User Reviews

"Empusa" turned out to be the swan song for Spain's King of Horror, Paul Naschy, starring as well as both writing and directing under his own name, Jacinto Molina. Hearkening back to his glory days of werewolves and vampires in the early 1970s, this film differs most strongly in its frequently foul language (at least the English subtitles), which seems to be meant to be comical. Naschy plays former actor Abel Olaya, now earning a living studying the occult, finding a severed hand on the beach that begins a rash of odd killings that baffle the police. Abel learns that an ancient cult of female vampires called empusas are responsible, with ample nudity and gore with each attack. As was usually the case, the women are irresistibly attracted to the bearded Naschy, who, even at 75, still appears healthy and strong, his long hair often tied up in a ponytail. He uses many items to fight the undead, such as crosses, knives (shades of "The Omen"), mirrors, even a violin (!). Paul Naschy goes out in fitting fashion, still on top of his game, this farewell released one year after his death on Nov 30 2009.

Empusa marks the final work of Paul Naschy , who died in 2009 , whom is dedicated in memorian the film . Dealing with a student of the occult , Abel (Paul Naschy) , equipped with a luscious flowing wig , an assortment of do-rags , crossbow and seven daggers . Abel's best pal is Victor (Antonio Mayans, Jesús Franco's regular), and the opening moments of the film find the two stumbling upon a severed hand of a young woman bearing an eclectic wrist tattoo that is washed up on the shore of a beach . Abel's social life is an enviable one . Although not much of a sight himself , he still shacks up with attractive women such as Natalia (María Jesús Solina) and Christabel (Cristina Carrión), the latter of whom he finds enjoying a nude stroll in the ocean waves . Along the way , he uses many methods to combat a cult of female vampires known as Empusas . Victims of Empusa are turned into more conventional vampires and Abel insists on keeping the hand , much to the chagrin of Victor, who wants to notify the authorities .

It's a B-movie and low budget entertainment with abundant sensationalistic scenes and a Naif style . Naschy infuses Greek mythology, chiller , folklore , nudism, Grindhouse-level bloodlust , cheesy scenes , adding tongue-cheek into a project that works better in its first half than its second . The first half plays like a weird but serviceable buddy-comedy between Abel and Victor who while walking on the beach dispose a severed hand , and he discovers that belonged to a victim of the Empusa , but shenanigans are far too slight to be meaningfully articulated . The second half has Naschy once again battling enemies at a grotto , the alluring bloodsuckers Empusas.

Naschy - the Spanish cult horror filmmaker - produces, writes, and directs himself playing the eccentric retiree who takes on a group of female demons in Ancient Greek mythology style that are essentially vicious vampires . The movie has a bit of ridiculous gore with loads of blood similar to tomato and is occasionally an engaging horror movie full of blood , gore and irony . Empusa is overstuffed , scrappy , messy and underwritten , made for a small group of people who enjoy unearthing lost gems . Unknown Vampire movie with the unforgettable Jacito Molina , under pseudonym Paul Naschy . His obsession with the Empusas only deepens and culminates in a violent encounter at a cave that dominates a great deal of the third act . Long time ago , the continental Europe's biggest horror icon created his classic character , Waldemar Daninsky , and from now on frightening to viewer. The legacy of films left by Paul Naschy was so enormous that dared to be original enough , if sometimes victim of his own bloated ideas . Jacinto Molina Aka Paul Naschy , who recently passed away, was actor, screenwriter and director of various films about the personage based on fictitious character, the Polish count Waldemar Daninsky. The first film about Waldemar was ¨The mark of the Wolfman (1967)¨ by Enrique Eguiluz , after that ¨Night of Walpurgis¨, ¨Fury of the Wolfman¨ , ¨Doctor Jekill and the Wolfman¨ ,¨The return of the Walpurgis¨, ¨Howl of the devil¨, ¨The beast and the magic sword (1982)¨ that is filmed in Japan and finally returning as El Hombre Lobo or Wolfman for the umpteenth time in ¨Licantropo (1998). After ¨The craving¨ it was such a box office disaster that Jacinto was bankrupt . He was forced to turn to Japan for making artist documentaries, as he filmed ' Madrid Royal Palace and Museum of Prado' and he gets financing from Japanese producers for ¨The human beasts¨, the first co-production Spanish-Japan and followed ¨The beast and the magic sword¨. Some of these works are peculiar, even lackluster, succumbing to a great deal of incoherence , yet doesn't amount to much satisfaction from disjoined pace , but seldom dull and, if nothing else, conscious-expanding in the willingness to venture into horror genre .