Once upon a time in a land far, far away, there existed a fearsome beast that terrorized the kingdom. This beast was unlike any other, with sharp claws, glowing eyes, and a roar that could shake the earth. The people lived in constant fear, as the beast would come out of hiding every full moon to wreak havoc and destruction. The king, desperate to protect his subjects and restore peace to his land, sought help from the wise old wizard who lived deep within the enchanted forest. The wizard was known for his wisdom and magical abilities, and the king believed he held the key to defeating the beast. The wizard heard the king's plea and knew what needed to be done.
Video Bitrate: 26.78 Mbps
Well, The Beast and the Magic Sword is over-the-top fun with Paul Naschy s Inquisition, The Devil Incarnate , The Night of the Werewolf unrestrained horror conventions spilling all over the place. Naschy and cinematographer Julio Burgos aim for a soft and sometimes frosted look, which leads to side effects, like fuzzy fine details and snowy grain.
The wizard heard the king's plea and knew what needed to be done. He revealed to the king an ancient legend of a magical sword hidden within a cave at the edge of the kingdom. This sword, known as the Sword of Light, had the power to defeat any evil creature and restore balance to the land.
The beast and the magic swrdo
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(aka "La bestia y la espada m�gica" or "The Beast and the Magic Sword" or "The Werewolf and the Magic Sword")
Directed by Paul Naschy (as Jacinto Molina)
Spain / Japan 1983
Werewolf versus Samurai in a Battle to the Death!
THE BEAST AND THE MAGIC SWORD is the last great film from Spanish horror legend Paul Naschy. Although he would go on making and planning films until his death in 2009, he never again attempted the epic sweep and grandeur of this 10th entry into the saga of Waldemar Daninsky, a man afflicted by the curse of lycanthropy.
In this film we get for the first time an origin story of how the Daninsky curse began back in the 10th century. We then move forward to 16th century Japan where Daninsky has travelled in search of a cure to his affliction. Co-starring Japanese stage and screen veteran Shigeru Amachi, and shot in the studios of Toshiro Mifune, THE BEAST AND THE MAGIC SWORD is a highly successful and colourful melding of European werewolf legends and dark Japanese fantasy. It features a fight between werewolf and tiger, an evil scarlet-cloaked witch who imprisons Daninsky, a sword fight with a troupe of ghost samurai, and many other unforgettable scenes.
In the 16th Century, the lycanthrope Waldemar Daninsky goes from his native Europe to Japan, seeking a way to cure himself of being a werewolf. Only a Japanese sorcerer named Kian and a magic silver sword can save him.
Theatrical Release: November 28th, 1983
Review: Mondo Macabro - Region FREE - Blu-ray
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1080P Dual-layered Blu-ray
Disc Size: 45,304,215,871 bytes
1.33:1: 18,953,381,952 bytes
1.66:1: 18,955,235,904 bytes
Video Bitrate: 26.78 Mbps
Codec: MPEG-4 AVC Video
DTS-HD Master Audio Spanish 1509 kbps 2.0 / 48 kHz / 16-bit (DTS Core: 2.0 / 48 kHz / 1509 kbps / 16-bit)
Commentary:
Dolby Digital Audio English 192 kbps 2.0 / 48 kHz / 192 kbps
Studio: Mondo Macabro
1080P Dual-layered Blu-ray
Disc Size: 45,304,215,871 bytes
1.33:1: 18,953,381,952 bytes
1.66:1: 18,955,235,904 bytes
Video Bitrate: 26.78 Mbps
Codec: MPEG-4 AVC Video
Edition Details:
� Audio commentary with the Naschy cast. (Rod Barnett and Troy Guinn)
� The Smile of the Wolf - Interview with star Paul Naschy (46:23)
� Introduction to the film by Paul Naschy(13:36)
� Interview with the writer and critic Gavin Baddeley (32:12)
� Disc contains both widescreen and full frame versions.
� Original trailer (2:51)
Blu-ray Release Date: February 25 th , 2020
Standard Blu-ray Case
Chapters 10 X 2
NOTE : The below Blu-ray captures were taken directly from the Blu-ray disc.
