La noche de Walpurgis

Plot synopsis:
The corpse of Waldemar Daninsky [Paul Naschy] bears the mark of the werewolf (a
pentagram on his chest), so two disbelieving coroners remove the silver
bullets to prove to themselves that there are no such things as
werewolves. Of course, the werewolf is immediately revived and kills
the two coroners on his way out the door.Back in Paris, college students Elvira [Gaby Fuchs] and Genevieve [Barbara Capell] are completing
their "final thesis." They've tracked down the tomb of the a 15th century
Countess Wandessa d'Arville de Nadasdy, a supposed witch and vampire. The
Countess's tomb is said to lie near a small village somewhere in northern
France, so the girls load up their car and go in search of the place.
Short on gas, daylight, and directions, however, they accept an invitation
to stay at the rustic (meaning 'no lights, no phone, no motorcar')
countryhouse of writer Waldemar Daninsky. Over a dinner of cold cuts and
wine, Waldemar reveals that he's writing a book about the history of
gothic churches and monuments, but he falls silent when Elvira mentions
her search for Wandessa.The girls retire for the night, but Elvira is awakened from her sleep
when Waldemar's sister Elizabeth [Yelena Samarina] steals into the room, feels her up,
attempts to strangle her, and warns her to leave before the night of the
full moon. The next morning, Waldemar explains to Elvira that Elizabeth
lost her mental stability after the death of their father but that she is
harmless. Meanwhile, Genevieve explores the manor and comes across a shack
with blood on the walls and shackles hanging from the ceiling. Then
Genevieve is attacked by Elizabeth, but Waldemar explains that the
shackles are used to hang game, so the girls decide to remain. In private,
Waldemar warns Elizabeth to leave the girls alone because they are his
"last hope."Armed with papers, documents, and maps, Elvira, Genevieve, and
Waldemar go in search of Wandessa's tomb. They find and open it
uneventfully but Genevieve cuts her arm when she pulls the silver Mayenza
cross from the chest of Wandessa's cadaver, and some of Genevieve's blood
drips on Wandessa's lips. Later that evening, of course, Wandessa [Patty Shepard] rises
from her coffin and calls Genevieve to join her in the garden where she
wets her whistle on Genevieve's blood and returns later for a nightcap on
Elizabeth. Genevieve, now a vampire, pops in for a bite on Elvira, but
Waldemar chases her away with the Mayenza cross. With Genevieve and
Elizabeth out of the way, Elvira confesses her love for Waldemar
(forgetting Marcel, her policeman boyfriend back in Paris), and the two
vow to fight Wandessa together, although Waldemar must first take "certain
precautions" to ensure Elvira's safety because tonight is a full moon.
Waldemar wants Elvira to take the cross and spend the night in the
village, safely locked in a lodge there.Elvira goes to the village. The full moon rises. Waldemar turns into
a werewolf and kills a camper. The next morning, Elvira finds Waldemar
wandering about in tattered clothes, so he tells her how he became a
werewolf while exploring Tibet and how Elizabeth would chain him to a wall
during full moons. Only being stabbed in the heart with the Mayenza cross
by someone who loves him will release him from the curse. But first things
first. First, they have to destroy Wandessa. While Waldemar is out hunting
for her hiding place, Genevieve sates her thirst on Elvira. Waldemar
doesn't find Wandessa, but he does run into Genevieve and destroys her,
which releases Elvira and heals the bite marks on her neck. Because it's
another full moon tonight, Elvira places Waldemar in shackles, but he
escapes just in time to save Elvira from being assaulted by Pierre [José Marco], the
handyman.The next morning, while Elvira is in bed with Waldemar, her Parisien
lover Marcel [Andres Resino] drives into town. He starts asking around about Elvira's
whereabouts and hears strange stories about Waldemar Daninsky, black
magic, vampires, and young girls dying. Marcel finally gets a lead from
Pierre's old girlfriend and decides to pay Waldemar a visit. When Marcel
shows up at Waldemar's house, Elvira greets him with a less than exuberant
kiss, and Marcel realizes that something is going on between Elvira and
Waldemar. Marcel threatens to launch a fullscale investigation into the
rumors surrounding Waldemar, so Waldemar talks Elvira into leaving with
Marcel.Tonight is Walpurgisnacht, the night when Satan rules the earth and
Wandessa will have all her powers. Thinking Elvira safe, Waldemar steps up
his search for Wandessa. However, Wandessa is holding Marcel and Elvira in
her lair while she prepares to make Elvira a blood sacrifice to her Lord
and Master, Satan. Just as Wandessa is about to plunge the knife into
Elvira, however, Waldemar wanders in and rescues Elvira. But the full moon
is on the rise, and Waldemar transforms into a werewolf. As Elvira and
Marcel watch, vampire and werewolf battle it out. The werewolf ultimately
reduces the vampire to a bony shroud crawling with waxworms. Elvira
suddenly grabs the Mayenza cross and, with all the love in her heart,
plunges it into the werewolf's heart. The werewolf turns back
into Waldemar, and Elvira and Marcel leave the tomb with their arms around
each other. [Original Synopsis by bj_kuehl]

Tags: gothic

Review:
While it is painfully slow, It place as a low budget flick and the devotion of Paul to the old-time horror feal makes this more of a labor of love, than a b-movie.
