Spanish horror legend Paul Naschy’s EMPUSA, one of the final fright films he starred in (and the last one he wrote and directed under his real name, Jacinto Molina) is finally complete and hitting the sales markets. Naschy, who died last November, began production on EMPUSA in 2007, taking over the reins from its original helmer, longtime collaborator Carlos Aured.

Sales company Artistic P.C. and Colombo Films describe EMPUSA as a “homage to the 1970s cinema of fantasy and terror and depicting continuous visual references and winks to that time…full of strong characters, filmed with firm skill, shot on natural locations.” The full synopsis reads:

“Abel Olaya (Naschy) is a has-been genre actor, barely subsisting on his retirement. Forgotten by his public and critics, he is forced to survive on his prophetic gift, which comes from his other great passion: the occult sciences. He and his old friend Victor (Antonio Mayans) take long strolls on the beach talking about the good old times. During one of these [walks], they find a human arm severed below the elbow with a peculiar symbol tattooed on the wrist. Against Victor’s better judgment, Abel insists on investigating its origins. He is convinced that the odd wrist symbol originates from before the time of Christ, the times of the Empusas: devilish hybrids between vampires and mermaids, who were able to adapt at will any kind of appearance. Meanwhile, back on the coast, the police are unable to find any explanation for the mutilated corpses which keep appearing on the beaches.”

EMPUSA co-stars a mix of newcomers and Spanish TV performers, including Laura de Pedro, ROJO SANGRE’s Saturnino García, Paco Racionero, Marco Sanz, Maria Jesus Solina, Cristina Carrión and Alfonso Dorbe. The film was shot in the Spanish cities/towns of Benidorm, Altea, Calpe and Ciudad de la Luz (Alicante) by cinematographer Angel Mora. Naschy friend/artist Javier Trujillo created the wonderful poster pictured here. The actor is fondly remembered for his work in THE MARK OF THE WOLFMAN, WEREWOLF SHADOW a.k.a. THE WEREWOLF VS. THE VAMPIRE WOMAN, HORROR RISES FROM THE TOMB, COUNT DRACULA’S GREAT LOVE, ROJO SANGRE and many more. See FANGORIA #291-292 for more on the career of the late Naschy.

 

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