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The Paul Naschy Collection - Blu-ray Review

4 beers

The theatrics of actor Paul Naschy made him an unstoppable tidal wave of terror in the genre.  Horror, as seen through the eyes of this legend, was quite expressive and always lurid.  It’s easy to see why he was considered, among his many legions of fans, to be the Spanish version of Lon Chaney.  He was never afraid to wear a mask, dip his hands in syrupy goo, and scare the living shit out of audiences with bizarre creatures.  He went full dark quite often, without offering a single shred of humor in his creations. 

And now it is his time for the HD treatment!  Are you ready for such detailed depravity?  Is your stomach strong enough for the oozing blood from fresh wounds and all the beheadings?  Proceed with caution.  Just be mindful of where you step.  It is time to open The Paul Naschy Collection

Scream Factory, doing what they did for American horror legend Vincent Price, turns its gaze to the sun drenched fields of Spain.  Fans of Naschy are certainly going to go gaga for the HD treatment of the five films contained here.  It starts with 1972’s Vengeance of the Zombies and Horror Rises from the Tomb, both of which are bloody and often brilliant in its portrayal of ruthlessness as the dead resume their infiltration upon the earth.  Following that double feature is 1973’s Blue Eyes of the Broken Doll, 1980’s Night of the Werewolf, and finishing out the set is 1980’s blood-soaked Human Beasts

Naschy, as an artist, definitely made a name for himself in the genre.  He was always willing to play interesting parts; complicated characters who did grotesque things in front of very beautiful women; and he loved the creature features.  His chiseled looks made him a fan favorite among both men and women and some of the offerings here are indeed among his very best.

Born Jacinto Molina Álvarez, his journey down the twisted path of Spanish horror is not unlike Bela Lugosi’s own high and low trip through Horror’s haunted vaults.  The only difference is that, at least in Spain, the horror titles Naschy was involved in were always considered hallmarks in Eurohorror and he never tired of putting new spins on classic monsters.  The Paul Naschy Collection is proof of that. 

With new commentaries from Rod Barnett and Troy Guinn of the podcast, NaschyCast, on three of the film’s included with this release, I can think of no other place to start your Naschy obsession then with this release from Scream Factory. 

Here’s to a second volume of Naschy!!!

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[tab title="Blu-ray Review"]

The Paul Naschy Collection - Blu-ray Review

Blu-ray

Blu-ray Details:

Home Video Distributor: Shout Factory
Available on Blu-ray
- June 20, 2017
Screen Formats: vary (individual releases)
Subtitles
: English
Audio:
DTS-HD Master Audio Mono Castalian/DTS-HD Master Audio Mono English Dub
Discs: Blu-ray Disc; Five disc set
Region Encoding: Region A

For individual titles, please see special features.  Overall, the films – which vary in their aspect ratios – look finely detailed and are rippled with color and a new vibrancy to the picture.  Sure, some elements of the source material are objectionable but that is to be expected.  There are some dark, dark corners of each of the five productions included with this release.  Yet, the crispness in the image cannot be overstated.  And the saturation – especially in the bright, bright outdoors – is especially engaging.  Skin tones are solid and black levels plunge into the darkness with explicit directness.  Some of the edges are lost in the all that blackness, though.  Not everything, but a noticeable amount with both rooms and lighting are on the darker side of the spectrum.  Yet, colors are pronounced and most of the dirt and debris seem cleared from the negative.  Some pops and scratches appear. 

Supplements:

Commentary:

  • NEW commentaries by Rod Barnett and Troy Guinn of the podcast, NaschyCast, are included on three of the biggies (Horror Rises from the TombBlue Eyes of the Broken Doll, and Night of the Werewolf) included here.

Special Features

The breakdown for each title is included.

VENGEANCE OF THE ZOMBIES

  • High Definition 1080p (1.33:1)/DTS-HD Master Audio Mono Castalian/DTS-HD Master Audio Mono English Dub/1972/Color/Not Rated/90 minutes
  • Complete Uncut Version
  • In Castilian with English Subtitles and English Dub
  • U.S. Theatrical Trailer
  • Spanish Credit Sequence
  • Alternate Clothed Sequences

HORROR RISES FROM THE TOMB

  • High Definition 1080p (1.85:1)/DTS-HD Master Audio Mono Castalian/DTS-HD Master Audio Mono English Dub/1972/Color/Not Rated/89 minutes
  • Complete Uncut Version
  • In Castilian with English Subtitles and English Dub
  • U.S. Theatrical Trailer
  • Spanish Credit Sequence
  • Alternate Clothed Sequences

BLUE EYES OF THE BROKEN DOLL

  • High Definition 1080p (1.33:1)/DTS-HD Master Audio Mono Castalin/DTS-HD Master Audio Mono English Dub/1973/Color/Not Rated/90 minutes
  • Complete Uncut Version
  • In Castilian with English Subtitles and English Dub
  • U.S. Theatrical Trailer
  • Spanish Credit Sequence

NIGHT OF THE WEREWOLF

  • High Definition 1080p (1.85:1)/DTS-HD Master Audio Mono Castalian/DTS-HD Master Audio Mono English Dub/1980/Color/Not Rated/93 minutes
  • Complete Uncut Version
  • In Castilian with English Subtitles and English Dub
  • Deleted Scenes
  • U.S. Theatrical Trailer
  • Spanish Credit Sequence

HUMAN BEASTS

  • High Definition 1080p (1.85:1)/DTS-HD Master Audio Mono Castalian/DTS-HD Master Audio Mono English Dub/1980/Color/Not Rated/84 minutes
  • Complete Uncut Version
  • In Castilian with English Subtitles and English Dub
  • Spanish Theatrical Trailer

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The Paul Naschy Collection - Blu-ray Review

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