The Werewolf Versus the Vampire Woman (1971) User Reviews

Successful Werewolf movie with the unforgettable Waldemar Daninsky-Paul Naschy

[ma-cortes · 6/10 · 24 February 2010]

Paul Naschy again with his classic character and frightening to viewer. It deals with Elvira (Gaby Fuchs) and her friend Genevieve (Barbara Capell) travelling through the French countryside in search of the lost grave of a medieval vampire, Countess Wandesa (Patty Shepard) , then things go wrong . The Blood Flows Like Vintage Wine ! . Things happen that have never been seen by human beings ! . The blood flows like vintage wine ! .

Jacinto Molina or Paul Naschy , who recently passed away, was actor, screenwriter and director of various films about the personage based on a 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 . This time Paul Nashy/Jacinto Molina exhibits little breast but he was a weightlifting champion. Here Waldemar takes on Countess Wandessa played by Patty Shepard in some unforgettable slow-moving scenes . Brief nudism and erotic situations in charge of Gaby Fuchs and Barbara Capell . Good cinematography by cameraman Leopoldo Villaseñor is accompanied by a correct remastering . Eerie and atmospheric musical score by composer Anton Garcia Abril .The motion picture was 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. The werewolf) , Warlike (June 44 attack force Normandy , A bullet for Rommel, Bridge over Elba) and Spaghetti/Paella Westerns (Badland drifter , Some dollars for Django , Death knows no time , Two thousand dollars for Coyote). Carlos Aured's assistant direction, who directed the following sequel titled, ¨ The return of the Walpurgis ¨. The flick will appeal to Paul Naschy fans and horror genre enthusiastic. Rating : 6/10 . Acceptable and entertaining.

The Werewolf returns

[lastliberal-853-253708 · 6/10 · 11 February 2012]

There were 13 films in which Paul Naschy played Waldemar Daninsky, who was turned into a werewolf. This film is fourth in the series.

Known as Werewolf Shadow or Shadow of the Werewolf, as well as the original title, La noche de Walpurgis. It is a Gothic horror. 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.

Werewolf vs sexy goth vampires

[Stevieboy666 · 6/10 · 7 August 2017]

AKA La Noche de Walpurgis, aka Shadow of the Werewolf, aka The Werewolf's Shadow etc. It wasn't until reviewing this afterwards that I realised that I had already seen it many yeas ago but under a different title. Countess Waldessa is revived when a girl cuts herself during an excavation of her tomb & the blood drips on to her skeletal remains. How clumsy! And so begins a battle of werewolf (Naschy) versus sexy looking vampires. There seems to be a lot of full moons here & these vamps must be immune from sunlight but this film drips Gothic horror. It is also a tale of doomed, tragic love. Not a patch on Universal or Hammer horror but good fun none the less. I believe that some prints are cut.

An imaginative and fun fur flick

[whirlybird24 · 15 March 2003]

Although this movie obviously suffered from a lack of budget and resources, it is pretty well done by a crew who made the best of what they did have. I saw this as " The Werewolf vs. 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.

THIRSTY FOR COMPANY

[nogodnomasters · 4/10 · 25 June 2019]

While performing an autopsy a man removes silver bullets from Paul Naschy and viola! We have a movie! Two coeds traveling in Europe looking for a dead female vampire who drank the blood of virgins stumble upon the manor of the only werewolf in Europe. who happens to live nearby. The vampire died by a silver cross to the heart, something our man Paul can carry around with him, without any side effects.

Entertaining from a campy point of view.

This feature has been poorly transferred to DVD and on some copies, the few nude scenes have been cut. Night time shots appear to be done with natural lighting, and that is bad.

Vintage Molina.

[Teknofobe70 · 6/10 · 6 April 2005]

Noche de Walpurgis, Nacht der Vampire, Blood Moon, Werewolf Shadow ... the amount of alternative titles that this movie has, annoying as it may be, is a testament to it's international success.

