Jul 7, 2020

The Passengers (1975)


(Original Title: Los pasajeros) A very unusual movie for Paul Naschy.  No vampires or werewolves in this one; just a wealthy psychopath who likes to dress like historical figures.  While I love this movie poster, it doesn't at all represent this art house flick about a murderous eccentric.


 Luis (Luis Greco) and Carlos (Rex Martín) are two travelers down a lonely road.

 They run into Verónica (Aurora Bautista).

 A Rolls Royce picks them up.  The driver is Henry (Heinrich Starhemberg)


Verónica is happy to be taken back to this rural mansion.

 Hm.  Henry looks a little suspicious.

 The mansion is owned by Paul (Paul Naschy)

 He invites them to dinner and asks if they'll stay to participate in a stage play he's written.

They're allowed to invite two ladies - Isabel (Loreta Tovar) and María (Eva León

 They're introduced to eccentric Paul.


 Now as Louie XIV, he rehearses with María 


Eva León wears a revealing leotard.


 Henry and Paul (now as Genghis Khan) discuss murdering their guests.

 Isabel (Loreta Tovar) is the first victim.

Paul seduces her and she drops her dress.

 She's subsequently killed.

 Verónica finds her body, nude on the bed.



 Henry takes Isabel's body to a small fire and burns the remains.


 María (Eva León) is utterly clueless to what's going on.

Until, they find Isabel's platform shoe on the fire.

 María is killed next.

 Verónica is forced to dance nude.  Or is this a dream?  It's hard to tell.


Verónica and the dude finally make a run for it.  THE END



A very rare and obscure Naschy film, so has some value in that regard.  But on its own merit, it's a terrible movie.  On the one hand, I love that in the seventies they made movies like this.  I mean, they just did whatever the fuck they wanted back then.  So, it's great to see an unpolished artistic vision, but on the other hand, it's miserable to watch. 

Double Feature: Another movie with a similar story and vibe is The Erotic Circus (1969).  Again, undefined characters stay in a rural estate only to be killed by so and so.  
★☆

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