DIRECTOR OF:
El Espanto surge de la tumba/Horror Rises From the Tomb (1972)
Los Fríos senderos del crimen/The Cold Trails of Crime (1973)
Los Ojos azules de la muñeca rota/The Blue Eyes of the Broken Doll (1973)
El Retorno de Walpurgis/The Return of Walpurgis (1973)
La Venganza de la momia/The Vengeance of the Mummy (1973)
La Noche de la furia /The Night of the Fury (1974)
Susana quiere perder... eso/Susana Wants to Lose . . . That (1977)
La Frígida y la viciosa/The Frigid and the Vicious (1981)
El Fontanero, su mujer, y otras cosas de meter.../The Plumber, His Wife, and other Things of Putting... (1981)
Apocalipsis sexual /Sexual Apocalypse(1981)
De niña a mujer/From Girl to Woman (1982)
El Hombre del pito mágico/The Man of the Magic Whistle (1982)
El Enigma del yate/The Enigma of the Yacht (1983)
Atrapados en el miedo/Trapped in Fear (1984)
Fans of Paul Naschy and euro-horror are familiar with the name of Carlos Aured. This Spanish-born director has traversed a career in film that has ranged from working as an assistant director to the legendary Leon Klimovsky to helming his own pictures, including a series of four important Paul Naschy films. Aured has secured for himself a stable niche in the history of genre filmmaking, even as he currently works in the acquisition department for Spanish TV. Unfortunately, given the disrepute of the genres Aured has dealt in (horror included), not much has been known about him, and we are thrilled to present the first known English interview with the man himself.
Could you tell us a bit about where you were born, your childhood and education?
I was born in 1937, during the Spanish Civil War, in Los Alcázares, a small town on the Mediterranean coast, near what today is La Manga del Mar Menor. My family stayed there to the end of the war, when I was one and half years old, and then we moved to Madrid, where I have lived practically all my life. After my primary and secondary education, I began to study for a career as a road engineer, until I abandoned that (without finishing my studies) to devote myself to "show business."
How did you get interested in filmmaking? What were your influences when you were growing up?
From age ten, or maybe before, I had only two loves: cinema and literature. Whenever I could (and often missing school) I would go to one of the cinemas that was around at the time which projected two movies continuously from four in the afternoon up until one hour after midnight. I would sit through the program twice, and come back home in time to receive the scolding of my parents. Other times I would begin to read a novel locked in my room, and not go to sleep until two hours before I needed to get up to go to school.
My favorite movies were all types of American productions. At that time I didn't make note of the directors, but I did know the stars: Gary Cooper, James Stewart, Humphrey Bogart...... Adventure films, swashbucklers, terror films, comedies, gangster films..... There was one director I admired above all: Alfred Hitchcock.
As for the books that I read, they were exclusively novels. Bill Barnes, The Shadow, Hercules Poirot, Edgar Rice Burroughs, Edgar Allan Poe, Mika Waltari, William Irish, Pearl S. Buck, and so many, many others.
Frequently, when I would read a story I would think that it could be told in flashback, or from the perspective of revealing the murderer first and then the crime, or simply concurrently. I remember many books that I thought I could make a good movie out of, but always another director would make it: THE BIRDS, IN QUEST OF FIRE..... For that reason it was not strange at all that one day I abandoned my studies and joined regional theater groups.
I was a third stage assistant, and was in charge of setting up decorations, lights...
I even got a small role in a play when the cast was too large. Then I worked on a TV show that each week hosted a different director. I decided to speak with one of these directors who was going to start filming, and entered the industry at the bottom rung of the direction team.
Is it true that your first job in films was working on an Italian and Spanish western?
The first movie that I worked on was one of those Spaghetti Westerns, an Italian-Spanish coproduction with Richard Harrison as the main character and directed by a Spaniard. I made several movies of this type.
Before directing your first film, you worked as an assistant to Leon Klimovsky. Could you tell us a little bit about Klimovsky--what kind of man was he, what you learned from him, if anything. Also, what films did you work with him on?
