The Beast and the Magic Sword (Naschy, 1983)
When I saw Iron Maiden in concert a few years ago, what struck me was not just the power of the music or the extravagant prop-and-effects-filled stage show, but the sight of frontman Bruce Dickinson in a puffy shirt and pantaloons, galloping across the stage, throwing the full force of his body into the performance. I bring up this memory because Paul Naschy brings a similar energy to his performance in The Beast and the Magic Sword. Lots of bared teeth, lots of tensed arms, lots of jumping around. If you've seen The Kentucky Fried Movie, the gorilla rampage should come to mind. I say this not to insult the movie, but to note the endearingly goofy charm of the lead performance. I should also mention that he's playing a werewolf.
The Beast and the Magic Sword is the ninth or tenth of the Hombre Lobo movies Naschy starred in (I understand that the existence of one of the films is in question, at least in regards to a finished form) and the last one to have received a theatrical release. I understand that Naschy is best known for this character and that he'd directed a number of movies at this point as well, and there is a degree of assurance in the finished product I can detect despite this being my first experience with him as an actor and director. The movie neatly sets up an origin story for his hero's lycanthropy, involving a duel with Magyar invaders and religious persecution, and then shuttling off to Japan, where the werewolf material mixes interestingly with the jidaigeki and Japanese folklore elements. (I understand the exact origin story differs between installments of the series, but as a newcomer, I appreciated being given some kind of setup.) What transpires are not just werewolf attacks (always in a shiny black shirt and pantaloons), but sword fights, witchcraft, undead samurai and most memorably, a wrestling match with a tiger. And at the end, a Japanese pop song plays over the credits.
I watched this on a Blu-ray from Mondo Macabro, and to the extent that home video labels can be said to have house styles, this movie's blend of exotic, worldly delights and excitable, schlocky tone is firmly in that company's wheelhouse. The movie was shot open matte style, and due to its limited theatrical release, it was widely seen for years only in full frame on home video, despite not being the intended aspect ratio for its theatrical release. Due to probable production mistakes, the footage in the prologue seems to drift in and out of focus with some regularity and was giving me a bit of a headache, so I watched the full frame version where the issue didn't seem as severe. I actually think this works in the movie's favour, as the aspect ratio ties nicely into the stateliness of the Japanese sections and helps the horror imagery pop. Naschy was able to shoot in Toshiro Mifune's studios and I suspect getting access to local crew influenced the movie's style for the better. (If I wanted to talk completely out of my rear end, I would say that this is like if Ozu made a werewolf movie. Having finally seen my first few Ozus recently, I will say that if you sprinkle in a bit of Kobayashi the claim gets a little less dumbassed.)
There is a level of wish fulfillment here, which may or may not be off putting depending on how much you can identify with Naschy. If I were a not particularly charismatic and handsome dude (okay, that I am) and I had the ability to direct myself in a movie where I'm surrounded by beautiful women and can run around pretending to be a werewolf in some really nice looking sets, I sure as hell would jump on that opportunity. (All three elements are equally important in this hypothetical scenario.) Naschy's performance has some of that bozo quality, but at the same time, he clearly realizes that he comes up short as an actor against Shigeru Amachi and gladly shifts the dramatic crux of the movie over to the Japanese characters. (The Japanese actors are dubbed into Spanish, but it's done well enough that it was a non-issue for me.) And aside from a rampage through a brothel, the movie is less exploitative than the poster would have you believe, committing to its idiosyncratic vision of horror. If anything, that's what's most surprising about the movie. Naschy isn't just using the Japanese setting for flavouring, he actually seems to respect the country's dramatic traditions and folklore and makes a movie that's a true blend of those elements with his lycanthropic passions.