he shall return!

I did enjoy parts of this movie, even though some of it was spectacularly bad. You could do worse than watch this one, but you're not going to see anything ground breaking, overly disgusting, creepy or witness any fantastic acting. Medicore but with its own charm.

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