Why so much hype?

Charming and brutal

The movie really just wants to entertain people.

The film never slows down or bores, plunging from one harrowing sequence to the next.

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.

What I could see of it anyways. Seriously though, this has got to be the worst piece of **** movie I have ever seen. Worse the Blackenstein, Catman, and Robocop vs the vampire put together. Nothing good really happens until the last four minutes, and even then I couldn't see **** because it was so dark. The two leads have no chemistry and the dialogue is stupid and cheesy. Add that to fact that they figure out what's happening without any clues or provocation. Oh yeah and female lead decides to leave town in the middle of the night with no way to fight off the vampires.2 stars because the vampire ladies were genuinely scary during their five minutes of screen time.

Paul Naschy (or "Jacinto Molina" if you're his mom) is the kind of director/writer/actor the term "Eurotrash" was specifically invented for. The guy was obviously crazy about cinema, he was addicted to the whole process of filmmaking, which to me largely compensates for the fact that he wasn't really that skilled. Most of his works revolved around either a vampire or a werewolf, this movie however features both. Damn you Naschy, quit spoiling me. The production values are non-existent, none of the actors have anything that even vaguely resembles talent, but all in all the movie's not really a complete dud. I enjoyed most of it, though it does suffer somewhat from its near-comatose pace. This is a charming little flick, but anybody who expects it to be anything but trash will be sorely disappointed.

Cheesy Eurotrash horror movie that makes Jesus Franco look like Hitchcock. Paul Naschy plays a man who turns into a werewolf when the full moon is out. While hiding out in a small French village, he welcomes two students (Gaby Fuchs and Barbara Capell) doing research on local vampire legends into his home. They awake the vampire woman (Patty Shepard) in a scene that rips off Bava's Mask of Satan very badly. As with all of these movies, there's gratuitous nudity, but not nearly enough, as well as hints at lesbian erotica - but only the most teasing of hints. I saw this in a theater (which was cool, despite the terribleness of the film) and the biggest crowd reaction came when one of the reels ended right in the middle of one of the lesbian scenes. Someone in the front row shrieked "NO!" and then a moment later, before the next reel started, "WHY?" Of course, when it reappeared, the lesbianism ended abruptly. Doesn't it always in these movies? It's like Europeans of the 1970s liked the idea of two women together, but weren't entirely sure if two women could have sex. Instead, they must just unbutton one another's shirts and rub the back of their hands across each other's breasts for a few seconds before the director yells "CUT!" As with the erotica, the promised werewolf vs. vampire woman action was pathetically short and unsatisfying. The print had faded terribly - it was as pink as undercooked chicken.