ADDITION: Mondo Macabro Blu-ray (March 2020): Mondo Macabro have transferred Paul Naschy's The Beast and the Magic Sword (aka "La bestia y la espada m�gica") to Blu-ray . It is cited as being a "4k digitally restored transfer from film negative". It contains the US release in both a full frame version (1.37) and a widescreen version (1.66) versions separate 1080P transfers. We have compared some captures below. It's a little inconsistent and takes a while (maybe 1/4 hour) to settle in, but after that has some occasionally impressive detail - kind of a smoky look with solid texture. I preferred the 1.37:1 as it seemed to better suit composition - the 'widescreen' has some head-chopping as well as flaming torches (see in two captures below). Overall a pleasing HD presentation considering the film's rarity in being seen in an English-friendly version and any imperfects were likely part of the negative source.
NOTE : We have added 40 more large resolution Blu-ray captures (in lossless PNG format) for DVDBeaver Patrons HERE
On their Blu-ray , Mondo Macabro use a DTS-HD Master 2.0 channel track (16-bit) in the original Spanish language. I don't know much about the music - it can be an intense score and is credited to 'Cam Espana' with a man and woman singing a traditional Japanese song at the very end. Perhaps they mentioned it in the commentary and I kissed it. Dialogue has some weakness - sounding a shade clouded at times. Mondo Macabro offer optional English subtitles on their Region FREE Blu-ray .
The Mondo Macabro Blu-ray offers an audio commentary with a couple of Paul Naschy experts; Rod Barnett and Troy Guinn hosts of the Naschy Cast podcast. They have some enthusiasm and bring up some interesting, lesser-known, details - it's mostly on the actor/director and the Count Waldemar Daninsky's lycanthrope character, and his lack of continuity timelines etc. The Smile of the Wolf is a 3/4 hour archival interview with star Paul Naschy. Always an interesting dude. There is a 13-minute introduction to the film by Naschy and a 1/2 hour interview with the writer and critic Gavin Baddeley - author of FrightFest Guide to Werewolf Movies (The Dark Heart of Cinema) - so he's the go-to guy for reluctant wolfmen, Nazi werewolves, werewolf nuns, big bad fairytale wolves and lycanthropic nymphomaniacs. Lastly, is an original trailer.
Well, The Beast and the Magic Sword is over-the-top fun with Paul Naschy's (Inquisition, The Devil Incarnate, The Night of the Werewolf) unrestrained horror conventions spilling all over the place. I loved the tiger vs. werewolf battle and the well-choreographed sword conflicts - although the former may be a bit long and the entire infusion of Japanese samurai culture gives it a wild, fun. supernatural bent. It's no wonder Naschy has such a fervent following. He always kinda cool and fearless in his production choices. I believe this was the 10th in the series of Paul Naschy's Daninsky werewolf films. The Mondo Macabro Blu-ray has a commentary, interviews but the film itself has the most value - quite an unusual, adventurous take on lycanthropy.
Menus / Extras
CLICK EACH BLU-RAY CAPTURE TO SEE ALL IMAGES IN FULL 1920X1080 RESOLUTION
As mentioned, The Beast and the Magic Sword was never released on video (or, apparently, even in theaters) outside of Spain. The best option fans had was a PAL DVD from Vellavision, though it didn’t have English subtitles, so they’d either need to know Castilian or find a .SRT file. Mondo Macabro has gone the extra mile for this, the film’s HD, North American, and English-friendly debut, including a new 4K scan of the original film negative and the option to watch the film in either 1.33:1 full frame or cropped 1.66:1. It’s not unusual for Spanish films from the time to be shot open-matte and even presented that way in theaters, but the slight cropping looks better to my eyes. The choice is ultimately entirely up to the viewer, though I’ve included a couple of comparisons on this page to help. Overall, I’m very satisfied with the image quality, especially given the film’s pseudo-lost status and fact that it was cobbled together on a small budget. Furthermore, I’m willing to blame a lot of the most obvious shortcomings on the material itself – not necessarily due to the condition of the material, but the mistakes and choices made during filming. Naschy and cinematographer Julio Burgos aim for a soft and sometimes frosted look, which leads to side effects, like fuzzy fine details and snowy grain. The bigger issue is that the filmmakers failed to correctly pull focus a lot of the time, making for inconsistent clarity, especially in the European-set sequences (once the story arrives in Japan, clarity is much more consistent). These types of artifacts are sometimes magnified by digital noise, but there isn’t a lot of obvious telecine scan noise (I noticed it most during some shots of Daninsky’s transformation and battle with a tiger, a bit past the one hour mark). Color vibrancy and dynamic range is strong, which is especially important given the major style shift from Europe to Japan.
