Hunchback of the Morgue (1973)
AKA: El Jorobado de la Morgue
Directed by: Javier Aguirre
Starring: Paul Naschy (Gotho), María Elena Arpón (Ilse), Alberto Dalbés (Orla), Rosanna Yanni (Elke)
Country: Spain
Language: Spanish (Eng Subs)
Runtime: 01:22:01
Genres: Gore, Necrophilia, Violence Against Animals, Sci-Fi
Plot – Spoilers:
A pathetic hunchback Gotho is mocked, bullied and hated by most of the folk in the Spanish town he lives in. His gorilla-like gait attracts stone-pelting from the local kids, but Gotho finds silver linings in the few people who are kind to him. One of them, Ilse, is dying and though she’s in love with someone else, Gotho prefers to remember her kind acts to him as a child and regularly visits her at the hospital.
When Ilse dies, Gotho loses any touch with reality he might have had and is obsessed with bringing her back from the dead. In this he finds an exploitative benefactor, Dr. Orla, who’s been experimenting with creating life in the lab.
Great fun! It’s like a colourful bloody remake of the early Universal Frankenstein movies complete with an ‘Igor’ hunchback. The film gives the impression that someone has randomly snipped away at it removing segments of the film as the story and continuity often do not make any sense. (who were the two grotesque people roped together at 47.00?).
Throughout the film comments are made about the hunchback’s ugly face yet there is nothing wrong with his face! I guess the budget would not stretch to the extra make-up involved!
While the film has some nice gory bits the woman goes to obvious and extreme lengths to hide her breasts in the single sex scene, implying that’s it’s OK to make viewers watch gore and nearly vomit, but not OK to show anything titillating, which is a crazy idea.
On the whole the film is enjoyable just because it is so badly made, and because at about 1.00.05 it shows a very large and tempting Raspberry Ice Cream Sundae!
If this is a typical example of Paul Naschy films there must be more gems waiting to be discovered!
Not a bad Horror oldie, 6 out of 10.
A tinge of blood was nice too.
Por que Where is the titties
diz fun
I hate this director bcz he had all the chances to show us lots of titis and asses but gready basterd kept it PG-13
Nothing like an old B gorefest with monsters, hunchback sex & flaming rats!
Excellent!
7/10.