WEBVTT - Weirdhouse Cinema: Assignment Terror 0:00:03.000 --> 0:00:05.360 Welcome to Stuff to Blow your Mind production of My 0:00:05.480 --> 0:00:15.560 Heart Radio. Hey, welcome to Weird House Cinema. This is 0:00:15.640 --> 0:00:19.320 Rob Lamb and this is Joe McCormick. And Hey, folks, 0:00:19.320 --> 0:00:21.680 if I sound a little bit different than usual today, 0:00:21.800 --> 0:00:25.200 that is because I am recording not from my usual location, 0:00:25.239 --> 0:00:28.560 but from a top secret secondary location that may or 0:00:28.600 --> 0:00:32.880 may not be uh the dungeon underneath a German monastery 0:00:33.000 --> 0:00:36.000 that's full of battle axes and and plate armor for 0:00:36.040 --> 0:00:38.600 some reason. Or it also may or may not be 0:00:39.240 --> 0:00:44.120 the basement of my parents house. Well, I mean, you 0:00:44.200 --> 0:00:47.880 sound fine online, so I imagine it's going to sound 0:00:47.920 --> 0:00:50.360 fine for the listener as well. Here. Okay, I just 0:00:50.400 --> 0:00:53.440 didn't want anybody thrown off or or thinking I've made 0:00:53.440 --> 0:00:56.520 a permanent switch to a different microphone or room or whatever. 0:00:57.160 --> 0:00:59.920 But before we got going here, we were indeed talking 0:01:00.000 --> 0:01:03.640 about the room I'm in is just covered in the 0:01:03.680 --> 0:01:07.200 posters that I thought were cool in high school, a 0:01:07.240 --> 0:01:11.280 solid majority of which have Jim Morrison on them. Well, 0:01:11.319 --> 0:01:15.039 you also have the uh the Monty Python um poster 0:01:15.240 --> 0:01:17.440 on on the wall there from the Monty Python the 0:01:17.440 --> 0:01:19.839 Holy Grail. That's still cool. I think that that still 0:01:19.840 --> 0:01:24.479 holds up and which Rob initially thought was a family portrait. Well, 0:01:24.520 --> 0:01:26.400 I couldn't see all of it. Your head was blocking 0:01:26.440 --> 0:01:28.160 part of it. So I just saw sort of half 0:01:28.200 --> 0:01:31.640 of Eric Idol's face, the big mustache, and I was like, 0:01:31.840 --> 0:01:35.959 could be as like seventies early eighties family photo. Could 0:01:35.959 --> 0:01:38.240 be an album cover I'm not recognizing. But then yeah, 0:01:38.240 --> 0:01:40.400 when you moved your head, it was clear it was 0:01:40.480 --> 0:01:43.800 Monty Python. I could see it. Yes, Eric Idle could 0:01:43.800 --> 0:01:49.160 well be my um my wild West outlaw grandpa. Well, 0:01:49.240 --> 0:01:51.240 we we have a pretty fun movie to talk about 0:01:51.280 --> 0:01:55.040 this week. We're returning once more to the exciting world 0:01:55.080 --> 0:01:58.800 of Spanish B movies, and this one's also a true 0:01:59.000 --> 0:02:03.160 monster fest or real real monster slabber knocker here, except 0:02:03.200 --> 0:02:08.840 you're not getting the universal monsters of Dracula, Frankenstein, the Wolfman, 0:02:08.960 --> 0:02:13.040 and the Mummy. No, you're getting Count Janos. You're getting 0:02:13.240 --> 0:02:17.600 the monster of Frankle. I Gains. I'm not even sure 0:02:17.600 --> 0:02:21.959 if I'm saying this right for wrong Salon. I think yes, 0:02:22.360 --> 0:02:25.040 for wrong Salon's monster you don't want You can't call 0:02:25.120 --> 0:02:28.880 him for wrong Salon. He's for Salon. You can call 0:02:28.960 --> 0:02:33.800 him for Salon. It's okay. But there's more. There's Taletet 0:02:33.880 --> 0:02:39.519 the Mummy, and then there is the Werewolf, Count Valdemar Danyinsky. 0:02:40.240 --> 0:02:42.520 What a cast this is? Now? How could you fit 0:02:42.720 --> 0:02:45.760 all of these classic monsters into a film unless it 0:02:45.880 --> 0:02:50.119 also had Abbott and Costello in it. Well, yeah, the 0:02:50.120 --> 0:02:51.800 the alchemy of this film is going to be kind 0:02:51.800 --> 0:02:55.880 of fun to discuss. But the result is Assignment Terror, 0:02:56.240 --> 0:02:59.560 which comes out in nineteen seventy also known as The 0:02:59.639 --> 0:03:02.200 Monster Years of Terror. That's the direct translation of the 0:03:02.200 --> 0:03:07.400 original Spanish title Los Monstros Still Terror. It's a Spanish, German, 