With hope rekindled, the king set out on a quest to find the cave and retrieve the powerful sword. Along his journey, he faced many challenges and overcame numerous obstacles. He battled treacherous terrain, encountered mystical creatures, and braved the elements. After what felt like an eternity, the king finally arrived at the cave. On entering, he was greeted by a blinding light that emanated from the sword, confirming its immense power. But as he reached out to grasp it, the sword spoke to him, warning him of the immense responsibility and sacrifice that comes with its power. Undeterred, the king vowed to use the sword wisely and selflessly to protect his kingdom and free his people from the reign of the beast. With the Sword of Light in his possession, he made his way back to the kingdom, ready to face the beast head-on. The night of the full moon arrived, and the king prepared himself for the battle of a lifetime. With the Sword of Light in hand, he confronted the beast, determined to put an end to its terror once and for all. A fierce battle ensued, with the beast unleashing its full fury upon the king. But the power of the magical sword proved too much for the beast to handle. With each strike of the sword, the beast weakened, and its roars turned into mere whispers. Finally, with one last mighty swing, the king struck the final blow. The beast let out a defeated cry, and its body crumbled to dust. The land was still, and a sense of peace and tranquility washed over the kingdom. The king had fulfilled his duty and saved his people. The Sword of Light, though powerful, was returned to its resting place, hidden away until it was needed again. The kingdom celebrated its newfound freedom and the bravery of their king. And so, the legend of the beast and the magic sword lived on, a reminder of the importance of courage, sacrifice, and the power of good overcoming evil. The kingdom flourished, and the people lived in peace, forever grateful to their wise and brave king..
Reviews for "The magic sword's connection to ancient legends in The Beast and the Magic Sword"
1. John - 1 out of 5 stars: "I found 'The Beast and the Magic Sword' to be incredibly boring and poorly written. The plot was predictable and lacked any originality. The characters were one-dimensional and lacked any depth or development. Overall, I was highly disappointed with this book and would not recommend it to anyone."
2. Sarah - 2 out of 5 stars: "While 'The Beast and the Magic Sword' had some interesting moments, I found the writing style to be choppy and confusing. The author seemed to jump from one scene to another without proper transitions, making it difficult to follow the story. Additionally, the dialogue felt forced and unrealistic. I wouldn't say it's the worst book I've ever read, but I wouldn't choose to read it again."
3. Michael - 1 out of 5 stars: "This book was a complete waste of time. The storyline was weak and lacked coherence. I was hoping for an engaging adventure, but instead, I found myself struggling to stay engaged in the plot. The characters were forgettable, and the writing quality was subpar. I regret picking up 'The Beast and the Magic Sword.'"
4. Emily - 2 out of 5 stars: "Although the concept of 'The Beast and the Magic Sword' seemed promising, the execution fell flat. The pacing was off, with moments of intense action followed by long stretches of monotony. The world-building was underdeveloped, and the magic system seemed inconsistent. Overall, it felt like a missed opportunity for a captivating fantasy novel."
5. Daniel - 1 out of 5 stars: "I couldn't finish 'The Beast and the Magic Sword'. The writing was so poor that it became a chore to read. The characters were uninteresting, and the plot lacked any real substance. The dialogue was stilted and unnatural, making it difficult to connect with the story. I wouldn't recommend wasting your time on this book."