CARLOS AURED: 1937-2008

Born Carlos Aured Alonso in Los Alcazares, Murcia on 22 January 1937, the Spanish director of some 14 films, including four Paul Naschy titles, died last Sunday, Feb. 3 in Denia Spain of unspecified causes, according to a post on the Spanish Bloody Planet site. Thanks to the Spanish blog QUE NO SE CULPE A NADIE for the still of Aured at work earlier this year with Naschy on the fantasy film EMPUSA. Aured reportedly left the production and Naschy finished directing the film, which also features Jess Franco regular Antonio Mayans.

Aured's last feature before that was Atrapados en el miedo (1985). He also directed the hardcore feature APOCALIPSIS SEXUAL (1981), with Lina Romay and Ajita Wilson.

Other notable films include:

Noche de la furia, La (1974) Espanto surge de la tumba, El (1972); Ojos azules de la muñeca rota, Los (1973); Retorno de Walpurgis, El (1973); Venganza de la momia, La (1973).

My favorite of his films will remain OJOS AZULES DE LA MUNECA ROTA (1973) and HORROR RISES FROM THE TOMB (1972), which was released in 2007 on US DVD by BCI with a commentary by Aured and Paul Naschy, that commentary should be worth revisiting in light of this news.. BLUE EYES OF BROKEN DOLLS will be released this year on DVD, also with an Aured commentary.

All the Aured films I've seen are notable for their highly atmospheric visual style and macabre details.

He was kind enough to take time to help me out with a project I was working on a few years ago. I exchanged a few communications with him and wished I had the time to get to know him better. Unlike some other film directors I've encountered he seemed like a generous, unpretentious individual.

EMPUSA should be interesting both as the return of Paul Naschy to the director's chair and as Aured's last collaboration with the writer-actor.


For information on EMPUSA visit www.empusafilm.blogspot.com/

Thanks to The Latarnia Forums, Que No Se Culpe a Nadie and Bloody Planet.

(C) Robert Monell, 2007