The Loreley's Grasp (1976)

Memorable, crazy movie

It's entirely possible that sending the audience out feeling lousy was intentional

Although I seem to have had higher expectations than I thought, the movie is super entertaining.

This film is so real. It treats its characters with so much care and sensitivity.

This was a nice discovery of a lost or at least unknown movie for me. 'The Loreley's Grasp' was released with a German dubbing for the first time in 2014, and because the director is famous for the 'Blind Dead' series, I bought the Blu-ray disc blindly (no pun intended).Sigurd (Tony Kendall) is requested to save a boarding school from a mad killer that stalks the village at the Rhine. Elke (Silvia Tortosa, known best for 'Horror Express' with Christopher Lee and Peter Cushing) is the young teacher who walks alone in the night a lot, so Sigurd is getting a chance to save her. Of course she could stay inside, knowing that a killer is outside, but then we wouldn't get any chase sequences. A blind musician tells everyone in the village about his suspicion that the killings are related to the Loreley legend, but when Sigurd meets a mysterious woman introducing herself as Loreley (Helga Liné), he is not suspicious at all and falls for her tricks, until it is almost too late...Not a very clever script, rather dumb characters, cheaply made (the school has about 6 students), very free interpretation of the original myth, but never mind, you get a lot of darkness, a monster with green claws and big teeth, screaming girls and typical 70s sleaze. The killings are rather bloodthirsty - I personally prefer the old-fashioned, black and white 60s style over the graphic violence in the much too colorful 70s style, but it is a sign of the times.

I'd like to start by saying that the print available from Sinister Cinema is in great shape and is in widescreen. The color is very vibrant and most of the night scenes are easy to see. I cannot imagine there ever being a better print than this. It does not have the flashing red screen warnings that are on some of the other releases of the film. That was certainly a plus, for me.The Loreley's Grasp is quite dreamlike, as are so many Euro horror films, from the time period. I enjoyed it very much, for its excesses and its simplicities. A little of the continuity is lost in the dubbing to English, but the viewer will totally understand what is happening, through the entire film. It is quite violent and should not be seen by younger viewers, without an adult first checking it out.I purchased my copy from Sinister Cinema, via Amazon. The price was $8.99 and, after viewing, I would have been happy to pay more. If you are the kind of collector who likes to make his own covers for releases like this, be prepared to have some trouble finding any decent posters or lobby cards from the film. They are out there, but it sure takes a bit of a search.This is the only film by Ossorio that I have seen, besides the Blind Dead series. I love the Blind Dead films (number 2 less than the others) and I loved The Loreley's Grasp. I will be checking out some more of Ossorio's titles, in the future.

I'd heard some pretty terrible things about THE LORELEY'S GRASP, but it turned out to be very good, almost excellent. Certainly hampered by budgetary considerations, but not cripplingly so.Shortcomings: I could have done without the weird little professor's radioactive recreation of Siegfried's blade--why not just stick with the mythical elements of the film and write it so the Doc had found what he believed to be the real one? Loreley's business face was an atrocity, but good ol' Amando realized it from the beginning, and, having thankfully never been corrupted by the Lucio Fulci School of Talentless Hackwork with regard to lousy effects, never allowed us to get much of a look at it.At the same time, her public relations face was that of Helga Line, and we get to see plenty of it, which is just dandy.Great locations, too. Amando is almost Franco-like in making solid use of interesting surroundings. He manages, at times, to imbue the movie with an otherworldly feel, as though it's a fairy tale or myth; something that isn't necessarily taking place in a fixed time in the real world. Our heroes' stripey pants do unfortunately date the film. Put him in some khakis, and we'd be talking Timeless.Overall, a very solid effort--a movie I'm glad I saw.

When the screaming stops?!? The screaming NEVER stops, baby! This sadly obscure and obviously cheap-produced gem is an authentic Spanish exploitation highlight and it's about time it gets the appreciation of real horror fans it deserves! Even though more than 30 years overdue, director Amando de Ossorio finally received the much-earned respect for his "Blind Dead" quadrology and I hope that "Lorelei's Grasp" follows soon, as it's as least as fascinating and memorable as the saga of the Templar-zombies. The basic premise of this film is inspired by a terrific ancient myth and centers on a beautiful girl living in a cave underneath the Rhine. When the night falls, Lorelei mutates into a hideous watery creature and sets out to maul defenseless people, as she needs to eat the hearts in order to prolong her own existence. Considering the brutality of the first killing, the concerned teacher of a nearby girls' school insists on hiring a watchman to protect her students and he – the hunky Tony Kendall – quickly becomes obsessed with the mysterious Lorelei and, of course, romantically involved with the beautiful teacher. As said, "The Lorelei's Grasp" is a magnificent film! Amando de Ossorio masterfully combines old-fashioned tension with stylish eroticism and really graphic gore. The build up to when the Lorelei-monster mangles another victim is atmospheric and creepy, yet the actual kill is nasty as hell! The decors and filming locations are often breathtaking and every woman that walks through the screen is a genuine beauty, especially Silvia Tortosa in her role as the teacher. There's not a single boring moment in the entire film and even the slightly disappointing finale didn't bother me that much. The monster design and some of the bloody make-up effects will probably seem ridiculous to nowadays CGI-horror fanatics, but they won't be searching for this rare film, anyway. To any other fan of vintage 70's euro-horror, "The Lorelei's Grasp" comes with my highest possible recommendation!