This movie opens with an attractive girl sitting alone in a car, humming to herself. Then for no discernable reason she is grabbed from behind and her throat is slashed with a knife, all of this before the opening credits ... so yeah, we're in pretty standard Paul Naschy territory here.

This was obviously a very personal project for Molina, since he writes, directs and stars in it, playing an actor no less. The Shakespearean actor in question likes to pick up prostitutes and have his kinky way with them, while acting out some of his favourite historical roles. Could this be autobiographical, perhaps? Probably not, since the girls also end up gruesomely slaughtered. He also likes to proposition his poor housekeeper, apparently without fear of a sexual harrassment suit ... anyway, it's a nice change to see him playing a genuine anti-hero rather than the noble Waldemar Daninsky. Molina also plays a duel role as his own dead, possible murdered, brother, a much more famous actor but who only ever did trashy horror roles (under the pseudonym Peter Kerensky ... heh). He is also shown in various horror roles throughout, mysteriously visiting his disturbed son.

It's really just an anthology, a chance for Molina to play on his own 'Naschy' fame and image to create a compelling and interesting horror story. And when it comes down to it's really one of the more entertaining Jacinto Molina movies, and one that deserves to be put out on wide DVD release for Naschy fans everywhere to appreciate. It may have been a bit self-indulgent for another actor, but I think Molina has more than earned the right to be that way. And I don't think it would serve too badly as introduction to his movies, either. Of course it still has no narrative flow and it's all over the place, it's nasty and sexist and gruesome and exploitative, but that's exactly what people love about this genre, isn't it?

"Howl of the Devil" is not really a horror film but more of a murder mystery with strong supernatural elements, one that's difficult to follow but an awful lot of fun all the same.

The Wolf In "Howl of the Devil", the disturbed son of a dead horror actor is visited by various movie monsters who his father presumably played, all of them portrayed by Jacinto Molina. It is clearly an obsession for him, and at one point he is sitting in bed reading a magazine called "Monsters", with a picture of Lon Chaney Jr as the Wolf Man on the cover (see top photo). Later, in the woods, he encounters Waldemar (see bottom photo), and actually addresses him as such ... apparently they're on first name terms in fact. He tells Waldemar that he is the "least liked of them all", which is ironic since this was Molina's most popular character. Also, he asks that if Waldemar meets Larry Talbot then to say he's a great admirer of his, obviously a personal message from Molina himself who was a big fan of the 'Wolf Man' movies. It's an unfortunately brief appearance for the character, however.

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