I worked on some six movies with Leon Klimovsky as his assistant. He was a wonderful artisan of the cinema. He handled to perfection the camera, planning, editing, and the budget. If there was anything to fault him for it was his approach, but that is something quite subjective. At his side, I surely learned 90% of what I know.
HORROR RISES FROM THE TOMB was your first film. According to Paul Naschy, he had only one day to write the script for this film. What did you think of the script when you read it? Was it a full-length script or was material added as the film was being made?
If it was not one day, then it was two. It was sufficiently finished to film. Only a few small changes needed to be made: dialogue for the actor's comfort, and the normal set ups in a scene of terror or suspense. It was a script that I found very good at that time and that even today, after all these years, I would still judge sufficiently good, with only minor changes needed to update it.
Were you nervous about directing your first film?
I was excited, but happy, very happy.
Did you have a specific method of directing this film?
I filmed as I had learned by Klimovsky's side: lighting, the master shot and intercuts, or what was required of the scene. I have always liked to set up my own framing, to work with the actors, and to collaborate in the special effects and the make-up.
What was the mood during the filming? Was it very serious or was there also fun?
We were all in a good mood, except for the normal nerves that take place due to the accidental difficulties that always occur when one is filming.
I understand that part of the movie was filmed at Naschy's family house in the country. Did this pose any problems?
Yes, we did film at Paul's home, but he was so interested in the movie that he was not at all worried about the small destructions that occurred in the house or on the furniture. He was a complete collaborator, only thinking about the movie and his role.
This movie has several scenes of erotic horror that are strong even to this day. Did any of the actors or actresses give you a difficult time during the filming of these scenes?
It was a habit in that time to film some scenes with nudity that in this day and age would be completely innocent. None of the actors or actresses caused any problems. I cannot say the same of the electricians or other workers that stayed looking with open mouths and hands in their pants pockets. It was necessary to toss them off the set, except for one person.
During the Franco era certain Spanish horror films were filmed in two versions--one version was for the domestic Spanish market and it would not have any nudity, the other version was for the international market and it would contain nudity. Were two versions of HORROR RISES FROM THE TOMB filmed?
Yes, two versions were made, although as I have already said, that then we seemed daring, but today all this would be infantile.
Did you take part in editing of this film or any of your other films with Paul Naschy?
In those days most of the editors were nothing but the hands of the director. It was the director who thought and decided. I filmed thinking of the edit and I alone knew what to do with that movie.
What did you think of HORROR RISES FROM THE TOMB when you finished it? Did you think at that time that the film would be considered a classic European horror film?
My spirit was divided in two contradictory thoughts. On one hand I believed that it was the best movie in the world and the whole film industry would be at my feet. On the other hand, I thought that although it was not bad, it was lacking a bit in time, budget, experience and genius.
Do you have any other memories of this film that may be interesting to our readers? Any amusing incidents?
The reason the producer decided to give me my first directorial opportunity was not because he believed that I had some special merits, but because I promised to make the film on a very low budget. Although the budget was being met, one day he got angry with me and wished to tear pages out of the script to reduce the movie. In the film business nice things like this always happen.
Something else happened that was very amusing. We had made four rehearsals of a classic scene in the cinema of terror. An attractive blonde was to descend along a stairway, only dressed in an almost transparent nightgown, her clothing illuminated by the chandelier in her hand. At the end of the stairway, Paul Naschy appears suddenly from the darkness, she faints in surprise, and he catches her in his arms before she falls to the floor. We made four perfect rehearsals. When the actual filming began, the girl fainted toward a different side than in the rehearsals and, in spite of Paul's quick reaction, she went smashing onto the floor!
Your next film with Naschy was THE RETURN OF WALPURGIS (aka THE CURSE OF THE DEVIL). This film was part of the famous Waldemar Daninsky saga. Was it the most expensive film you worked on with Naschy?
