El Caminante (1979)

 

We've covered so many great Paul Naschy films.  It will be a sad day when we've reached the end of them. In this one, Naschy plays the devil who decides to stroll the Medieval countryside, cause mischief and screw the maidens.

An unassuming peasant named Leonardo (Paul Naschy) strolls the Medieval countryside.  In fact this is the devil, who feels like having some devilish fun on earth. 

Leonardo lures young Tomás (David Rocha) away from the blind beggar Lucio (Rafael Conesa). He makes the lad his apprentice.

They pass by the cottage of married woman Inés (Silvia Aguilar).  Leonardo uses his satanic powers to seduce her.

They have sex right under the crucifix.

After sex, Inés is snapped out of her spell and forced to hand over the family's money.

Before leaving, he marks her ass with an upside-down cross.

Leonardo teaches Tomás his evil ways.  The commit all manner of devilry up and down the countryside.

Leonardo visits Doña Aurora (Sara Lezana), a woman grieving over her dying daughter.

Leonardo uses his satanic powers to bring her back to health.

In return, the mother gives her body to Leonardo.

Of course the devil has tricked her.  As soon as he's done fucking her, the child dies.

Leonardo has sex with María (Adriana Vega) up in the hay loft.  It's so dark, she thinks she's getting screwed by her husband.

She hears her husband coming, and it dawns on her that it couldn't have been him she was having sex with.

Her husband shows up and is like, what the fuck, woman?

Leonardo pops in and kills him.

Leonardo takes an interest in a nun, Madre Elvira (Blanca Estrada).

He seduces her right in the chapel.

The incident results in Leonardo getting ill.  He's attended to by a brothel madam, Leonor (Ana Harpo).

Tomás helps a prostitute (Taida Urruzola) in the bath.

Leonardo talks with another prostitute in a bath - and look who it is - Eva León. 

The prostitutes attend a big debaucherous banquet.

Leonor and Leonardo have acted together to spike their drinks and then take all their money.  But the devil always wins, and he kills the brothel madam and takes everything for himself.

Tomás has been trained well... perhaps too well.  He tries to double-cross Leonardo and take the loot for himself.  But the devil smites him in the end.

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Naschy's satanic take on the Pilgrim's Progress is pretty damn entertaining.  It floats back and forth between campy satansploitation and mean-spirited sleaze. Anything Naschy touches is pure gold in my book; the more of his films I watch, the more appreciation I have.

★★★★★★★☆☆☆7/10