This documentary almost made me regret that I already am an avid admirer and collector of Paul Naschy's work for nearly twenty years! Why? Because, if I hadn't yet known him or his work, I could immediately start searching for all the great horror & exploitation film titles that are covered in "The Man who Saw Frankenstein Cry".
Still, even with 80-85% of Naschy's film titles seen and often proudly standing in my DVD-collection, this remains a fascinating documentary and a must-see for everyone with a big heart for the horror and euro-exploitation genre. It may sound like a giant cliché, but Paul Naschy (real name: Jacinto Molino) was one of the most devoted and hard-working men in the industry, and he deserves a spot in the Horror Hall of Fame and Legends; right next to Boris Karloff, Peter Cushing, Lon Chaney, and a few notable others.
It unfolds like a normal and adequately structured documentary, first covering Naschy's difficult childhood years during the Spanish Civil War, then narrating how a mere poster of "Frankenstein meets the Wolf Man" lit an eternally burning horror-flame inside his heart, and then swiftly moving towards how he put himself on the map with his creation of Waldemar Daninsky; - the werewolf of Polish descent because apparently Spanish citizens cannot turn into hairy creatures of the night. Strangely enough, Naschy faced his biggest career challenge after the dictatorship of Franco, because his movies are most effective as clandestine and rebellious film-projects. This led to two difficult decades, the 80s and 90s, but I'm so very happy that Naschy was able to make a glorious comeback in the new Millenium and - as one of few, sadly - just lived long enough to enjoy the respect and idolization he deserved.
I met Paul Naschy once, when he was the guest of honor with "Rojo Sangre" at the Brussels International Fantastic Film Festival, and my memories of him exactly correspond with how he's depicted here in the documentary. He truly was a humble and emotional man, with a big passion for horror movies but an even bigger passion for his fans. I have never witnessed a more genuine and from-the-heart standing ovation, honestly. In case you're a fan of horror and Naschy's work, you should watch "The Man who Saw Frankenstein Cry". In case you're a fan of horror, but you are not particularly familiar with Naschy's work, you should definitely watch "The Man who Saw Frankenstein Cry"!
PS: should you wonder what the beautiful but mysterious title of this documentary refers to, make sure to stay seated until the end and witness a lovely little anecdote...
Still, even with 80-85% of Naschy's film titles seen and often proudly standing in my DVD-collection, this remains a fascinating documentary and a must-see for everyone with a big heart for the horror and euro-exploitation genre. It may sound like a giant cliché, but Paul Naschy (real name: Jacinto Molino) was one of the most devoted and hard-working men in the industry, and he deserves a spot in the Horror Hall of Fame and Legends; right next to Boris Karloff, Peter Cushing, Lon Chaney, and a few notable others.
It unfolds like a normal and adequately structured documentary, first covering Naschy's difficult childhood years during the Spanish Civil War, then narrating how a mere poster of "Frankenstein meets the Wolf Man" lit an eternally burning horror-flame inside his heart, and then swiftly moving towards how he put himself on the map with his creation of Waldemar Daninsky; - the werewolf of Polish descent because apparently Spanish citizens cannot turn into hairy creatures of the night. Strangely enough, Naschy faced his biggest career challenge after the dictatorship of Franco, because his movies are most effective as clandestine and rebellious film-projects. This led to two difficult decades, the 80s and 90s, but I'm so very happy that Naschy was able to make a glorious comeback in the new Millenium and - as one of few, sadly - just lived long enough to enjoy the respect and idolization he deserved.
I met Paul Naschy once, when he was the guest of honor with "Rojo Sangre" at the Brussels International Fantastic Film Festival, and my memories of him exactly correspond with how he's depicted here in the documentary. He truly was a humble and emotional man, with a big passion for horror movies but an even bigger passion for his fans. I have never witnessed a more genuine and from-the-heart standing ovation, honestly. In case you're a fan of horror and Naschy's work, you should watch "The Man who Saw Frankenstein Cry". In case you're a fan of horror, but you are not particularly familiar with Naschy's work, you should definitely watch "The Man who Saw Frankenstein Cry"!
PS: should you wonder what the beautiful but mysterious title of this documentary refers to, make sure to stay seated until the end and witness a lovely little anecdote...