I'm just starting with a basic set-up, and the first few titles, to see how this would look and to play with it a bit. Links are to Amazon.com DVD
availability.
1967
AGONIZANDO EN EL CRIMEN (Agonizing in Crime)
Bootleg availablity. Original source unknown.
DVD wish:
A presentation with English subtitling.
1968
LA MARCA DEL HOMBRE LOBO (The Mark of the Wolfman)
English version DVD availability as FRANKENSTEIN'S BLOODY TERROR from Shriek Show.
Bootlegs:
Spanish widescreen version. Original source: Manga Video (Spain).
English-subtitled Spanish version. Original source: Luminous Film & Video Wurks working from Manga Video.
DVD wish:
1) 3D version of the film, which was shot in that format.
2) The Spanish LA MARCA DEL HOMBRE LOBO version, with English subtitles
3) The HELL'S CREATURES version, which apparently is the longest English dub version.
1969
LOS MONSTRUOS DEL TERROR (The Monsters of Terror)
English version DVD availability as DRACULA VS. FRANKENSTEIN from Gemstone. Vertically squeezed full-frame (which can be turned into widescreen with aspect ratio controls) and unauthorized. Poor quality, splicy.
Bootleg availability under various titles, including ASSIGNMENT TERROR:
Widescreen in English, taken from French print with English audio replacing French audio. Original bootleg source: Luminous Film & Video Wurks.
Spanish widescreen version from torrent sites. Original source: Spanish TV showing.
DVD wish:
Widescreen and complete, English/Spanish audio.
1970
LA FURIA DEL HOMBRE LOBO (The Fury of the Wolfman)
Many DVDs of the English version available from companies specializing in public domain. Alpha Video appears to have been the first. All are unauthorized, full-frame and contain the non-nude variant.
A Spanish DVD from Divisa appeared in 2009. The good news is that it's in the proper scope ratio, the bad news is that it's the Spanish non-nude version. The print is also on the dark side and not bursting with color. No English audio or subtitles included.
Bootlegs:
Full-frame bootlegs of the old Charter Video release, which was in okay quality and contained most of the nudity.
Bootlegs of the Swedish video release that represents the most complete LA FURIA, titled THE WOLFMAN NEVER SLEEPS. In English, with Swedish subtitles, and widescreen (though still not in the film's full OAR). The most commonly available boot of this release was from Midnight Video.
Bootlegs of the Spanish widescreen release, missing the nudity, but in the film's correct OAR. Original source: Spanish TV showing.
DVD wish:
Widescreen and complete, English/Spanish audio.
LA NOCHE DE WALPURGIS (The Night of Walpurgis)
2 authorized NTSC DVDs under the WEREWOLF SHADOW titling, one from Anchor Bay, released in 2002, and the other from BCI, released in 2008. Both present the most complete cut of the film, with a couple of scenes that never had English dubbing in Spanish audio with English subtitling. The BCI presentation also has a Spanish audio option. There are several foreign DVD releases of this film as well. The Spanish DVD, released on Divisa, also contains a second alternate clothed/unclothed double scene (of Genevieve being attacked by Waldemar's crazy sister) and not just the familiar one of the female sacrifice lying on the slab. This second double scene is not contained in either the Anchor Bay or BCI version.
The American theatrical edit of the film, under the title WEREWOLF VS. THE VAMPIRE WOMAN, is available on a variety of PD labels, including Madacy and Treasure Box. (The Madacy DVD starts with the picture in a mock drive-in theater to then blossom it to monitor screen size, so you may want to avoid this if you are concerned about the first couple of seconds.) The American edit replaced the Anton Garcia Abril score with music library cues and contains different beginning and end credit sequences, which are in widescreen in all DVD releases, though the rest of the film is presented full-frame. Streamlining cuts were also made in the American version. Despite its promotion as such, the recent BCI DVD of WEREWOLF SHADOW does not contain the genuine American variant.
DVD wish:
Widescreen WEREWOLF VS. THE VAMPIRE WOMAN version.
EL VERTIGO DEL CRIMEN (The Vertigo of Crime)
Bootleg available. Original source unknown.
DVD wish:
A presentation with English subtitling.
1971
DOCTOR JEKYLL Y EL HOMBRE LOBO (Dr. Jekyll and the Wolfman)
Spanish language version available on DVD, PAL format, from Mondo Macabro, with English subtitles. Anamorphic widescreen. Does not contain the export version's alternate nude scenes. This version was also released as a DVD in Spain, without English subtitles.
