07 November, 2017

LES GLOUTONNES (Clifford Brown, 1973) Synopsis, in French

Terence Ng “On the way to Atlantis, Maciste arrives at a pond of running water. There, a voice is heard. Through a wave, he discovers a nude young woman, by the name of Alba, who signals him to join her. Without hesitation, Maciste removes his clothes and dives into the pond to join her. The young girl surfaces and asks Maciste to follow her. They head to the cave entrance. Alba gets out of the water and starts running to the entrance of a strange palace.

Alba has led Maciste to Queen Rose, a woman of startling beauty. She explains that he must be the savior of Atlantis from two diabolical beings. Caronte and his wife Parque have blocked the way to the fountain of love and by doing so, paradise no longer exists for Rose and her people. Maciste must help to free them from the tyrants’ bondage.

The following evening, Maciste is bathed, anointed in perfumes, by Alba and her sister Purpure. He is drunk with pleasure. Rose and Alba make love with him, but they are spied upon by Purpure who, jealous of Queen Rose, wishes for the downfall of Maciste. She flees and warns Caronte of Maciste’s arrival. She proposes that she and her sister will offer themselves to Maciste on the hill of pleasure and leave him exhausted. Caronte can then attack.

The next day, Alba and her sister make love to Maciste until he’s exhausted, but Alba catches wind of her sister’s betrayal and calls for Rose and her guard who save Maciste.

Caronte and Purpure* were able to escape. With the exception of Maciste, nothing will stop them from seizing Queen Rose, who will be sacrificed with a sadisto-erotic ritual, in hopes that peace will reign in Atlantis. But Maciste continues to fight with Alba’s help in particular. The struggle is real with Caronte, and Maciste starts to fall deep into a chasm. Maciste launches himself at his enemies and, like a hurricane, he annihilates them.

The tyrants are now dead. Maciste can return home. Atlantis can live in peace once again.”
Thanks to Terence Ng for the translation.

01 November, 2017

THE DIABOLICAL DR. Z on Blu-ray: Coming Feb., 2018!

Coming on Blu-ray from REDEMPTION, February 2018.
If you look at the right of the cover image, above the Z, there's an image from a long elusive scene depicting the murder of one of three scientists by Miss Muerte (Estella Blain), the main character.
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It was apparently filmed but has never surfaced on any video or digital release version which I'm aware. It would be an interesting inclusion in this release, if it has indeed been located.

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Previously released on DVD by MONDO MACARBO in 2003, this was an excellent release, with both French and English language options. The French audio track is markedly superior in terms of dialogue and voice casting. It also has an alternative credits sequence, theatrical trailers, audio clips, rare still and poster galleries, production notes, bios, and a documentary of Jess Franco.

I acquired the Mondo Macabro release around the time when I first started collecting DVDs. I was a very late convert to the format, not getting my first DVD player until 2002! I've since collected well over 100 DVDs and Blu-rays of Jess Franco films, with no end in sight.

LE DIABOLIQUE DR Z/MISS MUERTE is one of Franco's better early to mid 1960's horror thrillers, it plays like an installment of his famous Dr. Orloff series and is, in fact, a superior medical horror film when compared to the previous EL SECRETO DEL DR. ORLOFF. It has a healthier budget, more compelling scripting and a female serial killer portrayed by the breathtaking beauty Estella Blain. It still remains superior to the director's next official 1973 Dr. Orloff thriller, LOS OJOS DEL DR. ORLOFF.

In THE DIABLOLICAL DR. Z  Jess  Franco himself has an amusing role as the investigating police officer who solves the case with the help of his assistant, played by longtime Franco soundtrack composer Daniel J. White. The sado-erotic performances of Miss Muerte, filmed in bewitching, high contrast back and white by the great Alejandro Ulloa, should look stunning in HD.

Thanks to Daniel P. Simon for the above image.

(C) Robert Monell, 2017