So why is it that the world cared so much about some Spanish horror movie? Well, the fact is, it was simply better than most of what everyone else was doing at the time. But like "I Was A Teenage Werewolf" did in the late fifties, this movie sparked off a whole new generation of similar werewolf movies such as "The Beast Must Die", which attempted to emulate it's atmosphere precisely.

But has it stood the test of time? Lead actor and writer Jacinto Molina certainly thinks so. Others are less certain. For instance, it's easy to put off by the cheesy soundtrack, complete unsuited to what the mood of the movie should be, and the script definitely has it's dull moments. There's a whole sequence towards the end of the movie, when a policeman comes to investigate the murders and seems to spend half an hour in pointless conversation with the villagers. Oh, and the 'romance' aspect of the film feels both rushed and forced. The blood often looks fake, and the clearer the picture is, the less convinced you are by the makeup. It's one of the few movies that fails to benefit from a restored DVD version.

However, there's still plenty of good stuff here that help it to rise above the 'trashy horror' category for some parts at least. 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. His performance is easily the most notable, and it's likely that if he'd been given more creative control over the production of these movies, they would have been much better.

All in all, this movie may well be for genre fans only. Most will probably find it dull and dated, but at the time it was definitely something pretty special.

Naschy gnashes while viewer snoozes!

[sanzar · 5/10 · 27 April 1999]

"The Werewolf vs the Vampire Woman" wastes lots of great Gothic elements in plodding through it's (too long) running time. The ideas are there, but thoroughly unrealized by Director Leon Klimovsky, as one boring scene follows another, generating little or no tension or interest. 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. He reacts to most of the outlandish goings-on with his usual impassiveness, as though his scenes were for blocking purposes only. When his character, Waldemar Daninsky, transforms into the werewolf of the title, Naschy employs body slams, punches and arm-swipes as though he were on the undercard of a poorly rehearsed wrestling match. The climatic battle between Vampiress and Werewolf is underwhelming in its embarrassing lack of action. Naschy's slavering drool, however, provides one of the few highlights.

The soundtrack plays like one of those "Halloween Sounds" tapes offered every season, littered with ghostly wails, shrieks, and assorted bumps. That, along with some haunting (but oft-repeated) musical motifs, offer some pleasant diversion. Unfortunately, the werewolf's growls sound like a guy with serious indigestion and leave alot to be desired.

Definitely a reminiscense for those who fell in love with drive-in & grindhouse fodder in the 60's & 70's. Given the relatively short life span of homo sapiens, why waste valuable hours of your lifetime on this dreck?

Paul Naschy VS. Vampire Women

[Witchfinder-General-666 · 7/10 · 25 October 2007]

Léon Klimovsky's "La Noche De Walpurgis" aka. "The Werewolf Vs. Vampire Women" of 1971 is certainly nothing essential, but definitely highly watch-worthy for my fellow Eurohorror enthusiasts, and an overall interesting little flick with highs and lows. 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.

• Warning! Possible SPOILERS ahead! -

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. When the two young women run out of gas in the middle of nowhere, a man offers them to stay at his house. 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. Naschy, whose name stands for pure cult for exploitation lovers like myself, also wrote the screenplay for this film, as he did for many of the movies he starred in. 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. Nonetheless, it is a highly entertaining and interesting film that should not be missed by serious lovers of Eurohorror. The film may have its lengths throughout the middle, but it is also stylishly made and quite creepy in many parts, and definitely worth he time for a genre-fan. Highly recommended to my fellow Naschy-fans!

Kind of stylish, but oh-so-boring!