Unauthorized NTSC DVD on budget label, English language, but severely cut, full frame, poor quality. Source may be TV print.
Bootlegs:
Export version with nudity. Full frame and poor color. Original source: Sinister Cinema.
DVD wish:
Widescreen, export version with nudity. English/Spanish audio.
JACK EL DESTRIPADOR DE LONDRES (Jack the Ripper of London)
Unauthorized NTSC DVD from Jef Films as 7 MURDERS FOR SCOTLAND YARD. In English and in the film's original OAR. A real discovery, however, as for a long time the only available bootleg version was from a poor Italian language source, not in the original OAR, to which English subtitles were added by Video Search of Miami. It's possible that the film contained nude scenes, but these have not turned up on any print.
DVD wish:
Widescreen, export version with nudity, if that exists. English/Spanish audio.
1972
LOS CRIMENES DE PETIOT (The Crimes of Petiot)
Bootleg availablity. Original source unknown.
DVD wish:
A presentation with English subtitling.
DISCO ROJO (Red Light)
Bootleg availablity. Original source unknown.
DVD wish:
A presentation with English subtitling.
LA REBELION DE LAS MUERTAS (The Rebellion of the Dead Women)
The BCI DVD of this film, under the VENGEANCE OF THE ZOMBIES title, is about as definitive as one can get. It presents the film from an HD master and contains a couple of scenes not found in previously available US video or bootleg DVD-R versions. A stunning transfer, with a Spanish audio option. The only slight controversy was the release of this film in a full-frame aspect ratio. Opinion differed on whether the film should have been presented this way or in a 1.66:1 or even a 1.85:1 ratio. Certain players are able to manipulate ratio, so in those cases a full-frame presentation would present little problem. Also, a TV monitor typically overscans on full-frame pictures, so watched that way, the side and top/bottom would be slightly cut off anyway.
Several months after this release, the person behind the Jef Films release of 7 MURDERS FOR SCOTLAND YARD, released on a companion label, Substance, the American theatrical edit of the film, titled WALK OF THE DEAD. This contains the infamous red warning flashes preceding a violent scene. Quality is just okay and nowhere near the level of the BCI release. Obviously unauthorized, but good to have for the Naschy collector.
1967
AGONIZANDO EN EL CRIMEN (Agonizing in Crime)
Bootleg availablity. Original source unknown.
DVD wish:
A presentation with English subtitling.
1968
LA MARCA DEL HOMBRE LOBO (The Mark of the Wolfman)
English version DVD availability as FRANKENSTEIN'S BLOODY TERROR from Shriek Show.
Bootlegs:
Spanish widescreen version. Original source: Manga Video (Spain).
English-subtitled Spanish version. Original source: Luminous Film & Video Wurks working from Manga Video.
DVD wish:
1) 3D version of the film, which was shot in that format.
2) The Spanish LA MARCA DEL HOMBRE LOBO version, with English subtitles
3) The HELL'S CREATURES version, which apparently is the longest English dub version.
1969
LOS MONSTRUOS DEL TERROR (The Monsters of Terror)
English version DVD availability as DRACULA VS. FRANKENSTEIN from Gemstone. Vertically squeezed full-frame (which can be turned into widescreen with aspect ratio controls) and unauthorized. Poor quality, splicy.
Bootleg availability under various titles, including ASSIGNMENT TERROR:
Widescreen in English, taken from French print with English audio replacing French audio. Original bootleg source: Luminous Film & Video Wurks.
Spanish widescreen version from torrent sites. Original source: Spanish TV showing.
DVD wish:
Widescreen and complete, English/Spanish audio.
1970
LA FURIA DEL HOMBRE LOBO (The Fury of the Wolfman)
Many DVDs of the English version available from companies specializing in public domain. Alpha Video appears to have been the first. All are unauthorized, full-frame and contain the non-nude variant.
A Spanish DVD from Divisa appeared in 2009. The good news is that it's in the proper scope ratio, the bad news is that it's the Spanish non-nude version. The print is also on the dark side and not bursting with color. No English audio or subtitles included.
Bootlegs:
Full-frame bootlegs of the old Charter Video release, which was in okay quality and contained most of the nudity.
Bootlegs of the Swedish video release that represents the most complete LA FURIA, titled THE WOLFMAN NEVER SLEEPS. In English, with Swedish subtitles, and widescreen (though still not in the film's full OAR). The most commonly available boot of this release was from Midnight Video.