I have to agree with others that this film is much better than "Fury of the Wolfman" - in fact it's one of Paul Naschy's best films - specifically his werewolf films.
If you like werewolves and/or vampires then this one is worth watching if you happen to see it on TV or acquire it in a film pack as I did.The copy that I have came from the Legends of Horror 50 Movie Pack.
The Vampire Woman esily competes with all but the best of the seventies Hammer Films, and surpasses most horror movies that have ever been made.
The Vampire Women " and despite the ridiculous title there actually were some effective and artfully done scenes, especially with a slow motion, day-for- night cloaked figure lurking in some windy ruins.
Also very interesting are the last few scenes, shot in slow motion, of the title's vampire women (who are both really hot and reasonably talented) running from the rising sun..
There's only a small amount of nudity in the film, gratuitous though it may be, and the dialogue isn't half as bad as most horror movies of this period.
The historical sequences are surprisingly good, and the vampires are particularly creepy -- thanks to Molina's insistence that they should be filmed in slow motion.
Successful Werewolf movie with the unforgettable Waldemar Daninsky-Paul Naschy.
Jacinto Molina or Paul Naschy ,who recently passed away, was actor,screenwriter and director of various film 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 ¨Licantropo(1998).It's a B series entertainment with abundant sensationalistic scenes and a Naif style.The movie has a bit of ridiculous gore with loads of blood similar to tomato .
Eerie and atmospheric musical score by Anton Garcia Abril .The motion picture is professionally directed by Leon Klimovsky , a slick craftsman who directed all kind of genres, as Terror for Paul Naschy (Marshall of hell,Rebellion of dead one,Orgy of vampires, Werewolf shadow,Dr Jekill vs.
Paul Naschy, the Werewolf Prince of European cinema, portrays the tortured Waldemar in this film of many titles.
He changes into a werewolf and slaughters the two doctors performing the autopsy.Afterwards, we are introduced to a redheaded student, Gaby Fuchs, who takes her friend Barbara Capell out to the countryside to search for the tomb of a fabled governess.
The following day, Naschy leads the two girls to the tomb and they dig up the corpse of the governess - Capell cutting her arm and having droplets of her blood fall into the governesses open mouth.
The plot line of students staying in an abandoned castle while on academic furlough is a bit too overused but it works here).ACTING: $$$ (As with most of these European horror films, it is difficult to tell how good of an actor the thespians are because their lines are dubbed in English.
Very slow moving with plenty of creepy music.Those used to copious amounts of nudity and gore in the series will be disappointed with this entry.The final battle between the wolfman (Naschy) and the vampire woman, Countess Wandesa Dárvula de Nadasdy (Patty Shepard) was quick and anti- climatic, but they are both gone for good..
"The Werewolf vs the Vampire Woman" wastes lots of great Gothic elements in plodding through it's (too long) running time.
Scenes from this flick look great as stills;  when moving, they leave a lot to be desired.Paul Naschy's acting talents never advanced beyond "high school play status" in any of his filmic endeavors.