[Milo-Jeeder · 4/10 · 26 May 2007]

I think it's obvious that no one in his right mind would expect a movie like this to be a masterpiece or anything remotely academic. 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. The Vampire Women" is not going to be precisely the kind of horror movie anyone would take seriously. Not because Mr. Naschy cannot be taken seriously. As a matter of fact, I acknowledge him as a Latin horror legend and he has been in some of the finest horror films in Spanish I have seen, such as "Blue Eyes of the Broken Doll", for instance. On the other hand, this multifaceted actor, is also well-known for being in some of the most bizarre and random horror movies throughout the 60s and 70s. With this cute little horror flick, I mistakenly anticipated myself to a little bit of tasteless amusement that in the long run, was going to earn my reverences. 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. When the journey is about to come to an end, Elvira's car runs out of gas and the girls finds themselves lost in the middle of the French nowhere with no one else in the area to give them a hand. Luckily, Elvira and Genevive find relief when a mysterious man named Waldemar appears out of the blue, to offer them a place to stay before the night falls. However, Mr. Valdemar is actually a really enchanting little werewolf who lives with his crazy sister hidden inside the house and while he intends to be a normal person with good manners, his ferocious nature forces him to be wild and dangerous to be friends with. As if this wasn't already enough, Countess Wandessa who has been sleeping for centuries, suddenly revives and goes back to her old tricks again, without expecting an equally strong rival like Waldemar, who won't let her get away with the same wicked behavior she once had. 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. Like I said before, I expected at least some decent childishness to amuse myself. There's basically no gore whatsoever and the few death scenes, are rather effortless and insipid. 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. Honestly, I got so bored watching this film, that in the end, the only reason why I didn't leave it incomplete, it's because I wanted to see if something would save it during the last minutes. Unfortunately, the silly opening sequence is about as good as it gets all the way trough.

A Surprisingly Good Werewolf-Vampire Film

[Rainey-Dawn · 7/10 · 5 May 2016]

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. I didn't expect a whole lot from this movie (I expected it to be so-so) but it came as a pleasant surprise - it's good and I like it!

To some, this type of film is considered Euro-trash, tasteless and bad - well the film might be all those things but it's so bad it's good. 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. It's a fairly good copy - but not digitally corrected. The voice dubbing into English is good enough for me to enjoy.

7.5/10

sexy vampire women

[kairingler · 5/10 · 2 March 2014]

A werewolf is brought back to life and goes off to the country is search of a safe hiding place and food as well. meanwhile two young girls have the misfortune of their car breaking down while they are in search of a legendary vampire queen's tomb. the girls find refuge in an old castle of the revived werewolf and that is where they will uncover the vampire's final resting place,, and re awken her and unleash all of her powers... not a bad "b" movie,, could have been better, could have been worse.. 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.

A true classic of Spanish Gothic horror

[Leofwine_draca · 10/10 · 15 December 2016]

A classic slice of Spanish exploitation, this is Euro Horror at its finest. It runs like a Hammer film and contains many of the usual Gothic traditions - crucifixes, atmosphere, ruined graveyards, vampires, witches, werewolves, manacles, and deserted castles. The film is even set in an unspecified European locale (Northern France is mentioned, but this doesn't look much like France to me), so beloved of the Hammer studio. However, as this is a Spanish exploitation film and the Europeans were always less prudish than their British counterparts, there are the added touches of nudity (whenever women fight their tops get torn off, unsurprisingly) and more gore than we would usually expect from a fantasy piece about classic monsters like this. 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. In the former, we watch as Naschy nonchalantly hammers a stake (with a huge mallet!) into his sister's chest, watching blood erupt from the wound, and then hacks her head off with an axe - all portrayed in a jaw-droppingly matter-of-fact way! The latter death scene is highly reminiscent of the influential Hammer Dracula deaths, once again a wax model being used to make it look like the corpse is decaying. A wonderfully over the top moment in a brilliant film.

