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Tomb of the Werewolf (2004)
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Movie Review by The Gravedigger
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07.18.04
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This Fred Olen Ray movie continues the story of Paul Naschy's Waldemar Walinksy, who was cursed to become a werewolf. And, for the most part, it succeeds in being a decent facsimile of those older films. Although Naschy is now 70 years old they manage to cut off twenty-years with the wig and beard. At first, when they went to the flashback scenes, I thought that they were using footage from some of those older films---but when Michelle Bauer appeared I realized that this was all new stuff, shot to emulate the old. Pretty cool. It looks exactly like an old Naschy werewolf movie.Unfortunately I wasn't too keen on the present-day-plot. Walinksky's present day descendent, who has inherited his castle, lets a reality show television crew to videotape his search for a lost treasure, hidden within its walls. This gives an excuse to get these irritating characters up there, to be killed off one by one.Among them are a tv 'anchoress' who looks like Courtney Cox and one of the camera crew who looks like a younger version of Linnea Quigley. This latter character also provides the obligatory lesbian action.Michelle (is she retired/isn't she retired) Bauer portrays vampire Elisabeth Bathory, who is guarding the castle and Waldemar's earthly remains. She poses under the guise as the housekeeper. When the present day Walinksy is there, she shows him the hidden treasure in the hidden tomb, which turns out to be this huge silver cross portruding from the skeleton of poor Waldemar. She hypnotizes him into pulling the cross out of the skeleton-and as soon as he does the flesh reforms and the werewolf rises up to tear out his throat.Well, to say that Bauer isn't the greatest actress isn't all that new but it does detract a bit from the story, even if that story is intentionally campy.When the moon isn't full Naschy roams about the castle grounds in human form, still in his old attire. One of the people who see him is a psychic who is brought in, a woman who looks exactly like his wife from several hundred years before. Is she a reincarnate? Only one of the many subplots.Naschy himself does a commendable job and his audio, for once, isn't dubbed over. He doesn't say much and it's in a thick Spanish accent, but they chose to keep his original voice.While it may be among the worst Naschy werewolf movies it's an obligatory view for anyone who is a fan of the series.
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Rating: 10.0 out of 10.0 - 2 votes cast total
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