Scott LeBrun Amando de Ossorio's "The Loreley's Grasp" is a nice mix of art and exploitation, a flavourful and atmospheric tale of a legend proving to be all too real. In Germany, a horrible reptilian beast is on the loose and tearing out hearts from assorted victims. A girls' school hires rugged hunter Sigurd, played by studly Tony Kendall, to act as security guard and beast slayer. However, the beast also takes on a human form, played by the ravishing Helga Line, and Sigurd finds himself drawn to her, even as he sets off sparks with uptight professor Elke (Silvia Tortosa).De Ossorio, best known for the "Blind Dead" series, does a bang up job with this entertaining terror tale, which has an old fashioned sort of story but is set in modern times. This blend of old and new is another element that makes this irresistible, and contrasting each other are the variations in the music score; sometimes it's funky psychedelic stuff, sometimes it's ethereal stuff with mournful chanting on the soundtrack. Adding an interesting touch is the presence of a scientist (Angel Menendez) who's determined to put an end to the legend using scientific means.The cast does good work, especially Line, who would be hard to resist for most any man. The monster itself is especially creepy, and commendably, we never get too good a look at it, but bits and pieces and brief flashes. We also get some juicy bits of gore as the hearts are ripped out, and there is absolutely no shortage of smoking hot young ladies to ogle; the character of Martha is particularly luscious.One thing that really makes this film work is its aura of sadness as the relationship between Sigurd and Loreley plays out; the ending is quite poetic. This film comes highly recommended to any fan of European genre cinema.Eight out of 10.

HumanoidOfFlesh A series of nasty and bloody murders in which young and sexy women are found with their hearts torn out are connected to a horrible mythological creature known as the Loreley,who lives under water.Eurohorror goddess Helga Line plays Loreley and she transforms from beautiful woman to an ugly creature with an urge to kill.Only local hunter Tony Kendall can stop her reign of terror."The Loreley's Grasp" by Amando "Blind Dead" de Ossorio is a fantastic slice of Euro-exploitation.It's loaded with beautiful Euro babes and nasty heart-ripping sequences.The atmosphere of horror is well-developed and the acting is fairly good.The film is quite tame when it comes to erotica.The monster makeup tends to look terrible.Still the film works as a charming mood piece.8 buxom ladies out of 10.

dbborroughs Legend says a Lorelei lives in a cave near a river. Every full moon she takes the shape of a monster and comes out to kill, removing the hearts from her victims. Fearing her girls might be next a schoolmaster hires a hunter to keep her girls safe.Rubber suited monster movie from the director of the Blind Dead films. Enjoyment of this film will depend on your tolerance for monster that is clearly a rubber suit under a hooded cloak, and your mood. I normally would eat this sort of nonsense up, but for whatever reason I came into the film all wrong. Don't get me wrong its a well made film as these Euro-horrors go, but its so run of the mill and connect the dot plot-wise that you're going to be disappointed. Some people have claimed that this is a lost classic, but I don't think so. Certainly its better than a good number of similar horror films since it has a decent cast, good special effects (though silly monster) and some well filmed sequences, but at the same time the by the numbers nature of the plot collapses the whole thing in on itself since its all too clear from the start where its going. I've seen better and worse, and this is one I wish was better.Forgive me for not saying more but the film just doesn't elicit a better response, it's just sort of there. (I really should point out that I will be visiting this film again when the right mood strikes me)

Scarecrow-88 "According to the legend of the seven moons, Loreley will come out of the river in the form of a filthy beast to devour human hearts that will return her to her sleep of centuries."The film opens with a scaly monster exploding through the windows of a bride-to-be ripping her flesh with it's claws in gory splendor..making no bones about it director Amando de Ossorio sets the viewer up with what his film has in store for those who continue watching. A mythic beast, who takes shape from the Amazonian goddess Helga Liné(wearing nothing but a lizard green bikini the entire time on screen, which was fine by me), rises from the river to rip the hearts from victims to feed on while an all-girl's school calls on the skills of master-hunter Sigurd(Tony Kendall)to protect them while trying to find and kill it. What eventually occurs is that Sigurd falls in love with the beast in female form, Loreley, as well as the school lovely Professor, Elke(Silvia Tortosa, one of the most beautiful women I've ever laid eyes on), an uptight and proper disciplinarian. Elke, at first, resists her attraction of Sigurd, but eventually lets her hair down. But, Loreley is a jealous "Siren of the Rhine", which will put Elke in jeopardy as Sigurd begins to express his feelings for the professor. Meanwhile, a scientist(Ángel Menéndez)has studied the myth of Loreley and understands her "condition" from a completely realistic way..with a "radioactive" blade, the doc hopes to "destroy Loreley's cellular mutations and send her back to the dark night of legend from which she has emerged." When Loreley begins attacking in the village nearby the girl's school, the citizens pick up their lighted torches and rifles ready for action. But, under the river is an underground cavernous dwelling which houses the "Treasure of the Nibelungs", taken by Loreley's father Wotan for her to guard. Loreley has plans for Sigurd..he will live with her eternally. Sigurd is torn between killing the beast responsible for mutilated bodies left in it's wake and the love he has for the woman behind the monstrous shell.John Stanley, behind the horror review book CREATURE FEATURES, proclaims that Ossorio utilizes the "kitchen sink" theory in "Loreley's Grasp", which actually is what appeals to me. Plucking elements from various horror films and mythological tales, Ossorio creates this smörgåsbord of ideas packed in 80 minutes. Filled with eye candy(..lots of lovely ladies to feast our eyes on, including three water nympths who live with Loreley and her guardian grunt, Alberic, portrayed by Franco vet Luis Barboo)and nasty flesh ripping(..including the removal of hearts from torn wounds) Ossorio knew the crowd he was catering to, and delivers a fun exploitation flick using fantasy and the supernatural in a sexy, bold, graphically violent way. Might appeal to fans of "Humanoids of the Deep." The monster is rubber suited, but Ossorio wisely uses mostly point-of-view shots allowing the camera to be it's eyes, only showing the creeping reptilian clawed hands as they prepare to strike their victims.