It was a bit costly, but it did not have an excessive budget. Two movies were made under the same coproduction contract: THE RETURN OF WALPURGIS and THE VENGEANCE OF THE MUMMY.
I don't consider that a Waldemar Daninsky "saga" exists. There is a character--created by Paul Naschy--who is main character of many movies, but these films don't have continuity, they aren't serial parts of one story. This is not pejorative at all. Paul Naschy is a born creator. He has invented and given life to this character, endowing him with a personality and some original characteristics that have nothing to do with the Universal wolfman nor any other cinematic werewolf. The important difference is that he has endowed this character with a personality, a background; this is not just a character, this is a person that lives, feels, suffers, loves, and walks in search of a redemption that arrives with difficulty.
Did you have any problems in filming this movie, particularly as it was an expensive production and involved make-up for the wolf man character?
The budget increment didn't produce problems, but advantages. Paul's make-up was very complicated, and he needed three hours of application, and several pauses along the day for retouches. The biggest difficulties in the movie were those transformations from human being to hombre lobo. If you study the movie, you will see that each of the transformations is filmed using a different technique. We could not leave out the classic shot of seeing the progression of the change in a medium shot from the front. This shot would today be very easy to do, but at that time was carried out without the use of dummys, morphing--none of the current techniques. Four tests were made, all very complicated, until we achieved the look that is in the movie which is quite acceptable. Very good, perhaps?
Where there any scenes that were cut from this film for the censors?
There were some nude scenes that the censors did not cut, simply because they were not in the version that was presented to them. Two takes of each scene were filmed: one with the woman naked and one with her clothes on. Anyway, I don't believe that these nude scenes added anything special to the movie. To my way of thinking the scene in which Daninsky transforms into the wolfman while making love to the young sister is sufficiently erotic.
THE BLUE EYES OF THE BROKEN DOLL, known in the US as HOUSE OF PSYCHOTIC WOMEN, is an excellent Spanish thriller. You co-wrote the screenplay with Paul Naschy. How much of the original idea for the film was yours?
I simply collaborated in the creation of characters, some scenes, and maybe in a little of the dialogue. But most of the work belongs to Paul Naschy.
The killings are very suspenseful. Each female victim is placed in a cavernous atmosphere, alone in a big space. This makes her vulnerability quite dramatic. Was this your idea?
Yes. The idea was to create a mysterious, premonitory, oppressive situation relying only on inert elements. To seek complicity with the viewer that something bad will happen, and then to surprise him as to when and where.
The house on top of the hill was a splendid location for the film. Where was this house in reality?
It was a house located less than 30 kilometers from Madrid, and located in such a way that although it was located 2 kilometers off of the freeway, its entire environment was totally deserted, and nothing was seen when one was inside the house. It was perfect. It no longer exists.
Why was the drama situated in France and not in Spain?
The movie is located in France for the very reason that the actors were not popular. The Spanish public was not able to believe a mystery story if the action was located in Spain. The selection of France as the foreign country was done because it was easiest to imitate the atmosphere, set decoration and characters.
Were you a fan of the Italian thrillers (gialli) before you made this film?
The films of Dario Argento had been very successful, and they didn't differ too much from the terror cinema that I had made. The terror created was very realistic. I prefer that. Also, I have always believed in Paul Naschy's qualities as a great actor. The film offered an opportunity of demonstrating that he could also act well without make-up.
There is a scene that was cut from the film that was shown in the United States. It is the pig bleeding scene which precedes another killing. Was this scene difficult to film? Was this scene Naschy's idea?
I believe that the scene originated with me. It was not difficult to film. We simply bought a live pig and hired a town stockbreeder to kill the pig according to his custom.
THE VENGEANCE OF THE MUMMY has a great cult reputation. In terms of sexual cruelty, it is a companion film to HORROR RISES FROM THE TOMB. Unfortunately, the only version anyone has seen has been the one without nudity, so that no one knows what was not used in the final cut. Do you remember which scenes were shot with nudity? Although all the violence seems to be present in the version we have seen, do you know if any violence was taken out of this film? Was there an intestine gutting sequence of the mummy before he is wrapped?
