The Loreley's Grasp (1973)

**_A siren lurking in the Rhine turns into a murderous beast_**

This was helmed by the creator of the “Blind Dead” tetralogy, Amando de Ossorio, so if you’re familiar with those flicks, it’s cut from the same cloth, just better IMHO. It comes across as a fairy tale with horrific attacks reminiscent of what you’d see in a Kolchak episode, such as “Horror in the Heights,” albeit gorier and scarier. The progressive girl's school brings to mind Hammer’s “Lust for a Vampire” from two years prior.

The hunter who’s hired to protect the school amusingly dresses like Elvis mixed with Johnny Cash (Tony Kendall). Yet the top highlight is redhead Helga Liné as the otherworldly title character. Silvia Tortosa as Elke, a school professor, is also notable with her big eyes.

It’s akin to a werewolf flick, just with a reptilian creature. Then Dracula’s three brides show up (not really, but sort of). If you like colorful Euro horror from the time period, like “The Devil’s Nightmare,” this is a must.

It runs 1h 25m and was shot in Madrid, Spain, including the river Alberche, with second unit work done in west-central Germany on the Rhine.

GRADE: B/B+