(aka "RETORNO DEL HOMBRE LOBO" or "THE CRAVING")

 

directed by Jacinto Molina (Paul Naschy)
Spain 1980

 

Jacinto Molina opted to direct this one himself, as well as the two other Daninsky movies made in the eighties. This means he has more control over the project than ever before, and contrary to what some say, I think he's actually a very good director. Probably the best ever to direct a Daninsky movie, anyway, and obviously he can capture his own artistic vision like nobody else could. This is probably why it feels more conventional and competent than most movies in the series. The sets are great, the special effects are good for it's time and the whole movie has a fantastic atmosphere to it. There is more gratuitous nudity and gore than in most Daninsky movies, and I'm surprised it hasn't been a bigger hit with fans of the genre. There are certainly enough werewolves, witches, vampires, zombies and horrible sacrifices to keep them entertained! Maybe I'm going overboard with the praise, but if you've seen the earlier Daninsky movies, you'll know that in most ways this is pretty damn good comparatively.

Excerpt from Noel comments on IMdb located HERE

Posters

Theatrical Release: February 1982 (Fantasporto Film Festival)

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DVD Comparison:

BCI/Deimos Entertainment (Special Edition) - Region 0 - NTSC vs. Tripictures (Coleccion Paul Naschy) - Region 2 - PAL

Big thanks to Eric Cotenas for all the Screen Caps!

(BCI/Deimos Entertainment (Special Edition) - Region 0 - NTSC - LEFT vs. Tripictures (Coleccion Paul Naschy) - Region 2 - PAL - RIGHT)

DVD Box Covers

Distribution

BCI/Deimos Entertainment

Region 0 - NTSC

Tripictures
Region 2 - PAL
Runtime 1:32:09 1:29:14 (4% PAL speedup)
Video

1.78:1 Original Aspect Ratio

16X9 enhanced
Average Bitrate: 6.54 mb/s
NTSC 720x480 29.97 f/s

1.65:1 Aspect Ratio
Average Bitrate: 5.17 mb/s
PAL 720x576 25.00 f/s

NOTE: The Vertical axis represents the bits transferred per second. The Horizontal is the time in minutes.

Bitrate:

 

BCI/Deimos Entertainment (Special Edition)

 

Bitrate:

 

Tripictures (Coleccion Paul Naschy)

 

Audio Spanish (Dolby Digital 2.0 mono); English (Dolby Digital 2.0 mono); English (Dolby Digital 5.1)

Spanish (Dolby Digital 2.0 mono)

Subtitles English, none none
Features Release Information:
Studio: BCI/Deimos Entertainment

Aspect Ratio:
Widescreen anamorphic - 1.78:1

Edition Details:
• Paul Naschy Introduction (English subtitles)
• Deleted Scenes (Spanish and English with English subtitles)
• U.S. Theatrical Trailer (actually export trailer)
• Spanish credit sequences
• Still and Poster Gallery

DVD Release Date: May 8, 2007
Amaray

Chapters 16

Release Information:
Studio: Tripictures

Aspect Ratio:
Widescreen letterboxed - 1.65:1

Edition Details:
• Paul Naschy introduction (Spanish only)
• Interview with Paul Naschy (Spanish only)
• Still Gallery

 

DVD Release Date: November 16, 2005
Fold-out digipack

Chapters 12

 

 

Comments:

The captures almost speak for themselves. The BCI DVD is derived from a new high-definition master (HD or BluRay version forthcoming) and is a revelation in terms of color and composition (a tribute to the stunning cinematography of Allejandro Ulloa who also photographed Naschy's CARNIVAL OF THE BEASTS with much of the same cast). When the Tripictures disc came out last year, it was a definate improvement over the dark, murky Vestron cassette (under the US release title THE CRAVING) but it was derived from an older master (see cap 7 as part of a several second sequence that is virtually monochrome on the Tripictures disc) and the BCI disc shows how much improvement there was to be made. The original Spanish mono and English mono tracks are included along with optional English subtitles which reveal dialogue differences between the English and Spanish tracks. An optional 5.1 English track is included and is nicely enveloping without being overly gimmicky. (The musical score is a compilation of CAM library music by Ennio Morricone, Marcello Giombini, Stelvio Cipriani, Armando Travajoli, Carlo Rustichelli, and perhaps some others).

Note that the English language credit sequence only credits 4 of the main actors (on one card), the title, the production company, editor, production manager, and writer/director (Naschy under his real name Jacinto Molina). The more complete Spanish language opening and end credits are included as an extra.

A deleted scene is included with some extended dialogue missing from the export version. Like the Spanish titles, it is presented at 1.66:1 and anamorphic.

I was under the impression that 1.66:1 was the original aspect ratio (as per the Tripictures disc) but the framing of the BCI disc reveals more picture information on the right (a sliver on the left) and slight squeezing in the Tripictures version. The BCI disc is letterboxed at 1.78:1 and was probably further matted to 1.85:1 for theatrical exhibition.

 - Eric Cotenas

 



DVD Menus
(
BCI/Deimos Entertainment (Special Edition) - Region 0 - NTSC - LEFT vs. Tripictures (Coleccion Paul Naschy) - Region 2 - PAL - RIGHT)


 

 

 


 

Screen Captures

(BCI/Deimos Entertainment (Special Edition) - Region 0 - NTSC - TOP vs. Tripictures (Coleccion Paul Naschy) - Region 2 - PAL - BOTTOM)
subtitle sample on the BCI disc

 

 


(BCI/Deimos Entertainment (Special Edition) - Region 0 - NTSC - TOP vs. Tripictures (Coleccion Paul Naschy) - Region 2 - PAL - BOTTOM)

 

 


(BCI/Deimos Entertainment (Special Edition) - Region 0 - NTSC - TOP vs. Tripictures (Coleccion Paul Naschy) - Region 2 - PAL - BOTTOM)

 

 


(BCI/Deimos Entertainment (Special Edition) - Region 0 - NTSC - TOP vs. Tripictures (Coleccion Paul Naschy) - Region 2 - PAL - BOTTOM)

 

 


(BCI/Deimos Entertainment (Special Edition) - Region 0 - NTSC - TOP vs. Tripictures (Coleccion Paul Naschy) - Region 2 - PAL - BOTTOM)

 

 


(BCI/Deimos Entertainment (Special Edition) - Region 0 - NTSC - TOP vs. Tripictures (Coleccion Paul Naschy) - Region 2 - PAL - BOTTOM)

 

 


(BCI/Deimos Entertainment (Special Edition) - Region 0 - NTSC - TOP vs. Tripictures (Coleccion Paul Naschy) - Region 2 - PAL - BOTTOM)
note severly faded color in this shot on the Spanish disc

 

 


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Report Card:

 

Image:

BCI

Sound:

BCI

Extras: BCI
Menu: BCI

 
DVD Box Covers

Distribution

BCI/Deimos Entertainment

Region 0 - NTSC

Tripictures
Region 2 - PAL




 

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