This was my first exposure to Naschy's films and I have to say that I am greatly impressed. It would have been easy to let the gore run riot (no harm in that) and while the film isn't restrained, it also succeeds in building the type of atmosphere favoured by classic horror films from the decades before it. As a matter of interest, two of the classic monsters of the horror film are involved, and zombies and even the devil (well, his shadow anyway) turn up in bit parts. Naschy has said that he's fond of the Universal monster bashes of the 1940s, where one monster was teamed against another, and the evidence is clear here. The violent werewolf scenes are pretty good, although Naschy looks slightly comedic he is still excellent value for money. The only problem would be the poor quality of the makeup, which admittedly looks rather bad. The evil witch is intimidating and evokes Barbara Steele in her black robes and veil. 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. Never since the days Lon Chaney Jr. played Lawrence Talbot have we had such a well-portrayed and charismatic character consumed by his werewolf hunger and forced to kill in a series of films. Naschy certainly knows his stuff and he makes for a very memorable leading hero in his leather jacket. There are a couple of surprisingly touching romantic interludes between Naschy and Fuchs, achieved via a bit of tinkling piano music. The rest of the female cast is either required to strip or look spooky! 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. The only problem comes when one piece of footage is accidentally repeated twice, making things truly weird. Watch out for an excellent scene where a girl is attacked by a decayed monk in the ruined castle. Could this be one of the undead Templars from TOMBS OF THE BLIND DEAD making a guest appearance? It sure looks like it! The film has all you could ever want from a horror film: violence, gore, action, suspense, atmosphere, romance, and characters you feel for. The only hurdle would be the obvious cultural barrier and the fact that you have to ignore that it's poorly dubbed. If you can get over that, this is an excellent slice of horror from a much-maligned age. This film has certainly led to a desire within me (not unlike the craving of a bloodthirsty vampire) to see more of Naschy's yarns, and on recent second viewing it was just as good again.

It's the extras on the disc that tip the scales

[christopher-underwood · 6/10 · 17 January 2007]

This barely keeps afloat and is so slow in parts that when one of the characters falls asleep at the table we think for a moment she has dropped off in a state of boredom. And it is such a shame about the pacing because there are decent moments, lovely girls, lots of nudity and blood, even a little gore. 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. But no we are soon back to a plodding Mr Naschy and the plodding script. It's the extras on the disc that tip the scales and the interview with Mr Plod is welcome and goes some way to helping one understand his popularity!

Stopping at the Werewolf's house

[bkoganbing · 3/10 · 21 January 2018]

This Spanish-German production with a French setting looks like it was rivaling some of the gorier British Hammer films of the time. In terms of blood and breasts it succeeded.

Gaby Fuchs a researcher into the occult and her friend Barbara Capell are on a mission. It's to find the grave of a woman killed in the 14th century who was reputed to be a witch who through her experimenting with the black arts became a vampire.

They do find her and pulling the cross/stake from her skeletal remains and a cut from one of the women which drips blood into the skeletal mouth is all that's needed to loose this evil on the 20th century. Seeking some aid they go to the ancient castle of Paul Naschy, but he's got some issues of his own. Like he's a werewolf and you know what a full moon means to those folks.

The Werewolf Vs. The Vampire Woman makes some nice use of some ancient medieval ruins. On the other hand it's nothing we haven't seen before.

Where is Lawrence Talbot when you need him.

Great Paul Naschy entry.

[bfan83 · 8 April 2005]

Before viewing "Horror Rises From the Tomb", I watched this little gem. Which is actually a little hard to find. I loved it. Paul Naschy is at his best in this little werewolf romp. In this one, he has a fight to do the death with a beautiful vampire woman who has a knack for lesbianism. Which I always love. But on a more serious note, the film does film some beautiful surroundings. That's the thing with Spanish filmmakers, they pad their films with enough beautiful scenery to create a dreadful atmosphere. The movie itself is a bit slow moving, but hang in there. You'll want to see the werewolf/vampire smack down in the end. It's a hoot! Highly, highly recommended to Spanish horror film fans, and b-movie fans! 8/10.

Talkative Euro- Horror Which Isn't Helped By The Dubbing

[Theo Robertson · 4/10 · 1 July 2013]

Two pathologists carry out an autopsy of a man shot by silver bullets . One warns the other of dark supernatural forces if the bullet is removed from the body . His colleague tells him not to worry and the corpse will remain dead . He removes the bullets and .... do I need to draw a diagram ?