0:03:07.440 --> 0:03:11.720 Italian co production. It came out under various names. I 0:03:12.320 --> 0:03:17.560 heard that the original screenplay had the title Operation Terror, 0:03:17.840 --> 0:03:21.040 and I think in Mexico was released as as the 0:03:21.080 --> 0:03:23.799 Spanish of Operation Terror. But it also had a number 0:03:23.840 --> 0:03:26.600 of other release titles, which is pretty standard of the day, 0:03:26.960 --> 0:03:34.440 including um some releases that promoted it as Dracula Versus Frankenstein. Yes, 0:03:35.000 --> 0:03:37.360 there is a an off brand Dracula. There is an 0:03:37.400 --> 0:03:40.400 off brand Frankenstein in this film, but they never fight 0:03:40.480 --> 0:03:43.280 each other. They're on the same team. Yeah, that's true. 0:03:43.840 --> 0:03:46.800 I think it was also somewhere called Frankenstein versus The 0:03:46.840 --> 0:03:50.720 blood Sucker Did I read that right? I think probably so. Yeah, 0:03:50.920 --> 0:03:56.960 and uh that that also is not accurate. But they 0:03:56.960 --> 0:03:59.680 have very different energies, but they're both bad guys. Though 0:03:59.680 --> 0:04:03.080 there is a monster on monster combat, yes, but it's 0:04:03.080 --> 0:04:06.880 just it's just not that matchup. It's ultimately were Wolf 0:04:07.000 --> 0:04:09.800 versus everybody. I think that's right. Yeah, And and I 0:04:09.840 --> 0:04:13.680 believe also didn't this film in a way give rise 0:04:13.760 --> 0:04:17.120 to a series or other sequels that were more focused 0:04:17.160 --> 0:04:20.599 on the Wolfman as a hero. Wait, we just went 0:04:20.640 --> 0:04:22.680 off Mike to look up whether what I said was correct. 0:04:22.680 --> 0:04:24.800 It was not correct. This is the third in a 0:04:24.880 --> 0:04:27.920 series of like a dozen movies that are all Paul 0:04:28.000 --> 0:04:32.000 Nashy centric, and they're of a very hairy persuasion. Yes, 0:04:32.200 --> 0:04:36.400 Paul Nashy playing this were wolf character, the doomed Count 0:04:36.520 --> 0:04:40.520 Valdemar Deninski. It's very much based on the the energy 0:04:40.560 --> 0:04:43.239 of the old universal Wolfman movies, the old Lawn Cheney 0:04:43.279 --> 0:04:48.000 Junior stuff, which Paul Nashy apparently just really idolized, looked 0:04:48.040 --> 0:04:50.080 up to to this man and looked up to these 0:04:50.120 --> 0:04:53.279 films and channel that in his performance and in his 0:04:53.400 --> 0:04:57.120 writing of these various pictures. But they're not a continuous 0:04:57.200 --> 0:04:59.560 narrative either, like you don't need to you don't need 0:04:59.600 --> 0:05:01.960 a set all in and start watching the dozen or 0:05:02.000 --> 0:05:05.880 so count Valdemar Dninsky uh films. I think you can 0:05:06.000 --> 0:05:09.040 jump in wherever you want and sort of make your 0:05:09.080 --> 0:05:13.040 choice based on how weird that particular picture is, because 0:05:13.040 --> 0:05:15.200 they seem to get pretty weird that I have not seen, 0:05:15.760 --> 0:05:19.040 uh any of the other ones yet, but they vary greatly. 0:05:19.120 --> 0:05:22.159 Some I think are more traditional sort of universal esque 0:05:22.279 --> 0:05:25.280 gothic horror films about a doomed werewolf character, but there 0:05:25.279 --> 0:05:28.360 are others where he like travels to like China, into 0:05:28.480 --> 0:05:33.800 beet and battles other monsters or encounters martial arts. The 0:05:33.839 --> 0:05:37.200 werewolf goes West. Yeah, I mean, there's plenty of places 0:05:37.279 --> 0:05:41.080 that a werewolf on the run can go to. Uh So, 0:05:41.839 --> 0:05:44.200 what would you would you say for elevator pitch? It's 0:05:44.240 --> 0:05:48.039 something like Assignment Terror is a film in which aliens 0:05:48.080 --> 0:05:53.520 from the planet Umo decided to conquer the weak, pathetic, emotional, 0:05:53.640 --> 0:05:58.919 impulsive Earthlings by resurrecting store brand versions of the universal 0:05:58.920 --> 0:06:03.040 monster movies Monsters. Yeah, pretty much. This is not Plan 0:06:03.200 --> 0:06:05.359 nine from outer Space, but I'm guessing this might be 0:06:05.440 --> 0:06:08.760 Planned ten or perhaps Plan eight. I'm not sure where 0:06:09.560 --> 0:06:12.000 this particular plan falls into place, but yeah, it seems 0:06:12.040 --> 0:06:19.080 to revolve around unslaying famous monsters, and if memory serves there, 0:06:19.120 --> 0:06:21.320 they at least make passing reference to a plan to 0:06:21.400 --> 0:06:24.280 sort of combine elements of them to make like an 0:06:24.400 --> 0:06:28.760 army of super monsters that will conquer the planet for them. 0:06:28.800 --> 0:06:30.560 But we never get to that point where you have 0:06:30.640 --> 0:06:33.719 like even a prototype for our heroes to battle, which 0:06:33.720 --> 0:06:36.360 I assume that's where they wanted to go, and maybe 0:06:36.400 --> 0:06:39.520 the budget wasn't there. This film has at least seventeen 0:06:39.760 --> 0:06:43.480 unfired Tchehov's guns. It has Chekhov's golem, which is never 0:06:43.680 --> 0:06:46.760 delivered upon the There's tons of stuff like that, just 0:06:46.880 --> 0:06:49.520 sort of an issue that's raised and then forgotten about 0:06:50.680 --> 0:06:52.800 another thing. I wonder what you think about this, Rob 0:06:53.560 --> 0:06:58.040 I detected a critique in which Assignment Terror is actually 0:06:58.279 --> 0:07:04.480 a film attacking certain types of meritocracy narratives by ironically 0:07:04.600 --> 0:07:09.520 contrasting the aliens in this movie, giving these incessant, smug 0:07:09.600 --> 0:07:14.360 monologues about their superior worthiness and intellect and compared to 0:07:14.440 --> 0:07:18.280 the humans, their relative lack of impulsiveness and emotion, and 0:07:18.320 --> 0:07:21.320 contrasting that with scenes of those same aliens getting killed 0:07:21.320 --> 0:07:28.080 by Frankenstein because oops, they had a crush on somebody. Yeah, 0:07:28.120 --> 0:07:30.240 I think that's a that's a good read on what's 0:07:30.240 --> 0:07:32.400 happening in the film. It it's it is hard to 0:07:33.240 --> 0:07:36.680 hard to drill down to the core of what Paul Nashy, 0:07:37.080 --> 0:07:40.000 who not only stars in it but also wrote the screenplay, 0:07:40.080 --> 0:07:43.679 was really going for here other than you know, clearly 0:07:43.960 --> 0:07:46.920 there's a lot of love for monsters and monster movies 0:07:47.480 --> 0:07:50.119 and uh. And it has been pointed out, including pointed 0:07:50.120 --> 0:07:54.160 out by film historian Troy Howarth in the commentary track 0:07:54.240 --> 0:07:56.600 for the Blu Ray edition that I watched for this 0:07:56.680 --> 0:08:00.280 from Scorpion Releasing, Like he really points out that Paula actually, 0:08:00.320 --> 0:08:04.040 along with O Sario and Jess Franco, it was really 0:08:04.120 --> 0:08:07.520 kind of a profit of horror in Spain at the time. 0:08:07.600 --> 0:08:12.040 Like he was basically a voice, a creator and actor 0:08:12.160 --> 0:08:15.360 at the time coming into Spanish cinema granted at up 0:08:15.400 --> 0:08:19.600 at a B or lower level and saying monster movies, horror, 0:08:19.640 --> 0:08:22.240 this is what we need. These are amazing things. We 0:08:22.320 --> 0:08:25.600 need them, and uh, into a certain extent, maybe it's 0:08:26.000 --> 0:08:28.920 Spain was perhaps not ready at the time yet, but 0:08:29.520 --> 0:08:34.000 eventually they received the message and embraced it. So much 0:08:34.040 --> 0:08:37.600 like this film might not have been made under ideal conditions, 0:08:37.640 --> 0:08:41.280 I also watched it under non ideal conditions. Normally I 0:08:41.280 --> 0:08:42.880 would try to, you know, for a for a weird 0:08:42.920 --> 0:08:44.400 house movie, I try to put it on the big 0:08:44.400 --> 0:08:47.199 screen if possible. But I watched this one on an 0:08:47.240 --> 0:08:50.200 iPad on a bed at my in law's house during 0:08:50.240 --> 0:08:53.880 baby nap time. But nevertheless, I could tell that this 0:08:53.920 --> 0:08:56.720 movie is a jolly good time and should become a 0:08:56.760 --> 0:09:01.400 staple of Halloween. Goof reels the world around. Multiple times, 0:09:01.440 --> 0:09:06.280 I accidentally woke my baby up with my laughter. Well 0:09:06.280 --> 0:09:08.160 that that in and on itself is kind of terrifying, 0:09:08.200 --> 0:09:11.400 but also good good sign on the laughter side there. 