Bootlegs of the Spanish widescreen release, missing the nudity, but in the film's correct OAR. Original source: Spanish TV showing.
DVD wish:
Widescreen and complete, English/Spanish audio.
LA NOCHE DE WALPURGIS (The Night of Walpurgis)
2 authorized NTSC DVDs under the WEREWOLF SHADOW titling, one from Anchor Bay, released in 2002, and the other from BCI, released in 2008. Both present the most complete cut of the film, with a couple of scenes that never had English dubbing in Spanish audio with English subtitling. The BCI presentation also has a Spanish audio option. There are several foreign DVD releases of this film as well. The Spanish DVD, released on Divisa, also contains a second alternate clothed/unclothed double scene (of Genevieve being attacked by Waldemar's crazy sister) and not just the familiar one of the female sacrifice lying on the slab. This second double scene is not contained in either the Anchor Bay or BCI version.
The American theatrical edit of the film, under the title WEREWOLF VS. THE VAMPIRE WOMAN, is available on a variety of PD labels, including Madacy and Treasure Box. (The Madacy DVD starts with the picture in a mock drive-in theater to then blossom it to monitor screen size, so you may want to avoid this if you are concerned about the first couple of seconds.) The American edit replaced the Anton Garcia Abril score with music library cues and contains different beginning and end credit sequences, which are in widescreen in all DVD releases, though the rest of the film is presented full-frame. Streamlining cuts were also made in the American version. Despite its promotion as such, the recent BCI DVD of WEREWOLF SHADOW does not contain the genuine American variant.
DVD wish:
Widescreen WEREWOLF VS. THE VAMPIRE WOMAN version.
EL VERTIGO DEL CRIMEN (The Vertigo of Crime)
Bootleg available. Original source unknown.
DVD wish:
A presentation with English subtitling.
1971
DOCTOR JEKYLL Y EL HOMBRE LOBO (Dr. Jekyll and the Wolfman)
Spanish language version available on DVD, PAL format, from Mondo Macabro, with English subtitles. Anamorphic widescreen. Does not contain the export version's alternate nude scenes. This version was also released as a DVD in Spain, without English subtitles.
Unauthorized NTSC DVD on budget label, English language, but severely cut, full frame, poor quality. Source may be TV print.
Bootlegs:
Export version with nudity. Full frame and poor color. Original source: Sinister Cinema.
DVD wish:
Widescreen, export version with nudity. English/Spanish audio.
JACK EL DESTRIPADOR DE LONDRES (Jack the Ripper of London)
Unauthorized NTSC DVD from Jef Films as 7 MURDERS FOR SCOTLAND YARD. In English and in the film's original OAR. A real discovery, however, as for a long time the only available bootleg version was from a poor Italian language source, not in the original OAR, to which English subtitles were added by Video Search of Miami. It's possible that the film contained nude scenes, but these have not turned up on any print.
DVD wish:
Widescreen, export version with nudity, if that exists. English/Spanish audio.
1972
LOS CRIMENES DE PETIOT (The Crimes of Petiot)
Bootleg availablity. Original source unknown.
DVD wish:
A presentation with English subtitling.
DISCO ROJO (Red Light)
Bootleg availablity. Original source unknown.
DVD wish:
A presentation with English subtitling.
LA REBELION DE LAS MUERTAS (The Rebellion of the Dead Women)
The BCI DVD of this film, under the VENGEANCE OF THE ZOMBIES title, is about as definitive as one can get. It presents the film from an HD master and contains a couple of scenes not found in previously available US video or bootleg DVD-R versions. A stunning transfer, with a Spanish audio option. The only slight controversy was the release of this film in a full-frame aspect ratio. Opinion differed on whether the film should have been presented this way or in a 1.66:1 or even a 1.85:1 ratio. Certain players are able to manipulate ratio, so in those cases a full-frame presentation would present little problem. Also, a TV monitor typically overscans on full-frame pictures, so watched that way, the side and top/bottom would be slightly cut off anyway.
Several months after this release, the person behind the Jef Films release of 7 MURDERS FOR SCOTLAND YARD, released on a companion label, Substance, the American theatrical edit of the film, titled WALK OF THE DEAD. This contains the infamous red warning flashes preceding a violent scene. Quality is just okay and nowhere near the level of the BCI release. Obviously unauthorized, but good to have for the Naschy collector.
