NaschyCast

I thought it might be fun to make a list of favorite non-Naschy Spanish Horror films and also get Troy to make one of his own so we could argue the various qualities of the films we love. Then I realized how much fun it might be to get others to play along! So, Cort Psyops joins us again this time out to indulge in one of fandom's great games - the making and comparing of lists of favorites!

No conversation about shared passions can go on for too long before people are arguing their favorites and explaining the reasons for rating one beloved thing over another. It is in these discussions that fans come to know each other. The communal exploration of Spanish Horror is something that we've tried to foster with the Naschycast and shows like this might be one of the best ways to bring more people to the party. I know we had a blast trying to name our three favorite of this very thin slice of the genre! Of course, only one of us was able stick the limit of three so the conversation ranges across the decades with many extra titles getting honorable mentions. And the sidetracks are numerous! Be warned - we digress from the topic more than once. We just hope that our ramblings are amusing enough keep your entertained.

One note - when Troy and I return near the end to talk about the Lists left on the Naschycast Facebook page there is a strange crackling on the audio that I could not remove. It only lasts for the first few minutes but it is distracting. Sorry! Technical difficulties are sometimes unavoidable (and mysterious).

If you've never heard Cort's excellent podcast Cinema Psyops you are cheating yourself out of a damned good time. Head on over there and give that show a listen. If you have any comments about this episode or just want to give us your list of favorite non-Naschy Spanish Horror films the email address is [email protected]. We'd be glad to hear from you. The music this time comes from Jonathan Coulton, Piero Piccioni and The Decemberists.

2016 brings us back to the much feared (by Troy and I, anyway) genre of Spanish comedy. Followers of this podcast will know that we've had little to no luck with our exploration of the various comedy/horror movies Naschy made over the years and MUCHA SANGRE features examples of each reason why we struggle to understand and enjoy them. That's not to say that we didn't have fun with the film but, as we discuss, we don't have the cultural references to get some jokes and often that kind of context matters. Truly, with any comedy your mileage will vary and with one like this that fancies itself a kind of Rock 'n' Roll movie warnings are appropriate for newbies. Luckily we have a friend in Madrid to help us out with some questions about the movie's odder moments! Yes, Elena of Horror Rises From Spain and Spanishfear.com comes to our rescue yet again! It's always good to get a lady's perspective on Naschy. Oh, and we spoil the hell out of the film's story, so be aware! Sorry. Of course, we also touch on a few other subjects as the show progresses including our recently seen films, a brief discussion of 50's sci-fi movies, Kurt Russell westerns and the current spate of depressing celebrity deaths that have hit both of us so hard. Also in this show we announce some news about the podcast's future that will be of interest to fans and lay out the next few months schedule of films to be covered for those who wish to play along. Long story short- expect more Toho film talk over on the Bloody Pit podcast and the return of Amando de Ossorio here! The mailbag section allows us to catch up on our correspondence, answer a few questions and, as you will hear, take a few suggestions for shows down the road. I can't wait to one day podcast about the films of Bruno Mattei! We can be reached at [email protected] with any an all comments and we thank you for downloading the show. Please let us know what you think and what movies you'd like us to cover in the new year.

With this episode we reach a true milestone -we have now covered fifty of Paul Naschy's films over the past five years! It hasn't been easy and it hasn't been perfect but we are proud of this accomplishment and we hope everyone sticks around for year six. When we started this show we knew this film would mark the end of an era as it is the best of the movies Naschy made in the new millennium. It is a well made, slick and sharp horror film that brings all of his genre story obsessions to the 21st century brilliantly. One of the most interesting elements of the film is how closely its details mirror its lead actor's life and career. Naschy stars as the aging out-of-work actor named Pablo Thevenet an who endures humiliating casting sessions and the disrespect and insults of young directors and producers. Nearly broke and completely desperate he agrees to accept an offer to be a doorman-entertainer for the upscale Pandora Club run by the bizarre and very wealthy Mr. Reficul. But from the moment he signs his employment contract things start to change for Pablo in ways he had not anticipated. This is a great film and well worth seeking out even for the casual fan of Naschy's work. Please join us as we work our way through the film (with a number of asides) and try pretty hard to keep from being too pretentious as we examine this entertaining and thought provoking dark comedy/horror film. If you have any comments on the show or Naschy in general drop us a line at [email protected] or join us on the Facebook page. Thanks for downloading and listening.

It’s not often we get the opportunity to meet any of the friends we’ve made over the course of making the Naschycast. When we do (and I have enough lead-time) I try to record these fellow fans’ thoughts on our favorite Spanish Horror star. Such is the case with this mini-episode interview with longtime fan of the show and major fan of Paul Naschy – Mike Tutino! Mike has been a generous contributor to the podcast over the years with several letters of comment and observation as we’ve gone along. It was a joy to finally meet him at this summer’s Monster Bash in Pittsburgh and he is more than willing to give us a list of his favorite Naschy movies. There are a few surprises in our discussion with some affection lavished on films that Troy and I have possibly given less attention than we should. Food for further thought........

Also, we mention the details of the upcoming releases of the new Naschy Blu-Rays coming out this year but – when talking about the exciting release of THE MUMMY’S REVENGE on Blu-Ray we neglected to tell listeners to go to the Ronin Flix website to purchase that disc. That is the only place you’ll be able to buy the film before it starts turning up on secondary sites for outrageous inflated prices. Don’t miss out!

If you have any comments or suggestions or if you want to let us know what your favorite lesser talked about Naschy film might be the email address is [email protected] where we’ll be thrilled to hear from you. We’ll be back next month with a new, regular episode covering a really rare Naschy film from 1975. Thanks for listening!

Episode forty-five brings back to the wonders and excitement of a Gothic period tale! The film is so steeped in creepy atmosphere that it begins with a funeral, which leads to a will reading and inevitably to a sleazy seduction - its all good. The plot will be familiar to genre fans but the story has a few nice twists on the standard tropes. So much fun! One of the joys of a gothic tale is the chance to see rare locations and The Hanging Woman (a.k.a. Terror of the Living Dead) has a great set of places to delight the eye. Of course, it also has a couple of lovely ladies in Maria Pia Conte and Dyanik Zurakowska. Both of them vie for the attentions of our handsome leading man--- no - not Naschy! He was too busy to play the time consuming central figure. Instead our man Paul Naschy plays the local gravedigger and all around oozer of sleaze by the name of Igor. Strangely, Igor does not work for the film's mad scientist character. Odd, but you gotta love it! In this film we discover many things- the dark world of Nebulous Electricity: the possibilities of Black Magic as a hobby; an alternate way of reanimating the dead; the fact that its difficult to maintain a monogamous relationship even if your girlfriend is a corpse; and that its good to be the king of any small domain. We were both surprised by this one and that is no mean feat. You can write us at [email protected] and let us know your thoughts on The Hanging Woman or any other Naschy related or non-Naschy related topic. We plan to get back to tackling some other Spanish Horror films in new Beyond Naschy episodes later this summer - we think you'll be surprised! Thanks for listening and be sure to rate and review us in iTunes or where ever you find our show.