0:09:11.840 --> 0:09:13.760 I mean, she got right back to sleep. It was okay, 0:09:13.800 --> 0:09:20.000 But I mean it was that kind of viewing experience. Yeah, 0:09:20.040 --> 0:09:22.600 it's a it's a fun flick. It uh it it 0:09:22.640 --> 0:09:26.600 holds up pretty well. It's it is better than some 0:09:26.880 --> 0:09:30.040 reviewers would have you believe. I think. I before we 0:09:30.240 --> 0:09:34.120 actually watched it, I'd run across some reviews who maybe, um, uh, 0:09:34.160 --> 0:09:36.600 you know, heaped a little bit too much dirt on it, 0:09:37.040 --> 0:09:39.320 and we're a little too quick to dismiss it. I mean, yeah, 0:09:39.320 --> 0:09:42.160 it's a it's a lower budget picture, but there are 0:09:42.200 --> 0:09:43.840 many ways in which they seem to do a really 0:09:43.840 --> 0:09:49.120 good job with their limited resources. So it's it's it's 0:09:49.200 --> 0:09:53.040 very watchable and also, I guess kind of shocking for 0:09:53.120 --> 0:09:56.200 some for a picture from this time period and and 0:09:56.320 --> 0:09:59.120 from the sort of the B cinema horror world. It's 0:09:59.120 --> 0:10:01.680 not really graphic or anything. There's some there's some bloody 0:10:01.720 --> 0:10:04.839 scenes in there, but nothing too bad. We've we've definitely 0:10:04.880 --> 0:10:07.280 seen worse on the show. Uh Yeah, as far as 0:10:07.360 --> 0:10:10.199 the blood goes, it's very catchup level. It's it's not 0:10:10.880 --> 0:10:14.880 anything too convincing. Yeah, one more thing I wanted to 0:10:14.880 --> 0:10:18.520 say about this movie for a non alien, non monster 0:10:18.640 --> 0:10:21.960 psychatronic element to discuss, can we give a nod to 0:10:22.040 --> 0:10:26.679 the interior decor in Assignment Terror? I was so I 0:10:26.720 --> 0:10:29.280 was watching it with Rachel and she could not help 0:10:29.320 --> 0:10:34.000 but observe the pattern of interiors of people's homes with 0:10:34.120 --> 0:10:40.280 wallpaper on every surface, including the ceilings. Ceiling wallpaper with 0:10:40.520 --> 0:10:44.720 chaotic or disorganized color schemes that that don't really match 0:10:44.800 --> 0:10:49.160 one another. It was disorienting at times. Yeah, there's some 0:10:49.240 --> 0:10:54.040 wild wallpaper and in general indoor decor in this in 0:10:54.040 --> 0:10:56.760 this particular film. Yeah. Also there's a great go go 0:10:56.920 --> 0:11:01.520 club where the walls are just out of this world. Uh. 0:11:01.559 --> 0:11:04.079 And it made me think also about I mentioned this earlier, 0:11:04.120 --> 0:11:07.360 but the fact that the Aliens take up residence in 0:11:07.440 --> 0:11:12.120 what is repeatedly called a monastery. But it's just like 0:11:12.320 --> 0:11:14.559 it's like a castle. It's full of suits of armor 0:11:14.640 --> 0:11:18.280 and battle axes. Yeah, I noticed. I ended up doing 0:11:18.360 --> 0:11:21.200 this thing where on the Blu ray, the Scorpion releasing 0:11:21.200 --> 0:11:24.760 Blue Ray, which again is really great. Um, you had 0:11:24.800 --> 0:11:28.640 the choice of watching it in Spanish with English subtitles 0:11:28.800 --> 0:11:32.360 or English dubbing. Uh. And I went with the English dubbing, 0:11:32.360 --> 0:11:34.640 but I used the subtitles as well. And if the 0:11:34.640 --> 0:11:37.560 subtitles were different, because it's you know, it's it's not 0:11:37.679 --> 0:11:40.640 all interconnected there of course, And so the subtitles were 0:11:40.679 --> 0:11:43.679 saying castle and the dubbing was saying monastery. So I 0:11:43.720 --> 0:11:46.400 don't know which is is true or to the original. 