Yes Daninsky is back and after this opening pre-credits sequence we get a series of postcards of Paris landmarks . Knowing the rest of the franchise this could set the scene anywhere but I'm guessing we might just be in Paris and two girls talk to a man in a discoteque and their voices are dubbed in to English . Not just the voices but the background music too which is composed of a few solitary notes on a piano which renders the scene of the hip young cats getting down somewhat laughable

This sums up the problem of the film - the dubbing is inappropriate . Certainly the lip synch is good enough but the voices don't go with the cast . Of the two female protagonists Genevieve is dubbed by an much older woman while the older woman Elvira is dubbed by someone younger and is rather distracting . Perhaps the voices should be swapped around ? But at least they're dubbed because in a couple of other scenes characters talk in Spanish even if their characters are supposed to be French

And that's all the characters mainly do in this film - talk , and talk and talk where nothing much really happens. With a premise of a female Vampire rising from the dead and curses werewolf Daninsky having to combat her the Alas bonkers but imaginative premise isn't utilized to its full potential . People who don't like horror won't be drawn to it and horror fans will be rather bored by it

Just a shadow of other fairytale horror films

[The_Void · 7/10 · 8 August 2006]

The first thing I noticed about this film was the completely inane dialogue, and unfortunately; there is a streak of ineptitude running throughout Werewolf Shadow, and this is a shame as without it; this film actually isn't bad at all. The principle positive element is without doubt the atmosphere, as León Klimovsky's film features a surreal dreamlike ambiance, which bodes extremely well with the fantasy-horror elements of the rather unoriginal plot line. As the title suggests, the film handles the stalwart horror monster 'the werewolf', and it does it in an almost fairytale like manner. This again ensures disappointment as films like Suspiria have shown what a great effect a fairytale plot line can have on a film; although this film proves otherwise. The plot centres on two girls; Elvira and Genevieve, who find themselves travelling through the French countryside in search of a medieval tomb, believed to that of a murderess. 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. I have to admit that I've only seen a handful of Naschy's films; but they've ranged from bad to worse and personally, I'm not a big fan of what I've seen thus far. In this film, Naschy doesn't get to do much more than chew the scenery anyway. The acting isn't the best overall and the special effects leave a lot to be desired also. The gloomy Gothic atmosphere is definitely a treat, however, and it really is a good job as if it wasn't for that, the film wouldn't be worth watching at all. Werewolf Shadow isn't a very long film, lasting just over eighty minutes, but it really does drag as the plot simply moves along without ever being too interesting. Director León Klimovsky does pad his film out with some very nice imagery, however, and the film does look very nice on a number of occasions. 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.

Werewolf versus the Viewer's Patience

[lemon_magic · 5/10 · 4 April 2013]

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.

The film looks pretty good in spots - someone knew his way around a camera and someone else knew how to build a nice set - but the hopelessly underdone story,cheesy dubbed dialog, and the draggy pacing of most of the scenes, makes this film strictly a bush league imitation of the real stuff. As a friend who was watching this with me observed, none of the characters reacts to the horrific events in the opening scenes of the movie in any way that makes sense, and no human beings ever spoke like this.

Also, Naschy's insistence on being both the monster and the hero of his films, when he's not nearly good enough an actor to pull either role off, drains his movies of any real impact or weight - it's the same kind of thing my friends and I used to do on school in sixth grade, before we starting reading real books.

I'm reasonably sure that the movie was better in its native language, so I give it an extra star...and in spite of my remarks, I have to admit that Naschy's stuff has the same kind of pull that the best Jesse Franco material does - you get the same guilty enjoyment that you do from wolfing fast food.

Great romantic comic strip horror

[psychocosmic · 7/10 · 17 June 2000]

This movie has apparently been turned down by other commentators, but I guess I have a totally different approach.

Accepting the typical romantic flavour of spanish culture I find this movie one of the greatest of Spanish horrors, with all its blood, violence, romance,strings etc . Of course its low budget and looks a bit trashy, but the atmosphere is there.