We wanted to make a movie on the myth of the mummy, which was a challenge, since it is a classic character of horror who is quite static. For that reason, it was necessary to look for elements which would be able to maintain tension in the viewer, and the violence and the blood was a good solution.. When we began shooting THE VENGEANCE OF THE MUMMY, I was a little fed up with having to film the same scene twice, once with the actresses dressed and then undressed. I thought that the story didn't need more erotismo than what was already within the mummy. The scene in which the pharoah is embalmed did not have many effects. The film sought to be romantic and, to a certain extent, poetic.
You may not know this, but the set decorations and wardrobe of Ancient Egypt were left over from the Cleopatra movie that had just been filmed in Spain with Charlton Heston as director and star. The producer was the same for both movies.
It is also interesting to note the similarity between Dracula and the mummy that I tried to stress in the movie, with the sarcophagus/casket in which the mummy appears.
Some critics have claimed that Naschy's films are misogynistic. Women are frequently being whipped, tortured, and killed. Do you agree with this? And, if so, is there a philosophical component behind all of this? A view of the curious relationships that can exist between men and women?
Although I would be unable to harm to a woman, I believe that the image of the male mistreating the female, demonstrating his superior force and his desired control, is something that--although not mentioned--is pleasing to the intimate area of the brain of both sexes. That is why this type of cinema enjoys success.
Did Naschy and you ever talk about these scenes and what you wanted to do with them? Many Naschy fans enjoy watching these scenes. Did you and Naschy enjoy making them? Or did you have any moral trouble filming them?
We don't speak of the topic because it was obvious. We didn't have any type of problems with it. At that time, people were visceral and less cerebral. We didn't derive any additional enjoyment out of it.
The mummy film was your last collaboration with Naschy. According to Naschy's autobiography, he was ready to do another film with you, but you had different actors in mind and did not work with him. Was this a situation where you wanted to just work with other actors? Or was there another problem? And what was the title of this film?
After VENGEANCE, I filmed THE NIGHT OF THE FURY. It was an action thriller made with an eye for the American market. Therefore we filmed in English, and the main characters were American (Glen Lee and Maria Pershy). Everything was done with great care to get the atmosphere of California right, and an American dialogue coach was even hired to correct the texts and also take care of the dubbing. The filming went quite well. When we offered it to an American buyer, he said that he liked the story, that it seemed to be filmed in California, that he liked the actors and the action, and that those dialogues and English that was spoken were... HORRIBLE.
Regarding Paul, whom I have always appreciated as a person and as an actor, I suppose that I thought the best person to interpret an American was a real American. If the choice of the role bothered him, I should be blamed for not giving him explanations at the time, and I ask him a thousand pardons.
What was it like working with Naschy?
It was a great pleasure to work with him. Most actors need someone in whom they trust who can tell them how things are going and what they should do. With Paul, I gave him slight indications of what I wanted before the rehearsals, and he knew how to get the most out of it. The scenes in which he was made up as the wolf man or someone else, were something different. At that moment I was a bit lost regarding the interpretation. It was very difficult to imagine what such a creature thinks and feels. But Paul Naschy knows how to make these characters believable. He knows how to interpret these characters just right and far from the ridicule.
What is your opinion of the films you did with him? Were there any things you would have changed in these films?
For all of them I would change the same thing: the budgets. More time, more work, more means. With the same actor and the same scripts, they would surely be masterpieces.
Could you tell us about any other horror films that you have directed?
I did not make any films of fantastic terror again. I have made two movies of realistic terror: THE ENIGMA OF THE YACHT and TRAPPED IN FEAR. The first one is a story of four characters forced to be together in a yacht on the high seas, with a stylistic structure similar to Agatha Christie. The film is very good. The second movie is... quite bad.
What was your intention of filming APOCALIPSIS SEXUAL? Did you want to make a statement about the morals of society at the time, or was the film meant primarily as entertainment?