0:11:46.720 --> 0:11:49.920 I see a question about your viewing experience. I wonder 0:11:49.960 --> 0:11:53.200 if there are different versions of this, uh this out 0:11:53.240 --> 0:11:57.280 there right now? On mine, I would call the editing 0:11:57.600 --> 0:12:01.439 rather choppy. There were a lot of moments where the 0:12:01.480 --> 0:12:04.840 film would cut before the sound would change, or something 0:12:05.040 --> 0:12:07.960 like a sound from our previous scene continues into the 0:12:08.000 --> 0:12:10.760 new scene, or it would or there would be a 0:12:10.800 --> 0:12:14.000 cut right in the middle of a musical theme without 0:12:14.040 --> 0:12:17.400 the melody resolving. M hmm. I don't know. I didn't 0:12:17.440 --> 0:12:21.320 notice anything that jarring in my viewing of it, but 0:12:21.320 --> 0:12:24.640 but I was also taking more notes than usual during it. 0:12:25.160 --> 0:12:27.400 So except for the final twenty minutes of the picture, 0:12:27.400 --> 0:12:29.120 in which case I set the computer aside and just 0:12:29.160 --> 0:12:32.120 settled in for the monster battle. But no, I thought 0:12:32.240 --> 0:12:33.560 they might have cleaned it up a bit on this, 0:12:33.600 --> 0:12:35.679 because this is a pretty pretty good look. It's a 0:12:35.760 --> 0:12:39.640 very colorful film. Um it's I mean, it's not a 0:12:39.679 --> 0:12:42.839 Mario Baba picture by any stretch of the imagination. But 0:12:43.120 --> 0:12:45.199 there's some fun gaels and there are some nice colors 0:12:45.200 --> 0:12:50.000 in the Mad Science labs. There's some great scenes of uh, 0:12:50.040 --> 0:12:53.120 you know, some some various towns and locations in I 0:12:53.120 --> 0:12:56.080 think mostly in Spain, but also a little bit in Germany. 0:12:56.440 --> 0:12:59.560 And uh, it's it's a pleasant picture to look at it. 0:12:59.559 --> 0:13:02.920 It doesn't it doesn't look as cheap as perhaps it might. 0:13:02.960 --> 0:13:06.319 Have been. Oh and speaking of location, yeah, the castles 0:13:06.320 --> 0:13:09.000 are also really great. Um there are a lot of these, 0:13:09.040 --> 0:13:13.880 like ruined cathedral, ruined castle, set slash locations, and in 0:13:14.000 --> 0:13:16.440 many respects they look a lot like the very same 0:13:16.440 --> 0:13:20.199 locations you see in other Spanish horror movies like two 0:13:20.240 --> 0:13:24.040 of the Blind Dead movies and um um horror Rises 0:13:24.080 --> 0:13:28.520 from the Tomb. But they look really good. And I'm 0:13:28.600 --> 0:13:31.800 not entirely clear on the science of applying fake spider 0:13:31.840 --> 0:13:34.360 webs to things, but boy did they apply some fake 0:13:34.440 --> 0:13:36.920 spider webs in this movie, and that the results look 0:13:36.960 --> 0:13:40.520 pretty darn good. They lay it on thick. Yeah. Uh. 0:13:40.679 --> 0:13:43.000 So I mentioned the commentary track by a Film and 0:13:43.040 --> 0:13:45.160 Story and Troy Howarth, and I want to point out 0:13:45.200 --> 0:13:47.040 just a few other little points that he makes. It's 0:13:47.840 --> 0:13:51.000 this is a guy who's has written, I believe, a 0:13:51.000 --> 0:13:54.600 whole book on Paul Nashy, so he's perhaps the uh 0:13:55.640 --> 0:13:59.440 the English language expert on the man. But a couple 0:13:59.440 --> 0:14:01.079 of things that he pointed out that I thought we'd 0:14:01.160 --> 0:14:03.360 rather telling with this film. So first of all, this 0:14:03.440 --> 0:14:04.959 is a film that you don't have to be a 0:14:05.000 --> 0:14:09.319 film historian or even an expert in genre to realize 0:14:09.360 --> 0:14:11.360 that it has a bit of a crisis of identity. 0:14:11.679 --> 0:14:13.960 There parts of it that feel more like a universal 0:14:14.000 --> 0:14:17.400 horror movie knockoff. There are other parts that feel more 0:14:17.480 --> 0:14:20.760 like a like a police thriller, spy movies sort of 0:14:20.760 --> 0:14:24.240 a thing. Uh, you know, kind of late sixties Bond 0:14:24.600 --> 0:14:27.840 sort of stuff. And according to Howard, part of that 0:14:27.960 --> 0:14:32.560 is because Spain wasn't really ready for horror yet. So again, Nasci, 0:14:32.640 --> 0:14:36.040 oh Sario Franco would all be three key players and 0:14:36.120 --> 0:14:39.600 bringing about the Spanish horror scene. But it's telling that 0:14:39.680 --> 0:14:42.040 so much of the film keeps switching back to non 0:14:42.160 --> 0:14:45.560 horror fare. So things get a