August 2, 2010

The Man Who Saw Frankenstein Cry



Not a Frankenstein movie, but a great title for a film I can’t wait to see… The Man Who Saw Frankenstein Cry: Paul Naschy, The Life and Legend of a Horror Icon.

The intriguing title comes from an anecdote reported by Naschy (1934-2009). On February 25, 1966, Naschy was hired as an extra on a Spanish location shoot for the American television series I Spy with Boris Karloff in a memorable guest part as a Quixotic scientist. Though Naschy’s scenes were edited out, he had the opportunity to observe the elderly actor, hobbled by leg braces, at work in very difficult circumstances. Late in the day, in bitter cold and piercing winds, Naschy saw the suffering Karloff weep as he waited for transportation that was late arriving. “I am one of the very few,” Naschy wrote, “perhaps even the only man who saw Frankenstein’s Monster cry.”

The 60-minute documentary was directed by Naschy’s biographer, Angel Agudo. Mick Garris serves as host and narrator, and the film features rare archival footage of Naschy and interviews with Naschy friends and colleagues, including Christopher Lee and Caroline Munro.

The Man Who Saw Frankenstein Cry is scheduled for various film festival stops through the summer. It will premiere officially, and most appropriately, at the 43rd Sitges International Fantastic Film Festival of Catalonia in October.

In other Festival news, the extraordinary — and amazingly successful —Fantasia International Film Festival wrapped up in Montreal on July 28 and we note that Matthew Saliba’s Frankenstein Unlimited (which I blogged about here) walked away with a Bronze Award in the Best Canadian or Quebecois Feature category. And, by the way, I was knocked out to see Frankensteinia quoted by the Festival blog!


Paul Naschy website.


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