Truly Dreadful Film

everything you have heard about this movie is true.

Exactly the movie you think it is, but not the movie you want it to be.

By the time the dramatic fireworks start popping off, each one feels earned.

I knew of this from the Shriek Show DVD, but really became intrigued by it this Summer when the obscure Di Silvestro (who succumbed to cancer earlier this very month!) was interviewed during the late-night program about Italian B-movies "Stracult". The film is interesting but not really successful – especially let down by the sluggish pacing typical of the style and the atrocious English dubbing (with a surfeit of psycho-babble in an attempt to explain, in rational terms, the titular figure's physical and mental condition). Being a product of the 1970s, when the lycanthropic subgenre was pretty much in the doldrums, the film-makers obviously chose to capitalize on the demonology cycle then prevalent: so, we have the leading lady (Sondra Locke lookalike Annik Borel) spouting colorful language and generally acting 'possessed' – with the (none-too-convincing) monster make-up relegated to the opening period sequence and the occasional flashback! One more obvious influence is the graphic rape a' la THE LAST HOUSE ON THE LEFT (1972); besides, for much of its duration, this plays like a softcore flick – indulging in sex scenes (including one featuring regular "Euro-Cult" starlet Dagmar Lassander) which often constitute mere padding and basically only serve to stop the show dead in its tracks! Other notables in the cast are Elio Zamuto (as the doctor who treats the "Werewolf Woman"), Frederick Stafford (as the cop on her trail of carnage) and Howard Ross (as the stuntman who offers the girl genuine affection and, consequently, temporary respite from her 'craving'). The concluding narration suggests that the whole was inspired by true events; I would not really know, but this certainly gives added curiosity value to the already bizarre proceedings.

"A young woman suffers from the delusion that she is a werewolf, based upon a family legend of an ancestor accused of and killed for allegedly being one. Due to her past treatment by men, she travels the countryside seducing and killing the men she meets. Falling in love with a kind man, her life appears to take a turn for the better when she is raped and her lover is killed by a band of thugs. Traumatized again by these latest events, the woman returns to her violent ways and seeks revenge on the thugs," according to the DVD sleeve's synopsis.Rino Di Silvestro's "La lupa mannara" begins with full frontal, writhing, moaning dance by shapely blonde Annik Borel, who (as Daniella Neseri) mistakenly believes she is a werewolf. The hottest part is when the camera catches background fire between her legs. The opening "flashback" reveals her hairy ancestor was (probably) a lycanthropic creature. Ms. Borel is, unfortunately, not a werewolf; she is merely a very strong lunatic.As a film, "Werewolf Woman" (in English) would have been better if Borel's character really was a female werewolf; with her sexual victimization a great bit of characterization. But, as far as 1970s skin and blood flicks go, this one is hard to beat. Bouncy Borel is either nude or sexily clad throughout the film, which features a fair amount of gratuitous gore. Dazzling Dagmar Lassander (as Elena) and hunky Howard Ross (as Luca) are good supporting players. **** La lupa mannara (3/18/76) Rino Di Silvestro ~ Annik Borel, Howard Ross, Dagmar Lassander

What else do I need to say? Good film? No, but Euro-trash almost at it's best. Superb natural bodies on display, bad dubbing, stupid dialog, big boobs, mayhem, evisceration, big boobs, full moon, and big boobs.For fans of Italian and Spanish 70's trash in the vein of HORROR RISES FROM THE TOMB, but not as good. The nudity and overt sexuality makes it a keeper. Also in the vein of LISA AND THE DEVIL, only a million times better than that one.Mighty fine, damn fine, sublimely fine, fun bags... with a movie attached.Just say yes.

I started watching this movie expecting some barely tolerable Hammer horror film wannabe... and I wasn't far off. There's a fair amount of glimpsed gore, and they threw in lots of nudity, but the latter half of the movie presents a few ironic twists. Holy cow, they actually put a little thought into the story, and didn't completely fall into the predictable stuff one expected at the outset. And dare I say it, some of the "gratuitous" nudity wasn't so gratuitous after all, because it fit in with the story and setting.Don't get me wrong, it's still overall a bad movie, but as bad movies go, it's a shade more intelligent than the REALLY horrible tripe like Mesa of Lost Women and Robot Monster.