little monstery, but then 0:14:45.600 --> 0:14:48.680 they get kind of super villainy again, or then they 0:14:48.720 --> 0:14:52.040 get You spent a lot of time with the investigators 0:14:52.080 --> 0:14:55.160 in the film that are just kind of living bondesque 0:14:55.200 --> 0:14:58.840 lifestyles as they investigate missing persons cases. Yeah, there are 0:14:58.880 --> 0:15:01.520 a lot of non monster scenes that could be from Danger, 0:15:01.600 --> 0:15:05.880 Diabolic or something. Yeah. Uh, and I thought those were 0:15:05.880 --> 0:15:10.680 pretty fun too. Earthmen describes them as sort of less 0:15:10.680 --> 0:15:14.040 exciting and maybe kind of bringing the engagement down a bit, 0:15:14.080 --> 0:15:16.600 but I have they were pretty fun. He also points 0:15:16.600 --> 0:15:18.800 out that Nashi was a huge fan of ninety three, 0:15:18.920 --> 0:15:22.920 Frankenstein meets the Wolfman, and that's heavily reflected in the film. 0:15:22.960 --> 0:15:26.320 There's a vampire side show bit that apparently is right 0:15:26.360 --> 0:15:29.040 out of House of Frankenstein. He also points out the 0:15:29.200 --> 0:15:31.920 most of its filmed in Spain, but some shots are 0:15:31.920 --> 0:15:34.960 in Germany. Again, it was a Spanish, German, Italian production, 0:15:35.880 --> 0:15:38.760 and this was really interesting. He points out that it's 0:15:38.840 --> 0:15:42.640 set in Germany and at the time it was actually 0:15:42.680 --> 0:15:45.400 forbidden for Spanish horror movies to be set in Spain. 0:15:45.800 --> 0:15:48.320 It had to be somewhere else. In Germany was often 0:15:48.360 --> 0:15:50.600 a good pick because you know, there's a certain Gothic 0:15:51.200 --> 0:15:55.920 um allure to German settings with horror stories like this, 0:15:56.000 --> 0:15:59.160 and also German money was often involved in the productions, 0:15:59.160 --> 0:16:02.360 so they're it was, you know, a shoe in to 0:16:02.360 --> 0:16:05.640 to get some maybe even get some some actual locations 0:16:05.680 --> 0:16:08.320 in Germany. But this reminds me of how films like 0:16:08.360 --> 0:16:11.160 Return of the Blind Dead, which we previously covered on 0:16:11.320 --> 0:16:13.760 Weird How Cinema. I believe that film was set in 0:16:13.880 --> 0:16:18.600 Portugal and it wasn't the lorialized grasps that in Germany. Yeah, yeah, 0:16:18.640 --> 0:16:22.280 that's right. That was supposed to be a German horror 0:16:22.480 --> 0:16:26.400 story set in a German locale. So that's a funny regulation. 0:16:26.440 --> 0:16:28.680 Like it was sort of a type of censorship law. 0:16:28.720 --> 0:16:31.320 And it wasn't that you can't make horror movies. It 0:16:31.400 --> 0:16:34.520 was just like you can't set them in Spain. Yeah, 0:16:34.560 --> 0:16:37.840 like we're not saying that horror doesn't exist, but just 0:16:37.920 --> 0:16:42.160 not within the borders of Spain. Oh. You could almost 0:16:42.200 --> 0:16:45.560 take a weird nationalist interpretation on that, like horror only 0:16:45.600 --> 0:16:51.480 takes place elsewhere. Yeah, monsters only exist in other countries. 0:16:52.560 --> 0:16:54.320 Al Right. Well, on that note, let's go in and 0:16:54.360 --> 0:17:00.120 hear some of the trailer audio for Assignment Terror m 0:17:14.720 --> 0:17:19.200 whom more two or six calling Earth reply, Please contact 0:17:19.240 --> 0:17:26.600 made Kirian DNA surgeon killed in war action, Malabor Cheirstein, 0:17:27.160 --> 0:17:32.399 doctor of biochemistry killed in automobile accident. Both persons have 0:17:32.520 --> 0:17:37.280 required characteristics and have been incarnated by our envoys. They 0:17:37.280 --> 0:17:41.800 will contact you. Remember, success of mission depends on exploiting 0:17:41.840 --> 0:17:45.399 to the whole the superstitions prevalent among the Earth creatures. 0:17:46.280 --> 0:18:09.760 The first objective is blushed at fairground. M m m 0:18:11.840 --> 0:18:30.200 m m M. Now I think that had a little 0:18:30.200 --> 0:18:32.280 bit of a groovy music that will refer back to 0:18:32.400 --> 0:18:34.679 in it there. So this is again, this is a 0:18:34.720 --> 0:18:37.760 picture that is and you see it reflected in the score. 