La Maldición de la Bestia – translation: “The Curse of the Beast” is a 1975 Spanish supernatural horror film directed by Miguel Iglesias as M.I. Bonns from a screenplay written by Jacinto Molina aka Paul Naschy who also stars. It is the eighth in a long series about the werewolf Count Waldemar Daninsky.
The film is also known as The Werewolf and the Yeti, Hall of the Mountain King, Horror of the Werewolf and Night of the Howling Beast.
In the early 1980s, the film became one of the UK’s infamous so-called ‘video nasties’ when it was caught up in the moral furore over freely available violent videos.
Waldemar Daninsky goes on an expedition from London (cue shot of Big Ben) to Tibet to find proof that the yeti really exists.
Unfortunately, he encounters vicious bandits and becomes captured by two feral, cannibalistic women who turn him into a werewolf. Waldemar’s friends are then kidnapped by a sorceress, and later, he briefly fights a yeti…
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Reviews:
” …Euro-exploitation of a particularly unhinged variety, and the film does not disappoint […] with a few moments of genuine atmosphere smuggled in – as when Daninsky seeks refuge in a cave system bathed in an amber glow with lavender highlights.” Jonathan Rigby, Euro Gothic, Signum Books, 2016
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“This is a crazy watch, it has werewolves, a yeti, blood rituals, skin-peeling, warlords, and cannibalism – there’s a little bit of everything here for everyone, all mixed up in a goody stew of action and horror that never gets boring.” McBastard’s Mausoleum
“We get a decent amount of werewolf carnage here and the action scenes are both plentiful and well-choreographed […] the sets and locations employed work nicely and the camerawork is more than competent, occasionally even flashy. Not the best of Naschy’s Daninsky pictures but definitely an entertaining monster mash well worth seeking out.” Rock! Shock! Pop!
“If you’re familiar with Naschy’s work then you know what to expect. If not, and you enjoy this kind of old-school Eurosleaze, then you’re in for a treat. While in terms of horror, it’s not Naschy’s best, that would probably be Horror Rises from the Tomb. But in terms of sheer fun The Werewolf and the Yeti is up there with The Hunchback of the Morgue.” 4 out of 5, Voices from the Balcony
Buy Blu-ray with Hunchback of the Morgue (1973), Devil’s Possessed (1974), Exorcism (1974), and A Dragonfly for Each Corpse (1975) from Amazon.com
“Too bad we have to wait until the last eight minutes before Naschy’s snarling lycanthrope battles some shambling, anonymous dude in a yeti suit. Nevertheless, The Werewolf and the Yeti a.k.a. Night of the Howling Beast ranks as one of the Spanish horror star’s most enjoyable outings.” The Spinning Image
Trailer:
Clip:
Cast and characters:
Paul Naschy … Waldemar Daninsky
Mercedes Molina … Sylvia Lacombe [as Grace Mills]
Silvia Solar … Wandesa
Gil Vidal … Larry Talbot
Luis Induni … Sekkar Khan
Castillo Escalona … Professor Lacombe
Ventura Oller … Ralph
Verónica Miriel … Melody
Juan Velilla … Norman
Carmen Cervera
Pepa Ferrer
José Luis Chinchilla … Temugin
Fernando Ulloa … Lama
Juan Ollé
Ana María Mauri … Princesa Ulka