As the title suggests, the film handles the stalwart horror monster 'the werewolf', and it does it in an almost fairytale like manner.
However, they happen to run into Waldemar Daninsky, a Count with a secret, who invites the girls to stay at his castle.The film is probably most notable for the fact that it stars prolific Spanish horror veteran, Paul Naschy.
Overall, I really can't recommend going out of your way to find Werewolf Shadow; all of its elements have been done better in other films, and despite some nice aesthetics; this is a sadly lacklustre effort..
The slo-mo gliding of the lady vampires is good too and there are a few minutes somewhere in the middle where it looks as if the film is rising to some altogether different level.
From the very beginning, it should be clear to anyone that a movie with Paul Naschy and under the English title of "The Werewolf vs.
If there wasn't any good gore, then at least I would have expected unintentionally humorous results, but sadly, this film fails to deliver the expected elements of entertainment that a horror fan would imagine in a film of this kind.In "La Noche de Warpugis", Elvira and Genevive, go to the French countryside, with the intention of making some enquiries about a wicked Countess named Wandessa, who lived through the 13th century and who was recognized for devoting herself to Satan, among other things.
In "The Night of the Walpurgis", the werewolf and the vampire women find themselves battling in a dull and banal encounter, in which the viewers are the only ones who actually lose.Too bad this film was so below my expectations.
Several films with Paul Naschy are well-known for having a little bit of everything, so I supposse I should give a friendly warning to anyone who thinks "La Noche de Walpurgis" is also going to be like this.
Yes, Daninsky is a werewolf and, once again, the curse can only be broken by the one who truly loves him.Enter two Euro-hotties  Elvira and Genevieve  searching for the fabled tomb of a powerful witch/vampire, Countess Wandessa.
Before long, the vampire arises and attacks Genevieve, who becomes one of the undead herself.With a full moon on the way, bloodsuckers on the loose, and a werewolf for a boyfriend, can Elvira save the day?
There are some nice atmospheric scenes and the ladies are pretty easy on the eye, but this is still not reason enough to recommend this lacklustre effort.Definitely one for Paul Naschy completists only..
The whole film reminds me in mood and imagination of some of the great horror comics of Warrens Eerie and Creepy (late 60s) and is actually one of my favorites among surreal monster flicks, and one of the most enjoyable werewolf movies.
And so begins a battle of werewolf (Naschy) versus sexy looking vampires.
best part about the movie is of course without a doubt is the ever so sexy Elvira ,, queen of the night,, the darkness and everything else in between,, she never looked so good,,, I will have to watch again to catch up on the finer points of the movie,, but all in all not a bad b flick..
Great Atmosphere and Make-Up. The Werewolf versus the Vampire Woman (1971) ** 1/2 (out of 4)A couple beautiful women go looking for the tomb of Countess Wandesa (Patty Shepard) who was believed to have been a vampire.
They happen to end up staying with werewolf Waldemar Daninsky (Paul Naschy) and sure enough one of the women (Gaby Fuchs) falls for him while the other falls victim to the Countess when she returns to life.
The werewolf, the vampire woman and the two female characters are all much more interesting than anything in the previous two movies.
Definately not worth it.I heard some buzz about Paul Naschy and I'll admit that I enjoyed Horror Rises from the Tomb.Werewolf Shadow on the other hand is really really lame.
I have seen some of the Paul Naschy films in which he has played vampires, werewolf and other evil beings but I really like his werewolf films.
A tortured and depressed man that cannot beat this secret, a man cursed to be a "werewolf." Naschy usually plays a wolf with much panache and does not disappoint an battling an evil vampire.
Continuing my reviews of werewolf movies in mostly chronological order, this is my first time on one with Paul Naschy as Waldemar Daninsky.
This time round Paul Naschy plays Waldemar Daninsky as a depressed, introspective type hiding away in his creepy castle.