0:18:38.200 --> 0:18:40.280 At times the score is very spooky and scary and 0:18:40.320 --> 0:18:42.040 kind of gothic. But other times it cuts loose and 0:18:42.040 --> 0:18:44.040 it's a little bit groovy. It's a little you know, 0:18:44.080 --> 0:18:48.600 it's a go go dancers and and so forth. It's 0:18:48.640 --> 0:19:01.760 my happening baby, and it freaks me out. All right, 0:19:01.840 --> 0:19:04.120 let's start talking about some of the folks involved in this. 0:19:04.720 --> 0:19:08.640 At the top, we have the credited director of Tulio 0:19:08.920 --> 0:19:14.920 di Michelle, who lived nineteen fourteen through nine Argentinian born 0:19:14.960 --> 0:19:18.840 Spanish director, writer and film producer. He directed and wrote 0:19:18.840 --> 0:19:22.560 I Think a Good sixty films from nine seven and 0:19:22.720 --> 0:19:25.080 is veryently best known for his work in tango films. 0:19:25.720 --> 0:19:28.439 Um and worked with some major tango stars of the 0:19:28.480 --> 0:19:32.560 Golden Age of Argentine cinema, such as uh Tita Morello. 0:19:32.880 --> 0:19:35.199 Uh Tango of course as as a dance style, and 0:19:35.280 --> 0:19:38.639 it originated in the Rio de la Plata region on 0:19:38.680 --> 0:19:42.919 the border of Argentina and Uruguay during the late nineteenth century. 0:19:43.359 --> 0:19:46.199 And I have to admit, like tango cinema is not 0:19:46.359 --> 0:19:49.480 something that I had any familiarity with or even really 0:19:49.520 --> 0:19:51.800 knew was a thing. But it makes sense given you 0:19:51.920 --> 0:19:54.639 if you have any kind of popular craze, if it 0:19:54.760 --> 0:19:58.320 is occurring, deering or in close proximity to the age 0:19:58.320 --> 0:20:00.879 of cinema, somebody's gonna say, hey, we can do a 0:20:00.880 --> 0:20:04.040 movie about that. Sure. So a lot of the bigger 0:20:04.080 --> 0:20:08.240 films that Di michelle was involved with were either tango 0:20:08.240 --> 0:20:11.480 films or they were serious Golden Age dramas, but he 0:20:11.520 --> 0:20:14.120 seems to have dipped his toes into various genres over 0:20:14.119 --> 0:20:19.119 the years, including westerns, swashbucklers, thrillers, and comedies. But if 0:20:19.119 --> 0:20:21.240 I'm not mistaken, this may be the only film he 0:20:21.280 --> 0:20:24.040 worked on that could be described as sort of a 0:20:24.119 --> 0:20:27.440 pure horror slash science fiction property to the extent that 0:20:27.520 --> 0:20:29.680 it is, because again, it's also kind of confused and 0:20:29.760 --> 0:20:33.000 exactly what it is. Yeah. It's also worth pointing out 0:20:33.040 --> 0:20:36.399 that there are additional names that are mentioned as having 0:20:36.880 --> 0:20:40.960 some sort of hand in directing this picture, all of 0:20:40.960 --> 0:20:45.680 them uncredited on the the initial release. Argentine director Hugo 0:20:45.760 --> 0:20:52.359 freganas a, Spanish director Antonio Saucy says Mindy, and German 0:20:52.400 --> 0:20:56.560 producer er Hard Mischner Uh they all have uncredited um 0:20:57.080 --> 0:21:01.359 directing mentions on IMDb, with south as Mendy noted as 0:21:01.400 --> 0:21:04.040 having actually finished the film. There were allegedly a lot 0:21:04.080 --> 0:21:07.480 of production problems due to financial difficulties, which also impacted 0:21:07.520 --> 0:21:09.800 their ability to bring what sounds like a pretty loaded 0:21:09.840 --> 0:21:14.440 script to life. Uh. The original screenplay apparently had golems 0:21:14.440 --> 0:21:17.080 and flying saucers in it, in addition to all the 0:21:17.080 --> 0:21:20.080 other fantastic elements that are already present. I think they 0:21:20.200 --> 0:21:23.600 basically told the screenwriter, Hey, go go nuts, have a 0:21:23.600 --> 0:21:26.280 great time. We've we've got we've got all the money 0:21:26.280 --> 0:21:28.359 in the world to make this film, and just go 0:21:28.400 --> 0:21:31.480 ahead and write it. However your heart pulls you. But 0:21:31.560 --> 0:21:33.639 I feel like they didn't even go back and and 0:21:33.760 --> 0:21:37.840 correct for that in post because I mentioned the mini 0:21:37.960 --> 0:21:41.360 unfired Chekhov's guns in this One of them is the golem. 