I believe that it was more of a social criticism, an exercise on the Stockholm Syndrome from the sexual angle. It is a movie in which producer put in only 20% care and money, and with 100% care and work on my part, I got a 60% picture.
How was it like to work with Lina Romay? Was Jess Franco ever present during the filming of the movie? Have you ever met Jess Franco? If so, what is your opinion of the man?
I have worked twice with Lina Romay, and both times she has given me more than I asked for. I don't believe Jess Franco was present at either of the shoots, even on a visit. We used to bump into each other in the editing and sound studios, each one working on different movies. My opinion about him is that it is a likable person, a very intelligent man, and a very good director, although I believe that he is disenchanted with the cinema. He has not been valued as he deserves, and his reaction has been to be make movies solely to get some money and survive. But this is just my opinion.
Did you act in this film? If so, what was your role?
I don't remember acting in any of my movies, or even if I did so in some of Klimovsky's. And frankly, it is not my field.
Some fans of erotic horror films say that Ajita Wilson was a transsexual? Do you know if this is true?
Ajita has died. She was charming, beautiful and very professional. The rest is not important.
This film is very liberated in its sex scenes. Did any of the actors have trouble filming these scenes? Was Lina Romay the most enthusiastic member of this acting group? Were there any "hardcore" scenes filmed for this movie?
The movie was simply born as softcore, but as it was being finished, it was sold to Italy, and they asked us to complete it with some scenes that the experts call "medical shots." We spoke to the actresses and reached an agreement with them. We looked for a professional hardcore actor. We removed all the sheets from all the beds in the scene, and in two hours the guy who was "always ready" fulfilled his obligations towards all the girls one by one. He marched out of there with his money pocket full, his prostate exhausted and an enormous smile on his face.
Some people say that the Spanish horror film was doomed once sex films could be shown in Spain. People just wanted to experience what had been denied before, and were interested in seeing a lot of nudity and lovemaking on the screen. Plus, sex films were cheaper to make. Do you agree?
It is certain that due to sex-on-film prohibition that had been in Spain until Franco's death, a very strong demand took place. It is also certain that these sex films displaced the cinema of terror (which had produced too many films), and it is also certain that they were cheap productions. But there was something else. They were good business. With a reduced budget, one could triple the money made, and it was very difficult, almost impossible, to lose the money invested.
As a producer, you worked on two international films that we know about ALIEN PREDATORS and TRIUMPHS OF A MAN CALLED HORSE. What was your experience working on these films?
I worked on in the script of TRIUMPHS OF A MAN CALLED HORSE. That was all. I have worked on the production of two movies for Eduard Sarlui: MONSTER DOG with Alice Cooper, and THE FALLING, Deran Sarafian's first movie. Both productions took place in 1985. I didn't have enough experience for that type of work, but I managed to get both off the ground. My most sincere thanks to Eduardo Sarlui. Later, I also worked as line producer on ALIEN PREDATORS directed by Peter Manoogian. I prefer to not speak of either the movie or the director.
What do you think is the best film you have directed?
Perhaps HORROR RISES FROM THE TOMB.
What is your opinion of the Spanish film business? Film business in general in Spain?
The Spanish film business is too protected by the government as an industry. Therefore it is always pending at receiving economic help and doesn't concern itself enough about being aimed toward the marketplace. Artistically it has improved a lot, mainly in technique and image quality, but it still lacks good scripts. It very often falls into the bad habit of telling situations and not stories. It has another great defect. It tends to exclude any person who is not considered young. It has forgotten its old human values.
What are your currently working on? Is there a project that you would like to do in the future? Is there a film you regretted not working on in the past?
I work without too many hopes. I'm writing a dramatic story of human relations titled (provisionally) THREE ON AN ISLAND. In the recent past, I regret that I was not able to film a script of Paul Naschy's titled VLAD TEPES. It was a very good history of vampires, with very good special effects, but it didn't interest producers or distributors. They wanted a comedy.
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