The psychedelic soundtrack helps building up this dreamy story towards the climax as one of the two girl students visiting the home of Valdemar becomes vampirized. The scenes of the two vampires moving about in slow motion is stunningly beautiful. 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. The short opening where the transformed and snarling Valdemar attacks a local woman in the woods is truly fantastic and nightmarishly raw. I recommend this title for all of you who still have your youths imagination free from over rationalism and technocratic thinking.

"I'm beginning to think nothing is real."

[classicsoncall · 5/10 · 15 August 2021]

My second Paul Naschy film in a row (the other being "Assignment Terror"), in which I'm reminded how much he looks like a cross between John Belushi and Marlon Brando. Take that for what it's worth, at times it can be hilarious. This is also the second time in a row I've seen him where his character is Waldemar Daninsky, doing battle with Satan's favorite mistress, Countess Wandessa Darvula de Nadasdy (Patty Shepard). There's more to the story than that, but it gets a little murky with choppy editing, which was also a hallmark of "Assignment Terror".

You have to hand it to Waldemar, when the chips are down, he'll even take it out on his own sister (Yelena Samarina) with a wooden stake to the heart. I thought chopping her head off with an axe was just a bit of overkill, but it was that kind of picture. I don't envy the leading lady, having to go through life with a name like Gaby Fuchs. In my first year of college anthropology, the professor turned redder than red attempting to pronounce the same last name of a woman in the class. Believe me, the rest of the class got it too.

By the looks of it, there are some real solid Naschy fans on this board, but rating the movie a '10' I think is somewhat a disservice to the Universal classics featuring the likes of Karloff, Lugosi and Chaney. This is okay for what it is, and what it is, is right there in the title.

"There are many other interesting things in our village, like our peaceful little cemetery." Watchable enough Euro horror.

[poolandrews · 6/10 · 9 October 2005]

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. After removing the bullets Daninsky comes back to life as a werewolf, attacks Hartwig & Muller then kills a local girl. Meanwhile a student named Elvira (Gaby Fuchs) is writing an essay on black-magic, witchcraft & in particular a Countess Wandessa d'Arville da Nadasdy (Patty Shepard) whom was said to be a Vampire & Satan worshipper 100's of years ago. Together with her friend Genevieve (Barbara Capell) & a document which reveals where Wandessa's tomb is located Elvira travels to a remote part of North France & bumps into Waldemar who offers the two women a place to stay. It's not long before things take a turn for the worse as Waldmar's mentally disturbed sister Elizabeth (Yelena Samarina) warns them to leave the area, they discover blood stained walls & manacles in the shed, Waldemar somehow isn't as he appears & when Wandessa's tomb is opened she is resurrected form the dead to terrorise the local area once again with various bodies turning up having been drained of blood...

This Spanish German co-production was directed by Leon Klimovsky & isn't as bad as I was anticipating, it's far from a masterpiece but I thought it was a fairly decent way to pass an hour & a half. The version I saw was the Anchor Bay DVD with the extra few minutes of dialogue that was obviously never dubbed into English & therefore is presented in Spanish with subtitles, this extra footage adds nothing & in fact I'd prefer to have not had this put back in as it slows the pace of the film down & is frankly boring. 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. Hey, what more do you want? A decent coherent story perhaps? The character's are dull & don't act in the way a normal human being would in the situations they find themselves in, I didn't buy the relationship between Daninsky & Elvira for a second & it just seemed so fake & contrived. The various themes & ideas in La Noche de Walpurgis come & go without much regard for continuity, the Werewolf & Vampires appear sporadically throughout often being completely forgotten about for long period's. Having said that that the film moves a long at a nice pace & never really becomes boring (expect at the end but that's the extra footage for you) with a decent amount of monster action although the climatic fight at the end is nothing more than two people rolling around on the floor. 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. On the down side the constant day-for-night shots become irritating & undo some of his good work. I loved the locations used, the Church ruins & local architecture is fantastic & gives La Noche de Walpurgis a really nice look that the film itself doesn't deserve. Technically the film is solid with nice production values, cinematography, music & special effects. There are some gore scenes here, a woman is bitten on the neck with lots of her blood running over her naked breasts, a couple of stakes through the heart, some Vampirism & neck biting, a decapitation & a melting Vampire. The acting is obviously lessened by the bad English dub but it probably wasn't any good anyway, leading ladies Fuchs & Capell are both very attractive if you know what I mean... I quite liked La Noche de Walpurgis, it's far from the best Euro horror I've ever seen but it's far from the worst. It's simple, silly & slightly uneven story entertains to an extent but it isn't going to stay with you for that long afterwards. If your a Euro horror or Naschy fan than it's definitely worth a watch, for those who aren't would be advised that there are better alternatives out there.

