ferbs54
The character of necromancer/Satanist Alaric de Marnac was first introduced by screenwriter Jacinto Molina (aka Paul Naschy) in Carlos Aured's 1973 film "Horror Rises From the Tomb," with Naschy playing both Alaric and his hapless descendant of five centuries later. A decade would pass before Naschy, now director as well as scripter, would revisit the character in "Panic Beats," but with some changes in Alaric's biography. Whereas in the first film he had been beheaded in 1454 by his own brother (and stayed dead...until modern times, at least), in the latter, he is said to have died in 1565, a ghostly figure who would return every 100 years to take vengeance on all cuckolding de Marnac women. In "Panic Beats," Naschy the actor does double duty again, playing the demon and his descendant. In modern-day Paris, we meet Paul, an architect who is having major-league women problems. His wife, Genevieve (played by Julia Saly, a beautiful actress who resembles the young Eleanor Parker), has such severe heart troubles that he is compelled to bring her to his ancestral estate in the country for a rest cure. His mistress, Mireille (the luscious Silvia Miro), is putting all sorts of pressure on him. And once ensconced in his country estate, he falls hard for the charms of the housekeeper's niece, Julie (gorgeous Pat Ondiviela). And then the murderous fun begins....More a companion piece than a sequel, "Panic Beats" features, by necessity, all-new characters (virtually no one survived the carnage of "Horror Rises"!) and is a truly wild ride. Naschy, an admitted fan of the Universal horror films of the '30s and '40s, has obviously taken in many other scary pictures over the years as well, as "PB" brings to mind, in sections, such wonderful classics as "Gaslight," "The Spiral Staircase," "House on Haunted Hill," "What Ever Happened to Baby Jane?" and, of course, "Diabolique," to which he adds black-gloved giallo elements AND the supernatural. But the point at which Clouzot's "Diabolique" ends is just the halfway point for this truly remarkable film, which, for this viewer, is superior to the initial Alaric outing. Naschy does a wonderful job behind the camera, the production values are very high, the acting is superb across the board (indeed, Julia Saly's death scene is one of the most convincing I've ever witnessed), and the shocks and surprises just keep coming. This is the type of film in which virtually every character is either plotting against someone or being plotted against, and, as in the first film, the body count is extremely high; practically total. And if some sections are a tad predictable, watching the picture go through its paces still remains great fun. What's more, this Mondo Macabro DVD looks just fantastic, and is packed, as usual, with extras. In one, the late Naschy is interviewed and exhibits a remarkable memory and pleasingly self-effacing demeanor; an enormously likable gentleman. Bottom line: All horror fans should certainly pounce on this one. And, oh: The film's best line belongs to Ms. Ondiviela, when she chucks that space heater! Look out!
Lee Eisenberg
Having seen a number of the late Paul Naschy's flicks, I expected "Latidos de pánico" ("Panic Beats" in English) to have no shortage of gore. It didn't disappoint. I also knew in advance that this is one of the movies in which Paul Naschy - whose real name was Jacinto Molina - does not play werewolf Waldemar Daninsky. The plot has a man and his infirm wife moving to his childhood estate, which was also the residence of his bloodthirsty ancestor. There is a legend that his ancestor rises from the dead to get revenge on anyone who wrongs his descendants. When mysterious things start happening at the estate, the wife begins wondering if the legend is true.I do prefer the movies in which Naschy grows fur and fangs, but this one was still cool. There's plenty of nudity, and even a see-through nightgown! There was something else. Usually I think that Paul Naschy resembles Quentin Tarantino. In most of this movie he did, but while wearing a hat, he looked like Marlon Brando in "The Godfather", and in the photo he looked like John Belushi in "Animal House". And this is in a horror flick! Anyway, it's some real fun. In the first scene with the snake, I blurted out "I've had it with these mother***king snakes on this mother***king grave!" PS: It's too bad that Paul Naschy never collaborated with Pedro Almodóvar on a movie. THAT would have been something cool! Probably a story of a werewolf having to deal with a damaged relationship.
HumanoidOfFlesh
Paul Marnac,the offspring of Alaric de Marnac(of "Horror Rises from the Tomb aka El Espanto surge de la tumba",1973)takes his ill wife Genevieve on a vacation.Marnac family's manor hides an terrible history beneath and after awhile it seems that something evil has risen from the past.At the same time young woman Julie is going to have an affair with Paul.It looks like either a cruel plot against innocent Genevieve or something evil and unnatural.This mix of horror,sleaze and black comedy works for me.There is a little bit of gore and a decent amount of fill-frontal nudity,so my grimy exploitation heart was satisfied.Simple but stylish camera work combined with vivid colours is very close to 60's era of Hammer Films' classics.But like Naschy in his lead role,the whole film contains fun and foolish camp tone in it and therefore cannot be taken seriously.8 out of 10.
bensonmum2
From the moment I saw this listed as on the Mondo Macabro website, I was intrigued. It looked good and the reviews I read were mostly positive. So when it was finally released, I couldn't wait to get my hands on it. After watching it, I wish I would have waited.What a major disappointment. Right from the start, I knew that Panic Beats couldn't meet my expectations. The whole look and feel of the film is terrible. It has that straight-to-video look that usually destroys atmosphere. The sets are nothing special at all. Most of the film looks like it could have been shot in my house. The story is incredibly predictable. There are a lot of twists and turns in the plot, but most are telegraphed from a mile away. The gore scenes are horribly done. And the whole concept of a knight that comes back from the dead is straight out of Scooby Doo. It's not a very frightening image.Paul Naschy does his best to provide some chills. With raised eyebrows and a menacing stare, he does his best to look frightening. But for the most part, it doesn't work. The most frightening scenes are of Naschy naked in the bathtub. Now that had me screaming.As for Mondo Macabro's disc, it's very well done. I have no complaints with the image, sound, or subtitles. The extras are quite nice, including a brief history of Spanish horror.