One resurrected Vampire Queen later, Elvira's buddy is turned into a cute vampire in training and we see her and the Vampire woman running around in slow motion which adds rather nicely to the general atmosphere of the film, while Paul of course is trying not fall in love with Elvira, which doesn't work, and trying not to tear the throats out of the local populace, which also doesn't work.It becomes a case of which horrible movie monster must be destroyed, so Paul Naschy takes it upon himself to dispose of the Vampire Queen, which is just as well as she's using Elvira like a kind of blood Soda Stream, but what will happen to Paul.It might be cheap, but it's still effective.
This is why I've been hoarding Paul Naschy films - I watched his Horror Rises From The Tomb years ago and thought every film he made would be like that.
Paul Naschy plays a man who turns into a werewolf when the full moon is out.
She and her foxy friend (Barbara Capell) end up being the house guests of the mysterious Waldermar Daninsky (Naschy), who is in fact a werewolf.
WEREWOLF SHADOW (aka THE WEREWOLF VS THE VAMPIRE WOMAN) (1970) **1/2 (D: Leon Klimovsky) - Most fans consider this the best of Paul Naschy's werewolf films.
boring flick is badly made and weakly directed it has an amusing opening but really bad dubbing it has plenty of fake looking gore lame effects and a weak ending it is also way way too talky and too darkly lit scenes the acting is pretty bad Paul Naschy is the only one that stands out here with his goofy performance all the rest of the actors stink i was quite disappointed i expected lots of werewolf Vrs vampire action and that dubbing is just horrible this is one headache inducing and boring time that i recommend you avoid the reason this review is so short there is nothing else worth noting avoid this one folks you will be glad ya did BOMB out of 5.
There were 13 films in which Paul Naschy played Waldemar Daninsky, who was turned into a werewolf.
There were 13 films in which Paul Naschy played Waldemar Daninsky, who was turned into a werewolf.
Very slow moving with plenty of creepy music.Those used to copious amounts of nudity and gore in the series will be disappointed with this entry.The final battle between the wolfman (Naschy) and the vampire woman, Countess Wandesa Dárvula de Nadasdy (Patty Shepard) was quick and anti-climatic, but they are both gone for good.Oh, I forgot this is number four in a series of 13.
Jacinto Molina (or as he is internationally known, Paul Naschy) is an actor who most people would not think of: a Spanish horror star.
I think this was the first Paul Naschy film I`ve ever seen.
Elvira (played by Gaby Fuchs who had a smaller part in Mark of the Devil) and her very foxy friend Genevieve are crossing the French countryside, searching for the tomb of an ancient female vampire  Countess Wandessa  when they are housed by the charming Waldemar.
It is, however, a decent werewolf movie for those who appreciate cheesy horror films.
It is, however, a decent werewolf movie for those who appreciate cheesy horror films.
I'm actually looking forward to seeing other Paul Naschy movies, especially the werewolf ones..
I'm actually looking forward to seeing other Paul Naschy movies, especially the werewolf ones..
The gore is really icing on the cake though as the film is strong enough to stand up without it.Highlights include the scene where Naschy kills his vampire sister and the final sequence where the witch dissolves into a maggot-covered skeleton.
The violent werewolf scenes are pretty good, although Naschy looks slightly comedic he is still excellent value for money.
Add to that the subplot of vampirism and you have a film well worth watching.The locations are nice, the atmosphere is brilliant, the acting, although affected by dubbing, is nonetheless more than adequate with Naschy particularly excelling himself in his role.
Another guy, a policeman, looks like the spitting image of Gregory Peck.Okay, the film itself is not particularly well made, down to the lack of budget more than anything else, but there are some nice bits of editing (the repeat flashes from Naschy to the full moon and back again are rather good) and it could have been a lot worse.
Paul Naschy is at his best in this little werewolf romp.
If you enjoy this film, the fifth in the Waldemar series, then chances are you're game for all that Spanish Horror has to offer – Werewolf Shadow is one of the gateway drugs to the world of Naschy, his Suspiria if you will.
While the movie is, of course, cheesy (which is to be expected), and unfortunately also has some pretty boring parts , it is also very stylish, quite creepy and quite interesting due to the Werewolf/Vampire topic and, especially, thanks to Spanish Exploitation/Horror icon Paul Naschy.
