The Howl of the Devil Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		3.0
Video		4.0
Audio		4.5
Extras		3.0
Overall		3.5

The Howl of the Devil Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov June 3, 2021

Paul Naschy's "The Howl of the Devil" (1988) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Mondo Macabro. The supplemental features on the disc include exlcusive new audio commentary by Rod Barnett and Troy Guinn; video interview with actor Sergio Molina; and archival documentary on the making of the film. In Spanish, with optional English subtitles for the main feature. Region-Free.

Hello secret friend

The main trouble with The Howl of the Devil is that it promises a lot more than it can deliver. Classic horror characters working as a team, a psychopathic actor spending his time between two drastically different realities, a kid with an unbridled imagination confronting the logical adults around him, exotic murders begging to be solved. The potential for a special film is there, and with Paul Naschy behind and in front of the camera you cannot but expect a whole lot of exciting genre thrills.

But immediately after the failed actor Hector Doriani (Naschy) begins rambling about his brother Alex (also Naschy), a notorious horror icon who has apparently committed suicide, it becomes crystal-clear that at best the film will offer plenty of enthusiasm. Indeed, the big secluded mansion where Hector lives has the right mystic ambience, but everything else the camera captures looks either cheap or rough. For example, to convince the audience that Hector is a lunatic who only occasionally regains control of his mind, Naschy repeatedly shoots him pursuing the sexy maid Carmen (Caroline Munro), who seems interested in his lavish gifts but is unwilling to go to bed with him. The two look so grotesque together that it is virtually impossible to believe that they aren’t acting -- very badly as well. Hector tries to force himself on her, she struggles to reject him but always does, and then the same boring act is repeated on the following day. The aging butler Eric (Howard Vernon) can’t do much to stop the circus either. In fact, he seems a lot more interested in establishing a direct line with Alex’s spirt, which is either very unfriendly or always away servicing another séance master. Occasionally, Hector’s little nephew Adrian (Sergio Molina) witnesses bits of the adult drama as well, but he does not understand what fuels it and prefers to spend his time in the company of classic horror monsters that secretly visit his room. Only when a vicious killer arrives in the area and begins executing lonely prostitutes who are willing to give Hector what the sexy maid Carmen isn’t, everyone begins to realize that something inside the mansion is off.

What could it be? And is it possible that someone might be responsible for it?

In these types of genre films anything is possible, so at this point it was really up to Naschy to use the minor buildup and produce some of the thrills that would have brought the needed excitement. But nothing exciting happens for two simple reasons. First, it is very obvious that Naschy lacked the resources to open up the story the right way. All of the classic horror monsters, for instance, are poorly made, plus it does not help that it is always Naschy wearing the cheap costumes. Second, there is very, very little of that wicked (and sometimes kinky) sense of humor that give Naschy’s films the exotic flavor they need to be entertaining. Indeed, Naschy is at his best when he is a provocateur who pretends to be a horror maestro with grand imagination, and in this film his tricks are pretty underwhelming. Yes, there are a few typically gory sequences that would inspire some of his hardcore fans to defend the film, but everyone else will find it awfully difficult not to agree that it is an average effort done with a tiny budget.

There is a surprisingly good soundtrack that was created by veteran composer Fernando Garcia Morcillo, who also scored a couple of Jess Franco’s better known and bigger films, including the psychedelic romp Two Undercover Angels a.k.a. Sadist Erotica.

*Mondo Macabro’s release of The Howl of the Devil is sourced from a recent 4K master that was struck from the original camera negative.

The Howl of the Devil Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Presented in its original aspect ratio of 1.85:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, The Howl of the Devil arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Mondo Macabro.

The release is sourced from a 4K master that was struck from the original camera negative. It is quite good, in a few areas even impressive. For example, during well-lit footage delineation and depth are very pleasing, plus in darker areas shadow definition is handled very nicely. However, in some of the darker footage the grain often begins to look quite noisy and mushy, which means that some encoding optimizations could have been introduced to strengthen its exposure. These are the areas where fluidity becomes shaky as well, so if you have a larger screen or project, you will notice that the images simply become a bit too 'loose'. The color grading is lovely. The primaries are rich and stable, while the supporting nuances are very nicely balanced and looking healthy. Image stability is good. A few minor stains can be spotted, but otherwise the entire film looks spotless. (Note: This is a Region-Free Blu-ray release. Therefore, you will be able to play it on your player regardless of your geographical location).

The Howl of the Devil Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

There is only one standard audio track on this Blu-ray release: Spanish DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0. Optional English subtitles are provided for the main feature.

The dialog is clear and easy to follow. The music quite easily produces some decent dynamic contrasts as well, but overall the audio feels a bit 'thin'. There are a couple of small areas with minor but noticeable unevenness. My guess is that it was introduced when some parts were overdubbed, but something else could have contributed as well. It is not distracting. However, you will notice it when it comes up.

The Howl of the Devil Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Adrian Speaks! - in this video interview, actor Sergio Molina, son of Paul Naschy, explains how The Howl of the Devil was conceived and discusses its production. Also, there are some interesting observations about the social climate in Spain at the time when the film was made. In Spanish, with English subtitles. (37 min).

• Making The Howl of the Devil - this archival documentary was produced during the shooting of The Howl of the Devil. Also included with it is an archival interview with Paul Naschy. In Spanish, with English subtitles. (28 min).

• Commentary - in this new audio commentary, critics Rod Barnett and Troy Guinn (from the Naschy podcast) discuss the history of The Howl of the Devil, the key Universal monster references, the tone and atmosphere of the film, the progression of Paul Naschy's career and how the film industry changed after the death of General Franco, etc. The commentary was recorded exclusively for Mondo Macabro.

The Howl of the Devil Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

The Howl of the Devil was conceived as a homage to Universal's classic cinematic monsters. It is a lovely concept for a genre project, and with Paul Naschy behind and in front of the camera the end product should have offered plenty of memorable thrills. Unfortunately, it was done with such a small budget that its struggle to deliver what it promises is awfully difficult to ignore. It is not a bad film, but if you plan to explore Naschy's oeuvre you should start elsewhere. Mondo Macabro's release is sourced from a nice 4K master and features a very good exclusive audio commentary recorded by critics/podcasters Rod Barnett and Troy Guinn. RECOMMENDED, but only to seasoned Naschy fans.