0:21:41.359 --> 0:21:43.520 We're giving a full set up with like a page 0:21:43.520 --> 0:21:47.040 in a book that displays the golem, like along with 0:21:47.080 --> 0:21:49.240 all the other pages of the monsters we're gonna meet. 0:21:49.280 --> 0:21:52.480 So we're promised to golem, and then there's just no golem. 0:21:52.480 --> 0:21:56.520 It's never never mentioned again. Yeah, And then I wonder 0:21:56.560 --> 0:21:58.040 how much of it is is that? And how much 0:21:58.040 --> 0:21:59.760 of it is is budget cuts and then how much 0:21:59.760 --> 0:22:01.840 of it is the screenwriter just bringing a lot of 0:22:01.960 --> 0:22:05.800 zeal and a lot of ideas to the table, because again, 0:22:05.800 --> 0:22:11.120 it's a movie that has like four monsters, aliens, various 0:22:11.240 --> 0:22:15.040 murders and kidnappings, and there's a lot to work with here. Well, 0:22:15.080 --> 0:22:16.960 they could have at least gone back and scrubbed that 0:22:17.000 --> 0:22:18.960 out of the scene, like cut before he turns to 0:22:19.000 --> 0:22:22.919 the golem page. I don't know, Yeah, yeah, I agree. 0:22:23.720 --> 0:22:28.159 So the screenplay writer here is also Paul Nashy. I 0:22:28.880 --> 0:22:30.920 can't remember if we've mentioned that already, but yes, Paul 0:22:31.000 --> 0:22:34.880 Nashy wrote it, uh screenplay and story, and he plays 0:22:34.960 --> 0:22:39.479 the werewolf Valdemara Denyinsky in this. Uh yeah, this is 0:22:39.800 --> 0:22:43.160 the legendary Paul Nashy lived nineteen through two thousand and nine. 0:22:43.440 --> 0:22:47.040 Paul Nashy is both a beast and a machine. You 0:22:47.040 --> 0:22:52.120 know how there's like the classic uh tales, Tales of struggle. 0:22:52.200 --> 0:22:54.879 You know, you have man versus nature and man versus 0:22:54.920 --> 0:22:58.719 the machine. Paul Nashy is all three of those things. Yeah, 0:22:58.760 --> 0:23:04.080 he is. Ah, He's a fascinating figure, a fascinating cinematic presence. 0:23:04.119 --> 0:23:06.400 This is only the second film of his that we've 0:23:06.400 --> 0:23:09.240 talked about, the other being the ninety three film Horror 0:23:09.359 --> 0:23:12.560 Rises from the Tomb, in which he plays an undying 0:23:12.600 --> 0:23:15.480 beheaded wizard, and and in that he has a lot 0:23:15.520 --> 0:23:18.480 more screen time. He has far more opportunity to really 0:23:18.560 --> 0:23:22.920 chew the scenery. In this film, he's one of several 0:23:22.960 --> 0:23:27.000 monsters he doesn't have as much screen time. Uh, and 0:23:27.000 --> 0:23:28.920 he only has a few scenes where he really gets 0:23:28.960 --> 0:23:33.120 to break out and bring all the emotion, often when 0:23:33.240 --> 0:23:35.959 changing into a werewolf. Oh and by the way, if 0:23:35.960 --> 0:23:39.040 you're trying to picture it, this is not the American 0:23:39.080 --> 0:23:43.439 werewolf in London, long snout, dog like werewolf. This is 0:23:43.480 --> 0:23:49.200 the classic universal style werewolf, the lawn Cheney junior style werewolf. Yeah. Absolutely, 0:23:49.200 --> 0:23:52.360 I mean that's where Paul Nashy's heart was, and so 0:23:52.440 --> 0:23:54.199 that's the sort of where wold if you see with 0:23:54.320 --> 0:23:57.240 Count Valdimerica Ninsky, who again pops up in a good 0:23:57.280 --> 0:24:01.440 dozen films over the years. Um, we we talked about 0:24:01.440 --> 0:24:03.320 Paul Nashi a good bit on the Horizon from the 0:24:03.320 --> 0:24:05.879 Tomb episode. I'm not gonna go through all of it again, 0:24:05.920 --> 0:24:08.480 but yeah, basically have a guy that was born into 0:24:08.520 --> 0:24:12.639 a pretty successful Furrier's family during the UH during the 0:24:12.640 --> 0:24:15.359 Spanish Civil War, and initially he was going to pursue 0:24:15.359 --> 0:24:19.919 a serious adult life of professional weightlifting and architecture, but 0:24:20.600 --> 0:24:23.960 deep down he wanted to be the Wolfman. He'd seen 0:24:24.200 --> 0:24:27.399