- Elvira (Gaby Fuchs) and Genevieve (Barbara Capell) are two young girls who happen to search for the tomb of a murderous medieval witch, who was said to be a vampire.
The friendly passenger is Waldemar Daninsky (Paul Naschy), a kind-hearted and educated man, who has he misfortune of turning into a werewolf at full moon...
B-movie cult actor Paul Naschy stars in the role of the Werewolf Waldemar Daninsky the fourth time, a role which he has played 13 times so far.
The film furthermore features a beautiful female cast, Gaby Fuchs, Barbara Capell and Patty Shepard (especially Capell is very, very hot), and, in spite of an obviously minimal budget, many scenes are very stylishly made (allthough its sometimes overdone, as nearly all creepy moments are done in slow-mo)."The Werewolf Vs. Vampire Women" isn't a masterpiece.
My first ever exposure to the world and works of the late Jacinto Molina (aka Paul Naschy), "Werewolf Shadow" made quite an impression on my younger self, due to its heady cocktail of Wolf Man, hot Euro babes, sexy vampire chicks and needless gore.
Perhaps not, but it sure is good fun.Molina / Naschy here portrays the eternal werewolf Waldemar Daninsky for around the third or fourth time - not that these movies have any real continuity between them at all - reanimated by a foolish pathologist removing the silver bullets from his heart.
La Noche de Walpurgis, or the ridiculous sounding The Werewolf Vs. Vampire Woman or the better sounding but still irrelevant Werewolf Shadow as it's known amongst English speaking audiences, starts at a local mortuary where Dr. Hartwig (Julio Pena) & his assistant Muller (Bernabe Barta Barri) are carrying out a postmortem on Waldemar Daninsky (Jacinto Molina under his usual pseudonym Paul Naschy) a suspected Werewolf who has been shot with silver bullets.
Anyway, the script by star Molina as James Molin (how many pseudonym's does this guy have?) & Hans Munkel has plenty of the elements that most rabid Euro horror fans will be looking for like Vampires, Werewolves, blood, superstitious locals, pretty girls, idiotic dialogue & nudity.
Director Klimovsky manges to create some great scenes & atmosphere with the Vampires moving in slow motion & for some reason he has them jump off something whenever they appear, I also liked Wandessa's outfit with her black veil.
Elvira(Gaby Fuchs)and her friend Genevieve(the delicious Barbara Capbell)are searching for the burial site of a devil-worshiping, supposed-vampire Countess Wandessa d'Arville de Nadasdy(Patty Shepard, who looks great when she ever gets a chance to be on screen; quite menacing yet striking at the same time).
Keeping a recording of the chilling Spanish Horror Sleep Tight on the side to see in October,I was pleased to spot a Naschy film in a local DVD shop,which led to me finally meeting Daninsky.The plot:Traveling round in search of mythical vampire Countess Wandessa de Nadasdy, Elvira and her friend Genevieve meet gentlemen Waldemar Daninsky, who unknown to them is a Werewolf who has just come back from the dead,after some now-murdered doctors removed silver bullets from him.
Paul Naschy is great as the werewolf, not so great as Waldemar Daninsky.
The handy man was good, the wacky dialogue and German accent.Best parts of the film are when the werewolf or the vampires are around.
Like every Paul Naschy vehicle I've seen, "WvsTVW" compares to a classic Hammer or Universal horror film the way an Arby's Roast Beef sandwich compares to a standing rib roast - there's some flavor there, a bit of enjoyment, but it's no substitute for the real thing.
Average Paul Naschy film.
the Vampire Woman" isn't the best film in the series featuring Paul Naschy or the worse.
Naschy stars again as Waldemar Daninsky,a nobleman who turns into a werewolf.
The dubbing is average but the girls are attractive.There are some good action scenes as well.If you're a fan of Paul Naschy, this is worth a peek.
The hero of this piece is Paul Naschy, who was pretty good as the tortured, Waldemar, and did his best to menace, as the werewolf, in less than spectacular makeup.
WALPURGIS NIGHT is one of the better "Paul Naschy" efforts- due in no small part to director Klimovsky's extremely effective use of slow motion during most of the vampire sequences.