Positively one of THE most stunning werewolf or vampire films ever made!

[mr2stroke · 10/10 · 17 February 2002]

Despite the low budget of this 1971 Spanish film, Wolfman vs. The Vampire Woman (Noche de Walpurgis) is a stunning and marvelous film to watch. The color and shot composition are amazing (along the lines of Bava or Argento) and the main charachter (played by Paul Naschy) is THE most ferocious wolfman I have ever seen. I am not necessarily a fan of werewolf movies, but Naschy's performance is truly gifted.

The sex appeal of the movie is perfect for the time. Breasts are exposed at the drop of a hat, and it actually adds to the tone of the film. Wolfman vs. 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.

~Michel

Creepy Characters in the Crypt

[davidcarniglia · 7/10 · 21 August 2018]

Surprisingly scary '70s Euro horror movie. Unlike nearly all of the attempts to combine monsters in a film, Werewolf vs. The Vampire Woman doesn't seem contrived or silly. The werewolf and the vampires (extra treat in that they multiply) are very convincing thanks to appropriately spooky special effects.

In fact, we get several vampiric phases. The gliding about, corpse-like look, the mourning veil-clad spectral look, and the more modern, but less effective, pale, fanged look. Not to mention the reversion-to-a-skeleton look, with maggot accoutrements.

Plus, in the first few minutes we get the full-on werewolf, quickly claiming the movie's first victim. As the credits role, we also get a preview of some of this spooky stuff in a cool montage. The plot makes sense for the most part. The two heroines, Elvira and Genevieve, journey to a remote gothic church (maybe it's a small castle) to research a legendary vampire. Thankfully, there's enough rustic, atmospheric spots like this in Europe's hinterlands.

I was a little confused by Waldemar's and Elizabeth's roles. How can he tell her that the two girls won't uncover any secrets, saying all that "is just old legends"? He knows he's a werewolf. Also, he, of all people (well, part-time person), ought to know that removing the crucifix from the old vampire Wandessa's corpse will revive it.

It helps that the viewer is never given much relief from the spooks. Guinievere gets bit, the handyman gets it...Elvira is dodging the vampires for most of the last half of the movie. The denouement in the crypt is great: there's yet another threat to Elvira, a suspenseful fight between the the vampire Wandessa and Waldemar's werewolf, and Wandessa's literal meltdown.

What's the point of the fight, though? Has the werewolf, like Godzilla, when he's arrayed against MegaJunkpile, become a 'good guy?' Or are they simply fighting over hunting 'territory', in the sense that they have the same prey?

Anyway, this was enjoyable, with genuine horror. The performances are fairly even, and there's really nothing extraneous. I'm just not well-versed on supernatural (werewolf v. vampire) etiquette. 7/10.

Daninsky dud!

[BA_Harrison · 3/10 · 6 April 2006]

Paul Naschy plays Waldemar Daninsky – handsome, heroic and more than a little hairy during the full moon. 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. Daninsky offers them refuge when they become lost, and it is not long before he becomes romantically involved with Elvira (convenient, eh?). They find the tomb and stupidly remove the cross embedded in Wandessa's rotting corpse. 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? The Werewolf Shadow lacks the gore and gratuitous nudity that usually make these affairs bearable, and despite some unintentionally chuckle-worthy moments, the film is rather slow and uneventful. 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.